Halloween in Suffolk

Halloween is a great & growing annual event – especially for children. They love seeing carved pumpkins and other decorations, dressing up to look scary (or, from an adult point of view, cute!) and, of course, trick or treating!

The following is a Guide-by-date to events taking place this Halloween in Suffolk. Please click on each link for further information and details on how to book. And then please continue reading the article to learn What Halloween is and why you can blame Suffolk for it!



Saturday 30 September -Terror on the Tracks
7.30pm
Fisher Theatre, Broad Street, Bungay, NR35 1EE

Kicking off our Halloween season with a journey back to the days of steam, where untold menace could be found lurking in the tunnels, set to leap out of the darkness to ensnare the unwary!
An original stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “The Signal-Man” and other tales of menace and melodrama are the bill of fare on offer to those brave enough to join us.
Performed by the British Empire’s finest practitioners of theatrical Victoriana in a macabre vein. The company is based in the heart of the West Midlands, a region with some of the strongest links to the greatest Victorian and Edwardian writers in this genre.
Tickets £10/£8 Concs. Box Office: 01986 897130, Email: [email protected]

Friday 20 October – Family Hallowe’en Movie Night
Doors Open 5.30pm Film starts at 6:30pm
Fynn Valley Golf Club & Restaurant, Witnesham, Ipswich, IP6 9JA

Doors open at 5:30pm for drinks, snacks and meal, including kid’s specials.
Film starts at 6:30pm – have your say in which film we show, vote in our Facebook poll. See
Fynn Valley Golf Club & Restaurant for voting details & ticket prices.

Saturday 21 October to Saturday 28 October – Halesworth Scarecrow Week
The Thoroughfare, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8AR
Halesworth Scarecrow Week is a fun filled week where business of Halesworth make and display scarecrows. There is also a pumpkin hunt where selected shops display small wooden pumpkins with letters when rearranged spell out words from childrens books. £1 treasure hunt first correct entry draw wins £50 PLUS the chance to help Santa turn on the festive lights. See Whats On Suffolk for contact details.

Saturday 21 October to Sunday 29 October – Pleasurewood Chills
From 10am
Pleasurewood Hills, Leisure Way, Lowestoft, NR32 4TZ
Join woody and friends for Halloween themed family fun this October half term (21st to 29th October).
Rides and attractions will be open around the park throughout the week and there will also be some Halloween themed fun to look out for.
Woody and friends return to the parks castle for a special spooktacular show and will also be playing trick or treat with visitors during the week. Carve a pumpkin and enter it in our fantastic competition to win a day out for your school (open to under 16s), and on Saturday 28th October don’t miss the fabulous firework display. There will also be spooky parades around the park and the chance to win prizes in our fancy dress competition. Ticket prices vary – please visit our website www.pleasurewoodhills.com for details. Tel: 01502 58600. Email: [email protected]

Wednesday 25 October – Jazz up Your Jungle Pumpkin
10.00am – 4.00pm
Urban Jungle Plant Nursery and Cafe, London Road, Beccles, NR34 8TT
Join us on the 25th and 27th October and Jazz up your Jungle Pumpkin, surrounded by exotic and unusual plants in our brand new event tent. For £5, we’ll provide the pumpkins, paints and accessories and Clare Fairy-Jacobs will be on hand to help design and decorate beautiful pumpkin centrepieces for your home and garden. Just turn up!

Thursday 26 October 2017 – Haunted Halloween Dinner & Paranormal Evening
7.00pm to Midnight
The Bull Hotel, Hall Street, Long Melford, CO10 9JG

Delicious 3 Course Halloween Dinner. Haunted Bull Hotel Ghostly Tales
Interactive Experiences with the Lights Out! Bring your own cameras & recording equipment. When the veil between the two worlds is at its thinnest. Tickets £34.99 or Stay The Night If You Dare! Dinner Bed & Breakfast £84.99pp sharing Twin/Double Room £99.99 for Single Room. Book Your Place Early by calling The Bull Hotel 01787 378494 or 01787 467671 or email:[email protected]
Dress Code is Smart-Casual

Friday 27 October – Hallowe’en Night FootGolf
Footgolf from 5.30pm, buffet from 6.30pm
Fynn Valley Golf Club & Restaurant, Witnesham, Ipswich, IP6 9JA
Hallowe’en Night FootGolf followed by a Beastly Buffet in the Creepy Courtyard Bar
Fancy dress encouraged.
See Fynn Valley Golf Club & Restaurant for more information and ticket prices.

Friday 27th – Sunday 29th October, Go Ape Spooktacular
Watch your little monkeys fly this Halloween with a Tree Top Junior experience alongside free Halloween activities. As well as the hour-long Tree Top Junior adventure for your mini-Tarzans, participants will also have access to other free festivities happening on the forest floor. From face-painters to story tellers, to spider web crafts and fancy-dress competitions, there’s plenty for the family to do. What’s more, if you can solve all the riddles hidden around the forest on the day, you’ll be in with a chance of winning a year’s worth of Go Ape adventures*. So why not swing by Go Ape, Thetford Forest, this Halloween for a spell? For venue information and contact details see Go Ape, Thetford Forest

Friday 27 October – Halloween Spooktacular & Laser Pyrotechnic Show
Gates open 4pm
Stonham Barns Leisure & Retail Village, Pettaugh Road, Stonham Aspal, IP14 6AT
A spectacular laser and pyrotechnic show to music, alongside our Halloween pumpkin competition, fancy dress competition and spooky games. This truly is going to be a magnificent display of laser and pyrotechnics which includes 30ft high flames and dry ice smoke effects, perfectly suited for those of you who find traditional fireworks too noisy. See Stonham Barns Leisure & Retail Village for full spooktacular details.

Saturday 28 October – Sponsored Felixstowe Glow Walk
Felixstowe Leisure Centre, Undercliff Road West, Felixstowe, IP11 2AE

Join us this Halloween for a magical and mystical 2 mile walk for children of all ages. With tricks, treats and games this 2 mile walk is fun for all the family.We’d Like to see your best spooky and magical fancy dress – best dressed receives a prize! After the walk its back to the venue for a disco and more games, face painting and Halloween scares.
Child (3-12) – £7 / Adults (13+) £2
Tickets available to purchase online at https://www.each.org.uk/support-us/events-diary/details/felixstowe-glow-walk-2017

Saturday 28 October – Haw Wood Farm Autumn Party
Haw Wood Farm Caravans & Camping, Darsham, Saxmundham, IP17 3QT

HawWood Farm is again hosting an Autumn party!
The dark Autumn nights are ideal for gathering around the campfire with friends and family for a warming meal and a glass of something local.
At Haw Wood Farm on Saturday 28th October (the Second Saturday of Half Term) we will be lighting our fire pits on the patio, serving Pulled Pork Rolls with Sides, local Beer and Cider and Sticky Toffee Apples!
We will keep the young amused with Marshmallow toasting, glow sticks and Autumn Crafts in the gazebo.
For more information see Haw Wood Farm Caravans & Camping

Saturday 28 October – Halloween in The Alex Café Bar
from 9.30pm,
The Alex Cafe Bar & Brasserie, 123 Undercliff Road West, Felixstowe, IP11 2AF
The Alex Café Bar is hosting a Halloween Disco with DJ Lloyd Rust.
Fancy dress is welcome and there will be a selection of spooky cocktails over the weekend.
Entry is free. See The Alex Cafe Bar & Brasserie for more information.

Saturday 28 October – Landguard Spooky Day
Felixstowe Museum, View Point Road, Felixstowe, IP11 3TW
Time: 1200-1600

A fun-packed afternoon of gentle chills and thrills! Spooky puppet show ”Three Silly Witches” and balloon-modelling with Miraiker. Spooky disco room. Spooky crafts and colouring-in. Spooky quiz trails around the museum. See the museum decorated spooky-style with plenty of surprises and treats. Come in fancy dress… with prizes to win!

Tickets: Children £7.00. Adults £2.00. Children aged one and under free.
This event is suitable for children aged 2-12 years. Younger or older children may attend at parent’s discretion. All children must be accompanied by an adult. All activities included in the one price. You must pre-book in advance for this event. NO tickets available on the door. See Felixstowe Museum for booking information.


Saturday 28 October – GHOST STORIES from M.R. James
Fisher Theatre, Broad Street, Bungay, NR35 1EE
Strange Fascination Theatre ”Ghost Stories from M.R.James” adapted for the stage. Two tales of supernatural horror comprise the evening, ”Oh, whistle and I”ll come to you my lad” and ”A Warning To The Curious”. Dare you experience these tales onstage?
Tickets visit: https://www.fishertheatre.org/


Saturday 28 October – Halloween Party
The ”ULTIMATE FANCY DRESS EVENT”
Disco by DJ LeeJ, Fully themed out. Professional Photographer in attendance (Double Aspect Photography).
Numbers for this event will be limited.
Tickets: Adults £12.50 Child £10.00 (on sale from 29th September) inclusive of food – Choice of hot food to be made when purchasing tickets: Chicken Breast & Chips – Fish & Chips – Sausages & Chips – Vegetarian Pancake Roll & Chips
For further information: email [email protected] or Tel. 07733120859


Sunday 29 October – Archery Adventures Halloween Spooktacular
Once again we are bringing you the Archery Adventures Halloween spooktacular!
For our third year we are changing location to our fabulous woodland activity site in the heart of Suffolk, but we have a problem on site……….
When the sun goes down the Zombies come out!
Prepare yourself for the zombie Apocalypse by trying your hand at Axe throwing, Air rifle shooting and Archery all with a spooked out theme. As the sun sets and the woods go dark can you survive our hoard of super zombies in Humans vs Zombies Archery Tag.

Axe throwing – 12:00-1:00 & 1:00-2:00
Air rifle shooting – 12:00-1:00 & 1:00-2:00
Archery – 2:00-3:00 & 3:00-4:00
Humans vs Zombies Archery Tag – 4:00-5:00

All activities are priced at £10 per person for a 1 hour slot. Day tickets are £35 and gives you access to 1 hour of each of the 4 activities. All participants must be aged 10 and over. Pre-booking is essential to secure your space. Tickets available at https://www.archery-adventures.com/halloween-spooktacular.html



Tuesday 31 October – Halloween Black Cat Celebration
6.00pm
Catastrophe Cat Cafe, Unit 27a, Lion Barns, Maitland Road, Needham Market, IP6 8ZN

Join us at Catastrophe Cat Cafe to celebrate everything spooky about Black Cats!
Themed quiz at the cat cafe
Compulsory fancy dress for humans!
Spooky food included & a ghastly drink
Gory music & Deadly decoration
Guaranteed cuddles
Raffle & tombola in aid of the cats
Tickets £20.00
Please book online, call us on 07388 522942 or email us on [email protected]

Tuesday 31 October – Halloween Special – Horrible History For Families
6.00pm. Ipswich Tourist Guides Association, St Stephens Church, St Stephens Lane, Ipswich, IP1 1DP

Ipswich Tourist Guides provide a fascinating range of guided walks for the public around the town. Prepare yourself for spooky delights with this Horrible Histories Halloween themed guided walk.
Places must be booked in advance.
See Ipswich Tourist Guides Association for contact details.

Halloween 2017 Events in Suffolk

Tuesday 31 October – Halloween Spooktacular Face Painting
2pm – 6pm
Spar, Melton Road, Woodbridge, IP12 1NH

Join us from 2-6pm on Tuesday 31st October for an afternoon of spooky face painting and Halloween treats for your little ghouls – all for free!
We also stock a great range of Halloween supplies and pumpkins for sale.
Ask us for more details! Tel: 01394 380664

Halloween – What is it and why you can blame Suffolk for it!

Halloween is now the second largest sales period in the UK for retailers, behind Christmas, and growth of this rather frightening festival has been exponential in the last few years. Pumpkins are all over the place, pumpkin rustlers abound, and even that good old British institution, John Lewis, has succumbed to the demand with Halloween merchandise in its stores since mid September.

We could blame American owned Asda for promoting the American-style celebration of Halloween. They have seen sales of Halloween good increase 20 fold in the last 10 years, so they can spot a good thing when they see it. In 2014 Americans spent $5bn on Halloween; the UK is a long way behind at £120m, but that’s increasing dramatically year on year.

Halloween 2017 Events in Suffolk

Halloween is cheaper than bonfire night as there are no expensive (or dangerous) fireworks to be bought, so consumers are understandably keen to encourage their children to focus on Halloween rather than Guy Fawkes Night.

As for the children, trick or treating. If they’re lucky they’ll end the evening with a bag full of sweets, and if they can trick people, well that’s fun too. So there’s a lot in it for them, and with Mum or Dad in tow too, it’s an opportunity for family fun.

Halloween – What’s it all about?

Halloween and bonfire night were part of what was one known as Hallowtide – a cluster of customs arising from the Celtic celebration called Samhain. Samhain marked the turning of their year and the beginning of winter. In defiance of the onset of winter, fires and lanterns were lit. Still with me? Samhain was associated with lighting fires also to honour the dead and to defy evil spirits. The Church wasn’t keen on these pagan celebrations so they came up with their own alternatives – All Saints Day on November 1st and All Souls Day the next day, to honour the sanctified ie Christian souls. But of course when the establishment doesn’t like something and tries to put it down, it tends to result in making it much popular.

In some parts of the North they still have Mischief Night, usually around November 4th, which is a part of the Halloween tradition of rituals of naughtiness. So I suppose we should be grateful we don’t have that too.

Halloween – Why blame Suffolk?

Well, here’s the thing. According to Doc Rowe, a folklorist, back in the ‘70s there was a documentary programme on BBC2 called ‘Look Stranger’ about the Woodbridge Airbase here in Suffolk. It showed children doing trick or treating and within 2 years the tabloids had adopted the festival and were promoting it. So, despite our predecessors in Scotland and Ireland taking Halloween traditions to America in the mid 19C in all good faith, our American friends brought them back to that Airbase in Suffolk, and the rest is history…

Also check out all events happening in Suffolk at What’s On Suffolk as well as Suffolk Fireworks Displays for Bonfire Night.

Halloween events in Suffolk

If you would like to add your Halloween event in Suffolk to this listing, please submit the details to our Event Form.

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