October half term runs 26 to 30 October. Pumpkin fields from £1, a free Halloween trail at Wandlebury, Wimpole's spooky house and a steam day at Denny Abbey.

October half term in South Cambridgeshire is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and for many families it starts early: several village colleges close on Friday 23 October for training. Most of what is on that week is pumpkins and Halloween, and a surprising amount of it is free.

The quick answer

  • Half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 on the county calendar. Impington’s starts on Thursday 22 October; Cambourne, Comberton, Cottenham and Swavesey also close on Friday 23 October.
  • Free: the Halloween Hunt trail at Wandlebury, pick-your-own pumpkin fields at Histon and Melbourn (you pay only for the pumpkins), and the dragon exhibition at Stapleford Granary.
  • Book ahead: the Milton Maze Pumpkin Patch, Wandlebury bushcraft days, Stapleford Granary’s dragon crafts, Wimpole’s story readings and Halloween at the Waggon in Milton.

Updated 3 October: added the Outdoors Project holiday club at Milton Country Park, a Halloween cupcake session in Cottenham, a third Little City date and a £4 trick or treat craft afternoon; Wimpole’s story readings now need booking. All Halloween events are also on our Halloween page.

Every listing below comes from the organiser or from Visit South Cambs, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s own what’s-on listing, checked on 25 September 2026, and rechecked on 3 October. The full school-by-school dates are on our school term dates page.

All week

1. Milton Maze Pumpkin Patch, Milton. Open every day from Saturday 24 to Saturday 31 October, 10am to 4pm, at Rectory Farm on the A10 Milton Bypass, CB24 6AE. Tickets are pre-booked only and the price rises as each batch sells out. Our Milton pumpkin patch page has the prices and the loophole for buying a pumpkin without paying entry.

2. Pick your own pumpkins, Buxhall Farm, Histon. Saturday 24 to Saturday 31 October, 10am to 4pm, Mill Lane, Histon, CB24 9HW. Free entry, pumpkins from £1, and dogs are welcome. It is the farm’s eighth year, with a straw bale tower and sheep and goats to meet. The field is uneven and can be muddy. (Visit South Cambs)

3. PYO pumpkins and Halloween shop, Bury Lane Farm Shop, Melbourn. Running until Saturday 31 October, 9am to 4pm (Sundays 10:30am to 4pm), on the A10 bypass, SG8 6GT. Free entry; bring wellies and pick from the field next to the farm shop. (Visit South Cambs)

4. Halloween Hunt, Wandlebury Country Park. Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November, 8am to 5pm, Gog Magog Hills, CB22 3AE. A free trail around the Ring Ditch: collect a sheet under the Clocktower, find the ingredients, work out the magic word and post the sheet back for a prize draw. The trail is free, but Wandlebury charges non-members for parking. (Visit South Cambs)

5. Holiday bushcraft, Wandlebury Country Park. Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, 8:30am to 4pm, for ages 5 to 14. £54 per child per day, run by teachers from Wild Thyme & Embers; bring a packed lunch and a large water bottle. (Visit South Cambs)

6. Halloween in the House, Wimpole Estate, Arrington. Daily from 12 noon to 3:30pm: a spider stairwell, a “frightful feast” in the dining room and a candlelit basement. Free with normal admission. In half term there are spooky story readings for ages 4 to 8 on Tuesday 27 and Thursday 29 October, 11:30am to 12 noon; the National Trust lists these as booking essential. (Visit South Cambs, National Trust)

7. The Very Hungry Caterpillar trail, Wimpole Estate. Until Sunday 1 November, 9:30am to 4pm, in the gardens, aimed at under-5s. Free with admission; collect a trail sheet from the visitor welcome centre. (National Trust)

8. Wayne Anderson: Dragons and Other Tales, Stapleford Granary. Until Tuesday 3 November, Bury Road, Stapleford, CB22 5BP. Original illustrations and prints by the author of The Dragon Machine. Free, no booking. (Visit South Cambs)

Day by day

9. Little City Halloween role play, Fen Drayton and Willingham. Saturday 24 October at Fen Drayton Village Hall, CB24 4SL, Thursday 29 October at Ploughman Hall, Willingham, CB24 5LP, and Friday 30 October back at Fen Drayton. Two sessions each day, 9:30am and 11am, for ages 1 to 6, from £9.50: a potion station, a pumpkin patch and “kreepy creatures”. (Visit South Cambs, 24 October, 29 October, 30 October)

10. Meet the Archaeologists, Wimpole Estate. Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October, 10am to 4pm, in the Stables. The Cambridge Archaeology Field Group explains how it digs and lets you handle finds unearthed at Wimpole. Free with admission. (Visit South Cambs)

11. Autumn Steam Up, Denny Abbey and the Farmland Museum, Waterbeach. Sunday 25 October, 10am to 4pm, last entry 3:30pm, Ely Road, CB25 9PQ. Normal admission charges apply. (Visit South Cambs)

12. Duxford Dash, IWM Duxford. Sunday 25 October: a run on the live airfield runway, closed to aircraft for the race. The 5k and the 1-mile family race have sold out; the 10k, from £28.50, still had places. Runners’ tickets include museum entry, and runners can buy spectator tickets when they enter. Registration opens at 8am and the 10k starts at 9:30am. (Visit South Cambs)

13. Crafty Thursday: Dragons, Stapleford Granary. Thursday 29 October, sessions at 9:30am and 10:45am. Make a dragon headdress or a fire-breathing dragon from recycled odds and ends. £4 per child, booking essential. (Visit South Cambs)

14. Outdoors Project holiday club, Milton Country Park. Monday 26 to Thursday 29 October, 8:45am to 3:15pm, in the Wild Place, Cambridge Road, CB24 6AZ, for children aged about 5 to 12. The four themed days include an “Ultimate Halloween Adventure: Tricks & Treats”. £39.50 a day; Ofsted registered. (The Outdoors Project)

15. Halloween craft and cupcake decorating, Cottenham. Wednesday 28 October, 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Cottenham Community Centre, 250a High Street, CB24 8RZ. £10 a child, supplies included; book by messaging Cottenham Community Crafters and pay cash on the day. (Visit South Cambs)

16. Halloween afternoons, Saturday 31 October. At the Waggon and Horses, Milton, 2pm to 6pm: pumpkin decorating, face painting and a best-dressed competition, children £10.50, adults £2, under-2s free, booking essential. At Over Community Centre, a free family Halloween disco from 4pm to 6pm, with children’s meals at £6. At Milton Country Park, noon to 2:30pm, a £4 trick or treat craft session for under-8s, no booking. (Visit South Cambs, Waggon, Over, Milton Country Park)

Coming up just after

Bonfire night follows a week later. IWM Duxford holds a ticketed fireworks night on Thursday 5 November, Cambourne’s free display is on Friday 6 November, and Sawston and Over follow on Saturday 7 November; our fireworks page has the details.

Still to be confirmed

  • Prices at Wimpole and Denny Abbey, which charge normal admission; check the venues before you go.
  • More listings. Village halls and churches add half-term events through October. This page will be rechecked again in mid October.

Sources