Stirling’s streets will be filled with Halloween fun this weekend as the Go Forth team launch a series of special events.
Businesses will welcome witches, wizards and goblins to a City Centre Guising Day on Saturday (October 26) from noon-4pm when participants are invited to dress up in their best Halloween costume and visit local retailers.
There are 18 businesses taking part in the guising event, organised by Go Forth Stirling BID, and Halloween fans will be able to pop into their shops and discover tricks or treats waiting for them.
Those involved have guising posters in their windows and include Your Move, Tinkerbells Emporium, Nevermore Tattoo Studio, Phone Express, Book Nook, the Smith Art Gallery & Museum and LuNa café where staff are offering a free coffee to anyone who shows their event ticket.
A Wand Making Workshop for a one-of-a-kind souvenir will take place at the roundel at the bottom of King Street from noon-4pm (or as long as supplies last) and there will be a Go Forth information stand at the same spot.
There will also be the chance to spot Halloween street performer Magic Merlin walking around the city centre during the day.
Meanwhile, an after-dark treat is in store on King Street later when the Athenaeum will be lit up with dazzling Halloween graphics from sunset (around 5pm).
The spectacular light show will play on a loop until 10pm on both Saturday and Sunday and anyone interested in attending the free event should register in advance here.
Go Forth Stirling’s Events Co-ordinator Josie Brown said: “We’re looking forward to some spook-tacular fun this weekend and have organised a range of Halloween events which offer something for everyone.
“We hope lots of families will dress up in their favourite costumes and come into Stirling on Saturday afternoon for a real guising adventure.
“And the magic doesn’t end there as the Athenaeum at the top of King Street will turn extra eerie with a fantastic Halloween-themed light show for everyone to view in the evening.”
Other Halloween events in Stirling include a Children’s Disco with games and fancy dress competitions at the Wee Wolf Bistro on Friday while the Tolbooth is hosting a Halloween-themed Movie Marathon and Spooktacular Crafts Day on Saturday. The event includes showings of classic movies Monsters Inc and Hocus Pocus plus arts and crafts and ghostly face-painting.
And Go Forth’s Halloween Trail will continue to entertain families until Thursday October 31 with maps available online and from Stirling Central Library and the Book Nook in Upper Craigs.
Participants can follow the trail and find hidden ingredients needed to cast a spell – such as fairy dust, a goblin’s coin, werewolf hair and an ice crystal – as they visit city centre shops.
Shops taking part – including Bella Zena, Something Old Something New charity shop, Archie’s Pet Shop, Old Town Café and Let’s Party – will have a poster in their window revealing the special ingredient which is hidden inside.
Trail-followers can pop into the shop to collect the ingredients from a small cauldron and once they’ve gathered them all, bring them to the Go Forth office in Baker Street which has been transformed into a Witch’s Workshop.
They can then cast a magic spell which will turn the ingredients into a small prize.
The Go Forth office is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 6pm and will also be open this Saturday.
Around 100 youngsters have already taken part in the Halloween Trail and the Go Forth team have received positive feedback from those involved.
Josie said: “It’s been great to see young witches and wizards popping into the office to cast their magic spell and we are looking forward to seeing more people complete the trail as we get closer to Halloween.
“We’ve had parents telling us the Halloween Trail has been a fantastic way of keeping children busy and entertained during the school October break and also saying they’ve discovered new businesses which they didn’t know existed during their walk around the city.”
To find out more about events and activities happening in Stirling during the run up to Halloween go to – .goforthstirling.co.uk/halloween – where a Halloween Trail map can also be downloaded.
Free tickets can also be booked through Eventbrite.
The Halloween Trail and dedicated events are the latest initiatives – aimed at boosting footfall and encouraging more visitors to come into the city centre – organised by Go Forth Stirling BID (Business Improvement District).
The organisation was set up in 2017 and currently represents more than 600 local businesses with a key objective of delivering projects and services which improve Stirling’s trading environment to benefit businesses, shoppers and visitors.