Halloween Trail Event Cancelled at Hartsholme County Park
The highly anticipated Halloween trail at Hartsholme County Park has been cancelled due to severe flooding caused by Storm Babet. The annual event, scheduled to run from Wednesday, October 25 to Sunday, October 29, had to be called off as safety concerns arose after the entire park got flooded.
Cancellation Notice Issued
The park officials announced the decision to cancel the event on Monday, October 23, due to unresolved issues at the park that were caused by the torrential storm on Friday, October 20. This cancellation also follows the weekend closure of Hartsholme Park and Swanholme Lakes due to the flooding.
Park Reopening
Despite the cancellation of the event, the park was reopened for visitors on Sunday, October 22, after an evaluation deemed the venue safe for visitation. However, work is ongoing at various parts of the park especially the footpaths, which were flooded to a significant depth, and the edges of some of these walkways remain tough to determine. As such, barriers and signs have been placed strategically in the heavily impacted areas, as temporary closures continue.
"Due to the ongoing conditions and clear-up operation in Hartsholme Country Park, we have taken the decision to cancel the Halloween trail this year. We are sorry for any disappointment but unfortunately, the footpaths will not be ready in time for us to safely put the trail together. If you do visit the park, please remember that several footpaths remain underwater and some temporary closures will be in place. The situation changes daily as we work through clearing trees on the edge of footpaths and ditches,"
Fully Booked Halloween Events
Whilst the cancellation is undeniably disappointing, the park's betrayal of other Halloween events such as Pumpkin Carving and Bat Box Making are fully booked, providing some respite for the visitors.