Ballymena Halloween Trail returns with FREE treats, fancy dress and spooky town centre fun!
Friday 16 October 2026
Ballymena town centre is preparing for a frightfully fun afternoon this Halloween, with free treats, spooky characters, fancy dress and family entertainment all part of a popular event returning for 2026.
The Ballymena Halloween Trail is back on Friday 30 October, this time with a Haunted Harvest theme that will send families exploring the town centre, collecting treats from participating businesses and showing off their best Halloween costumes.
Organised by Ballymena Business Improvement District (BID), the free event will also feature face painting, play buses, a sensory bus and a fancy dress competition where the public will help choose five winners.
A Halloween adventure through Ballymena
The Haunted Harvest Treat Trail begins at Tower Centre, where the Ballymena BID team will be handing out trail maps between 12 noon and 2pm.
Families can arrive at any time during that two-hour window, collect their map and set off on a Halloween adventure around the town centre.
Along the way, children can visit participating businesses to collect treats, while keeping an eye out for spooky characters who might make an unexpected appearance.
The trail is completely free, with no requirement for everyone to start at the same time.
Free face painting and family entertainment
For children looking to complete their Halloween transformation, free face painting will be available at Tower Centre from 12 noon until 4pm.
Whether the chosen look is a witch, vampire, monster or something altogether more imaginative, there will be an opportunity to add a little extra Halloween magic before heading out on the trail.
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council will also provide play buses, including a sensory bus, on Wellington Street beside the Post Office.
The additional activities will give families more to enjoy during their visit, with entertainment spread across the town centre throughout the afternoon.
Fancy dress competition puts the public in charge
The Halloween celebrations will continue at Fairhill, where children and families can enter the popular Fancy Dress Competition between 2pm and 4pm.
Entrants simply need to find the huge pumpkins and have their photograph taken in their Halloween costume.
And this year, there is an extra twist: the public will decide who wins.
Photographs of all competition entries will be published on the Ballymena Means Facebook page, allowing people to vote for their favourites.
Five winners will be announced following the public vote, with each receiving a Ballymena Gift Card to spend at participating businesses across Ballymena town centre.
From spectacularly scary creations to funny, colourful and imaginative outfits, the competition promises plenty of opportunities for families to get creative.
Halloween in Ballymena at a glance
All activities take place on Friday 30 October 2026.
• Haunted Harvest Treat Trail – Collect a free map from Tower Centre and begin the trail between 12 noon and 2pm.
• Free Halloween face painting – Tower Centre, 12 noon to 4pm.
• Fancy Dress Competition – Find the huge pumpkins at Fairhill and have your photograph taken between 2pm and 4pm.
• Play buses and sensory bus – Wellington Street, beside the Post Office.
• Spooky characters – Look out for Halloween visitors around Ballymena town centre during the trail.
• Public fancy dress vote – Competition photographs will appear on the Ballymena Means Facebook page, with five winners receiving Ballymena Gift Cards.
A chance to enjoy the town centre together
As well as providing a free afternoon of entertainment for local families, the Halloween Trail will encourage visitors to explore Ballymena's shops and businesses, with participating traders helping to bring the Haunted Harvest adventure to life.
With the trail beginning at midday and activities continuing until 4pm, families can plan their visit around the attractions they most want to enjoy.
For those planning to take part, the most important detail is to collect a trail map from Tower Centre before 2pm, leaving time to enjoy the treats and make it to Fairhill for the fancy dress competition.
Whether it's a child's first Halloween outing or an annual family tradition, Ballymena town centre will be ready to welcome its little witches, ghosts, superheroes and monsters for an afternoon of free festive fun.Qqqq
