Autumn in Nottinghamshire

As the leaves start to fall, and with a definite nip in the air, Autumn arrives in Nottinghamshire and with it an October full of fun for adults and kids alike! From Goose Fair, the thrills and chills of Halloween, delights of Bonfire Night and loads of half-term fun on the horizon, there are many reasons to visit Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in Autumn.

Go green and ditch the car...

Our firiends at Nottingham City Transport are happy to get you to your destination in the county hassle free with their fleet of green buses. Travelling as a family? Get a Grouprider ticket for a great deal! Exploring the city centre...No problem! Take the tram and take advantage of NET trams 'hop on, hop off' offer. 

Family Friendly

October half term falls between Saturday 21st October - Sunday 29th October, so we've collated some of the best in family entertainment from around the city and county to inspire your plans for entertaining the kids. Keep reading for some inspiration from us, click here to find all events taking place during the school holidays or simply find tons of ideas for Free Days Out in Nottinghamshire, or Family Days Out through these links. Make sure to also browse our Special Offers pages to find bargain discounts on things to do and even places to eat. 

Of course, with Halloween just around the corner there are plenty of spooky events to keep the kids enthralled. Take a trip to Manor Farm Park and Woodlands where, on every day of the holidays, you can explore their spooky maize maze and experience Ghoul School in the woodlands. There's a free pumpkin for every paying child to carve and take home too! 

Sherwood Forest will delight with their spooky haunted Halloween trail, den building for young witches and warlocks and their chilling Allhallows tales! 

Conkers invite all families to have a monster ball on Saturday 28th October at their family Halloween party. Take a ghost train ride to see their ampitheatre show, go on a ghost walk and of course chance to let your inner monster out at the evening disco! 

Head to the National Ice Centre for a full range of activities for the family this half term. From Holiday clubs, skating discos, through to intensive skating programes...the team have you covered! Children aged 5 and under skate for free and family passes are available to buy also.

Goose Fair

Goose Fair is a hugely popular event for the region. Having origins as a travelling fair to Nottingham since 1284, it is undoubtedly one of the oldest in the UK. For those local to Nottingham, Goose Fair signifies the changing of the seasons and with it the first chill of the year! With more than 250 rides and attractions and thrills aplenty for all ages, and still one of the largest travelling funfairs in Europe, this is a must for your calendars!

Spooky Season!

Halloween is hugely popular here in Nottingham and our attractions certainly take it very seriously! Whether you intend to scare yourself silly on a ghost tour with The Original Nottingham Ghost Walk, take a trip to Nottinghamshire Pick Your Own Pumpkins to choose a prize pumpkin, immerse yourself in a scray film at The Mayhem Film Festival, or simply have some frightful fun with the family...we've got you covered! Check out our full line up of spooktacular fun here!

Out and About

Rufford Abbey Country Park hosts the spectaular Spectacle of Light between 20th October to Sunday 5th November on selected nights. Immerse yourself in this year's theme of The Wizard of Oz and Follow the yellow brick road through the spooky woodland, the field of poppies and the curve tunnel of light as you enjoy the amazing illuminated gardens! 

Swing through the trees at dusk as Go Ape! bring you their Sundown Sessions for a limited time this Autumn! Between Friday 13^th October and Saturday 4^th November experience the forest like never before and feel your senses heighten as you tackle mega-high platforms in the darkness, and feel the speed of a zip wire as the sun goes down. With stunning colourful lights, just enough to see where you’re going, and with darkness creeping in beyond, you’ll experience a new level of excitement as you become a creature of the night!

Oktoberfest - Bavaria comes to Nottingham

Raise your steins this Autumn as Oktoberfest hits the county! Celebrate with Castle Rock as they go all Bavarian on us...Try their range of Oktoberfest beers, fill up your stamp card, and you’ll get a branded stein glass, 15% off all drinks for a transaction of your choice in October AND a pint on the house!

The Renaissance at Kelham Hall will also be getting you into the spirit with some real oompah as they transport you to an enchanting evening of authentic German culture, sumptuous Bavarian cuisine, and of course, the finest entertainment from the authentic Oompah Band. Try your hand at a spot of yodelling too!

Binks Yard invite you to experience some authentic Bavarian culture as they bring you Oktoberfest in their fabulous outdoor event space! Think bratwurst, think litre steins and get set for the biggest beer festival in the Midlands! Expect a LIVE Ooompa show (5 piece band) and funky Bavarian DJ throughout providing the entertainment!

Robin Hood Beer Festival 

Between 11th - 14th October the Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival, Nottingham CAMRA’s flagship annual event, returns to it's iconic home Trent Bridge! This year will see an expanded range of beers, brewery bars, ciders, entertainment and caterers. It will also extend across additional concourse areas, with extra seats available within the venue, including access to the pavilion. 

The team at Visit Nottinghamshire are looking forward to sampling some of Nottingham's finest brews courtesy of some of our fantastic brewing partners too... blue monkey Lincoln Green Brewing Company Limited Castle Rock Brewery Navigation Brewery Ltd

Bramley Apple Festival 

The World famous Bramley Apple Festival hits beautiful Southwell (recently voted Britain's most instagrammable town) on Saturday 28 October. If you consider yourself a foodie then this is the place for you! Located in Southwell Minster, a short walk away from the original Bramley Apple Tree, you will find fabulous food and drink providers from across the county and beyond, guarenteed to fill the soul and your tummies! 

Hockley Hustle 

On Sunday 22 October Hockley Hustle returns. Get set to join thousands of revellers, hundreds of artists and dozens of venues will once again gather to throw the party of the year, all while giving something back to the local community raising money for local charities. This is your chance to see the best creative talent that Nottingham has to offer. Get your dancing shoes ready, grab your wristband today and party like it's 2023!

Great Outdoors

Immerse yourself in the beauty of the season...get cosy and crunch through crisp Autumn leaves at some of our magnificent stately homes such as Wollaton Hall and Newstead Abbey, or wrap up and take a stroll in some of our beautiful country parks and woodland. Clumber Park and Rufford Abbey grounds are perfect for an Autumnal stroll. 

If mountain biking is more your thing, then check out the special trails at Sherwood Pines. Expert or pro, this is the ultimate place to unwind or give an adrenalin rush! Cycle hire is available on site. 

Indoor Fun

We can guarentee the the best attractions to visit and where the fun is to be found but sadly, we can't guarentee the weather...this is Britain after all! Read on for some inspiration and remember to check out our Things to do on rainy days section.  

History and heritage your bag? Then make sure to check out Mr Straws House where you can step back in time to the 1920s and discover how a grocer's family lived in a Midlands market town through their furnishings and household objects. This house, now owned by the National Trust has remained virtually unchanged since the Straws moved here in 1923. 

Or how about the National Civil War Centre. Our county is famous for it's crucial part in the English Civil War, a royalist stronghold. Discover the story for yourself at this great musuem in the heart of Newark. Be sure to visit Newark Castle and keep your eyes peeled for cannon ball holes in the walls left from years of conflict. 

Looking for fun for the family, then look no further than the Lost City Adventure Golf. Take on an incredible challenge in this one of a kind indoor golf course, set in the hear of a rainforest! Two 18 hole courses await to be explored and when your adventurers need some R&R, take them up to the Tiki Bar serving a range of drinks, amazing cocktails, beers and plenty of non-alcoholic options as well as freshly prepared pizzas and snacks for explorers to enjoy. 

For the big kids in your life how about entering a world of virtual reality at Meetspace VR. Team up to take down zombies, rogue drones or even each other at the world's first multiplayer, free-roam, virtual reality arcade right here in Nottingham! This half term use the code FAMILYFUNTIME at checkout to get 50% off your booking.

Decend into the cellars at Escapologic boasting multiple rooms, completely immersive set designs, findish mysteries and an authentic atmosphere...designed to thrill, each game is spectacularly imagined down to the last detail. 

Buckle up for an exciting ride at Teamworks Karting. Take on family and friends on their epic Go Kart tracks or run riot in the Laser Tag arena! With five incredible karting tracks, amazing race options for adults and children and a Cafe/bar with food available all day, it's set to be a great day out! 

We hope, whatever you get up to, you have a fantastic time in the city and county this Autumn! Make sure to tag us into your adventures using #LoveNotts, or tag us using @visitnotts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We’re also on TikTok under @visitnottinghamshire. 

There are many more things to do and explore on our full What’s On calendar such as interesting exhibitions, tours and fun outdoor activities. Have a browse today!