Halloween at Heligan

Autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness and marks the end of the growing season and, of course, the harvest. Since ancient times it has been a celebrated season and, when the crops had been harvested and stored, heralded the beginning of a new year. The Celts believed that, at the end of Harvest, the veil between the world of mortals and spirits was temporarily dissolved. This was in fact the origin of Halloween.

The Autumn half term will see the return of outdoor family activities at Heligan that celebrate Harvest, with traditional Corn Dolly workshops where the skills and traditions of this ancient craft will be shared.

Materials will be available for both budding and skilled artists to create colourful drawings of our fabulous display of produce in the Reserve Yard, as part of our annual Big Draw.

With harvest tastings and apple pressing sessions available, we encourage young visitors to enjoy the wonders and tastes of the season.

We honour the wise women of nature with a family trail that tells the tales of a variety of witches, who are key characters within folklore and history. Join the spooky trail to learn more about them.  The Barn will also host potion making workshops and wand making crafts.

It wouldn’t be autumn without advising our visitors to come dressed for all weathers and all sizes of puddle, and to make sure you stop by the fire pit for a warming toasted marshmallow.

Owls are, of course, also associated with witchcraft: they were believed to be the messengers of the witches so it is only fitting that we welcome Screech Owl Sanctuary to be with us for this week to share the tales of these magnificent birds.

As harvest time slips into Halloween, Whippletree will open this week of celebrations with a Ceilidh in The Barn on Sunday 20^th October and will close the week with a final ceilidh on Sunday 27^th October. So bring your rhythm and join in with the fun!

Come and join us to celebrate this year’s garden gold!