Five fun things to do in Hampshire this Halloween weekend

There's plenty of autumn fun for all the family to be had in and around Southampton this weekend. 

Here's our pick of five of the best things to do on Saturday and Sunday (October 28 and 29).

At Westquay...

The West End has come to Westquay.

If you were dazzled by last year’s Greatest Showman digital fireworks display during October half term, this weekend is your last chance to be swept off your feet by The Sound of Musicals.

There's two free shows at 6.30pm and 8pm every evening until Sunday.

Be captivated by a talented cast that will bring to life beloved tunes from five sensational musicals - Mary Poppins, Matilda, Frozen, Grease, and Mamma Mia.

The cast sing and dance their hearts out as they perform.

The city walls are transformed with stunning digital projections that transport you into the heart of these iconic musicals while the night sky comes alive with pyrotechnics and special effects. 

Pick a pumpkin...

Some of Hampshire's patches are starting to run out of orange delights, but the New Forest's two top spots still have plenty of pumpkins to pick.

New kid on the block New Forest Pumpkin Patch at Strawberry Fields, Lymington is free to enter and has a host of seasonal delights to keep the kids entertained. 

Roll pumpkins down hay bale lanes in pumpkin bowling, experience the thrill of launching pumpkins through the air or carve your pumpkin in the barn. 

Sunnyfields Farm, synonymous with this time of year, boasts a spectacular giant artwork paying tribute to Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas on its 30th anniversary.

Families travel from far and wide to Pumpkin Time when the farm is covered in tens of thousands of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. 

Young visitors love to jump aboard a wheelbarrow and enjoy photo opportunities.

At Go Ape Southampton...

The leaves are turning, conkers are falling and there’s so much to get excited about this autumn!

Make the most of the October half term holidays  with unforgettable Go Ape Adventures.

Get active outside at 36 locations, including Itchen Valley Country Park, and breathe in the freshest of air on speedy zips wires, and axe throwing adventures. 

For a limited time only, climb, swing, and zip your way into the night on a Sundown Adventure.

Feel your senses heighten as you tackle mega-high platforms in the darkness and feel the speed of a zip wire as the sun goes down. 

At Southampton Ghost Tours...

Ghost tours, taking place in the city on Saturday night as well as Halloween, will include live actors, some scares and plenty of entertainment, as well as access to some of Southampton's historic vaults. 

Southampton ghost tours take customers on a journey into the city's chilling past with ghost stories including Sir John Dawtrey who owned Tudor House, and ghost stories about haunted venues including Westgate Hall, The Red Lion, The Dolphin and many more.

Along the way, guests will come face to face with ghosts from the city's past. The tours are suitable for all ages and include accounts of what the guides have actually experienced. 

At Furzey Gardens...

The West End cast of London Touring Players returns to Furzey Gardens with a new collection of spooky tales from the great Victorian ghost story writers, Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy.

These thrilling tales will be performed by a tremendous cast of actors straight from London’s West End. Expect live ghostly music and singing, psychological intrigue and even a few jokes!

The gardens will be lit up at night as you have never seen before at the weekend. Gather around the fire, and listen to tales of the unexplained and unexpected underneath the stars.

The first story features twin plant hunters on their departure and return to the Himalayas. The second story features a precocious young girl, spinning ghostly yarns to unnerve her elder relations. The third sees an exchange between the ghost of Hamlet and the ghost of Banquo.

You will be walking around the garden, led through the stories by the actors.