October half-term in Sussex 2026
Schools in Sussex break up for October half-term on Monday 26 October and go back on Monday 2 November 2026, according to the council's published term dates (academies can differ, so check with your school). These are the events and activities running during the break that we have checked against the organisers' own websites.
Halloween falls on the Saturday at the end of half-term this year, so the busiest days are likely to be 30 and 31 October. Book anything with timed entry early.
16 events we have checked
- BookPumpkin pickingHalloween
Tulleys Pumpkin Festival
Tulleys Farm, Turners Hill · 19 September to 1 November 2026
Tulleys bills its daytime festival as Europe's largest, with 1.5 million pumpkins and gourds to pick from by wheelbarrow. New for 2026 is the Pumpkin Valley, an area of giant pumpkin sculptures and ponds.
- Price:
- Tickets are sold online in advance.
- Dates:
- Open every day from 15 October to 1 November, 9.30am to 5.30pm, after weekend-only opening from 19 September. Entry times are staggered.
- BookHalloweenHalf-term
Halloween Trail at Paradise Park
Paradise Park and Gardens, Newhaven · 3 October to 1 November 2026
Paradise Park in Newhaven runs a Halloween trail through October and half term, alongside its gardens, Dinosaur Safari and Playzone. It is an easy add-on to a family visit.
- Price:
- Check the website for prices.
- Dates:
- 3 October to 1 November 2026.
- Pumpkin pickingHalloween
Sompting Pumpkins
Lychpole Farm, Sompting · 3 October to 31 October 2026
A family-run pumpkin patch across 15 acres beside the A27, with free entry and no need to book. Resident sheep, tractor rides and a pumpkin-themed food menu make it more than a quick pick.
- Price:
- Free
- Ages:
- Tractor ride-ons are for under 5s.
- Dates:
- Daily until 31 October. Gates 10am to 4pm, last entry 3.30pm.
- BookPumpkin pickingHalloween
Tulleys Pumpkin Nights
Tulleys Farm, Turners Hill · 15 October to 1 November 2026
The after-dark version of the Tulleys festival, with lit-up pumpkin fields, two live music stages and a bar. It works as a date night or a night out with friends as much as a family trip.
- Price:
- Tickets are sold online in advance.
- Dates:
- Evenings from 15 to 18 October and 20 October to 1 November (closed 19 October), opening at 5.30pm and closing between 10pm and 11pm. One night is a fireworks finale.
- BookHalloween
Ghostly Gatherings at Preston Manor
Preston Manor and Gardens, Brighton · 16 October to 13 November 2026
An after-dark ghost tour of Preston Manor, said to be one of Brighton's most haunted houses. Guests start with a glass of wine and nibbles before an expert guide leads them through the house's secrets.
- Price:
- From £36
- Ages:
- Ages 16 and over.
- Dates:
- Friday evenings, 8pm to 11pm. The October dates were sold out when checked; 6 and 13 November were listed.
- BookHalloweenHalf-term
A Spellbinding Halloween at Borde Hill
Borde Hill Garden, Haywards Heath · 17 October to 1 November 2026
Borde Hill's Halloween trail, The Owl Who Stole Halloween, follows mischievous owl Morticus Moonfeather as he bewitches the scarecrows in Pumpkin Patch Meadow. Children meet the enchanted scarecrows and complete games and challenges to break the spell. Over half term there are daily extras, from magic shows to wand making.
- Price:
- From £3.50
- Ages:
- The trail suits children aged 3 to 8.
- Dates:
- Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November 2026, 10am to 5pm. Activity days from 26 to 30 October.
- BookHalloweenHalf-term
Wallace and Gromit: Fantastic Fungi Trail at Wakehurst
Wakehurst, Ardingly · 17 October to 1 November 2026
Kew's Sussex garden marks Aardman's 50th anniversary with a fungi-hunting trail, helping Wallace and Gromit record the woodland's mushrooms while dodging Feathers McGraw. It mixes hands-on challenges with real science.
- Price:
- From £3
- Ages:
- Activities suit a range of ages.
- Dates:
- Trail opens 10am. Last entry 5pm until 24 October and 4pm from 25 October.
- BookHalloweenHalf-term
The Ghost Train on the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park Station, Sheffield Park · 22 October to 1 November 2026
A new immersive evening for 2026, set around a mystery from 1926, with actors on the platforms and ghosts on board the train to Horsted Keynes and back. Clues hidden round the station let you piece the story together.
- Price:
- From £21
- Ages:
- Rated PG. Under 16s must be with a parent or guardian.
- Dates:
- Evenings 22 October to 1 November. Station opens 4.30pm, train departs 6.30pm and returns about 8.25pm.
- BookChristmas lightsHalf-term
Chichester Light Experience: Illuminating Art
Chichester Cathedral, Chichester · 23 October to 31 October 2026
Luxmuralis, the artist Peter Walker and composer David Harper, turn Chichester Cathedral into a canvas of light and sound for the annual Light Experience. This year's theme, Illuminating Art, projects four centuries of art onto the architecture, from the Baroque and the Impressionists to early photography, steam and animation, before a finale in the nave. Walk round at your own pace.
- Price:
- From £8
- Dates:
- Friday 23 to Saturday 31 October 2026, evening timed entry. Your ticket shows your entry slot.
- HalloweenHalf-term
Halloween Shriek Week at Drusillas
Drusillas Park, Alfriston · 24 October to 1 November 2026
Drusillas dresses the whole zoo park in pumpkins, skeletons and cobwebs for half-term. A live-action Sugar Skull Witch roams the park three times a day.
- Price:
- Check the Drusillas website for admission prices.
- Dates:
- Daily through half-term. Sugar Skull Witch performances at 12.15pm, 1.30pm and 2.55pm.
- BookHalloweenHalf-term
Halloween at Fishers Farm Park
Fishers Farm Park, Wisborough Green · 24 October to 1 November 2026
The family-run adventure farm park near Billingshurst runs its Halloween event across the whole half-term. It is aimed at younger children, with seasonal shows and activities alongside the usual farm animals and play areas.
- Price:
- Tickets are sold online.
- Dates:
- 24 October to 1 November 2026.
- BookHalloweenHalf-term
October half-term: Plagues and Potions
Weald and Downland Living Museum, Singleton · 24 October to 1 November 2026
The open-air museum near Chichester sets its half-term in 1665, with a village healer's potions trail and spooky games at Hambrook. Ghost stories and a Victorian schoolroom session round out the week.
- Price:
- Included with museum admission and annual membership. Book online.
- Dates:
- Daily 10am to 4pm. Most hands-on activities run 27 to 29 October.
- BookHalloweenHalf-term
SUPER Natural half-term at WWT Arundel
WWT Arundel Wetland Centre, Arundel · 24 October to 1 November 2026
WWT Arundel swaps frights for fungi and fairy rings this half-term, with a free logbook to guide families round the wetlands. A wizard's potions class and boat safaris add a bit of magic.
- Price:
- Included with entry; book online to save 10%. Extras: boat safari £3 per person, pond dipping £3 per group of six, owl pellet session £5 per family.
- Ages:
- Pitched at younger children, with no scares.
- Dates:
- Daily 24 October to 1 November. Wetland Wizard shows on 30 and 31 October only.
- BookHalf-termFamily days out
Characters from History at Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle and Gardens, Arundel · 28 October to 29 October 2026
Arundel Castle brings the 12th century to life for two days of half-term, focusing on its first two sieges. Families can meet a crusader, knight and archer, watch the falconer and try archery.
- Price:
- Included in all castle ticket types. Buy online or at the ticket office.
- Ages:
- Have-a-go archery is for over 8s; other have-a-go activities are for ages 3 and up.
- Dates:
- Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October 2026. The History Man also gives tours from 27 to 31 October.
- BookHalloweenHalf-term
Halloween fun on the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park Station, Sheffield Park · 28 October to 1 November 2026
Felix the Wizard joins the Bluebell Railway for half-term, with Halloween crafts on board and a bingo carriage with magic tricks. Children travel for £1 with a paying adult, so it is a good-value steam day out.
- Price:
- From £1
- Dates:
- 28 October to 1 November. Crafts on the 10.30am and 1pm departures from Sheffield Park and the 11.30am and 2pm from East Grinstead.
- HalloweenHalf-term
Haunted Happenings: a ghost tour for young people
Preston Manor and Gardens, Brighton · 30 October 2026
A daytime half-term ghost tour of Preston Manor designed for teenagers. It gives 13 to 16 year olds their own version of the manor's adult ghost evenings.
- Price:
- From £10
- Ages:
- Ages 13 to 16. Over 13s can attend unaccompanied.
- Dates:
- Friday 30 October 2026, 11am to 12pm.
Questions people ask
When is October half-term 2026 in Sussex?
Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026 for council-maintained schools, with term restarting on Monday 2 November. Academies and independent schools can set their own dates.
What can we do if it rains?
Filter our directory for indoor places, or ask Bramble for rainy-day ideas near you. Several of the Halloween events listed here are indoors or mostly under cover.