Halloween magic was in the air as families flocked to Glasgow Botanic Gardens for the return of GlasGLOW.
This year’s glittering woodland trail took on a Zombie Zoo theme, much to the delight of my six-year-old son, who would soon find out he wasn’t quite as ready for the immersive undead experience as he first thought.
Our first ever GlasGLOW jaunt took place at twilight on opening night - perfect for families with younger kids - and, as darkness fell, the excitement and anticipation was electric as scores of children, many dressed as their favourite spooky characters, made their way through the flaming gates of Zombie Zoo ready for an evening of enchantment.
Upon entering we were met with fictional zookeeper Brian Bones who armed us with instructions on how to survive the journey, prompting what has become a daily question from my Gen Alpha child… “Is that AI?”
Moving on for some standard selfies at the People Make GlasGLOW sign, we were greeted with hundreds of fantastically carved pumpkins with designs inspired by famous zombie movies - giving good old fashioned Halloween vibes.
Parents got a laugh as their kids posed at an ‘Adopt a Zombie’ sign displaying a load of creepy looking laser-eyed child zombies, before arriving at the containment checkpoint guarded by torch-bearing keepers there to “neutralise any hazards”.
This part of the trail certainly built the anticipation with colour-changing lights, dramatic smoke, sounds and special effects with signs warning ‘Do Not Feed the Zombies’ as we kept our eyes peeled for any undead.
As a family-friendly event, we were reassured there were no jump scares along the trail, but the eerie atmosphere was certainly keeping you on your toes for what might come next.
Before encountering the zombie enclosure we had a giggle at the interactive zone where a selfie screen transforms you into the zombie you’ll become in the event of an outbreak. But my son was soon spooked as he spotted the zoo’s zombie residents in their unnatural habitat.
Not feeling brave enough to enter the enclosure cage to ‘feed’ the attraction’s undead - or the lengthy queue down there - we hot footed it to Marshmallowland to toast some sweet treats in firepits beneath beautifully illuminated trees, providing the perfect opportunity for a seasonal selfie.
A highlight for us was the eight-metre high Zombie 01 display on the main lawn - the attraction’s biggest addition which formed the centrepiece of GlasGLOW’s new show featuring a dazzling projection of Michael Jackson’s Thriller which got the next generation dancing in the moonlight.
Skipping through the street food village and Zombie Bar - where the churros and pizzas were particularly popular - we prepared for decontamination as we stumbled our way through what was the best experience of the night for us in the Kibble Palace glasshouse. The after dark encounter was truly mesmerising as mist, bright lights and lasers clouded your path out of the attraction.
While we enjoyed giving our little one his first GlasGLOW experience and would recommend it for a frightfully fun night out, I do think more seasonal displays, interactive stations and even zombies are needed to make it worth the entry fee as the trail was sparse in parts - especially with tickets setting a family of four back upwards of £90 at peak times.
GlasGLOW runs at Glasgow Botanic Gardens until Sunday, 1st November, with entry slots beginning from 4.30pm.