Halloween 2026: pumpkins, trails and parties

Pumpkin picking, Halloween trails, fancy-dress parties and spooky-not-scary shows for families around Trafford, South Manchester and Cheshire.

205 events coming up, 54 free and 50 within 20 minutes of Timperley. Nearest: Halloween half-term disco at Timperley Library (3 min, Thu 29 Oct). Next up: October Half Term at Elizabeth Gaskell's House (Mon 19 Oct).

19–25 Oct
Pumpkin Picking at Brookheys Farm Brookheys Farm, Dunham Massey · 15 min Date unconfirmed · Weekends only 4-26 Oct per North West for Kids (not the full month); book a slot onlineUnder £10
Pumpkin Patch and Maze at Pye Ash Farm Pye Ash Farm, Bosley, Macclesfield · 45 min Select dates throughout October (farm says "select dates" - check the Beyonk calendar; earlier listing showed weekends plus Mon 26 and Tue 27 Oct); sessions to 4pm, closes 5pm; hourly sheepdog demonstrations£10–25
Pumpkin Fest at The Lambing Shed The Lambing Shed, Knutsford · 25 min Weekends and school-holiday midweek; choose date at booking; ticket-only, no walk-insUnder £10
Indoor Pumpkin Patch and free Autumn Pumpkin Trail Summerseat Garden Centre, Bury · 45 min Daily 9am-6pm; free entry, woodland-themed patch with scarecrows and photo spots; bookable extras: Lancashire Hawks and Owls Mon 26 Oct, Pumpkin Patch Magic School Thu 29 OctFree
Monster Scare Bear bath bomb workshop at Lush Lush, Manchester Arndale · 25 min Date unconfirmed · Hands-on sessions through to Halloween; press your own bath bomb and sculpt a creature from Rainbow Fun soap; times and price not statedUnder £10
Pumpkin Picking at Dunham Massey Farm Ice Cream Dunham Massey Farm Ice Cream, Dunham Massey, Altrincham · 10 min Pumpkin patch open until 31 Oct; parlour and cafe 12-5pm daily (start date not stated on the farm site)Under £10
Brick or Treat Monster Party LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester, Trafford Park · 15 min Daily 26 Sep - 1 Nov; centre open 10.30am-6pm (last entry 3.45pm)£10–25
Calan Gaeaf Trail at Chirk Castle Chirk Castle, Chirk, Wrexham · 85 min Daily 10am-5pm (garden/tower close 4pm); After Dark evening Sat 31 Oct 6-8pm£10–25
Magical Woodland Halloween Magical Woodland, Sandiway · 40 min Fri 9 Oct-Sun 1 Nov; timed evening entry, allow 1.5-2 hours; live characters, marshmallow toasting, owls and food court£10–25
Room on the Broom Halloween Trail Delamere Forest, Delamere, Northwich · 35 min Halloween cauldrons and crossword along the 1-mile trail throughout October; Visitor Welcome Point 9.30am-4.30pmUnder £10
Spooktacular October at Treetop Adventure Golf Treetop Golf, Manchester city centre · 25 min 6 Oct-1 Nov: spot the spooky spiders on both courses to claim a treat; fancy-dress photo booth 24 Oct-1 Nov; open daily from 10am, walk-ins welcomeUnder £10
The Great Pumpkin Picking Adventure at Windmill Animal Farm Windmill Animal Farm, Burscough, Lancashire · 55 min Open daily from 10 Oct through half term (end date not stated on the farm site); all-indoor pumpkin patch; Heebie Jeebie live shows 1.30pm and 3.30pm on 10, 11, 17, 18 Oct and every day of half term£25+
The Pumpkin Patch at Cockfields Farm Cockfields Farm, Ashton-under-Lyne · 35 min Main Pumpkin Patch every weekend in October and daily through half term (24 Oct-1 Nov), 10am-4pm; Pumpkin Patch After Dark evenings 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 Oct; Mini Pumpkin Patch midweek in term time; Pumpkin Smashing Sun 1 Nov£10–25
October Half Term at Elizabeth Gaskell's House Elizabeth Gaskell's House, Manchester · 25 min 19 Oct-2 Nov; house open Wed, Thu and Sun 11am-4.30pm (last entry 3pm); drop-in crafts and trails 11am-3pm; ages 4+Under £10
The Witch's Potion Trail Bramall Hall, Bramhall · 25 min 22–25 Oct and 27 Oct – 1 Nov, 11am–3.30pmUnder £10
Halloween Trail at Hawkstone Park Follies Hawkstone Park Follies, Weston-under-Redcastle, Shrewsbury · 80 min During opening hours; the follies walk takes about 2 hours with caves, tunnels and cliffs£10–25
Pumpkin Patch After Dark at Cockfields Farm Cockfields Farm Park, Ashton-under-Lyne · 40 min Selected evenings 5pm-8pm; festoon lights, Jack and Sally on stilts, Sanderson Sisters disco, animals, carousel; free pumpkin per ticket; not a scare event£10–25
Calan Gaeaf at Erddig Erddig, Wrexham · 75 min 10am-5pm; wishstones 28-30 Oct 11-3; pumpkin carving (£3) and lanterns Sat 31 Oct 11-3£10–25
Diggle Scarecrow Trail Diggle village, Saddleworth · 50 min Date unconfirmed · £3 per trail sheetUnder £10
Merseyday of the Dead Merseyway & Redrock, Stockport · 25 min Merseyway 12-3pm; Redrock 5-7pm (parade finale)Free
Pumpkin Pickin' at Haigh Haigh Woodland Park, Wigan · 35 min 24-29 Oct, four 1-hour sessions daily from 10.15am£10–25
Brereton Heath Halloween Trail Brereton Heath Local Nature Reserve, Congleton · 40 min Daily, maps 9am-4pm from the visitor centre; easy walkFree
Hidden Horrors trail across Manchester parks (incl. Wythenshawe Park) Wythenshawe Park, Wythenshawe / Manchester · 30 min Date unconfirmed · Half term; free checklist from each park's cafe or reception; council says 13 parks take part this year, plus free pumpkin carving sessions through the week and a giant recycled haunted house at Alexandra ParkFree
October Half Term: Myths & Legends Eureka! Science + Discovery, Seacombe, Wirral · 60 min Wed-Fri 10am-3pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm; workshops at 10.30, 11.30, 12.30, 1.30, 2.30£10–25
Paper Pumpkin Trail Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse, Northwich · 35 min 24 Oct – 1 NovUnder £10
Tegg's Nose Halloween Trail Tegg's Nose Country Park, Macclesfield · 40 min Daily, maps sold 9am-4pm; moderate walk, pen neededUnder £10
Halloween Family Day at Aintree Racecourse Aintree Racecourse, Aintree, Liverpool · 55 min Sun 25 Oct: gates 10.40am, pony races 11.45am, first race 12.40pm, last race 4.10pm; crafts, face painting, circus skills, bouncy castle, fancy-dress competition and a KPop Demon Hunters tribute act£10–25
26 Oct – 1 Nov
Broomstick Making Workshop Ordsall Hall, Salford · 20 min Mon 26 Oct, sessions at 11am, 1pm and 2pm; ages 6+Under £10
Jack-o'-Lanterns Light Walk Norton Priory Museum & Gardens, Runcorn · 40 min Mon 26 and Tue 27 Oct, 5.30-7.30pmUnder £10
Stories Around the Camp Fire with the League of Curiosity (Heaton Park half term) Heaton Park classroom by the Stables Cafe, Prestwich · 30 min Tue 27 Oct, 11am show (arrive 10.50am), about 30 mins; ages 5+; £2 per ticket on the door. Same week: free slime making 26 Oct 10.30am, free lantern workshop 27 Oct 12-1pm, microscope drop-in 28 Oct, Hidden Horrors trail booklet from receptionUnder £10
Little Terrors Trail The Trafford Centre, Trafford Park · 15 min Tue 27 to Thu 29 Oct, 11am-4pm dailyFree
Half term family fun at Manchester Museum Manchester Museum · 25 min Tue 27 - Sat 31 Oct, 10am-5pm: Waste to Wonder building (28-29 Oct), Billie Bee storytime (28 and 30 Oct, ages 2-7, book on the day), Halloween eco-makes with Biffa (30 Oct), CALFE storytelling (31 Oct)Free
Kids Spooky Potion Making The General Elliot, Croft, Warrington · 30 min Fri 30 Oct, sessions at 12pm and 3.30pm£10–25
Knutsford Pumpkin Path Knutsford town centre · 20 min Fri 4pm-7pm; King St and Minshull St closed to trafficFree
Family Halloween Disco Ramsbottom Civic Hall, Ramsbottom, Bury · 40 min Sat 31 Oct, 6-8.30pm (last entry 6.30pm)Under £10
Halloween at Park Wood (free spooky fun) Park Wood, Wythenshawe · 15 min Sat 31 Oct, 12-4pm; storytelling 12.30-2pm, lantern making 2-4pm; moves indoors to Brownley Methodist Church if wetFree
Kids Halloween Games and Crafts Grill on the Green, Worsley · 25 min Sat 31 Oct 2-3pm at Grill on the Green, Beesley Green, Worsley M28 2QWSold outFree
Kreepy Kargo: Our Kids Social Halloween Party Kargo MKT, Salford Quays · 25 min Sat 31 Oct 10am-12pm; DJ, silent disco, LEGO, crafts, mystery trail, foam machine, circus skills, face painting; best for 10 and underUnder £10
Little Monsters Halloween Ball Irish World Heritage Centre, Cheetham Hill, Manchester · 25 min Date unconfirmed · Sat 31 Oct 5pm-8pm; £5 per person; book via the centreUnder £10
Make a Flying Bat Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery · 30 min Sat 31 Oct, 2-4pm drop-inFree
Halloween Family Feastival Boxpark Liverpool, Baltic Triangle, Liverpool · 55 min Sun 1 Nov 12-4pm; free kids' crafts from 12pm, kids' Halloween quiz 1pm, free face painting, games and entertainer; fancy dress encouraged£25+

Pumpkin patches open on farms across Cheshire and Greater Manchester from early October, usually with timed entry at weekends and in half-term. Bring wellies and a bag, and expect to pay for pumpkins on top of entry.

Halloween trails and parties are aimed at families, and many say whether they're spooky or scary. Where an event is only for older children it's labelled Better for older children; where an organiser says there are no jump scares, the event page says so.

Halloween falls in October half-term, so the half-term page lists everything day by day.

Questions parents ask

When is Halloween 2026?

Halloween is 31 October. Most family Halloween events run through October half-term and finish on 31 October or 1 November.

Where can we go pumpkin picking near Altrincham?

Pumpkin patches are in the list above with their drive time from Timperley; the nearest is in the line at the top of the page.

Are the events scary?

We list family events. Check each event's description: where an organiser says it's not scary, or only for older children, we say so.