Halloween on a Saturday. Half-term still hanging around. November arriving on Sunday. Frankly, the East Midlands has understood the assignment.
This weekend we’ve got ghost walks, comedy, creepy old buildings, family Halloween adventures and the opportunity to spend Saturday night wandering around one of Nottingham’s oldest pubs listening to stories about things that apparently refuse to stay dead.
So, before you decide you’ll “just have a quiet one”, here’s what we’d actually recommend doing…
⭐ EDITOR’S CHOICE
👻 Spend Halloween night exploring haunted Nottingham
The Original Nottingham Ghost Walk
📍 Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham
📅 Saturday 31 October
🕖 7pm
🎟 £10, under-12s free
Sometimes the obvious choice is the right choice.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so if there was ever an evening to go wandering around Nottingham listening to stories about ghosts, executions and mysterious apparitions, this would probably be it.
The Original Nottingham Ghost Walk sets off from the appropriately ancient Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, taking you around the city’s historic streets and castle area while delving into Nottingham’s distinctly grisly past. [visit-nott…hire.co.uk], [visit-nott…hire.co.uk]
Why we’re picking it: Because doing a Nottingham ghost walk on Halloween night feels considerably more atmospheric than sitting at home watching Hocus Pocus for the 14th time.
🎟 BEST EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
😂 Nottingham Comedy Festival
📍 Various Nottingham venues
📅 Friday 30 October – Sunday 1 November
The Nottingham Comedy Festival is back for its 18th year, with established acts and emerging comedians appearing across the city. Events continue into November, including four special showcase performances at The Saltbox on Sunday. [Details here]
Good for: discovering someone funny before they’re suddenly doing an arena tour.
🦇 Gainsborough Old Hall Ghost Tours
📍 Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
📅 Running until Sunday 1 November
One of Lincolnshire’s most atmospheric historic buildings plus ghost stories feels like a fairly solid Halloween combination.
Special guided ghost tours are running at Gainsborough Old Hall through Sunday, with advance booking required. [Details]
Good for: people who maintain they don’t believe in ghosts until somebody turns the lights off.
🌲 Halloween Family Fun
📍 Peak Village, Rowsley, Derbyshire
📅 Friday 30 October, 11am–3pm
💰 Free
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is hosting a Halloween session including spider hunting, potion-making, wicked wands and spooky skeleton activities. It’s aimed at families and children and, importantly during half-term, it’s free. [Details]
Good for: small witches, wizards and adults whose bank accounts have already endured six days of half-term.
🏒 Nottingham Panthers v Belfast Giants
📍 Motorpoint Arena Nottingham
📅 Friday 30 October, 7.30pm
Need a break from pumpkins?
The Nottingham Panthers take on Belfast Giants in Elite League action on Friday evening.
Ice hockey, Friday night and several thousand people shouting. That should wake you up.
[Tickets]
🎃 Leicester goes VERY big on Halloween
Leicester isn’t exactly easing itself gently into spooky season.
There are Halloween events taking place all over the city this weekend, from live music and club nights to family entertainment. One listings service currently has more than 100 Halloween-related Leicester events on its books. [Details]
If you’re heading into the city on Saturday, dressing normally may actually make you the unusual one.
🗺️ FIVE PLACES YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE DISCOVERED YET
Not everything this weekend needs a ticket.
1. Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire
Much more than somewhere you drive through on the way deeper into the Peak District. Explore its little lanes, dramatic limestone surroundings and wonderfully atmospheric village centre.
2. Gainsborough Old Hall, Lincolnshire
If this weekend’s ghost tours have put it on your radar, come back in daylight too. It’s one of those places that deserves more East Midlands attention.
3. Rufford Abbey, Nottinghamshire
Ruins, woodland and autumn colours make late October arguably one of the best times to visit.
4. Bradgate Park, Leicestershire
Yes, you’ve probably heard of it. But have you actually been recently? Crisp autumn morning + deer + ruins + coffee afterwards = Sunday sorted.
5. Castleton, Derbyshire
We’re stretching slightly beyond our four counties here, but at this time of year we’ll allow it. Go early, walk somewhere spectacular, return for pie.
🎸 LIVE MUSIC PICKS
This weekend is essentially the warm-up.
Because November’s East Midlands gig calendar is ridiculous.
Coming up over the next few weeks we’ve got Suede & Manic Street Preachers at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on 11 November, Enter Shikari there on Friday 13 November, Rizzle Kicks at Rock City on 16 November and Yard Act the following evening. [stuckinthe…ddle.co.uk]
Later in the month, The Snuts hit Rock City on Friday 27 November, followed by Placebo at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Saturday 28 November. [stuckinthe…ddle.co.uk]
Basically: maybe don’t spend ALL your money this weekend.
👉 READ: The East Midlands gigs you really don’t want to miss this November
🍴 FOOD & DRINK
🎃 Halloween Afternoon Tea at Rufford Abbey
📍 Rufford Abbey Country Park
📅 Friday 30 October – Sunday 1 November
Halloween afternoon tea inside the old Jacobean wing at Rufford Abbey sounds wonderfully excessive.
The seasonal menu includes cranberry scones, pumpkin quiche, pumpkin cake and “Vampire Blood” red velvet cake. Advance booking is essential. [Details]
Adults: £24.96
Children: £16.95
Our sophisticated restaurant critic’s assessment: cake in an abbey at Halloween = yes.
👨👩👧 FAMILY FRIENDLY
If you’ve reached the final weekend of half-term and are rapidly running out of ideas, we’ve got you.
🕷 Rowsley
The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Halloween Family Fun event at Peak Village runs 11am–3pm Friday and is free.
🎃 Tattershall
Tattershall Pumpkin Patch in Lincolnshire has more than 40,000 pumpkins plus its maize maze, with its 2026 season running through Halloween. [Details]
👻 Nottingham
Under-12s can join the Original Nottingham Ghost Walk free on Saturday evening.
Just perhaps don’t blame us when they subsequently refuse to sleep without the landing light on.
👀 ONE MORE THING…
Nottingham has another, rather darker, walking tour this weekend.
If traditional ghost stories aren’t quite grim enough, Nottingham: The Dark Side promises tales involving executions, body snatchers, riots, haunted caves and the city’s more rebellious inhabitants.
It runs between 6pm and 8pm from Friday through Sunday, departing from the Left Lion in Old Market Square. Tickets are £15. [visit-nott…hire.co.uk]
Cheery stuff.
Perfect for Halloween.
📅 WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER
👻 Dark Side Halloween Walking Tour – Nottingham
🕷 Halloween Family Fun – Rowsley
🏒 Nottingham Panthers v Belfast Giants – Nottingham
😂 Nottingham Comedy Festival
🎃 Halloween events across Leicester
SATURDAY 31 OCTOBER – HALLOWEEN 🎃
👻 Original Nottingham Ghost Walk
🏚 Gainsborough Old Hall ghost tours
🎃 Tattershall Pumpkin Patch
😂 Nottingham Comedy Festival
🦇 Halloween parties and events across Leicester
SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER
😂 Nottingham Comedy Festival
🏚 Final day of Gainsborough Old Hall ghost tours
🍰 Halloween Afternoon Tea at Rufford Abbey
🥾 Or ignore all of us and go for an enormous autumn walk.
👋 BEFORE YOU GO…
If somebody forwarded you this email and you’ve made it this far, firstly: excellent stamina.
Secondly: you should probably get your own copy.
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