Stroud's October half term runs 26 to 30 October. Fireworks on the Monday, Slimbridge's lantern trail, Woodchester's spooky cellars and free museum drop-ins.

Gloucestershire’s October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and in Stroud it starts with a crowded weekend: fireworks at Aston Down on the Saturday, the half marathon on the Sunday, and the Five Valleys fireworks on the Monday. After that the week belongs to Woodchester Mansion’s Halloween cellars and Slimbridge’s lantern trail. Every event below is taken from its organiser’s own page, checked on 25 September 2026.

The quick answer

  • Half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October. Schools shut on Friday 23 October and reopen on Monday 2 November. Wycliffe and Beaudesert Park break up a week earlier, on 16 October.
  • The big night is Monday 26 October: the Rotary Five Valleys Fireworks at Marling School, gates 6pm, fireworks 8pm, £11 advance.
  • For younger children: Woodchester Mansion’s Spooky Cellars and Golden Pumpkin Trail (open daily 23 October to 1 November, child £1.75) and the free “Garden Stories” drop-ins at the Museum in the Park, 27 to 29 October.

Your own school’s dates, including training days either side, are on our Stroud school term dates page.

Day by day

Date Event Where Cost
Fri 23 Oct to Sun 1 Nov, daily Halloween Spooky Cellars and Golden Pumpkin Trail Woodchester Mansion Adult £13, child £1.75
Sat 24 Oct Fireworks, air display and bonfire Aston Down Airfield £39 a car
Sat 24 Oct Ballet Cymru, Sleeping Beauty Cotswold Playhouse £20, under 18s £5
Sat 24 and Sat 31 Oct, 9am to 2pm Stroud Farmers’ Market Stroud town centre Free
Sun 25 Oct, 9am Stroud Half Marathon and 10k Cainscross Road Entries close 23 Oct
Sun 25 Oct to Sun 1 Nov, evenings Mystical Marsh Lantern Experience WWT Slimbridge £14.95
Mon 26 Oct, 6pm Rotary Five Valleys Fireworks Marling School playing field £11 advance
Tue 27 to Thu 29 Oct Periscope, “Garden Stories” drop-ins Museum in the Park Free
Sat 31 Oct Mr Scruff Halloween Party (18+) Subscription Rooms £26 advance

The fireworks weekend

Aston Down, Saturday 24 October. The airfield near Minchinhampton opens its gates at 2.30pm, and they close at 5.30pm, so arrive in time. The air display starts at 5.50pm, the bonfire is lit after it, and the fireworks follow. There is Halloween pumpkin carving in the afternoon. Tickets are sold per car: £39 for up to five people, £47 for more. (Aston Down Events, Fireworks and Bonfire Night 2026)

Five Valleys Fireworks, Monday 26 October. The Rotary display is on Marling School playing field, Cainscross Road. Gates open at 6pm, fireworks at 8pm, and the event closes at 10pm. Advance tickets are £11 general and £6 for a primary school age child, on sale until 12 noon on Friday 23 October; on the gate they cost £15 and £8. Babies and toddlers are free. (Five Valleys Fireworks, event info)

Every display in the district, including Miserden in November, is on our Stroud fireworks page.

Stroud Half Marathon, Sunday 25 October. The clocks go back that morning, and the race starts beside the same Marling School field at 9am. Details and road closures are on our half marathon page.

Woodchester Mansion: Halloween Spooky Cellars

The mansion normally opens only Friday to Sunday, but “we will be open every day over half term Fri 23rd Oct to Sun 1st Nov” for its Halloween Spooky Cellars, with “fun for all the family in the scary depths” and a Golden Pumpkin Trail around the house for children. Opening is 11am to 5pm, last admission 4pm. It is the last week of the season: the house closes for the winter after Sunday 1 November. (Woodchester Mansion; visiting)

Admission is £13 for adults, £1.75 for children aged 5 to 16, under 5s free, or £26.25 for a family of two adults and up to four children. National Trust members pay £12. The mansion says prices “may change for special events”, and has not published a separate Halloween price. (Woodchester Mansion, admission prices)

Park at the National Trust’s Buckholt car park (£4, cash only). It is three quarters of a mile from the house, down an unmade track to a minibus stop.

WWT Slimbridge: Mystical Marsh Lantern Experience

An after-dark lantern trail of “larger-than-life birds, luminous bugs, and interactive bat puppets”, pitched as “ideal for those who love the super natural but not the spook”. Through half term, from 25 October to 1 November, entry slots run every 15 minutes from 4.45pm to 7.30pm. Earlier dates on 16 to 18, 23 and 24 October start at 5.45pm.

Tickets are £14.95, and under 3s and carers go free. WWT members pay too; there is no member discount. Every visitor must book a slot, and tickets are non-refundable. The trail is just over 600m on flat ground. (WWT Slimbridge, Mystical Marsh Lantern Experience)

Museum in the Park: free drop-ins

From Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 October, 10.30am to 3.30pm, Periscope runs “Garden Stories”, free creative drop-in activities for everyone. No booking; donations welcome. The week before (20 to 23 October, 2pm to 4pm) the museum is marking ten years of its Walled Garden, also free. (Museum in the Park, calendar)

On stage, and for grown-ups

  • Ballet Cymru, Sleeping Beauty, Cotswold Playhouse, Saturday 24 October. £20, £5 for under 18s. The Playhouse starts performances at 7.30pm unless it says otherwise. (Cotswold Playhouse, what’s on)
  • Peatbog Faeries, Subscription Rooms, Saturday 24 October, 8pm, £27 advance. (Sub Rooms)
  • Mr Scruff Halloween Party, Subscription Rooms, Saturday 31 October from 7pm, 18+, £26 advance, £31 on the door. (Sub Rooms)

The Sub Rooms has no family shows in half term week; its pantomime starts on 18 December (see our Stroud pantomime page).

Stroud Farmers’ Market

Runs every Saturday, 9am to 2pm, so both half term Saturdays, 24 and 31 October. (Fresh and Local)

Still to confirm

  • Berkeley Castle has not published any 2026 Halloween dates. It held a Halloween at the Castle event in late October 2024.
  • Painswick Rococo Garden has no half term events listed yet.
  • Library holiday activities for late October had not been posted when we checked.

Driving between these? The M5 and A419 works are on our roadworks page, and car park charges on our parking page.

Sources