If you are in Hanley this week and fancy a bit of Halloween wandering, there is a free window trail running through the Cultural Quarter that is easy to drop into. It is called the Potteries Poltergeists, and it has been on since Monday 26 October, so it is still going until Saturday 31 October. The whole thing is free to take part in, which is the best part — you just turn up and start looking.
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The idea is simple enough. Seven mysterious characters have been tucked into the windows of seven participating businesses across the quarter, and the challenge is to track them all down. The first one you will come across is Stokie the Kiln Stoker, who is waiting at Drop City Books on Piccadilly, and that same shop doubles as the collection point once you have finished. The other six are spread across Two Doors Down, Vision Personalised Gifts, Aynsley Insurance, Vellichor Books, Goodchilds Estate Agents and Bottlecraft, so the trail pulls you past a fair few shopfronts you might otherwise walk straight past.
It is not just a stroll, either. To get into the prize draw, you have to solve a puzzle linked to each character as you go, and then hand your completed guide back into Drop City Books. There are five cash prizes of up to £100 each up for grabs, all to be spent in the city centre shops, so there is a genuine reason to actually finish the thing rather than just browsing. The only real deadline is the closing time: registration shuts at 17:30 on Saturday 31 October, so if you are planning to enter, you will want to get your guide in before then.
Behind the scenes, the trail is the work of the Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID, and the illustrations come from local artist Chloe Breeze, who picked up Young Business Person of the Year at the University of Staffordshire's business awards back in 2023. It is a nice bit of local talent to have at the heart of a city centre event, and it gives the whole thing a bit more character than your average high-street competition.
If you are planning your visit around the weekend, it is worth knowing that the trail lands right in the middle of a bigger Halloween programme. On Saturday 31 October, the city centre puts on the Big Halloween Street Party from 11:00 to 17:00, with live performances, street theatre and artisanal shopping set up around the Blue Clock and the Cultural Quarter. The Potteries Artisan Market runs from 10:00 to 16:00 outside The Potteries Centre, and there is roaming entertainment from Circus in a Box and B-Arts, plus carnival-style games, workshops and craft stalls. So, if you make a day of it on the Saturday, you can tick off the trail and the party in one go, as long as you get that guide handed in before the 17:30 cut-off. Either way, it is a low-effort, free way to spend an hour or two taking in the Cultural Quarter on foot.
Published Date
30 October 2026
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