LOOKING for something scary to do this weekend and on Halloween? Here's our pick of events going on in and around Colchester.
And for next week, don't forget to plan your fireworks night - all the best venues HERE.
Light and Shade family fun event and light show, town centre and Castle Park
Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm
Tickets for the light show are £3 per adult and £2 for children.
The Light and Shades family fun event will run on Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30.
There will be free entertainment in the town centre and upper Castle Park during both days and a light show called Back at the Future in the evenings.
This year the show will be projected onto Colchester Castle, and sessions will be ticketed meaning the council can have a safe limit on the number of attendees per session.
The show will feature a journey through Colchester’s history from the Witchfinder General and Queen Boudicca to Celts, Romans and Second World War and even take a jump into the future.
Free entertainment will be available in upper Castle Park on Saturday including music and arts and crafts while there will be street entertainment across the town centre.
On Sunday, the High Street will be pedestrianised to make way for fun fair rides, face painting, stone carving and acrobats.
Bloodcurdling Colchester, walking tour from Hollytrees Museum, High Street , Colchester
Monday 7pm
Adults £7.20, Children (5 - 15) £4.20
Join characters from our grim and gruesome past on a journey through the horrible history of the town. It’s Colchester – with all the nice things taken out.
Fright Nights at Colchester Zoo, Maldon Road, Stanway
Saturday and Monday, open until 9.30pm
For those that are brave enough to stay after dark, Colchester Zoo also is hosting a number of Fright nights with extended late night openings.
Dare you stay on into the evening and face the ghosts and ghouls that take over the zoo or step foot in the Haunted Mansion? With the return of the infamous Terror Train plus many more spine chilling events.
Halloween Ball, Colchester Arts Centre, Church Street, Colchester
Saturday 7.30pm
£7/£6 concessions
Get dressed-up and messed-up at the Halloween Ball with live music, DJs and horror movie projections. Monster surf-rock band Surfquake. With support from the Flat Mountain Family.
The Great Pumpkin Hunt, Beth Chatto Gardens, Elmstead Market
Until November 1, 10am to 3pm
Adults £6.95, children £1.50 (children go free if you book online in advance)
challenge your children to find the hidden pumpkins around the Beth Chatto Gardens. Prizes to be won! Guess the weight of the pumpkin and see our fabulous gourd and pumpkin display too!
The Pumpkin Patch, Green Lane, Aldham
Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm
Pick your own pumpkin, sweetcorn and multi-coloured Halloween corn. Also – a maize trail, and “pump-kin” bowling to keep all the wannabe witches and wizards occupied.
Halloween by Firelight, Fingringhoe Wick, Southgreen Road, Fingringhoe
Saturday 5.30pm to 7pm
Donations £7 per child, £1 per adult. Children must be accompanied. Booking essential.
A fantastic evening of activities with firelighting, a campfire and a bat walk.
Museums at Night: The Haunted Room, Munnings Art Museum, Castle Hill, Dedham
Tonight 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Join us for a ghostly 'candle-lit' tour of the museum with a special viewing of Munnings' painting 'The Haunted Room'. Hear about the horrendous tale which inspired this picture, see the sketches and preparatory works for it and listen to readings of Munnings' own poetry.
The Nutty Professor’s Halloween Disaster Trail, Highwoods Country Park – meet at the Visitor Centre off Turner Road
Saturday various times between 7.20pm and 8.10pm
Suitable for ages 7+
£6 per adult, £4 per child, booking in advance recommended
Are you brave enough to save the world from the evil forces accidentally created by the High Woods Country Park Nutty Professor? Come and find out in the atmospheric setting of the Park at night!
Meet the Professor's assistant at the Visitor Centre to receive the clues needed to find the escaped zombies and find the secret formula to save the world. The last section of the trail is quite scary and not suitable for young children. Recover with hot soup and a roll at the Visitor Centre when you finish.
Spooky Day Out with Thomas, East Anglian Railway Museum, Chappel Station, Colchester
Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4.30pm
Adult £13, child £9 in advance, adult £14, child £10 on day
The Fat Controller will be welcoming you and your family plus you can join him for Storytelling time and interactive re-enactments with Thomas and other characters.
A variety of activities will also be taking place including the Imagination Station which offers a wide range of children's activities, from Circus Skills, Punch & Judy, colouring competition, engine outline rubbing, play tables with plasticine, temporary Thomas tattoos, reading books and much more.
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