Halloween festivals, spooky parades and ghoulish galas to consider this midterm

As nights lengthen and days shorten, Samhain, or Halloween, is fast approaching and with it the long weekend and midterm break. We may be hunkering down for winter, but the festive calendar is gearing up with spooky parades, family-friendly festivals and ghoulish galas all around the country. Here is a selection of some of the best events over the October midterm.

Dragon of Shandon, October 31st, Cork City dragonofshandon.com

At 7pm on Halloween night, a 36-foot dragon will prowl the streets of Cork, journeying from Shandon Bells to the city centre. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the free parade, although organisers are asking for help to “feed the dragon” in the form of donations and participants; face-painters, float-pushers and stewards are required.

Derry Halloween, October 28th-November 1st, Derry City derryhalloween.com

Touted as Europe’s largest Halloween festival, the walled city’s spooky itinerary includes artwork in the form of Luke Jerram’s suspended globe Gaia in the Guildhall, circus spectacles as part of the Walled City Trail and live music at the bandstand in the Cathedral quarter. The pièce de résistance, the carnival parade and firework show, will close out the festival, which is ringing in a roundy birthday with four decades of creepy celebrations under its belt.

Bram Stoker Festival, October 23rd-26th, Dublin city bramstokerfestival.com

A more literary take on macabre revelling, this Dublin City Council-organised festival celebrates the legacy of Dracula author Bram Stoker. Talks, workshops, theatre performances and walking tours explore the themes of the Gothic, the supernatural and the Victorian as part of Stoker’s legacy. It all culminates on Monday when Macnas brings its spectacular parade to Dublin’s northeast Inner City.

Samhain in the Heartlands, ongoing until November 8th, Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon Samhainheartlands.ie

Flagship events for Samhain in the Heartlands include Longford’s Dead of Night festival (featuring family-friendly entertainment), a “Fire & Shadows Procession” in Longford town, and an aerial acrobatics spectacle, “Samhain After Dark”, at Belvedere House and Gardens outside Mullingar. More than 50 events will take place across the three midlands counties with plenty of free activities for young and old.

Cork Jazz Festival, October 22nd-26th, Cork City guinnesscorkjazzfestival.com

Less ghoulish than other Halloween events but still boasting plenty of after-dark mischief, the Cork Jazz Festival will take place across the city over the long weekend. Although in recent years it has strayed from its jazz roots, this year’s line up puts contemporary jazz front and centre with acts like London Septet Kokoroko, jazz house producers Berlioz and English jazz drummer Yussef Dayes.

Creepy Town, October 24th-30th, The Helix, Dublin city helix.ie

Christmas pantomimes may be a childhood rite of passage but a Halloween panto is still a novel idea. Designed to be spooky not scary, Creepy Town will run both matinees and evening shows throughout the midterm break and promises to be a family-friendly festivity.

Samhain Parade at Manorhamilton, November 1st, Co Leitrim Instagram.com

Taking place in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, this year’s Samhain Parade is inspired by the legend of the goddess Macha and invites people and artists from the Northwest of the country to contribute skills and talents. The parade is directed by Kíla composer and fiddle player Dee Armstrong who has been at the helm of the festival since 2001.

The Irish Wake Museum and the Medieval Museum Waterford: special Halloween events, October 24th-30th, Waterford City Waterfordtreasures.com

Paranormal presentations, family-friendly history tours and mask-making workshops for kids make up the Halloween programming for Waterford city’s museums. One unusual event for fans of the supernatural is Paranormal, Past and Present at the Medieval Museum which is headed by Ghost Éire’s co-founder Anthony Kerrigan, who will discuss his 2024 paranormal investigation of the Irish Wake museum.

Púca Festival, October 26th-November 1st, Trim and Athboy, Co Meath pucafestival.com

With events and workshops across comedy, music, circus and procession, Púca offers a pick‘n’mix of activities for everyone. There will be live music from The Coronas, The Waterboys and The Stunning, and comedians including Enya Martin and Shane Daniel Byrne are set to perform. Family-friendly circuses are also on the programme.

Macnas Halloween Parade, October 25th, Galway City macnas.com

The 40th anniversary of the Macnas parade will feature 121 performers, 168 volunteers and a 45 person-strong professional production crew. This year’s theme is Fiáin and includes six sections and 11 individual floats, as well as five giants, puppets and masks from previous parades. If you won’t make it out west to see the spectacle, you can catch it in the Pale at Dublin City Council’s Bram Stoker festival on October 26th.

Strokestown Park, October 23rd-November 1st, Co Roscommon stroketownpark.ie

Footsteps and Folklore on the National Famine Way, a series of evenings of storytelling and traditional music from October 24th – 26th, will take place at Strokestown Park on Saturday, before moving to Mosstown Harbour, Killashee on Sunday, and Coolnahay Harbour, Ballynacarrigy on Monday as part of the Samhain in The Heartlands Festival. Strokestown Park will also offer a family-friendly, self-guided Samhain trail over the midterm where visitors are awarded a “spookalicious treat” upon completion of the trail. Rounding off the week is the After Dark House Tour on November 1st, where guests are guided by candlelight.

Ireland Home of Halloween, ongoing until October 31st, Fingal explorefingal.ie

Cookery classes, Pumpkins after Dark at Newbridge House, and mask-making workshops are just some of the events on offer at Fingal’s Halloween festival. There are 20 venues taking part and a suite of castles including Howth and Malahide in among the most gothic. A sample of an event taking place in stately and haunted surrounds is Craic from the Crypt at Ardgillan Castle, a ghostly tour for ages eight and up.

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Jurassic Newpark, October 24th-November 1st, Kilkenny jurassicnewpark.com

Fabulously fantastical and dinosaur-themed, Kilkenny’s Jurassic Newpark is looking to welcome families with kids of all ages and scare thresholds. As part of its Halloween programme the theme park will offer a daytime Jurassic Haunt featuring witches and wizard classes, spooky trails and live entertainment. For older and hardier guests, the witching hour experience will take place after dark and allow guests to explore the park by night.