Giant Inflatable Spider

A Giant Inflatable Spider is scuttling through the back streets of York this Halloween, on Saturday 31 October. It's part of Haunted York, the city's wider Halloween programme, and it's a family-friendly one, so it's as much for the kids as for anyone else. The whole thing is billed as a spooky photo opportunity and a close-up encounter, and it's a roaming performance rather than a static display, which is the bit that makes it worth keeping an eye out for.

Instead of staying in one spot, the spider moves through the city's back streets, making appearances at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. If you're out and about in the afternoon, you'll likely spot it as it works its way around, so you don't have to commit to one specific time to see it. It's a roaming act, which means it'll be on the move rather than just sitting there for people to walk past.

As for where to find it, it sticks to the back streets of the city centre: Little Stonegate, Back Swinegate, Swinegate and Grape Lane. Those are the narrow lanes tucked away from the main shopping drags, so if you're hunting for it, that's the area to be in. It's a good way to see a bit of the city you might usually walk past without noticing, especially when there's a giant spider leading the way.

It runs from 2pm to 5pm on Saturday 31 October, with those three set appearances at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. It's free and there are no tickets needed, so you can just turn up and watch it go by.