Blyth came alive with Halloween celebrations during half term, as families enjoyed a week of spooky activities, creativity and entertainment, culminating in the town’s annual fireworks extravaganza on Saturday 31 October.
Organised by Blyth Town Council as part of its Blyth Celebrates programme, the festivities brought the community together for a range of free family-friendly events, before rounding off the week with two spectacular fireworks displays at Mermaid Car Park.
The Halloween celebrations at the Market Pavilion combined the traditional spooky fun of Halloween with creative craft activities. Throughout the week, children and families were able to drop in and get creative with a range of arts and crafts activities.
A giant spooky creation also took shape during the week, with families getting involved to help build and decorate it.
On Friday, October 30, a colourful and slightly spooky community parade featured costumed dancers, music and a themed procession around the Marketplace at 3pm.
Then it was time for the big one – Blyth’s annual fireworks extravaganza at Mermaid Car Park.
This year, Blyth Town Council introduced two separate firework displays, designed to make the event more accessible to families while also helping to reduce congestion.
The first display took place at 6pm and featured low-noise fireworks, making it particularly suitable for young children, people with sensory difficulties and those who preferred a quieter experience.
There was plenty to keep visitors entertained, with a funfair, food stalls and a special spooky disco featuring Halloween characters from 4pm outside the Dave Stephens area, all adding to the Halloween atmosphere.
The early timings meant families with younger children could enjoy the funfair, disco and food before watching the fireworks and heading home afterwards.
Food traders served up a tempting selection of treats, including doughnuts, fried chicken, pizza and delicious hot chocolate.
For those wanting the full traditional fireworks experience, the second display began at 7.30pm, featuring a spectacular firework show that brought Halloween night in Blyth to a memorable close.
Julie Summers of Blyth Town Council said:
“We wanted to make this year’s Halloween celebrations about much more than just one night, and that's exactly what we achieved.
“By bringing together a whole week of creative activities, crafts, music, a community parade and then the fireworks, we gave families plenty of opportunities to get involved and enjoy Halloween together.
“The early low-noise display was particularly important because it meant younger children and people who may find loud fireworks difficult could enjoy the experience too, while the later display provided the traditional fireworks extravaganza that people have come to expect.
“The two shows combined were the same length as previous shows, helping to lessen the overall impact of loud fireworks.
“It was a fantastic week for Blyth and a great way to bring the community together.”
The following weekend will see Remembrance services at Cowpen, Newsham and Ridley Park Memorials. Full information can be found on Blyth Town Council’s website, along with details of the upcoming Christmas Lights event on Saturday, November 21.
