Thousands Descend On Newcastle For Hallowtides!

(Published: 3rd November 2008)
Newcastle once again hosted Down District Council’s Hallowtides Festival which was organised in conjunction with Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, and offered over 30 events featuring live music, theatre, storytelling, comedy, street entertainment, dance and magic! 

The festival was a phenomenal success, with event after event drawing large numbers into Newcastle and surrounding towns in the district. The festival opened with Dracula: The Panto and the Lost Trains to Newcastle Slideshow on Wednesday 29 October, followed by the Search For A Star Live Final on Thursday 30 October. Twenty-five young hopefuls made it through auditions and excitedly took to the stage to amaze and astound the sold-out audience. Such was the diversity and quality of each act, that the judges found it an almost impossible job to choose the winners, but Rachel Stewart aged just 12 years stole their hearts with a passionate rendition of Celine Dion’s ‘Think Twice’, to win first prize in the competition, a cheque for £250. Young rock band ‘Children of Yesterday’, aka Adam Leahy, Alistair McCullough and John Reid were a worthy runner up receiving a cheque for £150, followed by Sarah King who received a cheque for £100 as second runner up.
 
Halloween night saw thousands descend on Newcastle’s promenade for the Hallowtides ‘Spooky Seaside Shindig’. Visitors and locals alike got into the spirit of Halloween by dressing up in their most weird and wonderful costumes. Many entered the Freaky Fancy Dress competition, and lucky winners walked away with almost £1,000 worth of prizes sponsored by AJC Electrical, Barbican SuperValu, Golf Links House, Tesco, Thumbelina and Wiki Wiki Wheels.

The huge crowd could be seen bouncing and swaying to the fabulous sounds coming from the festival stage courtesy of the Whole Hog and Abba Re-Bjorn. Radio Ulster’s Alan Simpson added a comedy element to the evening, and had the crowd performing the ‘Newcastle Wave’ on more than one occasion, rippling through the masses of people from the Cone of Light right back to the Tropicana. Fox Bats, Ice and Fire Dragons, Helter Skelter Ladies and Rainbow Fairies were just some of the characters that could be found towering on stilts above the crowds singing and dancing along to the sounds of the seventies. The evening was rounded off with a fantastic fireworks display, lighting up the Mountains and high tide.

Down District Council would like to thank everyone who was involved in making the festival such a huge success, especially Newcastle Chamber of Commerce and the generous sponsors of the Freaky Fancy Dress Competition. 

Winners Hallowtides Festival 2008


Hallowtides Festival 2008


Hallowtides Festival 2008


Hallowtides Festival 2008

Fabulously Freaky Fun For All The Family!

(Published: 17th October 2008)
The Hallowtides Festival will run from Wednesday 29 October to Saturday 1 November 2008 in boo-tiful Newcastle, featuring a wide range of events to suit all ages and tastes.

As always, a highlight of the festival programme will be the Spooky Seaside Shindig on Friday 31 October, hosted by the big-hearted, self professed ‘bletherer’, Radio Ulster’s Alan Simpson and featuring live music from Abba Re-bjorn and The Whole Hog.

Spooky Stilt Walkers will parade along the promenade, adding a mixture of glow, glamour and ghoulish entertainment to the proceedings. Not only will the entertainers stand out, but you will too! Organisers want the crowd to be positively glowing this Halloween, so look out for free giveaways which will ‘light up’ the faces of children and adults alike!

With just 10 days to go, it’s time to start putting your Freaky Fancy Dress plans into action! This year’s competition promises to be more competitive than ever, with of an ever increasing following year on year, and an impressive £1,000 prize fund! Dress to impress and make your way to the Fancy Dress Arena in front of the Newcastle Centre to take your place in the Creepy Catwalk show. Registration will take place in the Arena from 6.00pm to 7.00pm in the following categories: under 5 years; 6-12 years, 13-17 years and 18+ years. Prizes include children’s bicycles, toy vouchers, iPods, Tesco vouchers, SuperValu vouchers and much more!

Racing against time, Owen Campbell, Scott Bailie and
Adam Campbell make ready their Freaky Fancy Dress costumes to be in with a chance of winning some
fantastic prizes


Halloween needn’t be scary! Pretty in Pink, Nadia Keegan rests her head on the dapper Adam Campbell in their
not-so-scary costumes

An additional category has been added to the Freaky Fancy Dress competition this year in recognition of ‘Wear It Pink’, the biggest and best pink day during October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a girl’s thing, but why not make it your thing? The Hallowtides ‘Pretty (Scary) in Pink’ category is open to all ages… man, woman or child!

Freaky Fancy Dress winners will be announced from the Festival Stage, so get there quick, IT COULD BE YOU!

The evening finale is the ‘Spooktacular’ Seaside Fireworks Extravaganza, which is set to be bigger, better and brighter than ever!

The Spooky Seaside Shindig is an evening of fabulously freaky fun for all the family, and best of all, it’s FREE!

Hallowtides is organised by Down District Council in association with Newcastle Chamber of Commerce. For programmes, tickets and further information about events, contact the Festival Hotline on 028 4372 2222, or view full event listings online at www.hallowtidesfestival.com.
For further details about Wear It Pink, including advice on how to donate, visit www.wearitpink.co.uk. (See advert)

Hallowtides Makes For Happy Children, Happy Parents And A Happy Halloween!

(Published: 10th October 2008)
Mid-term is on it’s way and if the thought of bored children has already put a shiver up your spine, check out the Hallowtides Festival Programme today! This year’s programme of events is jam-packed with activities for children of all ages, many of them free! 

From Monday 13 October children will have the opportunity to show off their artistic talents in the Creepy Colouring Competition.

Colouring pictures are available from the Newcastle Centre, or if your child prefers, they can draw their own picture from scratch! Submitted pictures will be displayed in the Newcastle Centre before judging takes place on Friday 31 October. Prizes for the best entries will be awarded at the Children’s Halloween Fancy Dress Party.

Entry forms for the Ghost Hunt and Boo-castle Town Treasure Hunt are available from the Newcastle Centre from Saturday 25 October until Saturday 1 November. Children are invited to join the hunt for six friendly ghosts appearing Newcastle’s shop windows, and to make their way through Newcastle’s eerie streets for a spook-filled treasure hunt and a chance to win the Halloween Treasure!

On Wednesday 29 October, Dracula: The Panto will be presented by the Isosceles Theatre Company in the Newcastle Centre. Fun, fangs and other fab treats, gothic meets slapstick in this panto-style spoof on the Dracula story! The following night the Newcastle Centre will turn into ‘Talent Central’, as acts of every age and all walks of life take to the stage in the Search For A Star live final on Thursday 30 October.

Halloween is then upon us, and on Friday 31 October, entertainment in the Newcastle Centre is all about the kids! Join renowned storyteller Fra Gunn for his Freakish Fables and not-so-terrifying tales of Halloween. Suitable for all ages, thirty minute sessions will begin at 1.30pm, 4.00pm and 5.00pm. The annual Children’s Halloween Fancy Dress Party will swing into action at 2.00pm, helping kids up to age 11 years to enter into the spirit of Halloween. There are lots of new activities this year including games, disco, facepainting, spooky tattoos, nail art, balloon modeling, goodie bags and much, much more!

The Hallowtides Seaside Shindig is sure to get those little feet tapping with live music from Abba Re-bjorn and The Whole Hog.

Spooky Stilt Walkers will parade on the promenade, and for all those that fancy a spot of parading themselves… the creepy catwalk awaits! Due to its popularity, the Freaky Fancy Dress competition has a new format this year, with entrants invited to the all-new Fancy Dress Arena, which will be located in front of the Newcastle Centre. Registration will take place in the Arena from 6.00pm to 7.00pm. Children’s categories are under 5 years; 6-12 years, 13-17 years with £1,000 worth of prizes are up for grabs which include children’s bicycles, toy vouchers, iPods, and many fantastic adult prizes too!

A special category has been added to the Freaky Fancy Dress competition this year in recognition of ‘Wear It Pink’, the biggest and best pink day during October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It may be a girl thing, but why not make it your thing? The Hallowtides ‘Pretty (Scary) in Pink’ category is open to all ages… man, woman or child! The winners will be announced from the Festival Stage, chosen from those who dared to walk the creepy catwalk and show off their spooky style!

Free giveaways are available on the night to ‘light up’ the faces of children and adults alike in anticipation of the most electrifying part of the night, the ‘Spooktacular’ Fireworks Extravaganza! Young and old will ooh and ahh in awe as the spectacular colours dance and dazzle across the sky overhead, bringing to an end a fun-filled devilish day and fright night of entertainment.

For all those children who are not yet ready to let go of the Halloween Spirit, the Big Telly Magic Show is the place to be at 3.00pm on Saturday 1 November. Prepare to see sights that will boggle the mind, and stretch the imagination! Suitable for all ages, this is a show that will leave children spellbound, never forgotten, and not to be missed!

Children are spoilt for choice this Halloween with a huge programme of events scheduled not just in Newcastle, but across the district.

Down County Museum, Downpatrick is the venue for Halloween Crafts for Kids on Saturday 25 October. Children can make a great selection of ghoulish souvenirs! Suitable for all ages, kids should be accompanied, and are welcome to drop in anytime from 1.00pm to 4.00pm.

Rowallane Garden, Saintfield, will host its Ghosts and Ghords Day also on Saturday 25 October. Help carve out your own pumpkin to take home, follow the ghost trail, have your face painted and listen to spooky storytelling to haunt you on the way home!

From Wednesday 29 October to Friday 31 October, children aged 9 years and over can enjoy Down County Museum’s Ghost Walk of Downpatrick, an event full of spooky secrets and ghoulish tales from the historic County Down town.

Take a walk on the wild side this Halloween at Delamont Country Park with a Spooky Wildlife Walk from 5.30pm on Thursday 30 October. Uncover the Park’s elusive night time creatures and prepare to be shocked with fascinating facts. Why not come in fancy dress – you could win a prize!

The Saint Patrick Centre, Downpatrick will celebrate the spooky season with their Halloween Spooktacular family fun day. Activities will run from 11.00am to 4.00pm and will include storytelling, fancy dress and crafts.

Children aged 5 to 11 years are invited to join Down Art Centre staff in their Halloween Craft Workshop from 2.00pm to get ready for Halloween, with mask-making, trick-or-treat pots and much more!

A Halloween Ghost Train will run from Downpatrick & County Down Railway, Downpatrick from 6.00pm to 9.00pm giving children the opportunity to meet Merlin the Magician on board and receive a present, if they can get past the ghosts…

Down County Museum’s Monster Halloween Party at 6.30pm is always a highlight of Halloween, featuring clowns, jugglers, magic, storytelling and facepainting. Kids and adults will battle it out to win prizes for the best fancy dress, a great night out for all the family!

Who could be bored when Hallowtides is in town? Entertained children are happy children, with happy parents, guaranteeing a Happy Halloween!

Down District Council in association with the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the following sponsors for their contribution to the festival: AJC Electrical, Barbican Supervalu, Golf Links House, Tesco, Thumbelina and Wiki Wiki Wheels.

For programmes, tickets and further information about events, contact the Festival Hotline on 028 4372 2222, or view full event listings online at www.hallowtidesfestival.com. (See advert)

Reach For The Stars During Hallowtides!

(Published: 3rd October 2008)
The Newcastle Centre will provide the backdrop for the eagerly awaited Search For A Star Live Final beginning at 7.30pm on Thursday 30 October. Contestants will battle it out in a bid to win the favour of the audience and those all important scores from the judges.

And to all you budding singers, dancers, magicians and comedians out there, it is not too late to enter the contest! From solo acts to group performances, the search is on for charismatic and entertaining performers aged 8 years and above to enter the district’s second annual Hallowtides talent contest.

Last year’s contest saw entries from a wide range of high quality acts and in 2008 festival organisers hope to attract an even greater number of entrants to showcase and celebrate the amazing talent that is to be found within Down District.

Jumping for joy on Newcastle’s promenade are young
band ‘The Spiders’ on hearing the news that Search
For A Star is just four weeks away! (L - R) Scott Bailie,
Adam & Owen Campbell

Do you know someone who has an entertaining talent and would like a share in the impressive £500 Prize Fund? Do you think you have what it takes to become the next star of County Down? Get your entry form in now! Visit www.hallowtidesfestival.com, contact the Newcastle Centre on 028 4372 5034, or email events@downdc.gov.uk to request an entry form. Closing date for entries is Wednesday 22 October 2008.

Not a performer? Come along and support your favourite act on the night. Tickets are in high demand, so make sure you pre-book to guarantee your place in the audience. Be one of the first to see who will walk away with the coveted Search For A Star title!

Hallowtides is organised by Down District Council in association with Newcastle Chamber of Commerce. For programmes, tickets and further information about events, contact the Festival Hotline on 028 4372 2222, or view full event listings online at www.hallowtidesfestival.com.

Coming To A Stage Near You! Adam Campbell and Nadia Keegan call all budding singers, dancers, magicians and comedians to enter Down District Council's Hallowtides Search For A Star talent contest which will take place on Thursday 30 October 2008 in the Newcastle Centre. For further details and entry form, visit www.hallowtidesfestival.com.

Coming To A Stage Near You!
Hallowtides Search For A Star 2008

(Published: 19th September 2008)
Newcastle, County Down is now home to one of the largest Halloween celebrations in the country. Down District Council’s third annual Hallowtides Festival will run from Wednesday 29 October to Saturday 1 November 2008, boasting four days and nights of frenzied fun for the whole family.

One of the festival highlights is the eagerly awaited Hallowtides ‘Search for a Star’ talent contest. The contest is open to everyone aged 8 years and above, and will showcase and celebrate the amazing talent that is to be found within Down District. Last year’s contest saw entries from a wide range of high quality acts and in 2008 festival organisers hope to attract an even greater number of entrants.

From solo acts to group performances, the search is on for charismatic and entertaining performers of all ages to enter the district’s second annual Hallowtides talent contest. The prize fund for this year’s competition is an impressive £500. Shortlisted acts will appear on stage in the Newcastle Centre on Thursday 30 October in the Search For A Star live final.

So if you sing like Leona Lewis, dance like Justin Timberlake, have the knack of making people laugh, can make rabbits appear out of a hat, or have any other entertaining talent, submit your Search For A Star entry form now!

Entry forms are available by contacting the Newcastle Centre on 028 4372 5034, by emailing events@downdc.gov.uk or download from www.hallowtidesfestival.com. Closing date for entries is Wednesday 22 October.

Don’t just dream of your stage debut, make it happen!

Hallowtides Takes The Horror Out Of Planning Halloween!

(Published: 18th September 2008)
Discover the darker side of boo-tiful Newcastle when the town once again hosts one of the largest Halloween celebrations in the country.

The Chairman of Down District Council, Councillor Colin McGrath and Veronica Keegan, Down District Council’s Marketing Manager visited Newcastle’s Promenade this week to launch the 2008 Hallowtides Festival Programme.

At the launch, Councillor Colin McGrath commented, ‘Having had a sneak preview of the 2008 programme, Newcastle is definitely the place to be this Halloween. The promenade will once again form the amazing backdrop to the festival’s Spooky Seaside Shindig on Friday 31 October and great as our costumes are today, they somewhat pale in comparison to the wonderful creations that have been on show during previous Hallowtides celebrations. I am sure that with an amazing £1,000 prize fund up for grabs for winners of the Freaky Fancy Dress competition, this Halloween will be no exception’.

Down District Council Chairman Colin McGrath, and Veronica Keegan, Marketing Manager for Down District Council strike a scary pose in front of the Global Journeys artwork on Newcastle promenade in preparation for the Hallowtides Festival which runs from 29 October - 1 November 2008. For full festival details, visit www.hallowtidesfestival.com.

This year’s spine tingling programme will run from Wednesday 29 October to Saturday 1 November 2008, boasting four days and nights of frenzied fun for the whole family. 

On Wednesday 29 October, the Newcastle Centre will host a Panto featuring none other than Count Dracula himself! Variety is the name of the game on Thursday 30 October, when the district’s most talented hopefuls take to the stage in the Search For A Star talent contest for their chance to win a share of the impressive £500 prize fund.

The festival is brimming with events for all ages not least on Friday 31 October when venues throughout the district will come alive to deliver a programme jam-packed with entertainment. Dress devilishly, act decadently and party the night away at the Hallowtides Seaside Shindig, a festive party on the prom with live music courtesy of Abba Re-Bjorn and The Whole Hog, Spooky Street Entertainment, Freaky Fancy Dress, and a Mystic Fair, building the atmosphere for the evening finale, the ‘Spooktacular’ Fireworks Extravaganza! The Seaside Shindig is a fun-filled evening not to be missed!

And it doesn’t end there… events carry on into the weekend!  Discover Hallowtides and uncover a frighteningly fabulous programme that will dazzle, delight and excite all!

As the holidays draw near, visit Newcastle and take the horror out of planning Halloween!

For programmes, tickets and further information about events, contact the Festival Hotline on 028 4372 2222, or view full event listings online at www.hallowtidesfestival.com.