Foosteps in the Forest is spooktacular family fun

Foosteps in the Forest is spooktacular family fun

4 October 2023

FOOTSTEPS in the Forest is making a spooktacular return to Slieve Gullion Forest Park this Halloween. 

Once again celebrating the Gaelic festival of Samhain (Sow-in), which marks the harvest season’s end and the beginning of winter, the six-day festival from Wednesday, October 25, to Monday, October 30, will see Slieve Gullion transformed into the ‘otherworld’. 

Historically celebrated throughout Ireland, Samhain is steeped in tradition that to this day shapes the holiday we now know as Halloween.

Footsteps in the Forest will bring this fun and immersive Halloween experience to life through costumed characters, spectacular illuminations, and mythical storytelling.  

Visitors will go along a self-guided, illuminated trail that will take them on the journey from the origins of Samhain to modern day Halloween.  To bring a mystical quality to the experience, the event will be held in the evening, enthralling and capturing the imaginations of all ages.

The event will start each evening at 5pm with nine self-guided trails that will run every half hour until the last show at 9pm. An accessible tour will take place at 5pm and 5.30pm each day with a brighter setting and lower music. Irish language sessions will take place on Thursday, October 26, at 6pm and 6.30pm. 

Footsteps in the Forest is a free event, but booking is essential. Tickets will go live on Monday 9 October at 11am on the Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion website: www.visitmournemountains.co.uk so please follow the Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion social media pages for reminders and updates - @VisitMourne.

In addition to the Footsteps in the Forest festival, there will be an exciting programme of Halloween events that will also celebrate the district’s culture and heritage. 

These events will add to the fantastic offering already in place for both locals and visitors enjoying their autumn in the Mourne Mountains and Ring of Gullion.  

Slieve Gullion Forest Park offers the unmissable opportunity to experience tranquil woodland trails, stunning views across the Ring of Gullion, Mourne Mountains, Cooley Peninsula and Armagh Drumlins and top class facilities for walkers and families.

With so much on offer why not make a break of it and explore more of what the destination has to offer?

Further information on where to stay, eat, and for even more things to do during your stay in the Mourne Mountains and Ring of Gullion, please go to visitmournemountains.co.uk