The Best Halloween Family Events Happening in the Irish Midlands This October

October is finally here and if you’re already feeling the pressure to conjure up something more memorable than a bag of Haribos and a Netflix horror film, Longford and Westmeath are about to do the heavy lifting for you. Samhain in the Heartlands is bringing an impressive programme of family Halloween events to the Irish Midlands this month, and honestly, it looks like the kind of thing the kids will still be talking about at Christmas.

From fire processions and pumpkin patches to circus performances and ancient storytelling, there’s a serious amount happening across the two counties over the coming weeks. Here’s what to put in the diary.

The big nights out (with kids in tow)

If you want to go all-in on the Halloween atmosphere, the Fire & Shadows Procession on 31st October in Longford Town promises to be something genuinely spectacular. Fire, music, shadows and street spectacle coming together on Samhain night itself — that’s a hard thing to beat for sheer drama. It’s the kind of event where even the most world-weary tweens tend to forget they’re “too old for this stuff.”

Over in Athlone on the same night, When the Veil Thins @ The Hallow in College Park offers a full day of free family entertainment — face painting, circus skills and a craft market — finishing as darkness falls with a fire performance by Wildfire. Free entertainment that actually keeps children entertained? Yes please.

Running throughout the county for the whole final week of October, Longford’s Dead of Night Festival (23rd–31st October) brings live performances, storytelling and creative workshops to Longford Town as part of a county-wide celebration. Worth keeping an eye on if you’re within driving distance and looking to fill a few of those mid-term days.

For the younger explorers

If your lot are at the age where a good trail and some spooky scenery is peak excitement, the Samhain Gathering at Belvedere House & Gardens on 24th and 25th October looks like a brilliant day out. Live circus and theatre performances, ancient myths and legends, and a Halloween trail designed for young explorers. Belvedere is a gorgeous setting at the best of times — dressed up for Samhain it should be something special.

For something a bit more hands-on and outdoorsy, Samhain on the Land at Murtagh’s Organic Farm in Ballynacargy runs from 24th to 31st October and spans ten acres of autumn adventure. There’s a pumpkin patch, a forest maze, farm animals, spooky crafts and storytelling. If your child has been asking for a “real Halloween” experience since approximately last November, this is probably it.

Pick your own pumpkin

Let’s be honest — a pick-your-own pumpkin trip has become one of those non-negotiable autumn rites of passage, right up there with arguments about costumes and panic-buying fake cobwebs on the 30th. The Pumpkin Patch at Stewart Family Farm in Longford will be open on 10th, 11th and 17th–30th October, letting you pick your perfect Halloween pumpkin straight from the field. There’s something genuinely lovely about letting kids choose their own — even if they always pick the wonkiest one in the patch.

The full programme for Samhain in the Heartlands is available at www.samhainheartlands.ie — well worth a look if you’re planning a trip to the Midlands this October.