Unmissable Autumn Events to Book Now for a Memorable Season
- Kelly
- Aug 18
- 6 min read
Summer isn't over yet but if you are anything like me you will be looking forward to Autumn. I have been looking for plenty of events and things to do that you can book now to avoid disappointment.
I have tried to include lots of different types of events including for older kids, tweens & teens. I've also spread them across the region because we cover the whole of the North East and North Yorkshire.
So, Save this guide because its a big one!
September
🍁Kielder vintage & classic vehicle show
📍Kielder forest
6 September
One for the petrol heads
🍁Etal Show
📍Northumberland
6th September
Traditional rural show with animals, crafts, music food & entertainment
U16s free, free parking with adult early bird tickets available online.
🍁Durham Orchid show & Craft fair
📍Botanic Gardens
6 September
perfect for the older teens who love flowers
🍁Totally GAGA
📍Stack Seaburn
8 October
A lady gaga tribute - perfect for those Little Monsters
🍁Back to the 1940s
📍Eden Camp
10-11 October
A fantastic family friendly event with live music, shopping displays and more
🍁Apple week
📍Ampleforth Abbey
24-31 October
Apple olympics, tastings, trails and more
🍁Family silent disco
📍Ripon Cathedral
23 October
Family friendly silent disco instead of a Halloween trail
🍁Ushaw Flower Festival
📍County Durham
10-13 September
Ushaw is transformed with spectacular floral displays inspired by the musical heritage of the North East
🍁Druridge bay festival
📍Northumberland
10-13 September
Live music, food and much more.
Keep scrooling for more ideas
🍁Heritage Open Days (keep an eye out for my guide)
📍Across the whole of the North East & Yorkshire
One of the best opportunities of the year to get inside historic buildings and places that aren't normally open to the public and many events are free.
🍁City of Durham Show
📍Durham
13th September
A revived local show bringing together gardening, crafts, baking and so much more.
🍁Durham Folk Festival
📍Durham City
18th- 20th September
A brand new festival for 2026 with so much going on. You can expect music, dance, workshops, stories, screenings, family activities and more.
🍁Whitby 60s Festival
📍Whitby
18-20 September
A full weekend 0f 1960s music and entertainment
🍁Medieval music in the dales
📍Bolton Castle, North Yorkshire
11-13 September
A brilliant combination of history, medieval surroundings and music.
🍁Harrogate Autumn flower show
📍Newby Hall
18-20 September
Autumn gardening, flowers, displays & exhibitors.
🍁Georgian gathering
📍Beamish Museum
19-20 September
Historic Music, dancing, crafts & storytelling
🍁Rock pool challenge
📍Northumberland Coast
19 September
A hands on coastal wildlife adventure
More info
🍁Nidderdale show
📍Patley Bridge
20 September
Traditional agriculture show with animals, displays and entertainment
🍁Chester - Le - Eats
📍Chester - Le - Street
26-27 September
Food, music and entertainment
Its also Free entry
🍁Dubs in't dales
📍Thorp Perrow
24-27 September
VW festival with music, camping, entertainment and lots of vehicles
🍁Oyster Festival
📍Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield
25 September
Food, drink and entertainment
🍁Psycho-path
📍Lintz Hall Farm
from 26th September with selected dates until 1st November
Ready for the ultimate scare? Check out Psycho-path with its 11 ultimate scary mazes.
October
Its Spooky season!!
🎃Halloween Half term
📍Brodsworth Hall
24 October - 1 November
Worth including if you don't mind travelling a bit.
🎃Altra Kielder Marathon
📍Kielder forest
3-4 October
A whole weekend of running events
🎃All about Autumn
📍South Tyneside Railway
24-29 October
Activities include conker duelling, corn dolly making, leaf rubbing and so much more.
🎃Murder mystery evening
📍Langley castle
10 October
An interactive murder mystery with professional actors
🎃Family crafting
📍Shipley art Gallery
27 October
A low cost family fun event.
🎃Family fright fest
📍Lintz Hall Farm
Selected dates from 10 October
Family friendly Halloween event with scare mazes, pumpkin picking and more
🎃Crowes wood Halloween trail
17 October - 5 November
📍Kiplin Hall
A spooky must visit trail in one of my favourite locations
🎃Moonlight on the lake
📍Peasholm Park Scarborough
23-24 October
Hundreds of handmade lanterns and illuminations around the park
U16s free with Adult tickets costing just £3
🎃Hallowtween
📍York Maze
24 - 31 October
This is ideal if you have tweens and teens its suitable for up to 15 year old or older if you don't like proper scary
Book early because it sells out quickly
🎃Halloween at The Alnwick Garden & Lilidorei
📍Alnwick
24 October - 1 November
Pumpkins, potion making, spooky science & spookydorei after dark
There's different levels of spookiness so its worth looking at if your kids are different ages
🎃Pumpkin Trail
📍Castle Howard
2-31 October
An autumnal trail around the house
🎃The Great pumpkin adventure
📍Skelf Island - Castle Howard
25 October - 2 November
🎃Autumn gardening / bulb planting
📍Castle Howard
25 October - 2 November
Lovely alternative to something spooky
🎃Late night tour
📍Castle Howard
11,26,30 October
perfect for the older kids
🎃North Yorkshire Moors Railway
📍Mad Alice Ghost Train
18, 25 October
One hour immersive experience This is recommended for older kids and adults
🎃Little peasants walking tour
📍York
24-31 October
Spooky Halloween walking tour with York dungeon. All ages recommended
🎃Halloween at Belsay Hall
📍Northumberland
24 October - 1 November
The great pumpkin party with spooky games, storytelling and more
🎃Harvest celebrations at Beamish Museum
📍County Durham
3-4 October
Autumnal event at The museum celebrating the traditional harvest
🎃Bolton Castle living history weekend
📍North Yorkshire
10-11 October
Step back into medieval history with living history displays, weapons, characters and more
🎃Megaslam wrestling
📍Thirsk
3 October
Pro wrestling with lots of action - One for the teens maybe?
🎃Durham Book Festival
📍Durham
9-11 October
A whole weekend celebrating books, authors and more.
🎃Scarborough Autumn Streets
📍Scarborough
10-11 October
Outdoor performances, activities, entertainment around the town
🎃North Pennines stargazing festival
📍Country Durham & North Pennines
16 October - 1 November
Stargazing, dark skies and astronomy events
🎃Ghost Hunt & sleepover
📍Broomley grange, Stocksfield Northumberland
24-25 October
A proper spooky overnight paranormal experience
recommended for older kids and adults
🎃Halloween at Seaton Delaval Hall
📍Northumberland
24 October - 1st November
Tales from the shadows brings ghost stories, spooky characters and Halloween spookiness to the hall.
🎃The Addams family musical
📍York
27-31 October
Theatre option for Halloween week
🎃Illuminated Whitby abbey
📍Whitby
23-31 October
An evening Halloween experience with illuminated ruins, live theatre and characters
🎃Halloween at Beamish Museum
📍County Durham
Dates to be announced
I've added this because its one you need to keep an eye out for and be quick when tickets get released (keep an eye on my Facebook page) We have been doing Beamish Halloween evenings since it started and its brilliant.
🎃North Yorkshire Moors Dark Skies events
📍North Yorkshire
23 October - 1 November
A fab Half term option for families wanting something non spooky.
🎃Durham Jazz Festival
📍Durham city
23-25 October
A great idea for non spooky things to do with older kids
🎃Hallowscream express
📍Scarborough North Bay Railway
29 November
A spooky after dark train experience
🎃Pumpkin trail
📍North Bay Railway
24 October - 1 November
Family Friendly event
No booking required
🎃Tomorrows Ghost Festival
📍Whitby Pavilion
30 October - 1 November
A Halloween weekend with live music, markets and lots more.
Ticketed event
🎃Whitby Goth Weekend
📍Whitby
30 October - 1 November
One of Whitby's biggest weekends. Lots going on. Some events have age restrictions so please check.
November
✨Shildon Brick Show
📍Locomotion
14-15 November
Definitely one for the Lego fans.
✨The brain bending science illusion show
📍Queens hall Hexham
15 November
Science meets magic, psychology and illusions
✨Billy Elliot the musical
📍Sunderland Empire
4-28 November
Returning to Sunderland empire in this major new production
✨A musical Christmas Carol
📍Ponteland Memorial hall
13-15 November
A jukebox musical version of the dickens classic
✨Newcastle MoRun
📍Newcastle
21 November
A fun run with fancy dress and lively village event
✨The Hound of the Baskervilles
📍Durham city theatre
22-28 November
Reduced cast production of the Sherlock Holmes classic
✨Great Yorkshire Christmas Fair
📍Harrogate
26-29 November
Huge festive shopping event with around 180 stalls
✨Scarborough lights
📍Scarborough
11 November - 20 December
Scarborough winter lights returns with installations around the town and a planned drone display.
✨Scarborough sparkles
📍Scarborough
27-29 November
A festive market and family entertainment at the open air theatre
✨Kielder winter wonderland
📍Kielder Forest
From 29 November
Technically its the start of the Christmas events but this sells out quickly so it made my list.
Its a full day immersive experience.
I am busy working through lots of Autumn based posts and guides so please keep an eye out for even more ideas for things to do,.
