Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October. 10 events checked against official sources, plus free days out and ideas for whatever the weather does.
Friday 16 Oct
Sunny · 16°C · 45% rain
Saturday 17 Oct
Sunny · 14°C · 0% rain
Sunday 18 Oct
Sunny · 12°C · 15% rain
Looks mostly dry for the weekend, so it is a good one for getting outside. Forecast for central Sussex from Google, updated hourly.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
East Grinstead High Street, East Grinstead · 17 October 2026
East Grinstead Community Bonfire's torchlit procession lights up the High Street, followed by a bonfire and fireworks. It is one of the earlier dates in the Sussex bonfire season, which runs from September to late November.
Hastings town centre and beach, Hastings · 17 October 2026
Hastings Borough Bonfire Society's torchlit procession winds through the town before a bonfire and a grand finale firework display on the beach. Torches are brought down from the East Hill Beacon to light the procession.
Seaford town centre, Seaford · 17 October 2026
Seaford Bonfire Society holds its annual bonfire night on the same Saturday as Hastings, with an evening start at 7pm. It is a smaller, local alternative to the big East Sussex processions.
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.
Places and events that work whatever the sky does.
Image: Paradise Park and GardensParadise 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.
Image: Brighton & Hove MuseumsAn 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.
Image: National TrustA thatched, timber-framed Wealden hall-house built for the village priest in the early 15th century, and the first building the National Trust ever bought, in 1896. It sits beside the church on The Tye with a cottage garden looking over the Cuckmere Valley.
Image: The Sussex Archaeological SocietyA 15th-century timber-framed house in Southover, given to Anne of Cleves when her marriage to Henry VIII ended, although she never lived in it. Rooms are set out to show Tudor and Elizabethan home life, and there is a Tudor-style garden to wander afterwards.
Image: National TrustRudyard Kipling's 17th-century Jacobean home, with his study and rooms kept much as he left them. Outside there is a quiet garden, a working watermill he wrote about and 300 acres of High Weald countryside to walk.
Photo: Alexis Markwick, CC0A traditional volunteer-run town museum in Egerton Park, just behind the seafront clock tower. Collections run from dinosaur footprints and local archaeology to fashion, the De La Warr Pavilion and Bexhill's motor racing heritage.
Image: Sompting PumpkinsA 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.
Image: Hastings Borough Bonfire SocietyHastings Borough Bonfire Society's torchlit procession winds through the town before a bonfire and a grand finale firework display on the beach. Torches are brought down from the East Hill Beacon to light the procession.
Image: Ashdown ForestOpen heathland and woodland that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Big skies, long views and miles of paths make it a favourite for dog walks and family rambles, with Poohsticks Bridge an easy target for younger children.
Image: Visit Eastbourne (Eastbourne Borough Council)Britain's highest chalk sea cliff, rising 162 metres above the lighthouse and the Channel. Walk up from the western end of Eastbourne seafront on the South Downs Way, or park at the top and stroll towards Belle Tout.
Image: National TrustBirling Gap is where the South Downs meet the sea at the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, one of the longest undeveloped stretches of the south coast. Walk the clifftop downland, or take the steps down to the shingle beach for rock pools and fossil hunting. The National Trust café, shop and visitor centre sit on the cliff top.
Image: National TrustThe highest point in the South Downs National Park, a heather-covered hill with one of the best views over the Weald from the Temple of the Winds. Easy tracks lead from free car parks through heathland and woods that inspired Tennyson.
The Weekend List
A free, short email every Thursday morning: the best things on that weekend, a rainy-day backup and anything you need to book before it sells out.