Haunted House Contest – Helsby Trick or Treat Festival

Join Our Haunted House Trail

Thursday 31st October 2024 | 5.30pm to 9.00pm

Welcome to our third annual Trick or Treat Trail. On this page you can apply to enter our haunted house decorating contest and become a stop on the Trick or Treat Trail map.

How it Works

Open to houses based in Helsby Village, please check if your home is within the boundary map before applying:

Every year, we produce a map of Helsby-based homes where kids can safely trick or treat.

Houses are invited to decorate in their finest spookery, to entertain and delight all our local little monsters.

To apply to be listed on the trail, houses must complete the application form on this page. They must adhere to the rules, terms and conditions, and must be prepared to provide Halloween treats for visitors. This can be a very small treat, or even a non-edible party toy.

This year, we will also be issuing houses on the trail with a ‘hosting pack’, this will include some sweets to give away (we are raising sponsorship money to fund these, but the sweets may not cover the amount of visits you receive), A poster to advertise your participation in the trail and some tips and tricks for trail success!

On Thursday 31st October, between 5.30pm and 8.30pm, attendees are invited to walk the trail. This year, they will also be able to judge their favourite decorations on the trail using our online system.

The results of the judging will be announced on November 1st, with the winner receiving a prize hamper of Halloween goodies!

Last Year's Winner

Nicola @ Calendar Gardens

Rules, Terms & Conditions

Houses who register for the trail must ensure their home is accessible and safely lit. Animals should be kept securely away from visitors and the path to your front door should be free from hazards.
We recommend that sweets or treats given away are kept within the original packaging and that homemade items should not be given away unless you are registered with the appropriate food hygiene licenses.
Houses who register should be aware that photos are likely to be taken of their decorations by visitors – if this is not permitted, it should be clearly signposted. Photos will be taken by the official Trick or Treat Trail volunteers also, and may be used across online platforms and social media sites. If this is not permitted, registrants should make this clear to the event organisers.
Houses should take into consideration that the ages of trail attendees could be very young, and particularly frightening decorations or jump-scares should be clearly pre-warned for parents or generally avoided.
Houses registering should be completely aware that their address and location will be published to the public on Google Maps and on the downloadable trail map. No other identifying information will be shared.
Houses will be judged on decorations only. You are welcome to add extra drama to your home such as having your family dress up, but the competition will be purely judged on physical décor.
Businesses are welcome to join the trail but must register as a business, and are not eligible to win the prize.

The Prize

This year’s prize currently includes (and may be added to!):

Prosecco & Chocolates (or alcohol free / dietary alternatives)
6 x NYC Cookies from ‘Til Death Bakery (vegan available)
£30 Gift Voucher for The Hollies Farm Shop
Autumn Themed Gifts and Snacks

There is no cash alternative and the prize must be claimed between 2/11/24 and 9/11/24 inclusive. The event organiser retains the right to reissue the prize to an alternative winner if it is not claimed.

The Judging

In the interest of providing a fair judging system, we’re utilising an online voting form this year.

Those who visit the trail will be invited to choose their personal 1st, 2nd and 3rd best haunted houses.

This will then award points to the houses selected.

The house which gains the largest number of points from our attendees will win our prize, with 2nd and 3rd places receiving an honourable mention across social media.

To prevent any manipulation or abuse of the voting system, we are implementing the following processes:

Voting will only be live from 3pm to midnight on 31.10.24.
Duplicate IP addresses will be blocked (so people can’t spam votes or gain multiple votes from the same person/household)
Voting will be protected from bots (ReCAPTCHA).
Voters must provide a name.
Voters can only access the voting form by registering for the trail, or by scanning the QR code poster at any house on the trail.
Houses or votes may be disqualified if the organisers suspect foul play.

Houses MUST NOT solicit votes. This includes but is not limited to: asking for votes on social media sites or providing a reward for those who vote for them.

Application Form

Please complete the below form to have your house included on the Helsby Trick or Treat Trail Map, and to enter the Haunted House Decorating Contest.

Completion of this form is a commitment to join in – in past years we have had kids disappointed when houses have registered and then decided not to participate on the day. If you register and then change your mind and wish to cancel your application, you MUST EMAIL boo@helsbytrickortreat.co.uk a minimum of 24 hours before the trail begins.

The map is published one week before the event and cannot be amended, so please consider putting up a sign if you have cancelled your attendance after this deadline.

This year, we are asking houses to provide their own photo of their decorations once completed. We will not be taking photos ourselves as not all houses were able to commit to being ready for the date we sent our photographer out. On 28.10.24 you will be emailed with a request to provide a photo, this can be sent to us any time up until 31.10.24 and will be uploaded to the voting page & used for social media posts.

Applications are now closed, thank you!

Your Name (this will not be published on the map)

Email - Please provide a valid, up-to-date email which can be used to contact you regarding the event.

Mobile Number (OPTIONAL, but providing a number gives us permission to text or message you on WhatsApp with event details. We will not share or publish your number and it will only be used for this purpose.)

Your Full Helsby Address (This will be published on the map, feel free to include any helpful instructions to locate your home.)

What.3.Words House Location (You can find your What.3.Words Location Here, simply tap on the box that includes your front door, and copy and paste the code below.

Are You a Business, or a Private Residence?

Please select any of the following that apply to your application:

I wish to enter the trail, but do NOT wish to enter the decorating contest. My house is accessible to wheelchair users. I will be providing an allergy-safe treat on request (such as a toy or pre-packaged item) I would prefer people do not knock/ring at my door (We will label your location as such but cannot make guarantees. We recommend clear signage.

Terms and Conditions

I have read the full rules, terms and conditions on this page and I agree to adhere to them. I will ensure the access to my door is clear of hazards, and I understand that any damage caused to my property by visitors is not the responsibility of the event organisers. I will ensure the treat I provide is safe and pre-packaged unless I am registered for food hygiene and able to provide a compliant treat. I understand that Helsby Trick or Treat Festival will store my information safely and securely within the requirements of GDPR and Data Protection UK Laws, that my address will be published publicly to the map, but all other personal information will only be used for contact purposes by the organisers.

Once you have submitted your application, please allow up to 7 days for a response confirmation. This form is monitored part-time on a volunteer basis.