October half term and Halloween events in Bristol 

All kinds of spooky shenanigans are taking place in the city to help you entertain your little monsters this spoooooky season! Bristol Halloween events range from pumpkin festivals, an illuminated lantern parade, ghostly trails, zombie takeovers and freaky theatre to less scary autumn walks and performances. So if you’re stuck for what to do for the school holidays or Halloween this year, here’s a round-up of October half term and kids’ Halloween events in Bristol 2022.

*Please let me know if you’d like me to feature your Spooky Halloween events for kids Bristol and I’ll add them to the list.

Halloween events in Bristol – Pumpkin patches

Pumpkin Patch at Avon Valley (weekends 1-16 October, daily 20-30 October)

P-p-p-pick out a pumpkin to turn into your very own spooky jack-o-lantern from the patch at Avon Valley. Or if you don’t want to get muddy, just select a fab-boo-lous one from their gourd-geous selection (priced according to size). There’ll also be spooky characters wandering around, fairground rides (charged separately), Pumpkin Paintball, Fire shows, Scarecrow Shoot’em, Massive Pumpkin Canons (new), Pumpkin Slingshot and lots more!

Tickets: £4.99 per person. Please note tickets to the Pumpkin Patch do not give you access to Avon Valley Park which is closed at this time.

Pumpkin Patch Nights at Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park (selected nights, 7-10 October)

Spice up October nights with Halloween fun at Avon Valley’s Pumpkin Patch Nights! Expect a pop-up bar, firepits, street food, performers, seasonal entertainment and festival vibes!

Pumpkin Festival 2022 at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm (17 October-6 November)

Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm’s pumpkins are a bit special – they’re grown with the help of elephant poo! Pumpkin Fest 2022 features an owl trail, creepy crawly talks, birds of prey displays, plus mini wheelbarrows for your pumpkin haul.

Pumpkin picking at Puxton Park (October weekends + half term)

60,000 pumpkin seeds were planted in the ginormous patch at Puxton Park. The patch itself is FREE to enter but if you’d like to take one home, prices vary between £2-£10 depending on size. No need to pre-book, just arrive on the day.

Embrace the Halloween spirit with further spoooooooky goings-on in the park – including creepy critters encounters, a Halloween disco (fancy dress encouraged) and more.

Pumpkin festival at Farringtons, Farrington Gurney (1-2, 8-9, 14-16, 20-30 October)

Thousands of pumpkin seeds were planted in the 17-acre patch for Farrington’s annual pumpkin Halloween fest – choose from an array of different varieties including white ghostly pumpkins, ‘Cinderella’ pumpkins, knobbly ‘knucklehead’ pumpkins and more! There’s also marshmallow toasting with Whinny the witch and her cauldron, a pop-up funfair, playbarn for kiddos, straw pool, tractor and trailer rides outdoor farm park, lovely farm shop and onsite cafe – perfect for a warming treat after your pumpkin-hunting extravaganza.

Tickets are £2.50 per person, under 2s go free.

Making a day of it? For the best pumpkin picking in Somerset, read my post here.

Free Halloween things to do in Bristol

Bedminster’s Haunted Halloween Trail (from 15 October)

Go monster hunting around Bedminster this spooky season! Seek out monsters lurking in the area’s independent businesses and collect a spooky sticker from each of the shops on the trail to complete your Halloween map. There are prizes for find all 20!

Stop in at any of the following local businesses to pick up your map and first sticker: Five Acre Farm Shop, Occasion Cakes and Catering, Glass Designs Gallery, Southville Deli, Compuwave, Farahway Cafe, Mon Pote, Lion Stores, Upfest, Bristol Flooring, Independent Design Collective, North Street Cheese Company, Trylla, No Frills Knitting, Emporium, Vx Bristol, East Street Emporium, Miss Millie’s, Revival Market, Alpha Bottle Shop and Tap.

Bump in the Night Spooky Lantern Parade, city centre (30 October)

Illuminated giant puppets will be parading through Bristol city centre, from Broadmead to King Street in Bristol’s Bump In The Night spooktacular lantern carnival on 30 October. Organised by Lamp Lighter Arts and with support from Bristol City Centre BID, family-friendly craft workshops will bring the spooky puppets to life.

From ghost ships to giant spiders, the puppets will tell tales from Bristol’s history at the parade, as well as costumes and Halloween headdresses. Choose your Halloween team by joining a lantern-making workshop here.

Halloween things to do with kids in Bristol

Terrifying Turnip Trail, Brunel’s SS Great Britain (22 October-6 November)

Brunel’s SS Great Britain will be illuminated with a Terrifying Turnip Trail guiding visitors around the ship in a 19th century Halloween experience. Follow the Terrifying Turnip Trail (turnips were traditionally used as jack o’ lanterns back in the 1800s) for Victorian frights, to discover truths about ‘All hallows eve’ customs from days gone by.

Spooky stories in the Leigh Woods Vaults (22, 25-27 October)

For thrilling children’s Halloween days out this October half term, families can venture below street level and delve deep into the dark, dark Leigh Woods Vaults of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Meet by candlelight in the chamber to hear some spooky stories – bring your torch and wear your favourite Halloween outfits (just remember you will need to climb down a ladder and wear a hard hat and high vis!) For ages 7 and over.

The World Reimagined Trail, Bristol city centre (until 31 October)

The World Reimagined is a UK art-education project which sees trails of large globe structures in seven cities across the UK. The artworks are intended to transform how we understand the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its impact on us all. The trail in Bristol will consist of 10 Globe sculptures: 1 for each of the 9 themes of the Journey of Discovery and one created in collaboration between multi-award-winning artist, Michele Curtis, local people and communities of Bristol.

Museum at Night, Kingswood Heritage Museum (30 October)

Enter a darkened Kingswood Heritage Museum after-hours on 30 October for a family-friendly Bristol Halloween event (6-7pm) with a quiz, face-painting and a free glow stick for all the little’uns. Chat to characters from the past brought to life by museum volunteers in costume and discover how they shaped the course of Bristol’s history. Then explore the museum in the shadows, using torches and the lights of the museum stewards.

The later Halloween event for adults (8-9pm) will include a glass of wine!

Halloween events near Bristol

Eek! week at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre (22-31 October)

Keep your eyes peeled, your ears pricked and engage all your senses as you make your way around Slimbridge wetlands for an eek!citing wildlife experience. Will you dare to put your hand in a snake box, grab a photo op with a bat or get up close and personal with a toad?

Halloween half term trail, Tyntesfield

As the nights draw in, things are getting spookier at Tyntesfield, and they need your help to solve a mystery on a Halloween trail. Pick up your trail map from home farm and see if you can crack all of the clues to claim your prize.

Don’t miss the stunning harvest display in the Orangery.

American Trick or Treat at American Museum & Gardens, near Bath (22-30 October)

Celebrate Halloween 2022 with an American-style celebration and go on a scavenger hunt for magic potion ingredients in the historic manor house. Tiptoe though spooky rooms where a visiting witch and wizard have made themselves at home and collect a Halloween treat! There is also a festive outdoor trail around the decorated autumnal gardens, plus a creation station in the Stables with seasonal activities.

Fancy dress encouraged, trail an extra £2.50 per child.

A Grand Halloween at the Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare (22-29 October)

Wander from one ghostly space to another on the pier this Halloween. Get your little ones dressed in their scariest costumes and enter the pumpkin carving competition, rid the pier of zombies by taking part in the ancient ritual of taking selfies with the undead and transform your little monsters by getting their faces painted! Head off on a ghoulish scavenger hunt and more!

Halloween Activities for kids at The Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare (23 October)

The Helicopter Museum’s hair-raising kid-friendly Halloween event involves a corridor of monsters with real zombies, a haunted graveyard, live ‘bubble-ology’ with tricks performed by freaky fairies, plus helicopter flights, kids’ games and competitions to get involved with. Climb aboard the actual helicopter from the new black widow movie and meet Black Widow and her friends.

Free entry for all children in Halloween fancy dress.

Ghoul School, Berkeley Castle (25-27 & 31 October)

Halloween days out don’t get much more ghastly than the goings-on at Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire! Ghoul School is an interactive, self-led audio extravaganza that will teach your young thrill seekers how to become little monsters (if they don’t know already!) Along the way, they will encounter a spooky array of teachers who’ll impart their delights, frights and vampire bites.

Face painting will be available on 23, 24, 25 and 30 October (£4 per child – cash only).

Enjoy roasting a marshmallow in the Woodland area every day from 2pm-4pm (included in the admission ticket).

Tickets cost £1 per child, in addition to the admission ticket.

The Harry Potter Potion Class, Coalpit Heath, Bristol (30 October)

Make two magical potions (including one drink and a cake pop) in this immersive Harry Potter experience. Receive an exclusive Halloween-themed Harry Potter goodie bag and have your photo taken with props and an invisibility cloak! Dressing up is encouraged. £20 per person, suitable for all ages but pupils under the age of 6 will need to be supervised by an adult.

Halloween at Wookey Hole (22-30 October)

What better time of year to visit the Witch of Wookey than Halloween!? See the witch mixing potions in her Halloween Grotto, check out the Halloween kids’ circus shows, spooky trails, creepy, crazy mirrors and the incredible caves, learn how to ride a broomstick and expect plenty of eerie adventure around every corner!

Halloween Zombie Outbreak at Mendip Activity Centre (1-30 October)

Are you brave enough to join Mendip’s Zombie Outbreak Response Team? Halloween activities will be taking place at Mendip Activity Centre throughout the month of October – expect spooky decorations, zombie targets, Halloween-themed tobogganing and more!

Zombie Archery at Brocks Outdoor Adventures, Bath

Make October an adventurous Halloween for kids! Discover how to shoot a bow and arrow with a GB Archery qualified instructor before the zombie attack begins. Shoot your way through zombies in a series of mini games – if you put on a heroic display there are even prizes to be won. 

Tickets £20 per person ages 7+, £50 group of 3 ticket 7+

Bristol theatre – Halloween events for kids

Halloween Trolls, family show and Halloween trail, Bean Cafe, Page Park (29-31 October)

The Little Things Theatre will be giving a performance of their show about two mischievous trolls in the Bean Tree Cafe in Page Park, followed by a Halloween-themed trail around the sensory garden. Entry 4.15pm, 5pm, 5.45pm daily, running time 30-45 minutes.

Tickets are £7.50 per person, adults and children (plus booking fee). Add on a Halloween hot choccie for £3 per adult, £2 per child.

Kid Carpet’s Extra Super Mega Rockin’ Rock Show at The Wardrobe Theatre (22-31 October)

Experience all the hits and ridiculous best bits from Kid Carpet & The Noisy Animals In this fun packed interactive rock show, featuring the catchiest songs, games, puppetry and video projection. A world of silliness made for ages 3-8 but suitable for all children.
Running time: 1 hour (no interval), 11am & 2pm (no 11am on 22nd, no 2pm on 28 or 29 October). Tickets £9 (ages 2 and under go free).

Bristol Film Festival: The Nightmare Before Christmas at Bristol Museum (27 October)

This Halloween in Bristol, put your spookometer to the test and step inside Bristol Museum & Art Gallery after-hours to enjoy live performers and macabre musical masterpiece The Nightmare Before Christmas. 

Time: 6.45-8.40pm.

There’s a Rang-Tan in my Bedroom & Other Stories at Tobacco Factory Theatres (27-29 October)

Imagine waking up to find a turtle bathing in your bathtub, an orangutan bouncing on your bed and a jaguar creeping through your kitchen! Find out why these animals are so far from home in this magical puppetry and music theatre production inspired by the Greenpeace campaign films. Aimed at ages 5-11.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Bristol Hippodrome (until 12 November)

October half term in Bristol sees Disney’s beloved Olivier Award-winning stage musical Beauty and the Beast re-imagined and re-designed in a completely new production at the Hippodrome. Wow youngsters with classic sing-along songs and this tale as old as time.

Click here to see prices and book tickets

Get tickets now for The Lion King at Bristol Hippodrome!

Ballet Theatre UK presents: Beauty and the Beast at Redgrave Theatre (28 October)

if you’re looking to mix up your October half term with things other than spooky Halloween activities in Bristol, join Ballet Theatre UK with this enchanting production inspired by the original tale, set to a stunning classical score.

Midnight Mission, The Wardrobe Theatre (6 November)

Something’s going bump in the night! Agents Dali & Kahlo of top-secret global creative agency the CIA (Company of International Artists) receive a code-red call which means only one thing: ART IN PERIL! They’re going to need the sharpest agents to crack this case.

Featuring a broad streak of quirky comedy, family-friendly spoof horror and inspired by the literary history of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, The Midnight Mission is a slightly-spooky playable family theatre show, best suited to those aged 6+ due to the pace of the storytelling (but suitable for a younger audience too).

(Non-Halloweeny) Free things to do in October half term

Storytale festival (21-23 October)

Bristol Storytale Festival is a children’s book festival organised by a small group of Bristol parents. After two years of the festival being digital, they’re back with in-person events, celebrating the wonderful world of kids’ books. From storytelling and spine-tingling craft activities to spoken word wizardry for teens, expect lots of fun and creative activities for all ages.

Storytelling at Bristol Old Vic (26 October)

Join fantastic story makers between 11am-3pm as they take you on a magical journey through the animal kingdom. By the end of the workshop, you will have created and performed a brand-new story together.  You can also head upstairs to the balcony where you can take part in some dressing up or colouring and crafts all day. 

Young Inventors, Brunel’s SS Great Britain (25 October)

Play around with scrap materials and imagine your own invention at Brunel’s SS Great Britain between 10am-3pm.  Will you design a ship or a tunnel like Brunel? Can you solve the challenge of getting an elephant across the ocean? Or design a bridge for a penguin? Free with admission to SS Great Britain.

Animal Adventure Day, St Georges Bristol

Put on your creative hat and build your very own George the Fox puppet, stay to hear a story and head into the beautiful gardens to see how many creatures you can spot.

Free Drop-in Puppet Building Workshop 10am – 4pm (no booking needed)

Storytelling for Little Ears 12.30 – 12.45pm, 2 – 2.15pm, 3.30 – 3.45pm (no booking needed)

---

The Marvellous Musical Elephant Parade, Bristol Beacon (27 October

Join trombonist Raph and percussionist Harriet between 10am-11am for a free marvellous musical workshop for children under 5, packed full of singing, wiggling and animal dance moves. Make your own junk percussion, design your own animal masks and join the melodious animal parade.   

Kids October half term animal activities, RWA (27 October)

Toddlers (aged 2-4) and their grownups can join RWA between 10am and 3pm for some free animal-themed activities on 27 October. Will you make a fuzzy Unicorn? A lion mask? Or perhaps even a paper peacock? Or just explore the materials by touch or smell. After making your creation you can adventure around the RWA building itself and try to find the animals hiding throughout the building. Afterwards, listen to a short story read to you by some very talented puppets (11am or 2pm).

Drop in anytime between 10am-12pm or 1pm-3pm, but do book early to avoid disappointment.

Autumn walks and Halloween trails in Bristol

A Great Bristol Elephant Adventure, Bristol Old Vic

Calling all miniature culture explorers! To mark the launch of their new pushchair tour, Bristol’s cultural venues are running a week of free activities over October half term. Pick up a free trail booklet from any of the six participating venues – RWA, St George’s Bristol, Bristol Old Vic, Bristol Beacon, Brunel’s S.S Great Britain and M Shed – and join Elephant in their search for Mr Giraffe.

Most locations on the route are 10-15 minutes apart and accessible routes have been chosen with buggies in mind. Follow the map in any order and at any pace you like (just check opening hours at each of the locations first, if you would like to go inside) and take part in a variety of October half term activities. Collect all 6 stamps for a full set to reunite Elephant with Mr Giraffe and earn your Heritage Explorer Certificate. 

Scarecrow Trail at Dyrham Park (22-30 October)

Seek out scarecrows in the parkland to solve the All Hallows’ Eve clues at this outdoor National Trust autumn event. Each trail costs £2 and includes a prize. National Trust entry fees apply.

Wonderful World of Fungi at Westonbirt (24-28 October)

Late autumn is one of the best times to visit Westonbirt Arboretum – the fiery trees and changing leaves are quite breathtaking. Combine your leaf-peeping with an October half term family fungi hunt, free hands-on indoor fungi craft activities, fungi origami and painting little clay mushrooms to take home.

Free after paying admission to the arboretum, pre-book your Arboretum time slot.

Sculpture Safari and DigVentures at Sudeley Castle & Gardens (until 30 October)

Life-size animal sculptures made from flowers, grasses and plants have taken up residence at Sudeley Castle and Gardens to spread a peaceful message of coexistence with the natural world. Walk amongst a life-sized herd of elephants, discover a pair of rhino nibbling the lawn, kangaroos hiding in ancient yew hedges, and orangutans relaxing beneath trees – plus many more!

Archaeologists are unearthing the remains of an elaborate Tudor garden, lost in the grounds of Sudeley Castle. Join the DigVentures team for behind-the-scenes daily tours of the dig where you’ll get to see a fascinating piece of Tudor history being unearthed for the first time in nearly 400 years.

Leaf-peeping walks around Bristol

Get the kids outside to burn off those Halloween treats by getting outdoors and making the most of this colourful season. Discover some of the best autumn walks in and around the city here.

Liked this post about kid-friendly Halloween events in Bristol and what’s on October half term 2022? You may also like to read:

Family-friendly autumn walks in Bristol

Halloween Things to do with kids October half term in Somerset

50 free things to do in Bristol with kids

25 Bristol attractions to see with kids