A free Halloween event is being held in Bury this October half-term including a pop-up pumpkin patch and Halloween trail.

The Mill Gate Shopping Centre will be rolling out the orange carpet for a ‘spook-tastic’ weekend ‘perfect for the whole family’.

Starting on October 23, visitors to the centre can take part in a range of activities that may result in treats and winning a Halloween bundle

Angela Tierney, shopping centre manager, said: “There will be something of a pumpkin takeover which is designed to put a smile on our customers’ faces, rather than scare them away!”

Bury Times: Scarecrows at Mill Gate Shopping Centre

The Halloween trail, on October 23, will give visitors the chance to discover 10 letters hidden throughout the shopping centre, which will reveal a secret word.

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Taking the secret word to customer services will win an instant treat and entering it online will give one lucky winner the chance to win a Halloween bundle.

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On Friday, October 27, there will be selfie opportunities at the pop-up pumpkin patch with five rows of straw furrows adorned with pumpkins.

Bury Times: The pumpkin patch at Mill Gate Shopping Centre

If visitors whisper the trail secret word to the Scarecrow guarding the entrance, they can gain free access to the patch where a themed cart awaits for selfies.

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There will also be the chance for a family photo opportunity with a giant six-foot pumpkin face-in-the-hole and, while supplies last, you can take a pumpkin home to carve in preparation for Halloween weekend.

On Saturday, October 28, from11am to 3pm, there will be pumpkin head characters wandering the shopping centre to meet and greet shoppers, giving visitors the final opportunity to enter the Halloween trail and soak in the Halloween spirit.

The Mill Gate Shopping Centre is open from 9am to 5.30pm every day, except Sundays, which will be 10.30am to 4.30pm.