HALLOWEEN IN CORNWALL 2023 IS GOING TO BE MONSTER! WE LIST ALL THE SPOOKY, CREEPY, KID-FRIENDLY AND ADULT-ONLY EVENTS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS IN THE DUCHY IN OCTOBER 2023, LEADING UP TO THE NIGHT OF SCARES ITSELF…
Feature by Ella Brooks Richardson
Ghostly events. Ghastly activities. Ghoulish parties. Monster mazes. Cornwall is one of the best places in the world to celebrate Halloween. And as the day of spooks is almost upon us, we take you through all the spine-tingling events and happenings around the Duchy in October 2023 for you, your friends and your families. We cover the 2023 Cornwall Halloween-themed events for kids and families and we also delve into some of the super-scary or funny events for over-18s only with nerves of steel.
On 31 October 2023, it’s Halloween 2023 in Cornwall. Well, it’s Halloween everywhere but we at Proper Cornwall are only concerned with bringing you a flavour of the spooky stuff taking place across the Duchy in the lead-up to Halloween. All Hallows’ Eve is forever a special time in Cornwall, not least because of the traditional festival of Allantide but because of how all-out so many attractions, people and businesses go on making this time of ghouls and ghosts so spooky and special.
Head to one of these 18 events over the October 2023 half-term or on the night of horrors itself. There’s all sorts of blood-curdling fun listed below. These Halloween 2023 things to do in Cornwall for all the family should be just the ticket for a fun or frightening experience at this time of year. Just click on the yellow ‘Read More’ buttons below each to find out all of the details. Prepare for the best Halloween events in Cornwall for 2023 here. Mwahahahahaha…
Date: Every Wednesday and Saturday evening throughout October 2023
Location: Bodmin Jail, Berrycoombe Road, Bodmin
Type: A ghost walk alongside paranormal guides around the haunted former prison over about 90 minutes
Suitable for: Those with nerves of steel who are 12 years old or older. Of course, under-18s must be accompanied by an adult
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 8/10. A tour around this attraction is chilling enough but add Halloween into the mix and you’ve got some uneasy moments ahead. Click on the ‘Read More’ button for more monster details…
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Date: 1-31 October 2023 for the ‘witchy sleepover’ and 1 October-5 November 2023 for the ‘afternoon brew’
Location: The Headland Cornwall, off Headland Road and overlooking Fistral Beach, Newquay
Type: Witchy accommodation and afternoon tea offers for Halloween. Get the whole coven together for these wicked treats!
Suitable for: People of all ages. Click on the yellow button below to discover the exact Halloween offers
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 4/10. Spooky foods and wicked rooms in a famous hotel. Eyes peeled for any witches…
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Date: Wednesday 18-Sunday 29 October 2023 (9.30am-6pm each day)
Location: Eden Project, Bodelva, Par, near St Austell
Type: Adventure around the biomes for families including a special quest with tree giants
Suitable for: Nature-loving families who want to make wands and go on a quest
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 2/10. Few frights here but plenty of magic for the little ones
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Date: Saturday 21-Tuesday 31 October 2023
Location: Healey’s Cornish Cyder Farm, Penhallow, between Truro and Perranporth
Type: Spooky Halloween-themed events and activities for the whole family to enjoy including pumpkin carving and haunted tractor rides
Suitable for: Little monsters and their parents
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 3/10. That tractor ride may have you on edge but in reality this is a relaxed Halloween adventure
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Date: Saturday 21-Sunday 29 October 2023
Location: Lost Gardens of Heligan, just off the B3273, Pentewan, St Austell
Type: Halloween fun for families out in the lost gardens with creepy crawlies, spiders and snakes
Suitable for: All ages, especially those who want to enjoy some fab Halloween-themed crafts and activities
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 3/10. Simple family fun. Mind you, 10/10 if you’re scared of bugs, spiders or snakes… just sayin’…
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Date: Saturday 21-Tuesday 31 October 2023 (5pm-9pm each night)
Location: Trethevy, near St Nectan’s Glen and Tintagel
Type: Free-to-enter phantom Halloween display with animatronic spooks that raises vital money for charity
Suitable for: All the family, actually. Really little imps may want to avoid it though as a few displays are fairly gruesome
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 7/10. It’s not as spooky as that picture above suggests but some installations are quite lifelike…
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Date: Saturday 21-Tuesday 31 October 2023
Location: Flambards, Clodgey Lane, Helston
Type: The theme park puts on loads of spooky Halloween activities with scary rides and a late opening for fireworks
Suitable for: Children, families, daredevils and those who want a few frights with their rides during ‘Trick or Treat Week 2023’
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 5/10. Family-friendly frights, although this shoots right up if you tackle some of the craziest rides!
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Date: Saturday 21-Sunday 29 October 2023
Location: Paradise Park and JungleBarn, Tresillian Road, Hayle
Type: Eerie and cheery half-term activities at the kids animal and play attraction
Suitable for: Animal lovers of all ages! Click the ‘Read More’ button below for all the Halloween activities on the menu this year…
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 3/10. There is a ‘Dracula parrot’ there. That would freak us out!
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Date: Saturday 21-Sunday 29 October 2023 (10am-5pm each day)
Location: Pendennis Castle, Castle Drive, Falmouth
Type: Halloween activity week for youngsters with witchy brews and a magic potion quest
Suitable for: Little monsters who love fun scares and magical mysteries…
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 3/10. The activities are tailored for covens and little imps, so it’s perfect for getting into the Halloween spirit!
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Date: Monday 23-Friday 27 October 2023 (11am-3pm each day)
Location: Wheal Martyn, off the B3274, Carthew, near St Austell
Type: Halloween-themed china clay decoration workshops with a bug trail outside
Suitable for: Mostly kids but big kids can get involved too. Find out more about the workshops by pressing the yellow button below…
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 2/10. Not scary at all but that’s not the point. It’s more about kids’ creativity at the china clay attraction!
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Date: Thursday 26-Saturday 28 October 2023
Location: Raze The Roof, 30a Parkengue, Kernick, Penryn, near Falmouth
Type: Properly scary indoor maze with all sorts of jump scares along the way
Suitable for: Over-16s with nerves of steel. Seriously, this is a full-on experience that’s not for the faint-hearted
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 9/10. The real deal. If you want to be scared out of your wits, you’ve found your poison…
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Date: Friday 27 October 2023 (1pm-2pm)
Location: Heartlands, Dudnance Lane, Pool, near Redruth
Type: Halloween-themed puppet show for children and families
Suitable for: Over-sixes and their families who love a good puppet show
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 3/10. There are actually a few jump scares in the show so just the right amount of spooks for the little ones
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Date: Friday 27 October 2023 — SADLY THIS SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Location: Carnglaze Caverns, St Neot, near Liskeard
Type: It was to be the first drag show ever to be held in a subterranean cave, apparently!
Suitable for: It was for strictly over-18s only who wanted to catch seven artists inside the famous Cornish caverns
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 8/10. Blood-curdling comedy from some of the best drag acts in Cornwall. Sadly it’s cancelled
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Date: Friday 27-Sunday 29 October 2023
Location: Driftwood Spars pub, Trevaunance Road, St Agnes, near Perranporth
Type: Halloween-themed weekend of beer, comedy and a horror movie marathon
Suitable for: All the family. There’s also a kids’ fancy dress competition
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 4/10. Totally depends what film you’re watching in that movie marathon…
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Date: Saturday 28 October 2023 (2pm-8pm)
Location: The Mayfair car park, between the Mayfair gift shop and the Old School Hall on Fore Street, Tintagel
Type: Dark dance and traditional music, folklore and horse skulls over an afternoon and night in the village
Suitable for: Halloween, occult and tradition lovers. This is a unique event so click the ‘Read More’ below to find out more…
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 7/10. Truly welcoming and fun, however those skulls look pretty eerie in the dark…
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Date: Saturday 28 October 2023 from 6pm
Location: The Cornish Maize Maze and Fun Farm, Smeaton Farm, Pillaton, near Saltash and Liskeard
Type: A terrifying dark corn maze in a Cornish field. You get 15 minutes in there. That’s all you need…
Suitable for: People with nerves of steel. This is a maize maze that takes no prisoners at Halloween!
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 10/10. You never know what jump scare is waiting at the next corner in the dark. Fear-inducing…
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Date: Tuesday 31 October 2023 (parade leaves at 7pm)
Location: Market House, Market Street, St Austell is the base. The parade is across town…
Type: Cornwall’s best town-wide Halloween parade with a party at Market House
Suitable for: All sorts of monsters, whatever age, shape, size and magical ability
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 6/10. Hardly scary as there’s such a fun atmosphere but some of the costumes can be spooky!
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Date: Tuesday 31 October 2023
Location: Homes across the whole Duchy!
Type: Cornish harvest tradition that takes place from the Tamar to Land’s End
Suitable for: Families and friends who want to mark an old Cornish tradition in their own way
Proper Cornwall fright rating: 6/10. No scares here. Just tradition. Click on the yellow button to learn all about Allantide in Cornwall 2023…
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