Halloween and Half Term Days Out in Suffolk and Essex

Is it just me, or does it feel like the kids have only just gone back to school? Yet, somehow it’s nearly already the holidays! Are you looking for Halloween and half term days out in Suffolk or Essex to fill up your calendar? I thought I’d share the ones I’ve found so far, as there’s so much going on this year. From Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds to Colchester and Ipswich – there’s Halloween celebrations going on during October half term throughout our side of East Anglia.

Whether it’s a stomp round a pumpkin patch in Colchester, a family theatre show in Bury St Edmunds, or a Halloween afternoon tea in Ipswich, it looks like there’s something for everyone…

Halloween Half Term Events Near Ipswich 2025

Hollowtrees Farm Halloween Farm Trail

For me, there’s no better place to start than Hollowtrees Farm Halloween event – This family farm park over near Ipswich, is a great day out whatever time of year, but their Halloween event is when they really go all out. If you are after a full day out in half term, this is brilliant for kids of all ages.

We have been most years and are always blown away by how much there is going on and the effort that goes into transforming the whole farm. There’s more than enough to fill a whole day with a Crazy Haunted Village, Bug Barrel Train, Scale the Spiders Straw Stack and Race the Caterpillars Sledges – This is all alongside seeing the animals on the farm trail. For 2025 the theme this year is Holloween Monster Bug Farm with lots of spooky bug surprises promised. The event is running Friday 24th October-Sunday 2rd November and there’s lots more details over on their website Hollowtrees Halloween Event 2025

Suffolk Halloween Afternoon Tea

The Suffolk Food Hall under the Orwell Bridge are offering a spooky afternoon tea for families in the October half term. Full of spooky themed, yet delicious treats, this looks a lot of fun to take children in the holidays. Its on the 29th, 30th and 31st October and all the info and how to book is over on their website – Suffolk Food Hall Afternoon Tea

Children’s Halloween Disco Ipswich October 2025

The Suffolk Food hall is also hosting a children’s Halloween disco on the 30th if you are looking for an alternative to taking them trick or treating – all the info and how to book tickets is over on the Suffolk Food Hall Website – Kids Halloween Disco Ipswich

Trinity Park Halloween Event

Now this definitely isn’t for kids, (or me for that matter, I’m not good with anything too scary) but if you are after an adult scare event, Trinity Scares in Ipswich, look truly terrifying! If you would like an adults only night out with a difference, it’s running from the 17th-31st October 2025, and 14-17 year olds can also attend, if accompanied by an over 18.

Pumpkin Patch Near Ipswich

Akenham Hall Farm over near Ipswich is welcoming visitors to their patch in 2025, open every Saturday and Sunday in October and then for the week from the 27th-31st October. There’s also a coffee station and bouncy castle, plus you don’t book so can just decide to go on the day.

Free Kids Activities in Ipswich October Half Term

Over at the Buttermarket Shopping Centre in Ipswich, they are offering an indoor version of pumpkin picking, with a pop up pumpkin patch in the shopping centre on the 28h October hosted by St Elizabeth Hospice. Open from 11am to 3pm! You can go along and pick your perfect pumpkin to take home and carve for Halloween. While the pumpkins are free, a suggested donation to St Elizabeth Hospice is encouraged to support the amazing work they do.

Suffolk Archives at Halloween

The Hold in Ipswich also has a few Halloween crafty sessions taking place throughout the last week of October on the 28th, 29th and the 31st. you just need to head over to Suffolk Archives website to book your place.

If you are looking for new Halloween treats, At Home a Lot has pulled together a guide with lots of great Etsy Halloween finds.

Halloween Half Term Events Near Bury St Edmunds 2025

Pumpkin Patches Near Bury St Edmunds 2025

A little way out of Bury on the A14, is a fantastic PYO pumpkin patch on the Rougham Estate. Just in time for Halloween, Rougham has a beautiful space full of thousands of pumpkins, squashes and gourds in 20 different varieties. There’s so much more than pumpkins to pick too – there’s games, pedal tractors, drinks and lots of different food options, with plenty of photo opportunities too. This Suffolk pumpkin patch opened last weekend, and is now open for the Weekend: Sat 11th – Sun 12th October, then Sat 18th – Sun 19th October and then daily from Sat 25 – Fri 31 October.
9am – 5pm

Stowmarket Pumpkin Patch

Another pumpkin patch close by, near Stowmarket is Moat Farm Pumpkin Patch. Its free to enter and park, so you only pay for the pumpkins and it’s open the 18th&19th and 25th to 31st October. last year there was games to play and a coffee truck onsite selling those all important autumnal pumpkin spiced lattes, so hopefully they are back for Half term 2025 too.

Family Theatre at the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds

There’s a live family show on at Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal in the half term, that sounds great for little Dinosaur Fans. This high energy show sounds perfect for younger children, with the performance showing on the 31st October and even includes a dinosaur meet and greet with the ticket.

Halloween Half Term Events Near Colchester 2025

Colchester Pumpkin Patch 2025

What better way to get in the autumn mood, than visiting a pumpkin patch. There is a huge one near Colchester – Foxes Farm it’s perfect for choosing beautiful pumpkins to carve or display at home, with lots of great spots to take pictures too. You do need to book though and the slots go quickly, so it’s best to plan ahead with this one. It does mean less time queueing though, as we found when we visited a couple of years ago, as everyone is spaced out – all coming within their ten-minute arrival times throughout the day. There’s also lots of extras too with a corn maize, jumping pad, food and lots of well thought funky photo opportunities, that are a bit different to the norm, plus evening sessions too.

Colchester Castle October 2025 Activities

Colchester Castle and its fabulous park and playground are always great fun to visit as a family, whatever time of year, we love it. Its one of those parks too that’s got lots of play equipment for older kids too, so we’ve gone there lots over the years. For this years half term they are inviting families to step into the shadows of the past with our Haunted History Family Tour. Designed for families seeking both thrills and education, this spine-chilling journey weaves together the rich history of the castle with eerie tales of ghostly legends and supernatural occurrences. All the info and how to book is over on the Colchester Castle Park Events page.

If you are staying closer to home this holiday, or for those all inevitable rainy days indoors, Helen over on Twins, Tantrums and Cold Coffee has shared some Easy Halloween Activities you can do at home. Halloween can also become one of those holidays that becomes very special to families, so much so that they can be marked with custom coins.

Colchester Zoo Halloween Half Term Activities

Certainly not for little ones, but if you are brave enough, Colchester Zoo’s Trail of Terror opens on the 17th October as well as the more family friendly offering of children’s Halloween activities dotted throughout the zoo during half term. Their spooky family event is on all week and includes face painting, wand making and a Halloween trail with puzzles to solve.

As regular visitors to Colchester Zoo, I’ve also written a blog on my top tips for visiting Colchester Zoo as a family.

Audley End October Half Term Event

Audley End Railway are known locally for their amazing seasonal family events and the Halloween special for 2025 sounds like it’s going to live up to the fully immersive and theatrical spectacle that people have come to expect when visiting this Essex attraction.

From the 25th October-2nd November you can book on the Halloween Express for a journey through the woods, where children can spot all sorts of characters along the way. Fancy dress is encouraged and there’s crafting and magic to enjoy afterwards, with the witches and magicians ready to welcome you,

Tickets for their events tend to sell out quickly, so it’s another one to book sooner rather than later.

Halloween Half Term Events in Sudbury 2025

Pumkin Patch Near Sudbury

Siam Hall Spooky Pumpkins, Boxford

You can pick your own Pumpkins over at Siam Hall on the weekends of the 11th-12th and 18th-19th October as well as during the half term week at the end of October. with the farm open to visitors everyday from the 25th to the 31st October – it’s free to visit and don’t need to book. They also have a pop-up cafe and picnic benches to use onsite. You can find out more over on – picking your own pumpkins in Sudbury

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