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What's on
The markets, craft events, exhibitions and small, lovely things worth your time — hand-picked, never the tourist-trap stuff. If it's here, we'd go ourselves.
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All of the UKLondon · 2South East · 3South West · 1West Midlands · 1East Midlands · 3Yorkshire · 3North West · 1North East · 1Wales · 1
This month · Family
FamilyUntil 20 Sept · Newcastle
Treasure: Hidden, Lost, Found
A free family exhibition of hoards, relics and buried finds at Newcastle's much-loved natural history and archaeology museum.
Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4PTFree entry
FamilyUntil 8 Nov · Dorking
Moominvalley Trail at Polesden Lacey
A gentle garden trail through the National Trust's Surrey estate, meeting the Moomin family among the borders and woodland.
Polesden Lacey, Great Bookham, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6BDFree with garden admission (Adult £14 / Child £7 / Family £35; free for National Trust members)
Family👋 Meet peopleUntil 12 Oct · Sevenoaks
Babyccino Coffee Morning & Storytime at Knole
Weekly babyccinos, toys and storytime for under-5s in Knole's Brewhouse — a soft landing for meeting other parents.
Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0RP (Brewhouse Café and Bookshop)Free with normal admission (Outdoor & Tower ticket around £6; free for National Trust members)
Family👋 Meet peopleUntil 8 Nov · Brighton
The Story Trail
Thirty giant, artist-painted BookBenches turn Brighton and Hove's streets and parks into a free citywide trail.
Streets, parks and open spaces across Brighton and Hove, Brighton, BN1Free
Family👋 Meet peopleFri 18 Sept · Ely
Little Explorers at Ely Museum
A monthly morning of themed craft, stories and songs for under-5s inside Ely Museum's former gaol building.
Ely Museum, The Old Gaol, Market Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4LS£3.50 per child; accompanying adult needs a museum admission ticket or annual pass
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 19 – Sun 20 Sept · Lincoln
Dog Friendly Days at Lincoln Castle
Leads off for the weekend — dogs get the run of Lincoln Castle's grounds, Wall Walk and Victorian Prison on these selected dates.
Lincoln Castle, Castle Hill, Lincoln, LN1 3AAFree castle grounds; standard admission for the Wall Walk & Prison
FamilySat 19 – Sun 20 Sept · Bangor
Open Doors Free Weekend at Penrhyn Castle
Free entry to a neo-Norman castle and its parkland for one weekend only, with slate-splitting by real Llanberis quarrymen.
Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 4HNFree entry (part of Cadw's Open Doors festival)
Family👋 Meet peopleSun 20 Sept · London
Chiswick House Dog Show
London's biggest dog show returns to Chiswick House Gardens with 17 daft, lovable classes and a Traitors-themed fancy dress round.
Chiswick House and Gardens, Staveley Road entrance, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London W4 3ESFree to watch; £6 per dog per class to enter
FamilySun 20 Sept · Cobham
Family Fun Day at Painshill
A day of lawn games, sketching stations and self-guided trails through Painshill's 18th-century landscape garden and follies near Cobham.
Painshill, Portsmouth Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 1JE£15 adult / £7.50 child (5–16) / under-5s free
Family👋 Meet peopleSun 20 Sept · York
York Dog Show
A new dog-lovers' day in York Museum Gardens — agility demos, dog classes, pet photography and a shopping village, in aid of local charities.
York Museum Gardens, YorkTickets on sale soon — see yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk
FamilyUntil 4 Oct · Bath
Bath Children's Literature Festival
Ten days of storytelling, big-name authors and hands-on family events across Bath, built entirely around getting kids excited about books.
Venues across Bath, including the Guildhall, Bath BA1Ticket prices vary by event, via Bath Box Office
Family👋 Meet peopleUntil 4 Oct · Droitwich Spa
Hanbury Hall's Apple Harvest
A National Trust apple-picking event across two autumn weekends, with 47 varieties to try and estate honey for sale.
Hanbury Hall, School Road, Hanbury, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire WR9 7EAStandard garden admission, plus £5 (small) or £10 (large) picking bag
FamilySat 26 Sept · Helensburgh
Lochside Social
A relaxed, drop-in family festival on the Gare Loch shore near Helensburgh, with games, activities and food for all ages.
Rosneath Castle Park, Rosneath, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute G84 0QUFree, drop-in
FamilySun 27 Sept · London
Relaxed Hour at the Tower of London
Two crowd-free hours before opening, with SEN-aware staff, sensory adjustments and free access to the Crown Jewels.
Tower of London, London EC3N 4ABFree entry for the relaxed session (pre-booking required)
FamilyUntil 31 Oct · Cheltenham
Pumpkin Patch at Cotswold Farm Park
A pick-your-own pumpkin patch and carving tent at Adam Henson's rare-breed farm, open weekends through October and daily over half term.
Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power, Cheltenham GL54 5UG£14.95 adult / £14.50 child, includes a pumpkin
FamilyUntil 1 Nov · Leicestershire
Pumpkin Season at Broom Leys Farm
A working Leicestershire farm turns over its fields to a tractor-trailer pumpkin patch, maize maze and petting farm for the whole of October.
Broom Leys Farm, 59 Broom Leys Road, Hugglescote, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 4DDAdult/child £6.29, family ticket £20.96 (under 2s free)
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 3 – Sun 4 Oct · Woodstock
DogFest at the Palace
The UK's biggest dog-lovers' festival lands at Blenheim Palace for a weekend of agility have-a-goes and breed meet-ups.
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PPFrom £27.50 per person; under-11s free
FamilyUntil 31 Oct · Leicester
Monsters and Bats
Halloween craft weekends in Leicester's medieval Guildhall — bat-hat making, window decorations and monster crafts, costumes encouraged.
Leicester Guildhall, Guildhall Lane, Leicester LE1 5FQ£4.00 per child taking part
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 3 Oct · Birmingham
Wheelchair Roadshow UK
A free, hands-on day at Birmingham's MAC where you can test power attachments and the latest wheelchair kit across Cannon Hill Park, no appointment needed.
MAC Birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QHFree — pre-register at wheelchairroadshow.com
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 3 Oct · Highlands
World Porridge Making Championship
A Highland village hall hosts competitors from across the globe battling for the Golden Spurtle in the annual World Porridge Championship.
Carrbridge Village Hall, Carrbridge, Highland PH23 3BBFree entry for spectators
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 3 Oct · Harrogate
Yorkshire Baby & Toddler Show — Autumn 2026
An autumn baby and toddler show in Harrogate with expert talks, live demonstrations and over 100 family exhibitors.
The Pavilions, Great Yorkshire Events Centre, Harrogate HG2 8NZ£5, under-5s free
FamilySun 4 Oct · Chepstow
Pumpkin Patch at Lower House Farm
A working Monmouthshire farm opens its 2,500-strong pumpkin patch for the season, from miniature gourds to giants, with animals and hot food in the barn.
Lower House Farm, Llanvair Discoed, Monmouthshire NP16 6LX£10 car pass (up to 7 people, booking fee applies); pumpkins from £1
Family👋 Meet peopleTue 6 Oct · Wakefield
Toddler Tuesdays at The Hepworth Wakefield
A specialist early-years morning among Barbara Hepworth's sculptures, mixing singing, movement and messy making for under-5s and their grown-ups.
The Hepworth Wakefield, Gallery Walk, Wakefield WF1 5AW£11 for one adult + one child; £5 extra adult / £4 extra child
FamilySun 11 Oct · Liverpool
Planetarium: Relaxed Session
A sensory-adapted planetarium show at World Museum Liverpool — lights kept low but on, sound turned down, and freedom to move or step out any time.
World Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8ENFree museum entry; small planetarium charge (around £3-4pp)
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