What's On in Harrogate: Half Term 24 Oct, Bonfires 6-7 Nov

Half term from 24 October: free potion trail, indoor funfair, Lightwater fireworks 24 and 31 Oct. Then bonfires on 6 and 7 Nov and Christmas fairs from 20 Nov.

Half term starts this Saturday, 24 October, and the district fills up at once: Halloween at Stockeld Park, Mother Shipton’s, RHS Harlow Carr and Lightwater Valley, the indoor funfair at the Great Yorkshire Showground, and Harrogate BID’s free potion trail in the town centre. Lightwater has now added** a second firework night, Saturday 24 October at 5.45pm**, to its Halloween finale on the 31st. Ripon Cathedral turns into a silent disco on Friday 23 October. November opens with the Ripon and Stray bonfires on the 6th and 7th and Remembrance Sunday on the 8th, then Thought Bubble, Knit + Stitch, and the start of Christmas: the cathedral’s gift fair on 20 and 21 November, the pantomime from the 25th, Glow and the Great Yorkshire Christmas Fair from the 26th. Every Halloween event is on our Halloween page.

Everything below comes from the organisers’ own pages, read on 20 October 2026, and each entry links back to its source. Prices are the organisers’ published ticket ranges before any booking fee. For places that are open whatever the month, see things to do in Harrogate.

This week

• Pumpkin Patch at Ripon Walled Garden, until Saturday 31 October, 9.30am to 4pm, Palace Road, Ripon, HG4 3HN. Free entry, with carving on site and Halloween cake in the café; the money raised supports the charity’s work with adults with learning disabilities (Ripon Community Link).
• We Will Rock You, Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 October, 7.30pm with a 2.30pm matinee, Harrogate Theatre. £28.50 to £114. Harrogate St Andrew’s Players stage the Queen musical. Ages 14+ (Harrogate Theatre).
• Royal Hall Open Day, Friday 23 October, guided tours at 11am and 2pm, Royal Hall, Ripon Road, HG1 2SY. A look round the Edwardian Kursaal, designed by Frank Matcham and restored in 2008 after seven years closed. Booking is highly recommended and a minimum donation of £3 a head is requested (Harrogate Convention Centre).
• Fountains by Floodlight, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October, then Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, Ripon, HG4 3DY. Adults £12, children 5 to 17 £6, National Trust and English Heritage members free but must book. Entry is by half-hour time slot from 5pm, last entry 8pm, with choirs in the cellarium at 6.30pm and 7.45pm (National Trust).
• Family Silent Disco, Friday 23 October, 6.30pm to 8pm, Ripon Cathedral, Minster Road, HG4 1QT. Wireless headphones and several music channels in the nave. Early bird tickets £15 an adult and £8 a child (17 and under), then £20 and £10. Every child needs a paying adult, and one adult can bring up to six children (Ripon Cathedral).
• Adult Only Silent Disco, Friday 23 October, 9pm to 11.30pm, Ripon Cathedral. Over-18s only, with a bar. Early bird £18, standard £25; anyone who looks under 25 may be asked for photo ID (Ripon Cathedral).
• Harrogate Halloween Potion Trail, Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, Harrogate town centre. Free. Pick up a trail sheet at the Crown Hotel, find the potion ingredient at 10 shops and venues, from Starling on Oxford Street to the Harrogate Town AFC shop, and take the sheet back to the Crown for a Halloween prize (Harrogate BID).
• Stockeld Park Halloween Adventure, Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, every day, 9.30am to 5.30pm, Stockeld Park, Wetherby, LS22 4AN. A pumpkin patch, witches’ trail and maze, with a costume competition on the forecourt at 4.45pm each day and face painting at £6 (Stockeld Park).
• Stockeld Park Pumpkin Nights, Saturday 24 October, 5.30pm to 9pm, Stockeld Park. £15 a person, half price with a day ticket. A tractor ride to the pumpkin patch, live music, food stalls and games, the second and last night of the year (Stockeld Park).
• Frightwater Valley: Movie Mayhem, every day from Saturday 24 to Saturday 31 October, 10.30am to 5pm, Lightwater Valley, North Stainley, Ripon, HG4 3HT. A trick or treat trail (extra charge), a live scare maze, a Dead Pirate Show and a DJ to finish. Early bird tickets are £18 a person with the code FRIGHT18; parking is free (Lightwater Valley).
• Halloween fireworks at Lightwater Valley, Saturday 24 October. An extra date, added this month: the rides run until 5.30pm and the fireworks start at 5.45pm, set to Halloween music. Included with a Frightwater Valley ticket, weather permitting (Lightwater Valley).
• October half term at Harlow Carr, Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, 9.30am to 4pm daily, RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, HG3 1QB. A spooky plants trail and creepy crawlies from ZooLab, included with garden admission. (RHS).
• Halloween at Mother Shipton’s, Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, Mother Shipton’s Cave, High Bridge, Knaresborough, HG5 8DD. A Hocus Pocus-inspired trail through the woodland, with witches to meet (Mother Shipton’s).
• Harrogate Indoor Funfair, Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, Great Yorkshire Events Centre, HG2 8NZ. Three hours of unlimited rides per session, 10am to 1pm or 2pm to 5pm; arrive 30 minutes early. Rider wristbands are £12.99 online plus a booking fee, or £16 on the door if any are left; spectators £5. Quiet sessions at 10am on Saturday 24 October and Sunday 1 November (Great Yorkshire Events Centre).
• Queen of the Night, Saturday 24 October, 7.30pm, Royal Hall. £26 to £73. A tribute to Whitney Houston. Ages 14+ (Harrogate Theatre).
• The Music of Adele: The Candlelight Concert, Saturday 24 October, 7.30pm to 9.10pm, Ripon Cathedral. Naomi Johnson, a finalist on The Voice, sings Adele’s songs with a live band among the candles (Ripon Cathedral).
• Real Food Market at Ripley Castle, Sunday 25 October, 10am to 3pm, Castle Courtyard, Ripley. Local makers and produce; the gardens and grounds are free to enter on market days, and well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome (Ripley Castle).
• Reece Shearsmith: Things I Took From the Dark, Sunday 25 October, 7.30pm, Royal Hall. £32 to £100. The Inside No. 9 co-creator shows his collection of macabre objects. Sold out, the theatre says (Harrogate Theatre).

Next week

• Victorian Baking: Spooky Shortbread, Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 October, 10.30am to 3pm, Workhouse Museum, Ripon, HG4 1LE. Make Halloween shortbread in the Workhouse’s Victorian kitchen and take it home (Ripon Museums).
• October Half-Term Activity Morning, Tuesday 27 October, 10.30am to 12pm, Ripon Cathedral. £4 a child, under-2s free; book ahead (Ripon Cathedral).
• John Lydon: Talk Tour, Tuesday 27 October, 7.30pm, Harrogate Theatre. £38 to £152. The Sex Pistols singer on his new book (Harrogate Theatre).
• Adam Garcia’s Emerald Storm, Tuesday 27 October, 7.30pm, Royal Hall. £29 to £78. Irish dance meets urban tap in a new show starring Adam Garcia and Tom Ball, with live musicians. Ages 14+ (Harrogate Theatre).
• Monster Mask Making, Wednesday 28 October, 10.30am to 12.30pm and 1pm to 3pm, Workhouse Museum, Ripon. A drop-in half-term craft session; no need to book (Ripon Museums).
• Hush Sample Sale, Wednesday 28 October, 9.30am to 7pm, and Thursday 29 October, 9.30am to 4pm, Pavilions of Harrogate, Great Yorkshire Showground. Last entry half an hour before closing. A £1 donation on the door goes to Smart Works (Great Yorkshire Events Centre).
• Swan Lake, Wednesday 28 October, 7.30pm, Royal Hall. £46 to £96. Imperial Classical Ballet with a full live orchestra (Harrogate Theatre).
• Thrum, Wednesday 28 October, 7.30pm, Harrogate Theatre. £15 to £60. A new show from Daniel Kitson, part of the Harrogate Comedy Festival. Ages 16+. Sold out, the theatre says (Harrogate Theatre).
• Halloween Ghost Hunting, Thursday 29 October, 11am and 1.30pm, Workhouse Museum, Ripon, HG4 1LE. Ghost goo, a spooky story and a hunt for ghouls round the Workhouse (Ripon Museums).
• Too Much Too Young, Thursday 29 October, 7.30pm, Harrogate Theatre. £31 to £124. Two hours of ska, from Jamaica to 2Tone (Harrogate Theatre).
• LABBS 50th Anniversary Convention, Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, Harrogate Convention Centre, main auditorium. The Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers marks 50 years with contests and showcases, and two guest groups from the US: Smoke Ring Quartet and Parkside Harmony Chorus. Card and contactless payments only at the venue (Harrogate Convention Centre).
• Northern Homebuilding and Renovating Show, Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, Harrogate Convention Centre, exhibition halls. Two free tickets if you register in advance, worth £24 (Harrogate Convention Centre).
• Gilbert O’Sullivan, Friday 30 October, 7.30pm, Harrogate Theatre. £39.50 to £188. Sixty years of songs, including Clair and Alone Again (Naturally). Sold out, the theatre says (Harrogate Theatre).
• End of Season Firework Finale, Saturday 31 October, 5pm, Lightwater Valley. A 10-minute Halloween display over Swan Lake, set to music, weather permitting; the rides stop at 4.45pm. Included with a Frightwater Valley ticket, early bird £18 (Lightwater Valley).
• Harrogate Male Voice Choir and Tewit Community Brass Band, Saturday 31 October, 7.30pm, West Park Centre, 7 Raglan Street, HG1 1LE. £12, under-16s free with an adult. A concert of brass and song for the Friends of Harrogate Hospital (Harrogate Theatre).
• The Rozzers, Saturday 31 October, 7.30pm to 10pm, Ripon Cathedral. A one-off show by the Sting and The Police tribute band, marking its 15th year, in a lit cathedral with a bar. A cathedral fundraiser (Ripon Cathedral).
• Little Bird Made Artisan Market, Sunday 1 November, 10am to 3pm, Valley Gardens, HG1 2SZ. Local makers’ stalls; the Christmas weekend market follows on 5 and 6 December (Little Bird Made).
• Maisie Adam: Frank’s Fund Comedy Gala, Sunday 1 November, 2.30pm and 7.30pm, Harrogate Theatre. £26 to £107. Maisie Adam hosts comedian friends in aid of the local charity Frank’s Fund (Harrogate Theatre).

Our October half term page has the school dates and more for families, and our Halloween page has every pumpkin patch and trail.

November

• An Evening with Michael Portillo, Wednesday 4 November, 7.30pm, Harrogate Convention Centre. £33 to £62.99. Sold out, the theatre says (Harrogate Theatre).
• A Concert of Remembrance, Thursday 5 November, doors 6.45pm, concert 7.15pm, Ripon Cathedral, HG4 1QT. £16.56. Part of the cathedral’s November commemorations, among its knitted poppy displays (Ripon Cathedral).
• Ripon Rowels Charity Bonfire and Fireworks, Friday 6 November, Ripon Racecourse. Gates open at 5.30pm, the bonfire is lit at 7pm and the fireworks start at 7.30pm. Advance tickets only: adults £10, children under 16 £5, under-3s free (Ripon Rowels, tickets). More in our bonfire night page.
• Cuore Chamber Orchestra, Friday 6 November, 7.30pm, Royal Hall. £16.50 to £81.50, under-18s £5. The season opener (Harrogate Theatre).
• Harrogate Round Table Presents The Your Harrogate Stray Bonfire, Saturday 7 November, the Stray alongside Oatlands Drive. Music from 5pm, the bonfire is lit at 6.30pm, fireworks at 7pm, the UK Foo Fighters at 7.25pm, and it finishes at 9pm. Free entry, with a suggested minimum donation of £5 a person for Mind and Samaritans. There is no parking nearby, so walk in (Harrogate Round Table).
• Remembrance Sunday, Sunday 8 November, from 10.30am, Harrogate War Memorial. A parade through the town centre, then the Act of Remembrance with the two-minute silence and wreath laying. Groups wanting to lay a wreath must register with the town council first (Harrogate Town Council). Our Remembrance Sunday page covers Ripon and Knaresborough.
• Alexei Sayle: How I’ve Tried to Change the World, Sunday 8 November, 7.30pm, Harrogate Convention Centre. £32.95 to £42.95. Part of the Harrogate Comedy Festival. Ages 14+ (Harrogate Theatre).
• North of England Woodworking and Power Tool Show, Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November, Great Yorkshire Events Centre. 10am to 5pm on Friday and Saturday, 10am to 3.30pm on Sunday. Friday or Saturday adults £15.50 in advance (until 12 November), £18.50 on the gate (Great Yorkshire Events Centre, tickets).
• Decorative, Antiques and Art Fair, Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November, Pavilions of Harrogate. 11am to 5pm on Friday and Saturday, 11am to 4.30pm on Sunday. £5 bought in advance, £7.50 on the door (Great Yorkshire Events Centre).
• Bellowhead: Burlesque 20th Anniversary Tour, Friday 13 November, 7.30pm, Harrogate Convention Centre. £38 to £58. Ages 14+ (Harrogate Theatre).
• Thought Bubble Comic Convention, Saturday 14 November, 10am to 6pm, and Sunday 15 November, 10am to 5pm, Harrogate Convention Centre. The UK’s largest comic art convention, in its 20th year. Day tickets £30, weekend £42, including the booking fee; under-12s and over-65s free. Prices, entrances and parking are on our Thought Bubble page (Thought Bubble).
• Harrogate Symphony Orchestra Winter Concert, Saturday 14 November, 7.30pm, Royal Hall. £18 to £60 (Harrogate Theatre).
• Ripon Christmas lights switch-on, Saturday 14 November, Market Place, Ripon. The date was set by Ripon City Council’s Events Committee (Events Committee minutes, 12 January 2026). Harrogate has no switch-on this year: see our switch-on page.
• Knit + Stitch, Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 November, Harrogate Convention Centre. 10am to 5.30pm Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm Sunday. Adults £19.95 plus a £4.25 fee per order until Sunday 8 November. Our Knit + Stitch page has every ticket price and the parking (Knit + Stitch).
• Ripon Cathedral Christmas Food and Gift Fair, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 November, 9.30am to 4.30pm, Ripon Cathedral. More than 100 stalls of Christmas gifts, food and drink. £5; under-16s free, with no ticket needed (Ripon Cathedral).
• Richard Ayoade: Afterthoughts, Friday 20 November, 7.30pm, Harrogate Convention Centre. £32.50 to £47.50. Ages 16+. Sold out, the theatre says (Harrogate Theatre).
• Stockeld Park Christmas Adventure, from Saturday 21 November, Stockeld Park. Illuminations, the Enchanted Forest and the Snowflake Maze from £18.50; Santa packages from £21 an adult and £31 a child. Full prices on our Stockeld Park Christmas page (Stockeld Park).
• Harry Enfield and No Chums!, Sunday 22 November, 7.30pm, Harrogate Convention Centre. £33 to £53. Part of the Harrogate Comedy Festival. Ages 18+ (Harrogate Theatre).
• Sleeping Beauty, Wednesday 25 November to Sunday 17 January, Harrogate Theatre. £20 to £206. The theatre’s family pantomime; the first public performance, on Friday 27 November at 7pm, is the cheapest night of the run. Dates and cast on our pantomime page (Harrogate Theatre).
• Banff Mountain Film Festival, Wednesday 25 November, 7.30pm, Royal Hall. £17 to £38. The touring festival’s Blue programme. Ages 12+ (Harrogate Theatre).
• The Great Yorkshire Christmas Fair, Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November, Great Yorkshire Events Centre, HG2 8NZ. 9.30am to 5pm Thursday to Saturday, 9.30am to 4pm Sunday. £5 online early bird, £7 online, £9 on the door; accompanied under-16s free, and one ticket covers any day. More on our Christmas Fair page (UK Grand Sales).
• Glow at RHS Harlow Carr, selected evenings from Thursday 26 November to Wednesday 30 December, 4.30pm to 8.30pm, last entry 7.30pm. Adults £15.25 off peak or £19.25 standard, children 5 to 16 £8.75 or £10.50; pre-booked tickets only. Details on our Glow page (RHS).
• Motown by Candlelight, Friday 27 November, 7.30pm to 10pm, Ripon Cathedral. A candlelit concert of Motown hits (Ripon Cathedral).
• Magical Christmas Experience at Mother Shipton’s, Saturday 28 November to Thursday 24 December, Knaresborough. A group admission ticket for up to five people, £44 to £46, plus a Santa ticket of £18 to £19 for each child aged 0 to 12, and a £1.50 booking fee per order. Every grotto is on our Santa’s grotto page (Mother Shipton’s).
• Fountains Abbey Christmas Market, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, 10am to 3pm, Fountains Abbey, Ripon, HG4 3DY. Little Bird Made’s Christmas artisan market at the abbey (Little Bird Made).
• Harrogate Toy and Train Collectors Fair, Sunday 29 November, 10.30am to 3pm, Pavilions of Harrogate. £5. Toys, trains and models, with a construction model show (Great Yorkshire Events Centre).
• Cirque de Celine, Sunday 29 November, 7.30pm, Royal Hall. £35 to £70. Ages 11+ (Harrogate Theatre).

The rest of Christmas has its own pages: Christmas markets, the ice rink and Santa’s grottos.

Regular events

• Harrogate parkrun, every Saturday at 9am on the Stray. The volunteers go for coffee at The Saints Coffee afterwards (parkrun).
• Conyngham Hall junior parkrun, every Sunday at 9am, Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough, HG5 9AY (parkrun). We covered its first run.
• Real Food Market at Ripley Castle, the last Sunday of each month, 10am to 3pm: Sunday 25 October, listed above, then Sunday 29 November. Local makers and produce in the Castle Courtyard (Ripley Castle).

Send us your event

Running something in Harrogate, Knaresborough or Ripon? Email hello@harrogatelive.co.uk with the date, time, venue, price and a photo. Listings are free, and we add them to this page and to the diary on our What’s On hub.