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Derry's Halloween festival extended by five days due to popularity of event

SCARYDERRY: Hallowe'en night is the biggest night of the year in Derry. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
SCARYDERRY: Hallowe'en night is the biggest night of the year in Derry. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin SCARYDERRY: Hallowe'en night is the biggest night of the year in Derry. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

ORGANISERS of Derry’s annual Halloween Carnival have extended the annual event by five days to cope with the increasing numbers of people seeking to visit the festival.

The city boasts the biggest Halloween festival in Ireland and is expecting more than 100,000 people to visit the city centre for the carnival this year.

Organisers have revealed this year’s programme will extend over nine days rather than four days as previously taken place.

A Derry City and Strabane District Council spokeswoman revealed the annual carnival parade and fireworks spectacular on the River Foyle has also been expanded.

Thousands of people get into the spirit of the carnival with spectacular costumes in Derry city centre on Halloween night. The spokeswoman said research by the council showed that more and more visitors were travelling to Derry for the event.

Along with the the enhanced parade, this year’s carnival which starts on October 28 will include the “Awakening the Walls” event. Always a highlight of the festival it involves a series of events on Derry’s walls and in the “old city.”

“A number of streets in and around the cathedral quarter of the city will be closed for the duration of the event, creating a haunted Hallowe’en hub which visitors can explore on their journey around the trail,” the spokeswoman said.

Other highlights of the programme will include drumming troupe, a funfair, music sessions and a “Jack-O-Lantern” festival.

The carnival parade on Halloween night will include the “Return of the Ancients,” with Cuchulainn and Queen Maebh among the figures from Ireland’s mythical past.

Full details are available at derryhalloween.com.