A brand-new Halloween trail will be leading people through an enchanted and haunted woodland this autumn – and it’s all taking place at Trafford Centre’s little-known Wilderspool Woods.
The 4.5 acre hidden woodland in the grounds of the iconic shopping centre will be taken over by skeletons, bats, and all sorts of other spooky creatures.
But as the event comes from acclaimed The Twilight Trail at Mayfield Park, you’ll be sure to be more mesmerised than terrified. No blood-thirsty zombies here.
There’ll be more than 100,000 lights illuminating a Skeleton Village, laser-filled gardens of mist, and a spooky soundtrack of otherworldly tunes curated by DJ Rasp.
Visitors will find supernatural surprises around every corner, whether it’s colourful bats soaring overhead or glowing LED eyes watching down from the treetops.
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The Halloween Trail will be suitable for all ages and will captivate audiences with the glittering light trail, interactive events, and a massive food and drink programme curated by Freight Island.
A new Halloween trail is taking over the hidden woods at the Trafford Centre. Credit: SuppliedDecadent hot chocolates will be part of The Halloween Trail’s Freight Island-curated food line-up. Credit: Supplied
As you creep and weave your way through the eerie Wilderspool Woods you’ll be able to pick and carve your own pumpkins, toast marshmallows, and throw some shapes at the skeleton disco.
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There’ll even be a skeleton petting zoo, a mysterious Haunted Hotel, and a creepy old-fashioned pub, Ye Olde Skeleton Arms, tucked away in the woods.
The light installations brought to The Halloween Trail will include Helix, a floating ribbon of sparkling light that weaves through the forest, and The Twist, a psychedelic, corkscrew pathway of mesmerising lights.
After making it through the mystical woodlands, visitors can feast on food from top traders including Voodoo Rays (22” New York-style pizzas), and Soft Boi (soft-serve ice cream).
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Formaggi by Lazy Tony’s will be warming up guests with loaded roasties, rich poutine, deep-fried mozzarella and Italian-American toasties, and there’s Cabin Chocolat for decadent hot chocolates topped with fluffy marshmallows, caramel, and sweets (plus a drop of booze for the grown-ups).
Heard, a new burger venture from two Michelin-starred chef Jordan Bailey of Ireland’s Aimsir, will also feature on the trail, whipping up a selection of smash burgers made with eco-friendly ingredients.
Voodoo Rays will be one of the traders serving food at The Halloween Trail. Credit: The Manc GroupFormaggio by Lazy Tony’s will have loaded roasties and loads more. Credit: Supplied
Free parking is available for all ticket holders, or there are easy public transport links via tram or bus along The Bee Network.
Dan Morris, co-founder of Trafford Trails, said: “We’re excited to reveal Wilderspool Wood as the location for this year’s Halloween Trail.
“This hidden space offers the perfect setting for an immersive and exciting Halloween experience. With DJ Rasp’s soundtrack, stunning light displays, and some of the best food traders around, we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors of all ages for a great night out.”
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Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, added: “We’re delighted to bring something new to Trafford this Halloween. Collaborating with Freight Island and other great partners, we’ve created an experience that promises to be a real treat for our visitors. We can’t wait to see Wilderspool Wood lit up at night.”
The Halloween Trail will run from Thursday 17 October to Sunday 3 November.
Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £8 for children, £10 for adults, and family tickets from £32 – you can grab yours here.
A dedicated anime, movie and gaming concert with a live orchestra is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Calling all self-proclaimed otakus, cinephiles and gamers: a huge concert experience will see dozens of musicians bring classic anime, film and gaming soundtracks and scores to life later this year, right here in Manchester.
The city is no stranger to events celebrating these beloved kinds of media, but you’ll struggle to find another bringing all of them together in one place.
Brought to us Mancs by KIN Music Entertainment, a locally founded arts, events and music label, this celebration of all things pop culture – and specifically, the music tied to it.
Entitled ‘The Kin & Fushigi Anime, Film & Videogame Orchestra’, this passionate collective serves as not only a platform for rising artists but also to hear some iconic sonic moments like never before.
KIN have created a large-scale live concert experience which will bring together a 25-piece pop orchestra made up of emerging professional performers and conservatoire graduates.
Aside from the impressive total of people behind this production to begin with, they also form an immersive hybrid orchestral and live band capable of bringing.
Speaking on the upcoming date, KIN Entertainment said in a statement: “We wanted to create the kind of live experience that many anime and videogame fans in Manchester have been waiting for — something cinematic, emotional and community-driven that brings these sound worlds to life with the energy of both an orchestra and a live band.”
Kin was founded by bassist, composer and ensemble performer Alejandro Urbina Diaz, who first brought his talents and wider interests over from Mexico to the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) here in the city centre at the age of 23.
Citing Manchester’s multiculturalism and cosmopolitan cultural fabric as a big part of his inspiration, he and his team have ended up carving out this niche for themselves, and now they’ll be playing this beloved music to Mancs at none other than the O2 Ritz.
Credit: KIN Music Entertainment (supplied via Academy Music Group Digital)
With new arrangements inspired by anime, cinematic and videogame culture, not to mention orchestral and even rock crossover twists – including both vocalist and rhythm sections, by the way – it’s set to be a highly unique experience that most will have never come across before.
This event itself is suitable for audiences aged 14+, although under-16s must be accompanied by an adult, and it’s taking place at the Ritz on Sunday, 26 July.
We’re not going to spoil any more details about the show for you, so which particular pieces of pop culture they reference will just have to be a surprise…
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via AMG Digital)
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You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Daisy Jackson -
20th September 2024 
