Bram Stoker Festival

The Dracula author is being celebrated this weekend in Dublin with a variety of events dedicated to the author and his most iconic creation. There's outdoor events, opera, live readings, talks, tours and more. Several Dublin landmarks and buildings will be illuminated in creepy red for the duration of the festival, including Christ Church and Dublin Castle. Horror expert and author Kim Newman is curating a diverse series of Dracula films - including mainstream classics and arthouse oddities. There's also a free citywide vampire hunt on Saturday, for those in a more competitive mood. You can find out more details about the festival by clicking here.

Halloween Tours

Some of Ireland's most popular tourist spots and historic sites transform into ghoulish, creepy locations around this time of year. For kids, the Irish National Heritage Park in Ferrycarrig will be hosting Park After Dark in Ferrycarrig, the Spooky Express will be arriving at at the Waterford & Suir Valley Railway, Naas Farmer's Market will host a Spooky Party, and ScareFest will come to Paulstown from Monday. For adults (and braver kids), Wicklow's Historic Gaol will be throwing open its doors tonight for a ghostly tour, with more events scheduled for older and younger visitors until Halloween itself. And there's also Dublin Bus' ever popular Ghostbus Tours, running extra nightly tours this week. For more on all these events and more, check out Discover Ireland's Halloween hub.

IFI Horrorthon

An annual Dublin cinematic tradition, the IFI is invaded by horror aficionados for five days of scary movies old and new. Now underway, the weekend will offer something for everyone. Classics represented include the silent version of Nosferatu, the cult curio Lifeforce and the fascinating Hammer take on The Mummy. Families are invited to join the Horrorthon regulars for an early morning screening of stop-motion classic Jason and the Argonauts on Saturday morning, and if you're quick you might be able to grab tickets to the ever popular surprise film on Sunday evening. Our pick? The adventurous adult viewer might try The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears. If the directors' last film Amer is anything to go by, it will baffle, disturb, annoy, amaze, hypnotise and divide audiences. More information is available on the IFI website.

Other festivals

There's no shortage of different Halloween-themed festivals taking place around the country this weekend and continuing through the mid-term break. From the Thurles Halloween Arts Festival to the Virginia Pumpkin Festival, and the Galway Abooo Halloween Festival to the Halloween Fest at Westport House, there's something for every age group and taste. Again, Discover Ireland's Halloween hub will direct you to the events nearest you.

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)