More Days Out News
-
THE POLAR EXPRESS ™ returns to Birmingham this Christmas
Posted on Thu 02 Oct
-
Drawn Christmas Market returns to Shrewsbury
Posted on Thu 02 Oct
-
Halloween Bongo's Bingo comes to Shrewsbury
Posted on Wed 01 Oct
IN PURSUIT OF REPETITIVE BEATS
Travel back in time to the heyday of the British acid-house scene via the UK’s biggest virtual-reality experience.
The award-winning In Pursuit Of Repetitive Beats uses cutting-edge VR technology to create a truly collective experience, with groups of four people being able to share the same virtual space and interact together as rave-culture pioneers.
Following the VR experience, visitors can explore a related exhibition containing archive and other audio-visual materials.
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, until Monday 13 October
GRAND DESIGNS LIVE
Self-builders and design enthusiasts will be making a beeline for the NEC early this month when Grand Designs Live makes its usual autumn visit to the venue.
Presented by Kevin McCloud - the face of the long-running Channel Four series - the show offers a mix of expert-led talks, interactive features, hands-on demonstrations and the very latest in design, build and sustainable innovation.
For the first time ever, the show features five specialised hubs, each tailored to a key area of modern home design. The new hubs will connect visitors with real experts, flag up emerging trends and provide invaluable insider insight.
NEC, Birmingham, Fri 3 - Sun 5 October
ON THE HOME FRONT
Sample a taste of life in Britain during the Second World War, as Avoncroft turns back the clock to the 1940s.
The event’s attractions include a vintage village, live entertainment, dance classes, displays of motorcycles and other vehicles from the 1930s and 40s, VE and VJ Day commemorations, reenactors bringing the venue’s prefabs to life, a 1940s fashion show and a vintage fairground.
New for 2025, the Woman’s Auxiliary War Service will be sharing the stories of the women who supported the Unforgotten Army as they fought the Burma campaign.
Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove, Sat 4 & Sun 5 October
AFTER-DARK TOURS
The Commandery is one of Worcester’s oldest buildings and a place that harbours lots of ghostly secrets.
Suitable for visitors aged 14-plus, the venue’s after-dark tours include tales of strange sightings and mysterious rumours, with your guide for the evening giving the history of the building a hair-raising Halloween twist.
The Commandery, Worcester, Tues 14, Thurs 16, Tues 21, Thurs 23, Tues 28, Thurs 30 & Fri 31 October
FESTIVAL OF LIGHT
The Black Country Living Museum will come alive with the vibrant sights, sounds and spirit of Diwali this month, as the Festival of Light returns.
Attractions include live music and dance, a ‘dazzling’ lantern procession, and the chance for visitors to get creative in Rangoli workshops, sample authentic South Asian cuisine, and explore interactive lessons about Diwali in St James’ School.
Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Sat 18 October
THE SUPREME CAT SHOW
The UK’s most prestigious cat event returns to the region mid-month, providing the purrfect day out for moggy-loving Midlanders.
Forty pedigree cat breeds will be competing for the coveted Supreme titles, with breeders, experts and other cat lovers on hand to talk about all things feline. Visitors can also check out cat-themed stalls, shop for gifts and sample a selection of interactive experiences.
NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, Sat 18 October
HALLOWEEN AT HARTLEBURY
Hartlebury Castle is running some spooky family activities throughout half-term week.
Visitors are encouraged to arrive dressed in their favourite Halloween costume and brave the Spooky Skeleton Trail (Saturday 25 October - Saturday 1 November).
A special outdoor hunt will take place on Monday the 27th - with miniature pumpkins hidden in the castle grounds - while from Tuesday the 28th to Friday the 31st, families can busy themselves pumpkin carving.
There’s also a Witch & Wizard School for little ones to enjoy, presented by the castle’s very own magic teacher, Professor Bumbledum.
Hartlebury Castle, Worcester, Sat 25 October - Sat 1 November
AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD AUTUMN HALF TERM AT THINKTANK
Thinktank is hosting a variety of out-of-this-world activities with a spooky twist this October half term.
Space-themed Lego coding workshops - running daily from Saturday 25 October to Sunday 2 November - provide families with the chance to create their own alien creatures, while a drop-in craft workshop, Alien Creation Station, and a jam-packed science show, Galactic Mission: Life Beyond Earth, both run from Monday the 27th to Friday the 31st.
On Halloween, alien family The Roswells will be returning to the museum to meet other families, and movie fans can enjoy a screening of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial in the planetarium.
Another Steven Spielberg sci-fi classic, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, shows the following day (Saturday 1 November).
The Saturday also sees Birmingham junk-modelling artist Tat Vision visiting the venue to make some alien heads.
Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, Sat 25 October - Sun 2 November
HALLOWEEK AT SUDELEY
Families visiting Sudeley this half term can check out a special trail across the castle grounds, with pumpkins being hidden in the venue’s secret nooks and crannies.
Participants who complete the trail will be rewarded with a Halloween treat.
On Halloween itself, visitors will come face-to-face with the darker side of history, courtesy of Tudor All Hallows’ Eve, an event during which they will encounter the castle’s Tudor ghosts, who will be sharing spine-tingling tales of hauntings and horrors.
Sudeley Castle, Cheltenham, Sat 25 October - Sun 2 November
SPOOKY SNOW AND CHILLING ICE AT SNOWDOME
Tamworth’s SnowDome is transforming into a world of spooky snow and chilling ice this autumn half term.
Attractions include a spellbinding, snow-filled Hocus Snowcus - where little ones can slide, scoot, and play in the snow - and the Witch’s Winter World, where every child leaves with a sweet treat!
Meanwhile, for adults and thrill-seeking older children, there’s Fright On Ice, a ‘chilling’ multi-sensory experience that includes three spooky zones: Arachnid Asylum, The Shadow Shipwreck and Carnival Of Screams.
SnowDome, Tamworth, Sat 25 October - Sun 2 November
DEADLY LIVE!
Award-winning wildlife presenter Steve Backshall is bringing Deadly Live! to Birmingham this month - an action-packed experience based on the hugely popular BBC Deadly franchise.
Join Steve as he embarks on a selection of heart-pounding adventures, ‘tackling daring stunts, mind-blowing experiments and cutting-edge science’.
From big cats and birds of prey to Dinomania dinosaurs, snakes and more, the show features some of the world’s most formidable predators.
Utilita Arena Birmingham, Thurs 30 October
SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY GHOST & SCREAM TRAINS
Are you brave enough to ride the Ghost Train at Severn Valley Railway this Halloween?
Kickstart your fright night with tricks and treats for the whole family to enjoy at Kidderminster Station. Then, take your reserved seats and settle back to experience a ride out into the darkness.
Scary characters will join you on board, sneaking along the corridors of the train as it passes through haunted stations to Arley. The Ghost Train experience lasts for approximately 75 minutes and comes complete with a free goodie bag for every child.
Severn Valley Railway is also hosting a similar but ‘more fearsome’ event for older guests. The Scream Train is aimed at visitors aged 18-plus and features ‘petrifying ghouls’ who will be looking to scare the life out of commuters as they make their way to Arley.
Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, nr Kidderminster, Thurs 30, Fri 31 October & Sat 1 November
FIVE CREATIVE CRAFT SHOWS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE...
The Creative Craft Show, Sewing For Pleasure, Simply Christmas, Cake International and Bake International make a welcome return to the NEC this month - with visitors gaining access to all five shows for the price of just one.
The Creative Craft Show is a haven for knitting, cross stitch, paper crafting, jewellery, dressmaking and stitching enthusiasts, offering all the latest supplies as well as festive ideas and inspiration...
Sewing For Pleasure, an ideal destination for sewing, knitting, patchwork and embroidery enthusiasts, features demonstrations, workshops and all-day masterclasses... Simply Christmas showcases bespoke and handmade gifts, unique Christmas decorations and festive food & drink...
World-renowned cake decorating and sugar craft event, Cake International, will feature headline-grabbing cakes, a huge lineup of suppliers, top-class sugar craft artists and inspiring displays...
Sister show Bake International provides visitors with the chance to explore a ‘baking paradise’, featuring everything from breads to sweet-treat pastries.
And, as an added bonus, competitors from across the globe will be showcasing their skills in the world’s biggest cake decorating and baking competition.
NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 30 October - Sun 2 November