BRADFORD BID’s popular pesky and petrifying pumpkins are back for a bigger and better Halloween festival than ever this year.

The city centre trail proved to be hugely popular last year as it provided a safe and secure way for families to celebrate the annual scare-fest.

As well as a bigger and better trail this year, with even more pumpkin scenes hidden around some well-known locations, there will also be a live carving event by the experts from Sand In Your Eye and carving workshops to help youngsters create their own.

The Pumpkin Festival is organised by Bradford Business Improvement District (BID), a limited company funded by more than 600 levy-paying businesses and organisations to help promote and develop the city centre, in conjunction with the Bradford Science Festival.

Visitors can pick up a free Pumpkin Trail map from the National Science & Media Museum and search out the entertaining and educational pumpkin scenes between tomorrow and Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

This year’s scenes include information about topics such as the solar system, how tree-planting can help protect people from climate change, archaeology, steam power and the industrial revolution, cycling and recycling and the birth of electricity. People will be able to see how pumpkins had a hand in all these scientific subjects.

The trail can also be downloaded from the BID’s LoyalFree app and pumpkin-hunters will have a chance to win a £100 shopping voucher by voting for their favourite pumpkin scene.

The Live Carve and pumpkin-carving workshops will take place outside The Broadway Shopping Centre (opposite Haute Dolci) between 11am and 3pm this Friday. Booking is not necessary.

The displays will again be produced by creative arts organisation Sand In Your Eye.

The Hebden Bridge-based group features artists who create events and artwork by sculpting different materials in creative ways.

As well as last year’s specially-commissioned Bradford-themed displays, they have staged some magical shows in the city using sand and ice, including the Santa sleigh which drew hundreds of people to get a chilly bottom and have their pictures taken with Father Christmas.

BID manager Jonny Noble said: “Spooky pumpkin carving is an integral part of Halloween fun and these highly-skilled sculptors take it to the next level and really help these creations come to life!

“The pumpkins are incredibly popular with children and adults alike and we’ve had loads of people wanting to know whether they would be back again this year.

“Well, the answer is Yes and the trail will be bigger and better than last year’s and we’re really thrilled that Sand In Your Eye are able to run the live carve and the carving workshops, which they couldn’t do last year because of the necessary Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

“The safety of those taking part is still of paramount importance and we will encourage all those enjoying the trail and joining in the workshops to maintain social distancing – but at least youngsters will be able to join in the fun in a more hands-on way this year!”