🍂 SEASONAL · 17 OCT - 1 NOV
October Half Term in York 2026: 82 things to do, dates and prices
82 things to do within reach of York for 2026, running from 17 Oct - 1 Nov, across 15 towns and villages. 19 are free and paid tickets start from £1. The nearest is All Creatures Great and Small from Windermere in York, under a mile from the centre of York.
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82 things to do around York
1Wheelgate Family Halloween Spooktacular
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Wheelgate Park · Farnsfield · 59 miles from the centre
from £10.99
2The Yorkshire Dales of All Creatures Great & Small
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Grand Yorkshire - Day Trips and Tours · York · 5 miles from the centre
from £99ages 5-15
3All Creatures Great and Small from Windermere
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Mountain Goat -York · York · under 1 mile from the centre
from £69ages 5+
4Gallery Talks
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Yorkshire Museum · York · under 1 mile from the centre
Free
5Boxing Hares and Other Sledmere Animals
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Sledmere Estate · Driffield · 22 miles from the centre
See listing
6Malton Sculpture Trail at Dalby Forest
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Dalby Forest · Pickering · 27 miles from the centre
See listing
Get York weekend picks, launching soon. Join the list and you'll get the first one.
- 7
Dinosaur Backpacks
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Yorkshire Museum · York · under 1 mile from the centre
Freeages 2-9 
8International Sawfish Day
17-18 October · 2 days
The Deep · Hull · 34 miles from the centre
See listing
9Festive Skating
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Wentworth Garden Centre · Rotherham · 36 miles from the centre
See listing
10Memories and Reflections from Harewoods Last Butler
17-18 October · 2 days
Harewood Castle · Leeds · 18 miles from the centre
See listing
11York Gate Garden Art Trail
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
York Gate Garden · Leeds · 21 miles from the centre
See listing- 12
Members' Week at Dalby Forest
17-18 October · 2 days
Dalby Forest · Pickering · 27 miles from the centre
See listing - 13
Pumpkin Picking & Carving
17-31 October · 15 days
Wentworth Garden Centre · Rotherham · 36 miles from the centre
from £4.25 
14Daily Shows
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Royal Armouries Museum · Leeds · 22 miles from the centre
Free
15Pumpkin Festival
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 12 days
Spilman's Farm · Thirsk · 16 miles from the centre
See listing
16Sundown Spooktacular Halloween 2026
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Sundown Adventureland · Retford · 47 miles from the centre
from £20.75
17Wool Felting Workshop - North Cave Wetlands
Sat 17 October
North Cave Wetlands · Brough · 22 miles from the centre
See listing- 18
Forest Through Your Eyes
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Dalby Forest · Pickering · 27 miles from the centre
See listing 
19Play Revolution: A New Way to Play
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 6 days
National Railway Museum · York · under 1 mile from the centre
ages 3+
20Exhibition: Robert Dutton & Andrew Moodie - Into The Light
17-30 October · 14 days
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
Free- 21
Yorkshire Dales from York
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Mountain Goat -York · York · under 1 mile from the centre
from £69 - 22
All Creatures Great and Small from York
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Mountain Goat -York · York · under 1 mile from the centre
from £69 - 23
Genghis Khan: How the Mongols Changed the World
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Royal Armouries Museum · Leeds · 22 miles from the centre
See listing 
24Fright Fiesta
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Gulliver's Valley · Rotherham · 44 miles from the centre
from £19ages 2-13- 25
A Garden's Journey: Looking back, Growing Forward
17-18 October · 2 days
Harewood Castle · Leeds · 18 miles from the centre
See listing 
26Collectors' Book & Media Sale
17-25 October · 9 days
Nostell · Wakefield · 25 miles from the centre
See listing
27Fright Fiesta
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Gulliver's Kingdom · Matlock Bath · 61 miles from the centre
from £19- 28
Crossbow Challenge
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Royal Armouries Museum · Leeds · 22 miles from the centre
from £8 - 29
Cecil Beaton: Staging Icons
17-18 October · 2 days
Harewood Castle · Leeds · 18 miles from the centre
Free - 30
Lagoon of Light Talk
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
The Deep · Hull · 34 miles from the centre
See listing 
31Lego Club
17-31 October · 3 days
Haxby & Wigginton Library and Reading Cafe · York · 4 miles from the centre
See listing- 32
Kingdom of Ice Penguin Talk
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
The Deep · Hull · 34 miles from the centre
See listing - 33
Lagoon of Light Artefact Handling
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
The Deep · Hull · 34 miles from the centre
See listing - 34
Daily Talks
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Harewood Castle · Leeds · 18 miles from the centre
See listing 
35Garden Tours
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 6 days
Museum Gardens · York · under 1 mile from the centre
from £5
36Garden Tours
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 6 days
Multangular Tower · York · under 1 mile from the centre
from £5
37Meet Santa
17 Oct - 1 Nov · 16 days
Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park · York · 4 miles from the centre
See listing- 38
1812 Theatre Company - Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
17-18 October · 2 days
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
from £6ages 12+ 
39Mindful Stitching
Tue 20 October · 14:00
Abbey House Museum · Leeds · 23 miles from the centre
See listing- 40
Tranquil Tuesdays
20-27 October · 2 days
The Deep · Hull · 34 miles from the centre
See listing 
41Remember the Coal
Wed 21 October
National Coal Mining Museum for England · Wakefield · 31 miles from the centre
Free- 42
Dusting in the Old Library
21-28 October · 2 days
Harewood Castle · Leeds · 18 miles from the centre
Free - 43
Under 5s Storytime
21-28 October · 2 days
Haxby & Wigginton Library and Reading Cafe · York · 4 miles from the centre
ages 0-5 - 44
The Odyssey
Wed 21 October · 19:30
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
ages 15+ - 45
Meet the Gardeners
22-29 October · 2 days
Harewood Castle · Leeds · 18 miles from the centre
Free - 46
Seasonal Garden Tours
22-29 October · 2 days
Sledmere Estate · Driffield · 22 miles from the centre
See listing - 47
Make a Halloween Garland
Thu 22 October · 14:30
Abbey House Museum · Leeds · 23 miles from the centre
See listing - 48
Creative Landscapes
Thu 22 October · 17:30
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
See listing - 49
Villagers: Sculpting the Community
23 Oct - 1 Nov · 10 days
National Coal Mining Museum for England · Wakefield · 31 miles from the centre
Free - 50
Hudson & Hudson Magicians: Married at First Sleight!
Fri 23 October · 19:30
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
See listing - 51
Tooth be Told
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
The Deep · Hull · 34 miles from the centre
See listing - 52
What's on at Harewood this October Half Term
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
Harewood Castle · Leeds · 18 miles from the centre
See listing - 53
Stories from the Steppe
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
Royal Armouries Museum · Leeds · 22 miles from the centre
Free - 54
Why's Our Water Orange?
Sat 24 October
National Coal Mining Museum for England · Wakefield · 31 miles from the centre
Free - 55
Haunted Halloween Trail
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
Wentworth Garden Centre · Rotherham · 36 miles from the centre
from £2.95 
56Halloween Event
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
Yorkshire Wildlife Park · Doncaster · 32 miles from the centre
See listing- 57
Make and Play: Bayeux Tapestry Weaving
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
Yorkshire Museum · York · under 1 mile from the centre
Free - 58
October Half Term
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
National Coal Mining Museum for England · Wakefield · 31 miles from the centre
Free 
59Community Apple Day
Sat 24 October · 10:00
Staveley Nature Reserve · Knaresborough · 16 miles from the centre
Free- 60
Autumn Wildlife Trail
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
Staveley Nature Reserve · Knaresborough · 16 miles from the centre
Free - 61
Hocus Pocus Outdoor Cinema
Sat 24 October
Harewood Castle · Leeds · 18 miles from the centre
See listing - 62
Ghosts of Station Hall
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
National Railway Museum · York · under 1 mile from the centre
See listing - 63
Nature Trail
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
Yorkshire Museum · York · under 1 mile from the centre
from £1 - 64
Broomstick Making
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
Harewood Castle · Leeds · 18 miles from the centre
Free - 65
Creepy-crawly & Animal Encounters
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
Wentworth Garden Centre · Rotherham · 36 miles from the centre
from £4.25ages 0+ - 66
Meet the Wentworth Witch
24-31 October · 8 days
Wentworth Garden Centre · Rotherham · 36 miles from the centre
from £5ages 1+ - 67
October Half Term: Ghosts!
24 Oct - 1 Nov · 9 days
Nostell · Wakefield · 25 miles from the centre
See listing - 68
Fireworks at Sledmere 2026
Sat 24 October · 16:00
Sledmere Estate · Driffield · 22 miles from the centre
See listing - 69
QWEEN UK - 2026
Sat 24 October · 19:30
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
See listing - 70
Discover Watercolour: Moorland Landscapes
Sun 25 October · 10:00
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
See listing - 71
'A Basket Full of Eggs' Film screening and Q&A
Sun 25 October · 14:00
Yorkshire Museum · York · under 1 mile from the centre
Free - 72
Practical Magic 2
Sun 25 October · 19:30
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
See listing - 73
Mysterious Trees Talk
26-30 October · 5 days
Harewood Castle · Leeds · 18 miles from the centre
Free - 74
Meet Me at the Yorkshire Museum: Bayeux Tapestry
Tue 27 October · 11:00
Yorkshire Museum · York · under 1 mile from the centre
Free - 75
Pokémon Party
Wed 28 October
National Coal Mining Museum for England · Wakefield · 31 miles from the centre
See listing - 76
Creative Families: Bayeux Tapestry
Wed 28 October · 10:30
Yorkshire Museum · York · under 1 mile from the centre
See listing - 77
Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom
Wed 28 October · 18:00
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
See listing 
78DeNada Dance Theatre: Edward II
30-31 October · 2 days
Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre · Leeds · 21 miles from the centre
See listing- 79
Wildflower Needlefelt Workshop
Fri 30 October · 10:30
Sledmere Estate · Driffield · 22 miles from the centre
See listing - 80
Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell 2026 - Cancelled
Fri 30 October · 19:30
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
See listing - 81
Welcome to Storytime with Gruffalo Granny at Dalby Forest
Sat 31 October
Dalby Forest · Pickering · 27 miles from the centre
See listing - 82
Fladam Theatre - Hallowbean
Sat 31 October · 14:30
Helmsley Arts Centre · Helmsley · 20 miles from the centre
See listing
ALSO ON AROUND YORK
PLAN A DIFFERENT DAY
What's on, when you need it
Everything open and on in York today, with times and prices.
TOP PICKMeet the Gardeners · free- Fri26 things · Wheelgate Family Halloween Spooktacular
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