Things to Do in Somerset for October Half Term 2026
Last updated: July 2026 – 2026 event details added throughout as venues confirm dates. October half term 2026 falls in the week of 26-30 October for most Somerset schools, with activities running from Saturday 24 October through to Sunday 1 November.
If you’re looking for things to do in Somerset for October half term 2026, you’ve come to the right place. The county goes wonderfully overboard for Halloween and there are brilliant family days out in Somerset to keep everyone happy all week, whether your children are pumpkin-obsessed or mildly indifferent to the whole thing.
From ancient folk traditions and spooky steam trains to National Trust Halloween trails, pumpkin patches, and one of England’s most dramatic walks, I’ve rounded up everything I can find below. I’ll add 2026 dates as venues announce them – and if you know of something that’s not listed, please submit it here.
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October Half Term Events 2026
Pumpkin picking in Somerset 2026
One of autumn’s most delightful activities, pumpkin picking is fast becoming an October tradition in the UK. Whether you’re doing it for the ‘gram, prefer plucking your own gourd fresh from the soil or just love getting into the spirit of Halloween, I’ve rounded up the best places to go pumpkin picking in Somerset.
A few highlights for the half term week:
- Fairfield Pumpkins, Yeovil – 4 acres, haunted house, face painting, After Dark evening events
- Thurloxton Farm, near Taunton – at the foot of the Quantocks, with a carving barn and wood-fired pizza
- Avon Valley Pumpkin Patch – the full spectacle, with rides, apple cannons, and Pumpkin Patch Nights
- Birds Farm, Knapp, North Curry – tractor rides and fairy light-lit cafe
- For the complete list of pumpkin patches across Somerset – including patches near Bath, North Somerset, and South Somerset – head to my dedicated guide: Best Pumpkin Picking in Somerset 2026 →
Quantock After Dark 2026
Get ready for an evening of fiery excitement at the Quantock Pumpkin Patch! With drinks, live music, and the spectacular burning of the Quantock Giant. Tuck into local food, including wood-fired pizzas, burgers, and more.
Tickets and full details will be released soon – stay tuned!
Bath Pumpkin Patch 2026, Bath
There are 8 acres to scour to find the pumpkin of your dreams on family-run Bath Pumpkin Patch, just 10-minutes from Bath.
Plus welly wanging, pumpkin-populated photo opps, witch storytime by a gnarled ‘haunted tree’, plus Newton farm treats, mask making and facepainting (charged extra). If you’re looking for a cheaper pumpkin patch experience, with gorgeous countryside views this could be for you! Book free tickets in advance to secure your place.
Avon Valley Pumpkin Patch 2026
2026 dates: 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st October
In addition to pumpkin picking, Avon Valley Pumpkin Patch will be packed with spooky characters roaming the grounds, fairground rides (additional charge), Pumpkin Paintball, fire shows, Scarecrow Shoot’em, brand-new apple cannons, a Pumpkin Slingshot, and a fun fair – plus much more! It’s a true pumpkin-packed extravaganza!
Tickets for Pumpkin Patch: £4.99 per person (£6.99 for Pumpkin Nights). Tickets are £2 more expensive on the day so best to book in advance!
Rides/games are charged extra. Tickets to the Pumpkin Patch do not give you access to Avon Valley Park which is closed at this time.
Pumpkin Patch Nights at Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park
2026 dates: 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st October
Make October nights unforgettable with Halloween fun at Avon Valley’s Pumpkin Patch Nights! As dusk falls, the patch comes alive with vibrant lights. Alongside pumpkin picking, enjoy festival vibes, a pop-up bar, firepits, street food, live performers, stunning seasonal entertainment, and enchanting lighting.
FEARless at Avon Valley 2026
FEARless at Avon Valley is back for 2026, running on select nights: open 24, 29, 30 & 31 October. Designed for 11-15 year olds, this immersive, family-friendly experience offers four (tamed down) scare attractions for youngsters.
The evening includes epic fire shows, spooky street performers, funfair rides, and side stalls. For adults, there’s the FEAR at Avon Valley Scream Park, plus a licensed bar, and delicious street food.
Farrington’s Farm Pumpkin Festival 2026
10th-11th, 17th-18th, 23rd-31st October 2026
With over 40,000 pumpkins planted, Farrington’s Pumpkin Festival is bursting with autumn fun. Wheel your barrow through the patch to find your perfect pick.
The fun doesn’t stop there: toast marshmallows in Whinny the Witch’s cauldron, dive into the straw pool, ride the pop-up funfair, and let little ones loose in the playbarn. Round off your visit with fresh seasonal goodies from the farm shop or a cosy bite in the café. Booking is essential for this pumpkin-packed day out! Tickets available NOW – book here.
Pumpkinfest, Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm
Full event details for October Half Term 2026 at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm haven’t been released yet, so watch this space! If previous years are anything to go by, you can look forward to picking the ultimate pumpkin straight from the patch, alongside the return of the hilarious Zooper Poo Trail where kids can turn Dung Detective. Be sure to keep an eye on their website for ticket releases – they usually offer a handy 20% Early Bird discount when you book five or more days in advance.
Spooky trails and Halloween events Somerset
Coates English Willow Halloween Trail 2026
Find all the willow sculptures at Coates English Willow and complete a fun wordsearch with a prize at the end £3.50 each.
Ninesprings Halloween Trail, Yeovil
Pick up a Yeovil Country Park Halloween trail map from the frightful ‘Friends of Yeovil Country Park’ stall opposite Ninesprings Café between 11am-2pm, and follow the pumpkin markers through the eerie woods.
Find the missing letters hidden at several marked stops along the way to help craft a spell and receive a prize. A buggy friendly/little legs short route will be available and clearly signposted. The trail takes around one hour to complete and the last entry will be at 2pm. £2 per child, under 3s go free.
Halloween Riddle Trail, The Middlewick
Pick up your activity sheet from the Middlewick Café, then follow the clues to uncover the lost lantern’s hiding place. Head back to the Café for a FREE kids hot chocolate – a delicious treat for your spooky hard work.
Halloween Trail at Clevedon Pier
Dare to head to Clevedon Pier for a week of eerie entertainment! Enjoy frightful fun – regular Pier admission applies.
Halloween Trail, Torre Cider Farm
Head to Torre Cider Farm to witness the burning of the Torm Man – a centuries-old tradition to bless the orchard.
4.30pm – Kids’ Halloween Trail
5.30pm – BBQ fires up
7pm (ish) – The Torm Man burns and the orchard is blessed.
And of course… plenty of cider to keep you warm!
The Bishop’s Palace, Wells
Watch this space for October Half term event info.
American Halloween, American Museum & Gardens
Celebrate Halloween in American style at the American Museum & Gardens, just outside Bath with pumpkin trails, scarecrow photo spots, crafts in the Stables.
Halloween at The Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare
Get ready for a spooktacular Halloween celebration at the Grand Pier on 29 October 2026. Party Peeps, the UK’s number one interactive family rave, brings two hours of non-stop fun with a family disco, games, dancing, bubbles, snow effects, confetti cannons and sweet giveaways.
The Grand Pier’s spectacular Fireworks at Sea returns on 14 November 2026. Enjoy unlimited rides, including go-karts, before watching a dazzling fireworks display over the seafront.
Halloween Family Fun Day at The Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Enjoy a spooktacular family day out packed with Halloween entertainment. Children in fancy dress receive free entry, while highlights include giant bubble shows, costumed characters, a haunted graveyard, helicopter cockpit experiences, face painting, photo opportunities, charity stalls and a special Halloween-themed menu in the café. More info here.
What’s on October half term at The Museum of Somerset, Taunton
Visit Taunton Castle at the spookiest time of year! Children can create and decorate party hats and bags (£2), and follow the new ‘My Favourite Things’ trail around the museum (£1).
Go dressed in your creepiest costumes and explore the museum by torch light as the lights are turned out for a spooky crafts and stories under cover of darkness.
Lytes Scary Halloween Trail 2026
National Trust Halloween events are always one of my favourite things to do during October half term in Somerset. Discover what’s lurking in the woods at Lytes Cary from 24 October-1 November 2026; be they witches, ghosts, or evil spirits? £3.50 per trail and includes a trail sheet, pencil and mask.
Find out more about Somerset October half term 2026 at Lytes Cary
October half term children’s activities at Barrington Court
Have a go at the Wild Creatures Hide & Seek Spotter Trail (24 October-1 November 2026) this October Half Term and explore the grounds to find fifteen wild creatures hiding around the estate.
Grab a mini wheelbarrow and help gather windfall apples for harvesting with the Ranger team (26-30 October). Home to over 100 varieties of apples, once collected, they will go off to be turned into delicious cider.
Pop by on 27 October to join the Ranger team for day of woodcraft in the Cricket Pitch woods. Learn how to make fire without matches and toast some yummy marshmallows. £1 per child.
Montacute House, National Trust
One of Somerset’s grandest Elizabethan houses, Montacute is beautiful in autumn – the gardens turn burnished gold in late October, and the parkland is lovely for a family walk. The NT run half term events here each year; check the website as 2026 approaches and I’ll update with details when they’re confirmed.
Tyntesfield Halloween half term trail 2026
Discover the quirky and spooky ways Victorians celebrated Halloween. Finish the trail to earn a prize and find out if your detective skills were up to the challenge. More details on halloween things at Tyntesfield.
Don’t miss the stunning Tyntesfield autumn harvest display in the Orangery.
Stourhead National Trust
One of the world’s finest landscaped gardens, the preposterously scenic Stourhead is beautiful all year-round, but in Autumn, the estate really likes to show off. Hillsides swathed in woodland are transformed into a patchwork of golds, scarlets and burnt orange, making for some seriously seasonal scenes.
Viewpoints gaze out to follies, a Palladian bridge (one of only four in the UK) and temples set around a glassy lake, tinged with the reflections of the fiery leaves.
There’s also an impressive manor house, grotto, a gothic cottage filled with pumpkins to explore, and the meandering pathways are buggy-friendly to boot!
Family Halloween Woodland Experience, ROAM, Dillington Estate
For wholesome things to do in autumn, enter the wonderful woodland of ROAM Outdoors Activity Centre family for some spooky Halloween activities! Follow the Halloween Trail to unlock a prize, carve a Pumpkin and eat ghostly marshmallows. Visitors will also have access to rope and tyre swings, the log-stacle course, slack line and mud kitchens.
£10 per person, includes hot soup and crusty bread. Check availability here.
Hestercombe October half term things to do
Watch this space for half term October activities in the landscape garden and around Hestercombe House. Standard gardens admission applies (Hestercombe members go free).
Halloween at Wookey Hole 2026
Pondering what to do in October half term? There’s no spookier time of year than to visit the enchanting realm of the Witch of Wookey than Halloween!
Once you’ve explored the caves, pop into the cinema to watch a 4D movie, watch a circus show and take part in the daily best-dressed competition in the Theatre. There’e also a vintage penny arcade and pirate-themed mini golf!
Check ticket prices for Wookey Hole Halloween 2026
Halloween at Cheddar Gorge & Caves 2026
Head to Cheddar Gorge for spooktacular Halloween fun this October Half Term – theme yet to be confirmed! Watch this space.
Dunster Castle
Follow the trail around Dunster Castle’s magnificent grounds and complete the fun activities. £3 per trail (on top of normal admission) including a prize.
Check ticket prices and event info for things to do October half term at Dunster Castle 2026
Halloween Zombie Outbreak at Mendip Activity Centre
Are you brave enough to join Mendip’s Zombie Outbreak Response Team? Halloween activities will be taking place from 4 October-3 November 2026 at Mendip Activity Centre: expect spooky decorations, zombie targets, Halloween-themed tobogganing and more!
All archery, air rifle, axe throwing, archery active, and tobogganing sessions will have a spooky Halloween twist. Book now!
Somerset Halloween parties and spooky feasts
Punkie Night 2026, Hinton St George
Hinton St George’s Punkie Night procession will take place on the Village Hall playing field. Bring your mangel lanterns (available in Our Shop Hinton St George) and cash for post-parade refreshments.
Daisies Cafe, South Petherton
Daisies is open for Spooky Cakes, Spooky Decorations, Fancy Dress Welcome, Colouring Competition.
Halloween at The Litton, near Wells
Cubs Halloween party, Ilminster
If you’re looking for Halloweeny October activities this Somerset half term, Ilminster’s Cubs soft play for under-8 year olds will be running two spooky soft play sessions, which must be booked in advance. Hunt for hidden pumpkins, pin the spider on the web, paint your own pumpkin and more!
Book tickets for Halloween sensory play for your tiniest devils (0-1 years) – £4 per child.
There’s also a Halloween fun session for bigger cubs (2-8 years) on (9.30am-11.30am) – £7 per child.
Halloween Afternoon Tea, Flourish
Get creative with two hands-on pottery workshops at Glenavon Farm on 23 October 2026. Paint a ceramic Halloween pumpkin while enjoying a complimentary glass of fizz, or craft a unique ceramic lamp from scratch using clay and decorative cut-outs. No experience is needed, and all pieces are professionally fired and glazed after the event. Book online now.
SkoolBeanz Pumpkin Party, Chilthorne Domer
Watch this space for 2026!
Last year’s event: Decorate your own pumpkin at Skool Beanz Allotment, enjoy storytelling around the fire with folklorist Helen Bruce, sip hot chocolate, toast marshmallows and guess the weight of the giant pumpkin. Go in your best spooky garden outfit – prizes to be won!£12 per child.
Sweet Little Things, Bath
Pop in for a Halloween Afternoon Tea at Sweet Little Things Bath.
Pumpkin Carving, Allerford Tea Rooms
Watch this space for October half term fun at Allerford Tea Rooms.
Puxton Park spooktacular 2026
This October half term, Puxton Park hosts some spooktacular fun. Watch this space for more info!
There’s usually pumpkin picking and a haunted attraction for over 12s.
Space Adventurers, Taunton
Halloween half term at Space Adventurers means a fancy-dress comp (with prizes!), pumpkin hunt, zombie laser tag, UV glow sticks and a foamy finale! Tickets are £14.95 per child and £3.49 per adult.
All Hallows Eve Workshops, The Newt
Creative activities October half term Somerset
Half term at East Quay, Watchet
Watch this space for the full list of half term events at East Quay here.
Read my review of our stay at East Quay Watchet
Crafts at Glastonbury Abbey
Somerset October half term at Glastonbury Abbey features all kinds of family crafts. Check their website for what’s on.
October half term 2026 Somerset: animals
Ferne Animal Sanctuary, near Chard
Head to Ferne Animal Sanctuary on 31 October 2026for a fa-boo-lous time filled with Halloween Games in The Hub, Spooky Trail, Creative Corner (bats, cats and spider arts and crafts) and a fancy dress competition.
Afterwards, warm up with lunch, snacks and drinks at Perdida Cafe.
Monster Mash at Animal Farm Adventure Park
Exmoor Red Deer Rut
October is peak rut season on Exmoor, and watching red deer stags is one of those wildlife experiences that stays with you! The stags are enormous, noisy, and dramatic – and if you’re quiet and patient in the right spots (Dunkery Beacon and the valley below Horner Wood are good starting points), surprisingly approachable. It’s free, wild, and unlike anything else. Combine it with a cream tea in Dunster, a walk up Dunster Castle grounds, or a ride on the West Somerset Railway.
Shaun the Sheep Spooktacular Adventures 2026, Longleat Safari Park
Join Shaun the Sheep for a giant pumpkin takeover at Longleat this October half term (24 October to 1 November 2026). Inspired by the new film Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, families can help stop the pumpkins from taking over the Halloween Hoedown while enjoying all the park’s usual attractions, animals and seasonal autumn fun.
What’s on in Somerset October half term 2026: History and Heritage
Halloween Weekend 2026 at The Station, Midsomer Norton South
Hop aboard the Halloween Train at Midsomer Norton on 31 October for scary services running during the afternoon and into the twilight! Kids (16 and under) in Halloween costume travel FREE on the Sunday Haunted DMU. Sunday 1st November will be a less frightening experience, when the popular Haunted DMU returns.
Check ticket prices for Midsomer Norton Halloween steam trains .
Spooky Specials at East Somerset Miniature Railway, Shepton Mallet
Brave a spooky steam train ride to Mendip Vale this Halloween, with ghostly surprises waiting onboard the East Somerset Railway on 31 October and 1 November 2026. Back at the station, follow a ghoulish trail, visit the historic waiting room and discovery centre, and watch out for the mysterious Old Hag. Enjoy homemade food in the café and explore the station’s attractions, all included with a standard Day Rover ticket.
Fleet Air Arm Museum
The Gartell Light Railway
This delightful narrow gauge railway in South Somerset is privately operated by the Gartell family and their friends and only opened to the public on selected dates throughout the year. This 25 October 2026, the railway will open on 25 October for their final open day.
Haynes International Motor Museum
For October half term things to do, watch this space! Don’t forget, you can have as many October half term days out here as you like – your ticket is valid for a year.
Find out more about October half term days out at Haynes here.
Things to do in Somerset for families October half term 2026: Theatre
Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton
- Wednesday 28 October 2026, Natural History Museum presents Dinosaurs Live!A roaring family adventure bringing prehistoric creatures to life on stage, inspired by the world-famous museum.
The Playhouse, Weston-super-Mare
- Jesus Christ Superstar: 28 October 2026 – 31 October 2026
Front Room Theatre, Weston-super-Mare
- Adventures in Hidden History – 24 October 2026, 11am-12pm
- Kindness Karl – Halloween Storytelling for Families – 31 October 2026, 3pm-3.45pm
The Egg, Bath
- Myth Monster: 22-24 October 2026
- Hay: 26-28 October 2026
- All the Small Things: 30 Oct-1 Nov 2026
What’s on October half term near Somerset 2026
Children’s Autumn Pumpkin Trail, Sherborne Castle
Take the kids on a pumpkin-packed adventure at Sherborne Castle and solve clues along the way 24 October-1 November 2026. Prizes available, fancy dress welcome!
October half term Somerset accommodation
Tractors and Cream have planned some fun Halloween activities to give your stay a spooky twist! Autumn crafts in the craft hut, pumpkin carving and a Halloween Silent disco for a night of spooky beats in the event dome.
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