Families were wowed by a spectacularly spooky trail featuring art installations and light displays as Paisley’s award-winning Hallowe'en celebrations made a welcome return.

This year's Paisley Hallowe'en Festival saw the town centre being transformed into an immersive ‘otherworldly’ experience over five days.

Visitors were able to marvel at a series of installations and light shows, including an alien invasion, rockets, creatures from the deep and a constellation of stars.

The trail took an hour to walk around, with families able to map their own journey.

Spectacular displays which dazzled visitors included ‘Nova’ and ‘Ursula Lassos the Moon,’ created by Studio Vertigo.

The Nova sculpture is based on the mystical Star of the East, which astronomers now believe was actually a nova, while the mysterious Ursula Lassos the Moon structure was on the White Cart River.

There was also the ‘Orionids’ installation, by Mike Jones, which aimed to echo the breathtaking beauty of a meteor shower cascading across the White Cart River by creating an enchanting web of light on the water.

**Inspired by the twin Voyager 1 and 2 crafts launched into space by NASA in 1977, Mick Stephenson’s ‘Earthship1’ is a strong symbol of hope for a brighter, more sustainable future. The spacecraft will contain a special cargo of hopeful messages and artworks created by young people and community groups across Renfrewshire, who have imagined a positive future for the planet. The artworks, which take the form of colourful dioramas, will be on display in the body of the spacecraft for visitors to see.**

Renfrewshire Council scrapped the traditional Hallowe'en parade this year amid ongoing concerns over Covid-19 but was determined to ensure the trail – curated by not-for-profit street theatre specialists Cirque Bijou – would keep families suitably entertained.

Pauline Allan, the council's events manager, said: “We were delighted to work with Cirque Bijou and so many acclaimed artists to transform the town centre with these spectacular installations and light displays."

^* – which will really come to life when it gets dark. The festival is taking a different shape this year, but we promise there will be lots of exciting and surprising elements that will be Out of this World!

“The trail will be available for everyone to enjoy across five days, with more opportunity for locals and visitors to experience the fun in a safe way and at a time that suits them. We encourage everyone visiting to share their stunning photos with us by using #paisleyhalloween or tagging @paisleyhalloweenfestival on Instagram.”

Paisley Halloween Festival is widely regarded as one of the best events of its kind in the UK – and was named Best Cultural Event or Festival at the 2019/20 Scottish Thistle Awards West Scotland regional finals, organised by VisitScotland.

****

Paisley Halloween Festival presents Out of this World launched on Thursday evening (28 October) with visitors enjoying a spectacular trail of intergalactic installations and light displays around the town.

The festival is said to be one of the best of its kind in the UK – and this year’s celebrations see the area around the town’s historic Abbey, Town Hall and White Cart river transformed into an immersive ‘otherworldly’ experience across five-days.

An alien invasion, spacecrafts, creatures from the deep and a constellation of stars all form part of the free, family-friendly trail, which runs until Monday 1 November and will be illuminated from 5pm to 10pm each night.

To find out more, visit: https://paisley.is/halloween/

was dubbedhad an 'Out of this World' theme – a free, spectacular trail featuring installations and light displays centred around Paisley Abbey, Town Hall and the White Cart River.

across five-days from Thursday 28 October until Monday 1 November – illuminated from 5pm-10pm for visitors to enjoy safely at a time that suits them.

, which ran from Thursday, October 28, until Monday, November 1,

There will be no parade at the event but this year’s Paisley Halloween Festival will be a journey that will take you out of this world!

Paisley Halloween Festival is supported by EventScotland through Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21 and Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund.

To celebrate the Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21 the area around the town’s White Cart River will be transformed into the centrepiece of the Out of this World experience. Talented artists have been commissioned to develop stunning installations that will shine a spotlight on the river that runs through the heart of the town – making it a must-visit spot on the trail for locals and visitors.