Printworks has launched a virtual Mini Monsters Trail to help families celebrate the spooky season with plenty of treats and absolutely no tricks.
Just like everything else amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Halloween is gearing up to be a little different this year, but with the nights drawing in and the big day coming up this Saturday, you can still make the most out of October half term at Manchester’s “number one entertainment venue” this week.
Five mini monsters will be hidden across the Printworks’ website each day, and all you have to do is read the clues to find each monster, and you could then be entered into the “creepy competition”.
The Mini Monsters Trail is taking place from Monday 26th – Friday 30th October.
With a total of five daily trails to take part in throughout the week, there’s six chances for families to win “fang-tastic prizes”.
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Plus, if you manage to find the special Haunted Halloween Monster along the trail, then you’ll be entered into the “spookalicious grand prize draw” which could see you winning a £100 voucher to spend at a number of Printworks’ venues.
Join us on the Mini Monster Trail this Halloween as we're giving away over £350 worth of prizes! Tune in at midday Mon-Fri for Trail clues and find the monster to enter our daily draw! https://t.co/A70wkkDZ3Cpic.twitter.com/WPaxPnnxu2
You can catch the Printworks monster on its roof from 26th October – 1st November.
If you fancy joining in with the Mini Monsters Trail this week, then you can head on over to the Printworks website here for more information and to get started.
There’s plenty of other things happening at the city centre entertainment complex this week too.
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Vue
Vue will be showing all of the Halloween classics for both families and horror fans, and you can expect to catch the likes of Psycho, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Hocus Pocus from just £4.99 a ticket throughout the month.
If you want a real scary experience, then you can’t really go wrong with an escape room, and when you play horror rooms Enigmista or Ritual at Escape Reality, you’ll get 50% off any other room for your next visit, but you’ll have to make out of this room in one piece first.
Don’t want to risk bumping into any vampires? Tee off before midday at Treetop Adventure Golf and you’ll be able to play a second course for free while the sun is still up.
Hard Rock Cafe is giving you a taste of Halloween this October with a special cocktail for the spooky season, and the kids will also be able to pay with a pumpkin too, so get carving.
Bring a carved pumpkin during October Half Term, and get a meal from the kid’s Roxtars Menu free of charge when you buy a main meal.
Leave the pumpkins at Hard Rock Cafe and carve out some time during October half term for bowling, because the offers at Manchester’s newest Tenpin venue include bowling and a drink from £9 per person, bowling and food for £13 per person, and bowling, food and drink from £15 per person.
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Frankie and Benny’s
Treat the little terrors to lunch, as kids eat free over October half term when you order a main meal.
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You can find out more about the Mini Monster’s Trail and get your first clue here.
What's On
Trafford Centre to host FREE family science weekend with robots, dinosaurs, experiments, and more
Emily Sergeant
A new science festival is coming to Manchester next month, and little ones can meet robots, dinosaurs, and more.
Families are invited to enjoy a free fun-filled weekend full of different interactive and hands-on science activities, as FunLab takes over the Trafford Centre early next month to mark the launch of British Science Week – which runs from Friday 6 through to Sunday 15 March.
The weekend-long celebration is hosted by the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Manchester.
You can expect robots, dinosaurs, experiments, and interactive activities to be brought to life for visitors of all ages, and for completely free of charge.
In the dedicated dinosaur zone, you can step back in time with spectacular displays and meet real-life palaeontologists who will reveal fascinating secrets of the prehistoric world, as well as get the chance to handle genuine fossils, find out how scientists understand ancient life, and take as many selfies as possible.
FunLab takes over the Trafford Centre early next month / Credit: Supplied
Over in the robot zone, this is where you’ll get to discover smart robots that move, react, and perform crowd‑pleasing tricks, while young engineers test their skills, control mini‑bots, and learn how robotics keeps people safe.
There’ll also be a flight simulator – suitable for children aged seven and above – where you can soar into the science of flight and take the controls in an exciting experience, before exploring how aircraft design, weather, and environments affect flight.
Families can also enjoy a wide mix of creative, sensory, and scientific fun in the dedicated experiments zone too.
There’ll be robots, dinosaurs, and loads of interactive experiments to try out / Credit: Alex Kondratiev (via Pexels)
“We’re thrilled to welcome FunLab to the centre and provide families with an unforgettable experience,” commented Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at the Trafford Centre. “From robot dogs to giant dinosaurs, there’s something to amaze everyone.”
A spokesperson for The University of Manchester added: “We are proud to showcase our world‑leading researchers directly to the community.
“Our scientists, engineers and students are passionate about sharing their work, and events like FunLab we want to show young people and their families that that science is exciting, creative and truly for everyone.”
FunLab takes over the Trafford Centre on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 March, and you can find out more information here.
Featured Image – Mikhail Nilov (via Pexels)
What's On
New stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House to arrive in Manchester this Halloween
Emily Sergeant
A brand-new stage adaptation of a bestselling horror novel and TV series is coming to Manchester this Halloween.
Following the critically acclaimed Netflix hit series that introduced a new generation to the eerie masterpiece, author Shirley Jackson’s famous The Haunting of Hill House is being turned into a brand-new stage adaptation later this year, and will be taking to one of Manchester’s most iconic stages at the spookiest season of all.
Written by Olivier and BAFTA award-winner Stef Smith, and directed by Martin Constantine, the new production is set to conjure the iconic supernatural thriller on stage.
It will be making its world premiere with a UK tour this autumn, stopping off in several major towns and cities along the way.
If you’re unfamiliar with the story, The Haunting of Hill House follows a group of daring investigators who take on the mystery of Hill House, before their curiosity quickly descends into fear.
A new stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House is coming to Manchester this Halloween / Credit: Supplied
“The Haunting of Hill House is one of the greatest supernatural novels of the last hundred years and to have the chance to adapt it for the stage is a true privilege,” explained writer Stef Smith, as the UK tour was announced this week.
“I find Shirley Jackson’s world intoxicating, thrilling and gut-wrenching.
“I believe there is something so deeply theatrical at the heart of Hill House. From the spooky, to the surreal, through heartache and hope. I hope that our cast of characters will take the audience along for a ride quite unlike anything else. Above all we will examine that the biggest horrors are usually human.”
The brand-new stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House will arrive in Manchester and take to the stage at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 27 October right through to Halloween itself (Saturday 31 October 2026).