Some of the locals are ready to welcome guests
Credit: Christoffer Sandager/Tivoli Gardens
Starting out in the early 2,000s as something considered as a foreign import, Halloween in Denmark has been slightly adapted so that children dress as traditional trolls and elves but they were quick to embrace the concept of ‘trick or treat’.
Halloween at Tivoli Gardens Copenhagen
Perhaps the most famous and popular Halloween event is run at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and what started out as something of a tentative experiment 18 years ago has now been fully embraced by the theme park.
The park closes at the end of summer but is re-opened especially for Halloween and to take advantage of the fact that school holidays occur during October.
Open specially for Halloween and children’s school holidays
Halloween actually runs from October 10 to November 3 at Tivoli and whilst a number of the rides and even the bars/cafes have been adapted to celebrate things that go bump in the night, there are also a number of special events which everyone can enjoy.
Local pumpkin growers compete to find the biggest and heaviest (this year it weighed 1,115 kilos) and once that has been decided, each is carved into a gigantic lantern to light up the evening.
Every night an assortment of strange creatures appear in the shadows of the Tivoli mountain and children in particular are challenged to be brave enough to seek them out.
A selection of scary Halloween rides
There is access to a whole selection of rides including The Haunted House, believe it or not a Haunted Hospital where the patients would be more than happy for you to stay, the Villa Vendetta whose name speaks for itself and the Little Ghost Train.
Every day, visitors are invited to dress for the event and on Sunday October 27, every child who is dressed will be given a selection of sweets (subject to approval by a parent) and if they are not in costume, then face painting, sweet or scary will be on hand.
Part of Tivoli Gardens’ secret is that there is something for everyone. The scenery is beautiful with exotic architecture, historic buildings and lush gardens. At night, thousands of coloured lights create a fairy tale atmosphere that is completely unique, but it does take on a somewhat more gothic rather than fairy tale persona for Halloween.
Check out Halloween at Legoland as well
Also, don’t forget that Legoland in Denmark also celebrates Halloween in its own special way.
