6th October 2026
Samhain traditions, spooky creativity and Halloween fun come to together as Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s Arts Service celebrates Halloween this October.
Taking centre stage are the annual Haunted House Open Days, on Friday 30 October at Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart and Saturday 31 October at Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre in Limavady from 11am – 1pm. This year these free family drop-in events will explore the ‘Traditions That Travelled’, how the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain inspired to the Halloween celebrations familiar to us today.
During these events, which form part of the Council’s wider USA-NI250 programme, young visitors can get hands-on with spooky crafts, create their own magical makes and discover more about the traditions behind the celebrations.
And, once the crafting is complete, little witches, wizards, ghosts and goblins can show off their best moves to a hauntingly good soundtrack at the Monster Mash Disco - costumes are highly encouraged!
Plenty more Halloween fun
Alongside the Haunted House Open Days, the Arts Service has a host of other Halloween-themed activities taking place at both venues and in communities across Causeway Coast and Glens.
At Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart adults can create a pumpkin-shaped Trick or Treat Centrepiece Bowl with ceramicist Fiona Shannon (10 October), while young makers can build their own Spooky House Clay Lanterns (24 October). Film fans can get their scares at Palladium Portstewart returns with a screening of Obsession(2025, Cert. 18) on Thursday 29 October.
At Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, children can decorate Spooky Gingerbread Houses (26 October), explore autumn colours and textures throughLeaf Printing Laboratory (29 October), or build miniature magical worlds in Enchanted Forest Dioramas (29 October). Families can also enjoy the puppetry, music and storytelling of The Fisherman and the Mermaid (27 October) presented by Banyan Theatre, while horror fans can experience An Taibhse, the first horror film made in the Irish language on 28 October.
The Arts Service will also be taking Halloween creativity into local communities, with Spooky Glass Suncatchers for kids in Ballymoney (17 October) and Not-So-Scary Halloween Art Clubs for 8-10 year olds in Ballycastle and Feeny(29 and 20 October).
