Welsh Museums Festival returns with greener Halloween

Nation.Cymru staff

Museums and galleries across Wales are preparing to mark Halloween with a greener approach to traditional half-term activities.

The Welsh Museums Festival will return from Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, November 1, with venues encouraged to cut back on glitter, plastic props and single-use decorations.

Instead, this year’s programme will focus on activities using natural materials, including autumn trails, woodland-inspired crafts and spooky storytelling.

More than 30 museums and galleries have already signed up to take part across north, mid, west and south Wales, with further venues expected to join. A total of 52 took part last year.

The festival is organised by the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales, which has revamped its Halloween resources to encourage participating venues to reduce the environmental impact of their events.

Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport Heledd Fychan said: “I’m very pleased to announce the return of Welsh Museums Festival this year.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what’s going to be on offer from the scores of local museums and galleries taking part.

“I welcome the Festival’s approach to celebrating Halloween in a greener and more sustainable way, and it is also a great way for families to participate in their local culture and heritage, for little to no cost.”

Participating venues in north Wales include the National Slate Museum, Oriel Môn, Ruthin Gaol Museum, Yr Ysgwrn, Mold Museum and the Football Museum of Wales/Wrexham Museum.

In west Wales, attractions taking part include the Dylan Thomas Boathouse, National Waterfront Museum, National Wool Museum, Swansea Museum, Carmarthenshire Museum and Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre.

Ceredigion Museum and TimeScape Rhayader are among those taking part in mid Wales, while venues in the south include National Museum Cardiff, Newport Museum and Art Gallery, Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery and Chepstow Museum.

‘Greener Halloween’

Carly Davies, of the Federation of Museums and Galleries of Wales, said: “This year we’re encouraging museums and galleries across Wales to embrace a greener Halloween.

“Our revamped Halloween resource is all about cutting back on glitter and steering activities towards more natural materials instead, so families can enjoy the spooky season without the environmental cost.

“Discovering your local museum or gallery – often with free entry, or free events with their admission charge – is a really lovely way to spend time with your children over the October half term, especially if we get our traditional rainy half term!”

Individual museums and galleries will offer their own programmes of trails, workshops, storytelling and other family activities during the festival.

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