How you can celebrate Halloween around the Vega Baja area

Many towns are putting on spooky activities for all ages to enjoy

While All Saints’ Day on November 1 has always been an important public holiday in Spain, the popularity of Halloween has grown significantly this century.

Nowadays, many town halls organise fun activities, including parades, “tunnels of terror”, costume competitions, workshops and more.

For those unfamiliar with a tunnel of terror, these are thematically decorated routes, either inside or outdoors, featuring creepy characters waiting in the wings to scare the pants off you!

Here are some of the highlights that councils in the Vega Baja area have lined up to send a shiver down your spines.

Orihuela

There are activities in the city and the coast, with those in the former based in and around the Glorieta Gabriel Moró and surrounding areas between 6pm and 9pm, including children’s workshops, photocalls, costumed characters, laser tag, bouncy castles, a parade at 8pm and a themed tourist train.

Activities on the coast will be taking place at the same times between Calles Capricornio and Escorpiones. These include slime, handicrafts and face painting workshops, a photo call and laser tag. There will also be two bouncy castles, one for 2-5 year-olds and another for ages 6-15, as well as stalls selling popcorn and candy floss. The Orihuela Costa Halloween parade is at 8pm along Calle Escorpiones, featuring batukada drumming and creepy characters.

Torrevieja

Torrevieja has activities for all ages, including an interactive exhibition in the Vistalegre exhibition hall, activities and a costume competition for children from 5pm in the Plaza de la Constitución, the Halloween parade from 7.30pm along Calle Ramón Gallud, and a Zombie Experience game from 11pm around the streets of La Mata, starting at the Plaza de Encarnación Puchol.

Pilar de la Horadada

From 5.30pm, a terrifying parade will pass along Calle Mayor to the church plaza, where there will be a children’s party, roast chestnuts and sweets potatoes, workshops, musical entertainment and a tunnel of terror in the youth information centre (CIJ) open until 10pm.

Guardamar del Segura

A trick or treat route has been arranged around local shops, as well as two tunnels of terror, one suitable for families in the amphitheatre on Avenida de los Pinos from 7-10.30pm; and a much scarier affair (only for over 12s) in the Parque Alfonso XIII from 7.30-11pm.

San Miguel de Salinas

There are two evenings of Halloween activities in San Miguel, today (Thursday the 30th) and Friday the 31st.

These include decorating pumpkins and cupcakes, handicrafts, buñuelos (fried doughballs) with chocolate, and a tunnel of terror in the Plaza de la Libertad from 9.30pm to 1.30am.

Algorfa

In the Paraje de la Ermita, there will be two tunnels of terror: one for children (5-8pm); and another for adults (9pm-12.30am), each taking 10 minutes. There will also be children’s workshops and inflatable trampolines.

Tickets costing €1 are available from the town hall.

Dolores

From 5.30pm, the Plaza Cardenal Belluga will hold the scary parade, followed by a pumpkin competition, hot chocolate and singing games.

Los Montesinos

The party will start in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento at 6.30pm with entertainment, a mini disco and hot chocolate, followed by a scary short story competition at 8.30pm in the music and culture auditorium.

On Saturday, November 1, Spanish speakers can also take part in a horror-themed dramatised game called El Videoclub, for teams of up to six people from 8pm in the Remedios Muñoz socio-cultural centre.

Benejúzar

In the Plaza de España from 6.30-8.30pm, there will be a haunted maze, a photocall and spooky stories, all set to a fun musical soundtrack.

Almoradí

A Halloween parade will start at 6pm from the Canales y Martínez primary school to the Plaza Béjar, where the party will continue with dancing, surprises and a costume competition with categories for children and adults.