Paisley’s Halloween festival roots in history and community
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Paisley, Scotland, prepares for its annual Halloween festival, which council officials consider one of the largest in the country and a key reason the town won “Town of the Year” in 2025.
The celebration includes a parade, street theatre, and a funfair, drawing thousands of visitors and hundreds of performers. Locals believe Paisley’s strong embrace of Halloween stems from both a desire for community joy during difficult economic times and the town’s history with witchcraft.
In 1696, accusations from a young girl led to the trial and execution of seven people accused of witchcraft in Renfrewshire, near Paisley. A local myth claims disturbing a horseshoe placed over their mass grave will bring misfortune to the town, and a monument now commemorates the wrongly accused as innocent victims. Despite a period of decline in the 1960s when roadworks disturbed the sealed grave, the town continued to celebrate Halloween.
Community groups like the Star Project host workshops to help residents create costumes for the parade, fostering involvement across generations. Organisers expect this year’s “Haunted House” themed festival to continue a pattern of growth since 2014, showcasing the creativity of the town and providing a space for people to connect and have fun.
