Hundreds of families descended on Ballymena Town Centre for another fantastic Halloween celebration as the annual Haunted Harvest Treat Trail returned on Friday 30th October.
Another year, another amazing atmosphere in Ballymena Town Centre as families turned out in their hundreds for the annual Halloween Treat Trail, a free family event organised by the Ballymena business community through Ballymena Business Improvement District (BID).
The event kicked off at 12 noon, with children and adults arriving in their very best fancy dress, ready to explore the town centre, visit participating businesses and collect plenty of Halloween treats along the way.
Starting at Tower Centre, families collected their trail maps before setting off on a Halloween adventure through the streets of Ballymena Town Centre. Ballymena BID provided the treats for the event, while businesses across the town enthusiastically embraced the occasion, opening their doors, welcoming families and engaging with visitors as they made their way around the trail.
Alongside the trail, families enjoyed free face painting at Tower Centre, while Fairhill Shopping Centre hosted Ballymena BID’s annual Halloween Fancy Dress Competition, attracting an incredible range of imaginative costumes and enthusiastic participants.
One of the highlights of the day was undoubtedly the Fancy Dress Competition, which once again showcased the creativity, imagination and effort of local families.
With so many fantastic entries, the difficult task of choosing the winners was handed over to the public, who voted for their favourites on the Ballymena Means Facebook page.
The 2026 Halloween Fancy Dress Competition winners were:
1st Place: The Car-Crazy Duo
Taking the top spot were two incredible handmade car costumes, complete with working lights and even real exhaust smoke! An outstanding display of creativity and commitment.
2nd Place: Hubba Bubba
A brilliantly imaginative, handmade Hubba Bubba costume that certainly caught the attention of voters.
3rd Place: The Autumn Fairy
A beautiful autumn-inspired fairy costume, complete with spectacular wings and plenty of seasonal magic.
4th Place: Little Red Riding Hood and Stitch
An adorable pairing that brought a fun twist to the traditional Little Red Riding Hood story.
5th Place: The Little Cowboy
A charming cowboy costume that captured plenty of hearts and secured the final place in the Top Five.
All five winners will receive a Ballymena Gift Card, with prizes sponsored by the Ballymena Gift Card programme. The prizes will be officially presented to the winners at Ballymena’s Christmas Lights Switch-On on Saturday 14th November, adding an extra special moment to the town’s festive celebrations.
The event was made possible thanks to the enthusiasm and support of Ballymena’s business community. With Ballymena BID supplying the Halloween treats, participating businesses played an important role in bringing the trail to life, warmly welcoming families, engaging with visitors and helping to create a fantastic atmosphere throughout the town centre.
Ballymena BID also extended its thanks to Tower Centre and Fairhill Shopping Centre for their continued support, Glitterbug for the fantastic face painting, Partymill for the Halloween photo backdrop and the many businesses that helped make the event such a success, including those who kindly made their shop windows available.
The annual Halloween Treat Trail continues to be a popular date in Ballymena’s events calendar, encouraging families to explore the town centre, discover local businesses and enjoy a free day out together.
With another successful year complete, Ballymena BID looks forward to welcoming families back for more Halloween fun in 2027.
