From ghostly events to harvest festivals, here is a round-up of this autumn’s most seasonal experiences – there’s something for everyone!
Follow a Halloween trail… if you dare!
A brand-new spooky family adventure awaits at the National Trust’s Wimpole Estate this year, as autumn sees it transform into a ghostly wonderland! Among the many installations and encounters, this illuminated Halloween trail invites you to navigate a shadowy cemetery, a laser garden, a possessed pumpkin farm and a spider tunnel tangled with webs and crawling with surprises. There will also be devilishly delicious snacks available to purchase, including bewitched burgers, trick or treat pizzas and decadent hot chocolates. Taking place during October half-term (23 October to 2 November), kids are encouraged to dress-up in their favourite spooky costumes! halloweenatwimpole.co.uk
For a daylight alternative, the popular Anglesey Abbey family-friendly Halloween trail returns this year, from 25 October to 2 November, with even more riddles and clues to solve. An immersive adventure with plenty of spooky challenges along the way, there’s even a special prize to be collected at the end of the trail! Normal admission to Anglesey Abbey applies and trails are £6 per child. Book ahead for both events. nationaltrust.org.uk
Climb aboard a ghost train
At the Audley End Railway Halloween special from 25 October to 2 November, intrepid little ghost hunters can journey deep into spooky woods on the Halloween Express. They’ll meet a coven of witches and a host of familiar characters who will be handing out some special seasonal treats! Continue your spine-tingling experience with a woodland wander to the craft lodge for Halloween-themed photo opportunities, a potion-making session with the witches in the Fulfen Forest, an interactive stage show hosted by William the Wizard and a supernatural meet-and-greet on the Fairy and Elf Walk. audley-end-railway.co.uk
Honour the apple
While some varieties ripen earlier, October is known for its apple harvest. No doubt there will be a host of apple-inspired events taking place in towns and villages across the region to celebrate this all-round favourite fruit, but here are a few of the bigger ones.
Ramsey Rural Museum and Walled Garden’s Apple and Harvest Fair takes place on 12 October, where you’ll find food and drink, live music, traditional craft workshops, children’s activities and even molly dancing – a form of morris dancing specific to East Anglia. Raising money for charity, Burwash Manor’s Apple Day is scheduled for 11 October, and Visit Ely’s Apple and Harvest Fayre will take place on Palace Green and Cross Green from 11 to 12 October. wildlifebcn.org, burwashmanor.com, visitely.org.uk
Meanwhile, for city residents it’s only a short stroll or bike ride to Cambridge University Botanic Garden’s Apple Day on 19 October to enjoy tastings and sales, themed activities, garden tours, entertainment, local crafts and pop-up food trucks, with experts on hand to identify your mystery varieties and offer cultivation advice. botanic.cam.ac.uk
Snuggle up for a scary story
A treat is in store for young readers at Waterstones this month. Local author Jack Mackay will be getting his audience well and truly in the Halloween mood as he introduces his spine-chilling new novel, Gloam, written specially for middle-grade readers. Honouring his great love for all things horror, he’ll also talk about his favourite stories, from Goosebumps to Stranger Things, before reading from Gloam and giving his top tips for writing the perfect fictional villain. This lunchtime event takes place on 29 October and will be suitable for ages nine and above. waterstones.com
Reap the harvest
This month, churches covering the length and breadth of Cambridgeshire will be festooned with flowers, local seasonal produce and perhaps the odd corn dolly made from the woven stalks of cereal crops, as their congregations give thanks for the harvest.
Ely Cathedral’s Harvest Weekend takes place from 10 to 12 October with the theme of ‘Farming the Fens’. Visitors can look forward to a variety of different themed events over the course of the three days, including scarecrow making and folklore storytelling, set against the blooming backdrop of the flower-filled Nave, courtesy of the Flower Guild. For those wishing to worship, there is a harvest supper with hymns on 10, the Eucharist on 12 and prayer and praise on 13 October. elycathedral.org
Watch the moonrise
The full moon that’s closest in date to the first day of autumn (the autumn equinox) is the Harvest Moon, which this year falls on 7 October. It can be a particularly jaw-dropping sight as it rises low in the sky, near the horizon, when it sometimes takes on a vivid orange-red colour.
This year’s Harvest Moon will be the first supermoon of the year – occurring during the time when the moon is at its closest to Earth – so it should appear bigger and brighter than the full moons seen thus far in 2025! Weather conditions permitting, wrap up warm and find a spot with a clear view of the horizon to watch the performance in all its glory.
Stock up on witchy supplies
October marks the lead-up to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which is still revered by those following a pagan spiritual path and many others. Celebrated on the evening of 31 October, it marks the division between the lighter and darker halves of the year, and therefore the time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is thought to be at its thinnest – hence Halloween! For those who need to stock up on supplies, there’s a new market in town. Held at Duxford Community Centre on 26 October, the inaugural Cambridge Witchcraft Market will host 35+ stalls of books, crystals, tarot decks, jewellery, spell kits, decorative items, clothing and more. Search ‘The Suffolk Witchcraft Market’ on Facebook to find out more.
For lots more magical purchases, stop by at Nomads on King’s Parade and (for young wizards and witches in particular) The Department of Magical Gifts on Rose Crescent, or Positively Magickal, a pagan and alternative gift shop on High St Passage in Ely. positivelymagickal.co.uk, nomadscambridge.com, thedepartmentofmagicalgifts.co.uk
Venture into spooky Suffolk
Touted as one of the UK’s most haunted towns, Bury St Edmunds is going all-out for spooky season! Among the devilish delights on offer this month are an evening of candlelit ghost stories at Theatre Royal on 6 October, a talk on witchcraft and cunning folk by Dr Tabitha Stanmore at Moyse’s Hall Museum on 24 October, Firestorm Cabaret’s Hell-O-Ween creep show of burlesque, circus and cabaret at the Hunter Club Arts Centre on 25 October and guided Ghostly and Macabre Tours through the town, operating as of 31 October. theatreroyal.org, moyseshall.org, hunterclub.org.uk, burystedmundstourguides.org
And let’s not forget the infamous Scaresville Haunted Village live-action immersive experience, which returns to Kentwell Hall from 15 October to 1 November! scaresville.co.uk
Become a mad scientist
Kids will love taking on the Evil Genius Awards, making their own ‘blood in a bottle’ and getting gloriously slimed in fantastically foul experiments at the Cambridge Science Centre. Open every day in the October half-term and a short hop from Cambridge city centre, the Science Centre is filled with hands-on fun for the whole family. Individual session tickets can be booked online, with annual membership also available. cambridgesciencecentre.org
Cherish the colours of autumn
As well as the aforementioned Anglesey Abbey, Wimpole Estate and Cambridge University Botanic Garden, where there’s an entire section of the garden given over to autumn leaf colour, from the buttery yellow of the Ginkgo biloba to the fiery red of the Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’, there are a few other recommended spots to soak up the rich seasonal spectrum. In particular, there’s Jesus Green, Beechwoods nature reserve, Churchill College with its fabulous Boston ivy-covered wall and the long, leaf-carpeted avenues of trees at Wandlebury Country Park. Nature at its most spectacular!
Bonus: Don’t miss!
The ADC Theatre is hosting a double bill of Halloween-themed shows this year: The Addams Family, 28 October to 1 November, and Dragtime! Presents: Ghosted, 29 October to 1 November. Find out more and book tickets at adctheatre.com
Make sure to stock up on witchy supplies, attend a guided Ghostly and Macabre Tour in Bury St Edmunds or look out for bright orange pumpkins.
