THE humble pumpkin will be brought to life in Bradford city centre this year to help families celebrate Halloween in a safe way.

Bradford BID has teamed up with creative arts organisation Sand In Your Eye to carve out some seasonal fun with the city’s first Pumpkin Trail.

The artists behind last year’s Pumpkin Carving Mini-Festival will be creating a series of specially-commissioned pumpkin displays on a Bradford theme.

They will be displayed around the city centre at a variety of locations in the street, in shopping centres and in shops and cafes.

The Business Improvement District has organised the event, which takes place from Wednesday, October 28, to Saturday, October 31, to link in with Bradford Science Festival, which the BID is sponsoring along with The Broadway shopping centre.

BID manager Jonny Noble said: “With Halloween celebrations on hold because of Covid restrictions, we wanted to find a way to mark this fun time of year in a way that families could still enjoy safely, while also supporting local shops and other city centre businesses, which also need their custom.

“The trail will allow families to walk around the city centre whilst keeping socially distanced. It’s on for four full days to allow lots of time for folks to take part without bringing lots of people together at one time.

“There will be signage reminding people to stay apart, wear masks and wash hands. We will have staff on hand to speak to visitors and help with social distancing.”

BID chairman Ian Ward added: “We are trying to bring a little bit of fun into the city centre during these difficult times for our businesses and their customers but safety is our paramount concern. As long as people follow the rules and don’t gather in groups at any of the pumpkin scene locations, there’s no reason why this can’t be something that everyone can enjoy.”

To follow the trail, pumpkin-hunters can download the LoyalFree app. The app will allow them to vote for their favourite display and be entered into a competition to win a £100 Broadway shopping voucher. It also features offers from city centre businesses.

The trail will also be featured in Science Festival hand-outs along with a pumpkin fact sheet and trail map. Some of the displays will also feature signage explaining the history of the featured scene.

Jamie Wardley, from Sand In Your Eye, said: “The pumpkin displays celebrate the quirky cultural history of Bradford. There will be a wild boar rampaging through the city, Bollywood dancers and the Bronte sisters. Let the pumpkins do the talking and put a smile on your face while giving each other plenty of space!”