Watch a classic horror film on the big screen, visit a reopened pub or get your skates on (quite literally) this weekend
Catch the end of Halloween celebrations in Manchester this weekend (Image: Manchester Evening News)
Now that the nights are drawing in following the clocks going back last weekend, it can be easy to stay inside and curl up on the sofa, catching up on the latest episode of the BBC’s Celebrity Traitors.
Yet if you prise yourself away from your TV this weekend you’ll find lots going on across Greater Manchester guaranteed to entertain and inspire.
With Halloween coming to end, there’s still a chance to catch some of the celebrations and it doesn’t have to be about dressing up. If you’re more of a horror film-fan then head to HOME where you can catch some classics on the big screen.
Or if you want to shake off all things Halloween and get into the festive mood, then the city centre’s ice rink might just be the place for you.
Join our Manchester Food and Drink WhatsApp group HERE
Should the weather take a turn then head to one of Manchester’s most entertaining museums and confuse your mind with dazzling illusions. Read on for more things to do this weekend.
Head out on an autumn walk
Alexandra Park , Oldham(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
As autumn keeps moving forward with winter edging ever-closer, it’s time to make the most of the stunning displays of autumn foliage we have across Greater Manchester. In the city centre you can catch colourful trees in Castlefield Canal while Sackville Gardens are also a popular spot.
Or head to one of the many parks and gardens dotted around the region, which blaze with colour at this time of the year. Alexandra Park in Oldham always puts on a good display, while Chorlton Water park is perfect for an autumnal walk.
Watch a classic horror film at Home
Since Halloween is on a Friday this year it’s only fair to extend the celebrations into the weekend, and what better way than to watch a scary movie on the big screen? There’s still time to catch the end of the FilmFear festival at HOME, which this year is celebrating a ‘Half-Century of Horror’ with some of the creepiest movies of the 70s.
It’s running until Sunday, November 2. On Saturday, November 1 you can catch classics such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Deep Re. Then on Sunday, November 2 there will be showings of the Daughters of Darkness and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. For more details and tickets visit the HOME website here.
Get your skates on
Manchester ice skating rink has returned to Cathedral Gardens(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Manchester’s city centre ice rink at Cathedral Gardens is back for the festive season, kicking off with a Halloween special until November 1, and then staying open all the way until January 4.
Instead of the Christmas tree you can skate around, this year it’s been replaced by a quirky looking wind turbine, which is actually used to partially power the rink. It’s still got a festive design element to it, with a giant snow globe at the bottom containing an alpine ski scene. You can read more about the ice rink here.
Step inside a mind-bending museum
Manchester’s Museum of Illusions is the first of its kind to open here in the UK and it’s known for its mind-bending exhibits that play tricks on your mind. For Halloween it’s gone one step further, transforming into a world of “Weird Wonders”, with moons, pumpkins, bats, spiders and webs, all adding a spooky (but not scary) twist to proceedings.
Visitors can find their clones in tricky mirrors, swap faces with a friend, split themselves in two or even serve their head on a platter – all surrounded by over 60 weird and wonderful illusions designed to baffle the brain and fill the camera roll. More details can be found on the museum’s website here.
Visit a beloved pub that’s undergone a transformation
The Horse & Jockey in Chorlton(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
The Horse and Jockey in Chorlton has been a long-standing establishment serving local residents since the late 18th century. But the pub has recently reopened following an extensive renovation under new management. It has been leased to the team behind the The Black Friar pub in Salford, reimagining the pub as a gastropub with a focus on seasonal cooking, heritage charm and community spirit.
Visitors can expect a mouth-watering menu from Head Chef Paolo Bianchi, with a focus on “elevated British pub food reimagined with touches from Paolo’s Italian heritage and his French and Asian influences, with everything made fresh in-house.” You can read more about the pub’s transformation here.
For more of the latest What’s On news, click here.