A haunted maze, ghastly ghost train, spooky big top show, lots of tasty treats, and more are all arriving at the Trafford Centre next month just in time for Halloween.
Now that autumn’s officially arrived, and the spookiest time of the year is just around the corner with Halloween only a few weeks away, the Trafford Centre has announced that its next large-scale outdoor event – a “spooky spectacle of hair-raising horrors” known as SPOOKFEST – will be here in just a few weeks time.
SPOOKFEST follows the success of ‘Summer Social’ – which saw in excess of 200,000 visitors and local celebrities enjoy some fun in the sun this past August and September.
Not only will thrill seekers get the chance to try out a scary selection of rides, including a ghost train, escape rooms, hook a pumpkin, and a spooky hay bale maze that are ideal for all the family, but there’ll also be Independent food and drink traders serving up some “deliciously devilish dishes”.
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Epic Pizza, Old School Dogs, and Cha Cha Chai will all be setting up shop over the festival’s three-week stay outside The Orient.
The “spooky spectacle of hair-raising horrors” will be here in just a few weeks time / Credit: Trafford Centre
Also as part of SPOOKFEST, there will be a handful of other activities taking place across the shopping centre, including show dances over Halloween weekend, as well as creepy cocktails and exclusive treats to try at some of the centre’s restaurants.
Gandeys Circus – the creators of Cirque Surreal and the Chinese State Circus – will also be returning with an action-packed ‘Halloween Spooktacular Big Top show’ from 15 – 31 October.
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The Trafford Centre Trick or Treat Trail – which has been carefully risk assessed and designed in line with COVID-19 safety measures – returns on 28 October, and kids are invited to pick up a free Halloween bucket from the customer service desk and scour the shops and restaurants across the centre for lots of tasty treats.
“SPOOKFEST promises some frightful fun for both grown-up thrill seekers and little monsters, offering something for everyone this Halloween,” explains Centre Director Zoe Inman.
“SPOOKFEST promises some frightful fun for both grown-up thrill seekers and little monsters, offering something for everyone this Halloween” / Credit: Trafford Centre
SPOOKFEST will be open every day from 11 – 31 October.
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There’s a £3.50 entry fee – booking in advance recommended – and some rides are priced individually, with token packages available to buy here.
Featured Image – Trafford Centre
What's On
You can visit National Trust sites for free this autumn
Daisy Jackson
The National Trust is celebrating the arrival of a new season by offering free visits to the sites it cares for this autumn.
Families will be able to visit the many stately homes, grand gardens, beaches and countryside locations that are looked after by the charity.
The limited-time offer will allow people to book an autumn trip to a National Trust site of their choosing.
Each free ticket will admit two adults and up to four children, with hundreds of sites taking part in the campaign.
The National Trust says: “Everyone needs nature and autumn is when it really glows.
“As the scenes change around us escape into the season with a free visit to the places we care for.”
Quarry Bank. Credit: National Trust
Around Greater Manchester, those include Dunham Massey with its ancient deer park, the incredible Lyme Park (famous for its role in Pride and Prejudice), and the historic Quarry Bank.
Not to mention those just across the borders into neighbouring counties, like Marsden Moor, Hare Hill, and Hardcastle Crags.
You can also use the free National Trust pass to visit Castlefield Viaduct, the sky-high urban park that opened here in Manchester this year.
The 330-metre Grade II-listed steel viaduct was transformed with plants and landscaping into a heritage park, which is technically only a temporary installation while the National Trust works on a permanent vision for the landmark’s future.
Some sites won’t be taking part in the Guest Pass promotion, and visitors are urged to check their chosen destination isn’t on this list before visiting.
Alderley Edge and Tatton Park, for example, are both excluded from the deal.
The free National Trust guest pass promotion will be available to use at sites on or before 30 November 2022.
A Polish vodka and dumpling festival is coming to Manchester
Georgina Pellant
Independent Polish restaurant Platzki is bringing back its famous vodka and pierogi festival to Manchester this week, and we couldn’t be more excited for some hearty dumpling fare.
Notorious for its top-tier filled pierogi, which are made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savoury or sweet filling and cooking in boiling water, Platzki is already something of a go-to for fine Polish food in Manchester.
But now, traditional European dumpling fans have another reason to get themselves down as the restaurant will be focusing almost entirely on pierogi for two days this week.
Platzki’s famous pierogi. / Image: The Manc Eats
Image: Platzki
Taking place across Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 October from 3pm until sell-out (or at 9pm, whichever comes first), diners will have the chance to try Platzki’s perfect homemade pierogi in a range of mouth-watering flavours.
There will be plenty of different fillings to try, including some brand new vegetarian pierogi for non-meat eaters.
That’s not all, either. There’ll also be a midweek vodka tipple on standby as Platzki shows off its huge range of favourite Polish vodkas.
Think salted caramel vodka, strawberry vodka, golden black cherry vodka, hazelnut vodka and delicious cherry-chocolate vodka, all of which are (as we know too well from experience) dangerously drinkable.
Each day, the team will be making hundreds of pierogi for local dumpling lovers to sample.
Karkówka roasted pork neck with spinach egg noodles. / Image: The Manc Eats
Karkówka roasted pork neck with spinach egg noodles. / Image: The Manc Eats
Elsewhere, they will also be serving up some of their favourite dishes from the menu including a hearty sausage stew with freshly-baked bread, and melt-in-the-mouth karkówka roasted pork neck with spinach egg noodles.
A fixture in the city since 2018, Platzki has built up a reputation for serving an interesting list of Polish vodka and wine alongside traditional dishes like dumplings, pork neck and meatballs.
It has a gorgeous plant-filled restaurant and a bright terrace that backs onto the Great Northern Warehouse, giving diners views over the Great Northern Square as they dig into some of the best Polish food in the city.
To find out more about this week’s dumpling festival, follow Platzki on Instagram here.
Emily Sergeant -
29th September 2021 
