05th September 2022

Hot on the heels of Hulton Park Garden Party, Peel L&P are pleased to invite local communities to enjoy a FREE outdoor cinema this autumn.

Between the 27th- 29th October, Hulton Park will open its gates again for the next Hulton Park Happenings community event. Themed around Halloween and in partnership with Moonlight Cinema, Peel L&P will host a series of spooky screenings.

The line-up of twilight Halloween films features ‘Hocus Pocus’, ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Beetlejuice’. For younger families, afternoon screenings at 2.30pm will include ‘Hotel Transylvania’, ‘The Addams Family’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’.

Entry will be free of charge for all the family on a first-booked-first-served basis via Eventbrite. Local food and drink retailers will serve up a selection of hot drinks, seasonal treats and delicious street food - or cinema goers can bring along their own snacks, drinks and picnics to enjoy. Some wet weather proofing and seating will be in place, but visitors are also encouraged to bring along their own camping chairs, blankets and to wrap up warm.

The outdoor cinema is the next event in a series of ‘Happenings’ taking place at Hulton Park. Earlier this month, more than 2,000 people from Bolton and the surrounding areas enjoyed a Garden Party at the historic Park. Curated by regeneration experts Peel L&P, the Garden Party was inspired by the garden parties hosted by the Hulton family during the 19th and early 20th Century. The 2022 edition featured funfair rides, mini golf, storytelling, archaeological dig tours, craft activities, disco yoga, live music from The Corrie Shelley Folk Band and The Wingates Brass Band. The Party ended with a live recording of the Sofa Cinema Club podcast with Coronation Street stars, Colson Smith, Ben Price and Jack P. Shepherd.

Emma Green, Project Manager for the Hulton Park Happenings at Peel L&P said: “We were delighted with the great turnout and support for our Garden Party and we are very excited to be announcing another event at Hulton Park for the community to enjoy this autumn.

“Many of the people who came to Hulton Park have never had the opportunity to see the space before and it was great to see so many people and communities enjoying the space and activities.

“We are hosting a number of different events to engage local people and help understand the future potential of the Park to accommodate different events through our wider plans. The archaeological dig, Garden Party and now the cinema screenings will be followed by more community activities including site tours, sporting events and cultural celebrations which we’ll be unveiling more details about soon.”.

The free outdoor cinema screenings also follow the hugely popular Community Archaeological Dig, which saw over 400 people explore the foundations of Hulton Hall, uncovering a range of long-buried artefacts, including pottery and glassware, which gave a fascinating glimpse into the history of the place, which was owned by the Hulton family for some 700 years.

Peel L&P’s long-term vision for Hulton Park includes restoring parts of the estate back to its former glory, including the pleasure grounds – where all the Happenings events have taken place. Peel L&P is also planning to restore the historic walled kitchen garden and Serpentine Lake in addition to creating new walking and cycling routes through the Park for the public to enjoy.

The plans would transform the disused estate into an iconic new sporting and community driven destination in Bolton, capable of hosting international events and major tournaments, including The Ryder Cup, for which the site remains shortlisted as a candidate venue. 

Members of the public can read more about the events and register for tickets by visiting hultonparkhappenings.co.uk or tickets can be booked directly via the Eventbrite page.