Dudley's historic open-air market is hosting a free Halloween-themed family fun day on Wednesday 1 November with a range of activities to enjoy.

Face painting, hair braiding, balloon artists and lucky dips will all be on offer at the market from 11am to 3pm on ‘Monster Wednesday’, as well as food and drinks.

Reggae and ska group The Reggae Boyz Featuring Michelle will be performing Halloween classics live in the marketplace.

The spooky celebration follows three successful ‘Themed Thursdays’ at the market earlier in the summer. More than 24,000 people came into Dudley town centre on the day of the first fun day in July.

The event is supported by Dudley Council and funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader of Dudley Council, said:

“The summer events at Dudley Market in July and August were a big success, bringing a significant boost to footfall in Dudley town centre.

“They showed the real potential of the market as a place for both shopping and leisure.

“We’re very happy to support this next fun day, which will be a great chance for parents to keep the kids entertained during the October half term.”

The market is also on the look-out for traders who are interested in hosting a fun activity or selling their products at the Monster Wednesday event.

Enquiries can be made via email to enquiries@tudormarkets.com or direct message to the Dudley Market Facebook page.

Dudley Council is also running a spooktacular free Halloween trail around the town centre during October half term.

From Monday 30 October to Sunday 5 November, ten Halloween characters will be lurking around town for aspiring ghostbusters to locate.

Activity sheets can be picked up from Dudley Library and select shops around the borough before setting off on a ghoulish trail in search of the creepy characters. The monsters will be displaying ten letters which make a spell-binding secret word.

Once the code has been cracked, successful sleuths can enter a prize draw for a One4All kids shopping voucher worth £100. The winner will be contacted directly on Monday 13 November.