Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble….a bewitching brew of 'spooktacular' events is on the boil to send shivers down the strongest spine and freak out the whole family during the Peak District and Derbyshire's annual autumn festival of fun.

Scores of blood-curdling capers ranging from Hallowe'en half term fun to fantastic firework displays are on the stocks as official tourist board Visit Peak District & Derbyshire rebrands the area as Spookyshire.

From the fortnight-long Scarefest at Alton Towers Resort, the UK's largest theme park, to a bewitching Garden of Light transforming Chesterfield's award-winning Queen's Park into a fairytale fantasy world, there's plenty to keep witches and wizards of all ages happy from dawn to dusk.

Stir some ghoulish ghost walks and wonderful wildlife events such as bat walks and fungus forays into the magical mix - and you have the perfect potion to make anyone's eyes water, stomach churn and toes curl!

"The lively and varied programme of events planned for this year's Spookyshire festival offers a great excuse to spread mirth and mayhem across the area, as children and adults alike get involved in some fiendishly exciting celebrations," said David Thornton, Head of Marketing and Deputy Chief Executive of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire.

"The first week-long festival two years ago proved so popular that last year we decided to prolong the fun throughout October - and while the main focus for this year's event will be during the half-term school holiday, this time we are looking forward to an equally successful event throughout the autumn.

"By extending it to include an even wider spectrum of events, we aim to appeal to both people who live in the area and visitors from elsewhere planning an exciting short break.

"Since we launched the festival, it's become clear that the Peak District and Derbyshire must be one of the spookiest places in the UK - with lots of our historic houses, attractions and places to stay having their own resident ghosts, and Derby reputed to be the most haunted city in the country.

"And the area's also a welcoming bolthole for people who prefer quieter pursuits and like to get close to nature amid beautiful and varied landscapes, enjoying activities ranging from wild food walks to woodland festivals.

"So it's the ideal location to make the most of everything from Hallowe'en and firework celebrations to getting out and about in the great outdoors - and I hope as many people as possible will join in this year's celebrations at a wide variety of attractions across the area."

Among this year's haunting highlights will be:

• Spectacular firework displays at venues such as Chatsworth, Alton Towers Resort, Rother Valley Country Park near Sheffield, Midland Railway - Butterley near Ripley and Catton Hall, Walton on Trent

• Ghost walks in Chesterfield and Derby and Ghost Tours at Peak Cavern in Castleton

• Chesterfield Arts and Market Festival, including storytelling for Hallowe'en and a spellbinding Festival Finale - a Lantern Parade from the Crooked Spire Church to the fascinating Garden of Light

• Derby Feste - a thrilling two-day street festival when the city centre will be transformed into a mysterious sea bed, complete with giant illuminated fish and creatures from the deep 

• Matlock Bath Illuminations - with its fantastic flotilla of illuminated boats and family entertainment ranging from juggling and fire shows to firework displays - all in the spooky setting of the dramatic Derwent river gorge

• Fascinating Discovery Days - including heritage events, walks and activities, open days at Heage Windmill and scary Hallowe'en stories - to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site

• Fun outdoor activities for all the family - such as the Swadlincote Scarecrow Walk, bat walks in Chesterfield, Buxton and the National Forest, forays for fungi in the Staffordshire Moorlands, Upper Derwent Valley, Baslow, Derby and Elvaston and a Woodland Festival Weekend at Elvaston Castle Country Park

For full details of this year's action-packed programme, visit www.visitpeakdistrict.com/events/spookyshire2011.