Saurus back by popular demand for Derry Halloween 2019

Saurus are giant street walkabout dinosaur creatures who thrilled the crowds during the 2015 and 2016 celebrations with their distinctive animal sounds and explosive fire performances.

They will be in Guildhall Square on October 26 and 27 and will take part in the Awakening the Walls trail from October 28 – 30 before appearing in Guildhall Square on October 31 and in the climactic parade on Halloween night.

Festival and Events Manager of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Jacqueline Whoriskey, said they are delighted to welcome the crowd favourites back to the city’s streets.

“Saurus made a lasting impression on their previous appearances at the festival so we are delighted that they are returning and taking part in the Awakening the Walls trail for the first time when they perform on Bishop Street,” she said.

“Saurus create a breath taking moving spectacle and their interaction with spectators make them a real crowd favourite.

“This year’s Awakening the Walls trail will be our biggest yet and will take over even more of the city centre with the four main streets within the city centre all closed to traffic to alleviate congestion and enable the large crowds to plot their trail.”

Spokesperson for Saurus Rob Roy Collins said the response of the crowds on previous visits made it an easy decision to return.

““This will be our third time in Derry and this year we are coming for six nights - our longest yet,” he said

“So far this year our Saurus creatures have travelled the world and will be flying in to Derry direct from a month long in China.

“We keep coming back to Derry because we love it and the crowds love our Saurus.

“The streets come alive there around Halloween and we can’t think of a better place for our creatures to be!”

This year’s Derry Halloween theme is The Other World Awakens, and Awakening the Walls will reflect this drawing back of the veil between this world and the other.

The hugely successful free trail is back with a bang for the three evenings before Samhain, Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 October, featuring a captivating combination of fantasy and folklore.

Awakening the Walls trail maps will be available from the information point at Guildhall Square.

Other highlight’s of this year’s Derry Halloween – voted Best International Experience at the NI Tourism Awards – include a Carnival Parade and fireworks finale, Little Horrors family fun, and the first ever LegenDerry Halloween food event.

For more information on Awakening the Walls and Derry Halloween, visit www.derryhalloween.com or follow @DerryHalloween on social media #DerryHalloween.