Here are some Halloween events on near Kildare this weekend to get you out and about

Halloween Happenings at Lullymore Heritage Park

This one is perfect for the kids, and it won't set you back that much either. The annual event at Lullymore has become really popular amongst families, and it runs from October 29 to November 4 this year. Opening hours are 10am-6pm.

There's plenty of great features at the Rathangan-based park, with the highlights being the Haunted Holograms, Terror Train Trips, Terror Treasure Hunts and freaky fun in the devilish den of play—the Funky Forest. Fancy dress is optional, and there will be prizes given out each day for the best dressed.

Price: €23 for family of 3. €30 for family of 4. Additional children €7.50

Spooky Fun at the Whitewater Shopping Centre

A great way to pass a few hours on either Saturday or Sunday, or even both days if you feel like it. This event is geared towards the kids, but there's plenty of things to do at the large Newbridge shopping centre.

It gets underway on Sunday at 2pm, and the event will run for three hours. There will be a petting farm their for the kids, some Halloween face painting and Halloween crafts.

Monday afternoon will bring spooky magic shows, scary storytelling and of course, freaky face painting. The events on Monday run from 2-5pm once again.

Price: Free

Halloween Spooktacular at the National Stud

The National Stud and Japanese Gardens always provide a great day out, but this weekend things will be cranked up a gear on the Curragh as the stud is turned into a spooky site.

There's plenty to do there too, with a pumpkin treasure trail one of the highlights, while there is also storytelling and craft workshops running at various stages during the day. Kids can also avail of pony rides and the use of the playground on site, while the parents can take in all of the beauty that the National Stud has to offer.

The events run from Saturday to Monday from 9am-6pm.

Price: Adults €11.50, students €9, children €6.50. Family ticket €28

The Nightmare Realm at the RDS

Ok, this one isn't actually in Kildare, but in the absence of traffic it should take little more than half an hour to get there from some parts of Kildare.

We've included it in the list because it's really good fun and is suitable for all ages from 12 upwards. The Nightmare Realm would even raise a shiver from the most hardened of people who refuse to look frightened.

Set in an indoor arena at the RDS in south Dublin, the darkened rooms provide the perfect landscape for hideous creatures to pop out from unseen corners and from behind spooky looking props. The monsters are played by young actors who really add to the experience of it all, and your heartrate will be well elavated for the 20-30 minutes you spend inside.

It has been running all this week and will keep going until November 5, so there's plenty of time to get in there.

Price: Students €15, Adults €18.

Pumpkin carving at the Kildare Maze

The Kildare Maze in Prosperous is always a decent place to spend a day, and it takes on a spooky atmosphere over the next few days as they dress the place up for Halloween.

Along with all the usual events and facilities that they have on offer, the Kildare Maze are inviting everyone to come in fanct dress and have a go at pumpkin carving. There's also a Halloween hunt throughout the afternoon.

The event is running from Saturday October 29 until Sunday November 6, so you have over a week to get down to Prosperous to take part in the festivities.

Price: Adult, €8, Child/Senior/Student: €6, Family (2+2): €25, Family (2+3): €29. Group rate (10 +): €6 each.