Since launching in 2018, Glasglow has become a Halloween fixture in Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the city’s west end.
A visitor experience, using sound and light to transform the surrounding park and illuminate the Botanics’ famous greenhouses, the event takes on a different theme every year and in 2022 went back to ‘The Land That Time Forgot’.
It has survived Covid lockdowns and extreme weather fronts to establish itself as one of the ‘must-see’ events on the city’s calendar and this was the first year in a while that it has been able to return to normality and ditch social distancing measures.
Every year the experience follows a storyline and it was surprising to see how quickly younger visitors latch onto this, watching on screens as a professor leading a dig in the park welcomes you in but hints that something has gone slightly array.
The first stage is a walk through the dig site, where glowing dinosaur footprints have been uncovered and you can hear the echoes of a distant roar.
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You then arrive at a portal where the breathless narrator urges you to step through, ducking a terradactyl that swoops from above and, stepping through the lights and mist, you go back in time.
This review won’t give away every twist and turn in the story but will say that there is a diversion that allows any arachnophobes to avoid the webs and spiders that have taken over the Botanics’ Rose Garden.
The lighting, particularly as you go down the slope at the back of the park and pass a volcano and lava flow, is stunning and the event has mastered the art of being ‘Instagrammable’ with various installations and photo opportunities along the way.
There are also the usual features, like the fire pits for toasting your marshmallows and the pumpkin patch, featuring designs from local schools, nurseries and charity groups.
It was a five star verdict from the children, with child one saying that the marshmallows were her highlight. Rather disconcertingly, child two’s highlight was seeing Celtic manager, Ange Postecoglou from a distance, breaking the heart of the parents who paid over £50 for tickets for four.
Which brings us to the question every parent wants answered: Was it worth it?
In short, yes. The children both loved it and now look forward to their annual visit. Once inside food and drink is high quality and reasonably priced, there are plenty of toilets dotted through the park and the staff go the extra mile to make you feel welcome and keep the crowds moving.
If I was really pushing for negatives, there were a few bottlenecks in areas this year and the pumpkin patch felt a bit removed from the proceedings as you passed it on your way out, but it’s important (certainly as a parent) to try and see it from a child’s perspective and keep your eye on the prize - there is a beer and gourmet hot dog waiting for you in the food zone.
The verdict from the kids was five stars and, judging from this year’s offering, Glasglow remains the city’s must-see Halloween event.
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