20 (or so) brilliant October half term & Halloween activities in Oxfordshire

Waterside’s Weekly Drama sessions offer children aged 7 to 11 the chance to develop drama skills through games, improvisation, devising, scripts and creative activities in a fun, safe and inclusive environment.

Rectory Farm is delighted to bring back The Pumpkin Patch for 2026. Families can wander through the pumpkin field to pick their own farm-grown pumpkins and squashes in a rainbow of colours, perfect for Halloween. Tickets are priced at £8.50 per person. Children under 2 go free and require no ticket for entry.

Millets Farm has been nurturing a large number of pumpkins in their fields this year, and now’s the perfect time for picking a pleasingly plump one. The pumpkin patches are open at weekends from Saturday 03 October, then daily from Thursday 22 October. The patch costs from £4.00 to enter, and then you pay for what you pick before leaving. Pumpkin and squash prices vary depending on the size and variety.

Children are invited to join Halloween at Tumblestone Hollow as they weave through Stonor’s gardens and into the woodland adventure playground, completing wild and mischievous challenges along the way, to win a Magical Mayhem Certificate, together with a chocolate treat. 

Take part in the Waterperry Halloween Hunt throughout this October half term. It costs £4.50 per child with a prize. Children must be accompanied by an adult for whom the garden entrance fee applies. Open from 10.00am till 5.30pm daily.

IF Oxford returns in 2026 with events from 17 to 31 October. It is a thought-provoking and interactive science and ideas festival that creates an opportunity to bring together hundreds of researchers with thousands of people every year – with science, ideas and creative activities for everyone to explore.

Howl-O-Ween Half-Term at Stowe House promises a frightfully fun family day out, with a Pug in a Pickle trail, Halloween treasure hunt and spooky make-and-take crafts to enjoy this October half-term.

The Manor House is mystically transforming into the home of the most famous Vampire in history – Dracula. Step inside his castle and enjoy an immersive experience as you journey from room to room, experiencing the daily life of the charismatic count and meeting some of his friends along the way. It’s a spooktacular and entertaining experience – perfect for all the family.

Get ready for a frightfully fun family adventure at Blenheim Palace this October. Haunted Half Term brings creepy creatures, magical activities and plenty of spooky entertainment to the Walled Garden. Meet friendly snakes, tarantulas, giant snails and frogs at the Zoolab show, then enjoy circus workshops, witchy storytelling, wizard walkabouts and more.

Ghost Fest: Potion Making at Oxford Castle & Prison invites families to uncover magical ingredients, solve clues and create drinkable potions with Merlin’s apprentice. You can also craft a wand, enjoy magical demonstrations and explore an interactive experience inside a real medieval crypt.

Halloween Slime Lab at Stowe House is a hands-on Halloween workshop perfect for creative children who aren’t afraid to get a little messy, mix their own gloriously gooey creation, choose between bubbling cauldron slime or playful pumpkin slime and then take their finished creation home to enjoy.

Oxford Castle & Prison’s annual spooktacular Ghost Fest is back with Spooky Tours! Do you dare visit for one of their evening Spooky Tours? Hear the haunting stories of their 1,000-year past and let their gruesome history come to life! It won’t be too long before their ghosts reveal themselves!

JukeBox Halloween Special brings decades of feel-good music, singalong favourites and spooky fun to Oxford for a night of dancing with friends.

Dantastic Productions and the hilarious panto comic Dan Whitley return to the Kenton theatre with a brand new high energy, interactive, musical, Halloween adventure – The Spooktastic Halloween Show.

Join a frightfully fun afternoon of creativity at this Halloween Crafternoon packed with Halloween-themed arts and crafts, creative activities and plenty of seasonal fun.

Experience an unforgettable night of stargazing at Stowe with UK Astronomy. Enjoy a captivating talk on the mysteries of our solar system, then explore the night sky through telescopes on the South Front. Perfect for astronomy enthusiasts and curious minds alike.

Be inspired by the grotesque guardians of Oxford’s buildings and make your own air-dry clay monster to take home! Whether it has wings, scales, lizard tongues, or pointy teeth, each gargoyle will be a unique masterpiece. The sessions are led by artist Kate Castleden.

Discover the darker side of Oxford in a spine-tingling night of ghostly tales and haunted history. Guided by the city’s leading storytellers, explore eerie legends, restless spirits, and centuries-old mysteries in the museum after dark — if you dare.

For one night only on Friday 31 October from 6.00pm, visit The Witch’s House After Dark for an atmospheric experience with quirky extracts from the most grizzly of Roald Dahl’s famous stories, designed for the whole family.

Celebrating 50 years of Bicester Round Tables firework displays in Bicester, and going all out with the biggest ever display – Bicester Round Table Charity Firework Spectacular 2025 on 01 November. Bonfire lighting at 7.00pm and fireworks at 7.30pm

Wallingford Fireworks is annual bonfire night celebrations at the Kinecroft, with a huge bonfire and enormous firework display. The event starts Saturday 02 November at 6.00pm with a medieval torchlit procession of Guys walking through the crowd, beating drums, to light the spectacular bonfire at about 6.30pm, with added pyrotechnic effects! At around 7.00pm there will be a lower-noise children’s display, and then the incredible, award-winning, main fireworks spectacle!

Celebrate Firework Night at Minster Mill. With delicious hot food and a cosy atmosphere, this Firework Night promises to be an unforgettable experience for all. As the evening chill sets in, prepare for a spectacular fireworks display to celebrate Bonfire Night.

Bring your whole family for a fantastic family night out at Bicester Hotel Golf and Spa’s Fireworks Spectacular and enjoy an evening full of colourful explosions, sparkling skies, and plenty of bangs as we light up the night with an incredible fireworks display.

Ignite your autumn evening with a sky full of colour at this Fireworks Spectacular. The event promises to be a sensational feast for your eyes and ears, with fireworks crafted by the award-winning Illusion Fireworks team. As the night sky comes alive, it’ll be a sight you won’t want to miss.

Travel back in time to the golden age of the Great Western Railway and savour the sights, sounds and smells of steam as you explore this 21-acre living museum with trains dating from Victorian times to the 1960s. Steam trains will operate on at least one of the centre’s two demonstration lines, allowing you to take unlimited rides.

As Halloween creeps closer and the days shorten, there’s a chill in the air at Blenheim Palace, where ghosts, ghouls and witches get ready to deliver a whole host of tricks and treats along a spooktacular trail. Your very spookiest Halloween starts here…!