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 2026

Hollowtrees Farm Halloween Farm Trail

For me, there’s no better place to start than Hollow Trees 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 2026 the theme is Knights of Holloween, with noble knights and mischievous jesters taking over the farm as their medieval kingdom.

The event is running Friday 23rd October to Sunday 1st November 2026 and there’s lots more details over on their website Hollow Trees Halloween Event 2026

Suffolk Halloween Afternoon Tea

The Suffolk Food Hall under the Orwell Bridge tend to put on a spooky afternoon tea for families in the October half term. Full of spooky themed, yet delicious treats. They haven’t announced their 2026 dates yet, so I’ll keep checking and come back and update this once they have.

Pumpkin Night and Pumpkin Carving at Suffolk Food hall 2026

A new addition to Suffolk Food Hall’s Autumn events is a charity pumpkin evening they are holding on 30th October, where people are encouraged to enter into the pumpkin carving contest, as well as going along on the evevning to see the entries and enjoy marshmallow tasting, photo ops and more. You can find out all about it over the Suffolk Food Hall Halloween Events web page.

Children’s Halloween Disco Ipswich October 2026

The Suffolk Food Hall have run a children’s Halloween disco on the 30th in previous years, which is a good alternative if you’d rather not do trick or treating. It isn’t up on their website for 2026 yet, so I’ll keep checking and update this once it is.

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 16th to the 31st October 2026, 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 2026, open every Saturday and Sunday in October and then also for half term week. There’s also a coffee station, donkey rides and bouncy castle, plus you don’t book so can just decide to go on the day.

Woodbridge Pumpkin Patch, Martlesham

If you are over that side of Suffolk, there is a pumpkin patch on the Waldringfield Road at Martlesham, just outside Woodbridge. It is open the weekends of the 3rd and 4th, 10th and 11th, 17th and 18th and 24th and 25th October, then every day through half term from the 26th to the 30th, 10am to 4pm with last entry at 3.30pm. Adults are £4.50 and children under 16 go free, and you don’t need to book, you just pay on the gate. As well as the pumpkins there is a mini maze, a pumpkin train ride, ride on tractors and face painting, so it is more of a morning out than a quick pick and go.

Free Kids Activities in Ipswich October Half Term

Over at the Buttermarket Shopping Centre in Ipswich, they have run an indoor version of pumpkin picking, with a pop up pumpkin patch hosted by St Elizabeth Hospice before. Last year it was on the 28th October, open from 11am to 3pm, and you could go along and pick your perfect pumpkin to take home and carve for Halloween. The pumpkins are free, with a suggested donation to St Elizabeth Hospice to support the amazing work they do. They haven’t announced anything for 2026 yet, so I’ll keep checking and update this once they have.

Suffolk Archives at Halloween

The Hold in Ipswich have run Halloween craft sessions in the last week of October in previous years, with sessions you book in advance. Nothing Halloween related is up for 2026 yet, but their events go on sale through their box office, so it is worth keeping an eye on what’s on at The Hold. I’ll keep checking and update this once something is announced.

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 2026

Pumpkin Patches Near Bury St Edmunds 2026

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. For 2026 it is open the weekends of Sat 3rd – Sun 4th October, Sat 10th – Sun 11th October and Sat 17th – Sun 18th October, then daily from Sat 24th – Sat 31st October.
9am – 5pm, and entry and parking are free

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 in previous years it has opened on the October weekends and then daily through half term. There were games to play and a coffee truck onsite selling those all important autumnal pumpkin spiced lattes, so hopefully they are back for half term 2026 too. They post their dates on Instagram rather than a website, so it is worth a look closer to the time and I’ll update this once they are out.

Family Theatre at the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal usually put on a live family show in the October half term, and last year’s was a high energy one for little dinosaur fans, with a dinosaur meet and greet included in the ticket. Their October 2026 listings don’t have a half term family show on them yet, so I’ll keep checking and update this once one is announced.

October Half Term at Ickworth, Bury St Edmunds

Ickworth just outside Bury is a lovely one for half term, and there is a good run of things on there this year. The family silent disco is on the 28th October at midday, with three channels and one dance floor. There is also Circus Pazaz from the 24th to the 27th October if the children fancy learning some circus skills, and a folklore trail called Stranger Folk running from the 13th October right through to the 8th November. All the details and booking are on the Ickworth Estate website.

Halloween Half Term Events Near Colchester 2026

Colchester Pumpkin Patch 2026

What better way to get in the autumn mood, than visiting a pumpkin patch. If you have been pumpkin picking around here before, there is a good chance it was at Foxes Farm. It was one of the biggest and best known patches in Essex for ten years, and we went ourselves a couple of years ago. Sadly they have now stopped growing pumpkins, so that is one to cross off your list this year.

It does leave a bit of a gap locally, so it is worth knowing where else to go. The closest alternative is The Pumpkin Patch at East Bergholt, just off the A12 between Colchester and Ipswich. It is open Fri 9th to Sun 11th October, Fri 16th to Sun 18th October and then daily from Fri 23rd to Sat 31st October, 10am to 4pm. Children go free and it is £2.50 for over 16s, with free parking and no booking needed. There is a bale fort, straw mountain, slide, tractor rides and hot drinks on site.

Colchester Castle October 2026 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 half term this year they have Knightzzz at the Museum, a sleepover inside the castle itself on the 24th and 25th October. Families set up camp after hours, explore parts of the castle you would not normally get to see and there are dinosaur activities and hot chocolate before bed, plus a light breakfast in the morning. It is for ages 5 and up, from £40 a person, and you take your own sleeping bags. There are also Dark Castle Tours running from the 16th to the 28th October, although those are after hours and better suited to older children than little ones. All the info and how to book is over on the Colchester Museums events page.

Halloween at Colchester Natural History Museum

Just round the corner from the castle, the Natural History Museum are running a Halloween themed Curious Creatures Mobile Zoo on the 27th October, with live animals to meet across five sessions through the day. It is suitable from age 4, £6 each for adults and children, and you do need to book a session.

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 16th October this year, running on selected dates through to Halloween. It is over 5s only and they don’t recommend it for under 12s. For the family friendly side, their Shriek Week runs from the 24th October to the 1st November, with a witches’ potion trail, parades and a treasure hunt on the road train, all included with zoo entry. Face painting and the craft sessions cost extra.

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

Wyvernwood Halloween, Alresford

Wyvernwood is one of the newer family attractions around here, an outdoor adventure park over at Alresford just outside Colchester, set in around 20 acres with a dragon trail, mazes, character meet and greets and play areas aimed at the younger ones. I haven’t been myself, but I have heard great things about it from people who have. Their Halloween event runs from the 24th to the 31st October, and this year the story is that the Wicked Witch has cast a spell called The Great Forgetting over the kingdom, so you help Merlin gather the clues he needs to break it. There is a separate Halloween and fireworks festival on the 31st.

They are also running an early bird offer of 20% off with the code EARLYBIRD, which runs until 11.59pm on Wednesday 23rd September.

Audley End Enchanted Railway October Half Term Event

Audley End Enchanted Railway are known locally for their amazing seasonal family events, and their Halloween Special 2026 sounds like it is going to live up to the fully immersive and theatrical spectacle that people have come to expect when visiting this Essex attraction.

It runs on the 17th and 18th October and then every day from the 24th to the 31st. You board a Halloween train ride through the Estate woodland to the Pumpkin Queen’s Patch, where the children meet the new Pumpkin Queen along with the Wizard, the Witch and the Pumpkin, and every child gets a gift. Back at the station there is the Fulfen Forest to wander through, a Pumpkin Village, an interactive Halloween stage show and a potion pouch to make in the Craft Lodge. Fancy dress is very much encouraged. It is all spooky rather than scary, so it suits younger ones too.

Booking is essential and their events tend to sell out quickly, so it is another one to book sooner rather than later.

Hylands Fear Fest, Chelmsford

This one is a bit more of a drive, over at Hylands Estate in Chelmsford, but it is worth knowing about because it covers both ends. Fear Fest Extreme is the full scare experience with live actors and is 15 and over only, and then there is the Fear Fest Spooky Trail, which is aimed at 5 and up with friendlier characters, gentler scares and some fairground bits alongside it. It runs from the 16th October through to the 1st November.

Halloween Half Term Events in Sudbury 2026

Pumkin Patch Near Sudbury

Siam Hall Spooky Pumpkins, Boxford

You can pick your own Pumpkins over at Siam Hall on the weekends of the 10th-11th and 17th-18th October, and then every day through half term from the 24th to the 31st October, 10am to 4pm. It is free to visit and you don’t need to book, you just pay for the pumpkins you pick. 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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