Halloween Family Fest

Halloween Family Fest is making its Newcastle debut at Griffith Park in Stockton, with the second half of its run kicking off on Friday 30 October. It's a family-friendly Halloween festival that's built for big fun without the big scares, so it works for everyone from younger kids through to tweens. This is its first time in the city after previously being held at Sydney's Entertainment Quarter, and the whole thing supports Hallowish, Make-A-Wish Australia's national Halloween fundraising campaign, with volunteers on hand.

There's plenty to keep you busy across the site. The Little Spooks Carnival has a cup and saucer, a giant slide, a horse-o-plane and a dinosaur run, while Monsteropolis features a 280-metre Monster Jump inflatable obstacle course and the Monster Mash Disco. You'll also find a ghost house, slime workshops, Critter's Corner, a reptile show, a giant pumpkin bounce and daily costume contests. As the sun goes down, there's an outdoor cinema showing Ghostbusters. The organisers encourage everyone to turn up in their favourite Halloween costumes, and Chupa Chups is handing out free lollipops throughout the event. The site is family- and pet-friendly, with a carpark and public toilets on-site; disabled access is available by contacting the operator.

General admission is A$10 per person for ages 3 to adult, which covers Critter's Corner, the Monster Mash Disco and the outdoor cinema. The Trick-or-Treat Trail is an extra A$15, and there's a A$60 Family Treat Pack that bundles four general admission tickets with two Trick-or-Treat Trail tickets. The festival runs from Friday 30 October, 4pm to 9pm; Saturday 31 October, 10am to 9pm; and Sunday 1 November, 10am to 2pm. You'll find it at Griffith Park on Hunter Street in Stockton, right next to the Stockton Ferry Wharf.