Over 160 postcodes across the four Heatons of Stockport are to be decked out for the spookiest weekend of the year as part of the ‘Halloween Town Trail’.
The haunted houses of the four Heatons getting more ghostly than ever before.
With trick or treating sadly off the cards this year under Tier 3 restrictions, this completely COVID-safe event – spread across Heaton Moor, Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey, and Heaton Norris in the Greater Manchester borough of Stockport – has been organised as a way of bringing the communities together to celebrate as safely as possible, while supporting a worthy cause.
It’s the second COVID-safe trail event to hit the Heatons since lockdown.
The first – a zoo-themed trail aimed at supporting Chester Zoo in its hour of need – raised a whopping £7,500, but this weekend, the theme is of course Halloween and scary movies, so you’ll need to keep your wits about you as you can expect to see windows and garden frighteningly festooned in hundreds of homes.
As per government regulations, no treats or sweets will be handed out from the houses of Halloween Town, but attendees are welcome to bring their own personal supply of treats for the trail.
The three-day event is to take place from Friday 30th October – Sunday 1st November.
Residents have already begun decorating and have been sharing pictures of their homes over on the #4HeatonsHalloween hashtag on social media.
It’s not just about celebrating the spookiest time of year as safely as possible though.
There is another very important cause at the heart of ‘The 4 Heaton’s Halloween Town’, and that is to raise funds for “beloved” local picture house The Savoy Cinema in Heaton Moor, which is a family-run independent boutique cinema nestled in the heart of the community boasting the latest projection and sound systems, mixed with classic style, comfort and service.
Amy Vose – Organiser of ‘The 4 Heatons Halloween Town’ – said: “The Savoy, as an independent cinema, is a real jewel of the Heatons. It’s very much loved by this community, and people want it to be enjoyed by their families for many years to come,
“So it was easy getting people involved.”
Money raised from the event will support the cinema, which, like many local businesses across the country, has sadly suffered a tough time financially due to the restrictions in place and the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the arts industry.
It comes after the cinema was named one of 42 independent picture houses in the UK to share £650,000 in the first awards from the Culture Recovery Fund earlier this month.
The owners of The Savoy Cinema have expressed how “very grateful and humbled” they are by the community’s fundraising efforts ahead of ‘The 4 Heatons Halloween Town’ event, and how wonderful it is to be “valued in that way” by the people of the local area.
The Savoy Cinema Heaton Moor
“If you know the Heatons at all, [you’ll know] people here are extra,” Amy explains.
“So give them a silly community challenge and they will raise the bar.
“It’s brought families together to pump their energies into something positive, at a time where either every day feels the same, or everyday is a worry”.
Are you brave enough to head to ‘Halloween Town’ this weekend then?
You can find more information about the event, read up on all the COVID-safe precautions and measures being put in place, and download the map to familiarise yourself with the trail ahead of time via the ‘4 Heatons Halloween Town’ website here.
Donations to The Savoy Cinema can be made through the dedicated JustGiving page set up by event organisers and residents here.
More information can also be found via ‘The 4 Heatons Halloween Town’ event on Facebook.
What's On
Trafford Centre’s ‘unmissable’ summer fair is returning with a beach, fairground rides, and more
Emily Sergeant
A beach, splash park, fairground rides, and loads more family fun is returning to the Trafford Centre this summer.
After proving to be massively-popular over the past couple of years, with thousands of families travelling from across Greater Manchester and beyond to bask in the sunshine and make the most of all the fun and games, the Trafford Centre is getting ready to welcome back ‘the much-anticipated event of the summer’ in a couple of weeks time.
And this year, the beloved family event has got itself a new family activity zone, and it sounds set to be bigger and better than ever.
The best bit? Tickets will only set you back just £3 each.
A huge fairground, splash park, and beach are returning to Trafford Centre for the summer / Credit: Trafford Centre
Set to open from Saturday 19 July, and run right the way through until the end of August, the family-friendly event will see a massive beach ready for sunbathing and sandcastles pop up outside the shopping centre, alongside a splash park with lots of water jets perfect for cooling you off.
From building sandcastles at the giant beach, to cooling off at the children’s splash park, there’s something for everyone.
Adrenaline junkies both young and old will also get to enjoy retro fairground rides, including ‘Star Flyer’, ‘Sea Storm’, while the event’s in town, as well a giant inflatable area, and loads more.
New for 2025 is the Summer Activity Zone – an undercover tent area complete with free, hands-on crafting activities designed especially for kids.
Each week brings a new theme packed with imagination, colour, and fun, no matter whether it’s rain or shine, so if your little Mancs love painting, baking, building, or experimenting, then you’ll want to take them here to inspire their young minds.
There’s also a wide range of tasty treats available too, including burgers and hotdogs, and for those with a sweet tooth, Cheshire ice cream, Belgian waffles, chocolate covered fruit and marshmallows, and churros.
Trafford Centre’s Summer Fair is popping up outside The Orient, opposite The Great Hall entrance, from Saturday 19 July right through until 31 August, and will be open every day from 12-8pm.
Tickets are now on sale – with pre-booking ‘recommended to avoid disappointment’ – and will set you back just £3 per person if booked in advance (includes booking fee) and £3.50 on the gate, while ride tokens must be purchased separately for £1.
Featured Image – Trafford Centre
What's On
Stage times confirmed for Oasis Live ’25 at Heaton Park in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Oasis will finally return to Manchester for five massive hometown gigs this week – and stage times for their Heaton Park show have been confirmed.
The Gallagher brothers have already reunited for two gigs in Cardiff ahead of their Manchester shows.
Oasis will be performing in Heaton Park on 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 of July, with support from long-time friends Richard Ashcroft and Cast.
With about 80,000 people expected to flock to the fields for the Oasis Live ’25 shows, there’s a lot of planning going on behind the scenes.
And the stage times for the Oasis Manchester gigs have just been confirmed by the band.
Oasis will be taking to the stage at 8.15pm, and with a 10.30pm curfew, that’s around two hours of glorious Gallagher hits.
Gates to Heaton Park open at 3pm and organisers are expecting large crowds – they’re encouraging fans to allow plenty of time for travel and arrive early.
As a reminder, there are shuttle buses running directly from Lever Street to Heaton Park from 1.30pm, but these are almost sold out.
You can also get tickets for Big Green Coach here, or use trams from Victoria Station up to the venue.
Confirmed stage times for Oasis at Heaton Park, Manchester