Accessibility Guide – Paisley Halloween Festival

Site description

Paisley Halloween Festival takes place across several streets and open areas in Paisley town centre.

Most surfaces are hard and paved, with typical road surfaces and pavements.

Ramps will be provided at key points to assist with changes in ground level.  

Parade route

The parade, which will start at 7pm on both nights of the festival, and last approximately 60 minutes.   

The parade will take in Smithhills Street, Gauze Street, Mill Street, Bridge Street, Cotton Street, Gauze Street and Gilmour Street. You can see the exact route it will take on this map.  

There is plenty of capacity in Mill Street and great spaces to view the parade.

There will be an accessible viewing area for the parade located on Cotton Street.  

 Stage and Street performances 

There will be a stage located at County Square. The stage will be on a raised platform to help with sightlines. There will be a dedicated accessible area at the stage. 

County Square is an open, paved square with cobbles and a few shallow steps. 

Street performances will take place in the Cenotaph area, Gilmour Place, and Gauze Street. The Cenotaph area is an open, paved street with a few steps. Both Gilmour Place and Gauze Street slope downwards on a gradient heading away from the Cenotaph.     

Funfair 

There will be fairground rides located in the Lagoon car park and East End Park. The Lagoon car park is a flat, tarmacked area. The Funfair rides at East End Park are accessible via a flat concrete path.  

Food and drink

Food and drink vendors will be located at the Cenotaph, Gilmour Place, Cotton Street and at the Funfair. The High Street slopes upwards on a gradient heading away from the Cenotaph. Gilmour Place is paved with a steady incline towards the Cenotaph.   

There will be Marshmallow Pits in Dunn Square. The paths in Dunn Square are laid with bricks which can be a little slippery after rain. The most level access to Dunn Square is from St Mirren Brae, as access from Gauze Street requires a flight of steps.

Lights and visibility

While there is ambient lighting, along with general street lighting, Paisley Halloween Festival takes place after dark. Note that the stage and street performances start at 4pm on Friday and 2pm on Saturday, when there will be more natural light – this is when ground visibility will be best.   

There will be lighting installations and giant inflatables throughout the event site. Some of the performances will also include lasers.    

Sound and noise

As with any large-scale event, the festival site can get quite loud. There will be a mixture of music, ambient noise, singing and talking. As the site is in the town centre, noise can also echo off nearby buildings.      

Accessible viewing areas 

We have an accessible viewing area located at Cotton Street, next to the grandstand seating. The viewing area will be a large covered flat space, providing a clear and unobstructed view.  

We have a designated accessible area at County Square, next to the stage, providing a clear and unobstructed view. County Square is an open, paved square with cobbles and a few shallow steps. Please note this area will not be covered.  

Both areas will be manned by stewards and volunteers. Places will be accommodated on a first come first served basis. Please note that spaces in these areas are limited.

Folding chairs are available in both accessible viewing areas.

There are some areas where we expect the event to be less busy. The parade route will take in Mill Street, where there is plenty of capacity and great spaces to view the parade.

Accessible parking

Blue Badge parking will be available in Renfrewshire House car park, the Paisley Centre (Horizon) and the Piazza shopping centre car parks.  

Access to Renfrewshire House car park (Council HQ) will be from the traffic light junction on Mill Street. Blue Badge spaces are available on the top deck of the car park.  

Due to the parade route taking in Mill Street, Blue Badge holders must be parked before 6.30pm and won’t be able to exit until the parade has finished at 8pm. Spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.  

The Paisley Centre (Horizon) and Piazza car parks are also close to the event site. Shopmobility Renfrewshire are based in the Paisley Centre car park and can offer additional support.  

Mobility support services

Shopmobility Renfrewshire supports people with mobility disabilities, to help them to move around and participate fully in social, economic and cultural activities in the local area.   

This includes the hire of wheelchairs, powerchairs and electric scooters, for both day hire and longer periods at a low cost.   

To enquire about equipment hire or their support services, contact the Shopmobility team on 0141 889 0441 or email admin@shopmobilityrenfrewshire.org.uk  or find out more on Facebook.   

Shopmobility are located on the ground floor of the Paisley Centre Car Park on Storie Street, PA1 2AP. This is a paid car park and will stay open until 10.00pm on both nights of the festival, provided by Horizon Parking.

Toilets and accessible toilets

There are eight toilet locations around the site this year, and each location includes an accessible toilet.    

• Bridge Street, next to the accessible viewing area  
• Cotton Street, next to the Grandstand seating area  
• Bridge Street car park 
• County Square, next to the stage 
• Dunn Square  
• Gauze Street, at the junction with Cotton Street  
• Lagoon car park, next to funfair  
• East End Park, next to funfair  

There will be a mobile Changing Place located on Cotton Street next to the accessible viewing area. 

Assistance dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome to attend, but please remember the event will be busy. If your dog isn’t used to loud noises and crowds, they may be best left at home.  

Attending with a young family

• Daytime entertainment  

The stage and street programme will start at 4pm on Friday and 2pm on Saturday and will feature many of the acts participating in the parade.  

If you’re attending with very young children and if 7pm is too close to bedtime, you can still come along earlier and enjoy acts like Spark! LED Drummers, Mr Wilson’s Second Liners and Cruella and the acrobat dalmatians and see the Giant Inflatables on Paisley buildings. The funfair and food and drink vendors will be open too.   

Due to the natural light, some of the light shows may not be as bright at this time, but the site will be quieter.    

• Bringing a pram  

There is no general on-site pram parking for this event.    

A pram park is available at the grandstand for Grandstand Seating ticket holders only.  

• Baby Changing   

There will be baby changing facilities within each of the accessible toilets located at:   

• Bridge Street, next to the accessible viewing area  
• Cotton Street, next to the Grandstand seating area  
• Bridge Street car park 
• County Square, next to the stage 
• Dunn Square  
• Gauze Street, at the junction with Cotton Street  
• Lagoon car park, next to funfair  
• East End Park, next to funfair 

Quiet spaces

A quiet space marquee will be available at the corner of Bridge Street and Abbey Close. A quiet space will also be available in Paisley Central Library on the High Street.