Every year in the October half term we take a trip to BeWILDerwood to enjoy their Glorious Glowing Lantern Parade. It is, actually, one of the best times of the year to go and the pinnacle of their year as far as we are concerned. I mean we love it in the summer, who couldn’t? Basked in glorious dappled sunlight filtering through the trees and it’s a beautiful place to be but there’s something about halloween week at BeWILDerwood which just has the edge on everything else they do.
They go all out for every occasion but Halloween makes BeWILDerwood and its stories of witches and Twiggles, Boggles and Crocklebogs come to life even more. It’s a truly magical place and from the moment you enter the park taking in the miniature houses where all the charcters from Tom Blofeld’s story books live to the minute you leave, you will have a smile on your face.
And why is Halloween week so special? What is this glorious lantern parade? Well… Let me tell you. spend the day playing in the park as normal, build dens in the woods, climb the sky maze and dance across the tree tops before whizzing down great big slides. Shoot along zip wires with your babies (yes there are even baby zips) and watch the show on the stage before having your face painted for free but… Do not leave the park until you have been to the craft tent and made your own lantern so that you can join the parade on the way home. At dark, just as the park closes, you will be invited with your lanterns made from materials they provide, to dance along the steps and pathways visiting the characters from the tales. You will love every single second and it is NOT to be missed. Under any circumstances.
If you don’t stay all day (and you will want to of that I’m sure) then you might just miss the best bit which is seeing all the lit up fire flies in the trees as you make your way back to the car. I can’t really explain how wonderful it is there at this time of the year so you will have to take my word for it. It’s immense and the best day out for families that Norfolk has to offer.
We are so super lucky because we bought annual passes when we moved back to Norfolk and we get to go ALL the time. We never get bored of it and this is bcause they change things up so brilliantly to match the season and theme (this half term it will be Halloween) so there’s no time to think, oh, not THERE again! The kids literally jump up and down with excitement every time we go but every time, without fail, they talk about the glorious lantern parade and ask how long it will be till it’s on again.
We always dress up and this year will be no exception, we simply can’t wait! So… Are you coming?
My top 10 tips for a day at BeWILDerwood this October half term:
- Dress up in your Halloween costumes, it makes it more fun!
- Don’t bother taking a picnic as the hot food (especially the bangers) is scrummy and well worth the money they ask for it (get a 15% discount with an annual pass).
- Do the boat trip in the middle of your day rather than when arriving (it will be closed at the end of the day to make room for the Glorious Glowing Lantern Parade) because queues are huge but around lunch time there’s no one on them!
- Wear wellies, it can be squelchy under foot!
- Take hand warmers to click for when it gets cold – this happens suddenly when it gets dark!
- Make your lantern early on because the craft area gets crowded as the day goes on.
- Same goes for face painting – if you’re going to have it make sure you do so when you arrive to avoid wasting valuable fun time waiting in a queue.
- Make sure you’re hanging out down near the slides and Toddlewood area for when the parade is about to start and if you want to get away quickly or have a buggy then try to hang out on the edges rather than the middle so you will get a spot at the front of the parade. It starts in the middle but comes around the edge so this is where we wait and join in when it gets to us!
- Take a torch and make sure it works – the wind up ones from the BeWILDerwood shop are actually really great value!
- Enter the questionnaire and post it back in the box on your way out because you might just win a family annual pass – we did (and it means we get a free year next year)! If you don’t enter to be in it then you certainly can’t win it!
If you’d like to visit BeWILDerwood this October half term and take part in the Glorious Glowing Lantern Parade then please find out all the information you need at www.bewilderwood.co.uk.
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