What’s On in West Berkshire This October
October is here, bringing autumn adventures, half-term fun and plenty of brilliant family events across West Berkshire and the surrounding area.
From children’s music and creative workshops to dinosaurs, community festivals and magical illuminated trails, there’s lots to get in the diary. Here are some of our highlights for October. Be sure to keep an eye on our socials for our weekly updates.
October at a Glance
1–11 October | White Horse Festival
9 October | Play and Paint the Seasons
9–18 October | Thatcham Festival
11 October | Old Oak’s Woodland Party
11 October | The Secret Song of the White Horse
16 October–7 November | Spectacle of Light, Welford Park
24 October | GreenFest West Berkshire
24 October | Small Wonders at The Base
25 October | Newbury Artisan Market
27 October | Dinosaur World Live
26–29 October | Create and Make: Autumn Adventures
Throughout October Half Term | Halloween & Autumn Fun
Pumpkin patches, Halloween trails, spooky workshops, parties and plenty more are happening locally. Take a look at our separate Halloween Events and Pumpkin Picking guides for all the details.
Our October Highlights
1–11 October 2026
The White Horse Festival is definitely one to have on your radar this October, particularly if your children enjoy music and creative activities.
The festival brings music and other experiences to beautiful rural locations around Marlborough, Ramsbury and Avebury, and there are three children's events we'd particularly recommend looking at this year.
Play and Paint the Seasons – Friday 9 October at 4pm
A creative music and art session for children at The Farm at Avebury.
Old Oak’s Woodland Party – Sunday 11 October, 10am–11am
Created especially for 0–3 year olds, this interactive musical adventure is led by children's music leader Lucia Vernon-Long and pianist Sam Peña. Expect music, instruments, sensory props and bubbles as children enter a magical woodland world and help prepare for Old Oak's party.
The Secret Song of the White Horse – Sunday 11 October, 11:30am–12:30pm
Older children aged 4–10 can join Lucia and Sam for another specially created musical adventure. Children help recreate the White Horse's missing magical song, taking inspiration from the animals, trees and landscape surrounding it.
There's even a Family Pass covering a selection of festival experiences if you'd like to make a weekend of it.
16 October–7 November 2026 | Selected evenings
The spectacular autumn light trail returns to Welford Park this October – and there's a completely new theme for 2026: Alice’s Amazing Adventures in Wonderland.
Follow the White Rabbit, marvel at the Mad Hatter, meet the Cheshire Cat and watch out for the Queen of Hearts as you explore Welford Park's gardens and woodland transformed with light, colour and sound.
The trail takes approximately 60–75 minutes, but you can take your time and make an evening of it. There'll also be hot chocolate, marshmallow toasting, hot food and a covered Tipi Bar.
Under 3s go FREE, parking is free and friendly dogs on leads are welcome.
This looks like a particularly lovely one for an autumn family evening.
9–18 October 2026 | Various locations around Thatcham
Thatcham Festival returns this October with ten days of events celebrating the local community, arts, culture and heritage.
There's always a really varied programme, with live music, performances, exhibitions, talks, walks and activities taking place at venues across Thatcham – and plenty of the events are FREE.
One to look out for is The Big Thatcham Fest-Off on Saturday 10 October, when Thatcham High Street becomes traffic-free for an evening of live music, entertainment, stalls and street food.
There are also family-friendly activities running throughout the festival, making this an easy one to dip in and out of over the ten days.
Saturday 24 October 2026 | 10am–5pm | St Bartholomew's School, Newbury
If you're looking for a FREE family day out at the start of October half term, pop GreenFest West Berkshire in your diary.
GreenFest is all about celebrating our local environment, nature and sustainability, with lots happening throughout the day for adults and children.
Expect family activities, crafts, talks, demonstrations, local organisations, stalls and live entertainment – with plenty of opportunities for children to get involved and learn more about nature and the world around them.
It's completely free to attend, making it a great option for a relaxed half-term day out in Newbury.
These are just some of the brilliant events happening locally this October. Keep scrolling for more ideas, including Dinosaur World Live, Create a
October Half-Term Fun
The final week of October is when things really get busy, with lots of additional family activities popping up across Newbury and West Berkshire.
We'll also be sharing our dedicated October Half Term, Halloween Events and Pumpkin Picking guides, so you can find even more ideas for keeping the kids entertained.
Keep Checking Back!
We'll continue updating this guide as more October events are announced.
And make sure you're following West Berkshire Family Life on Instagram and Facebook for our weekly What's On guides, weekend planners and last-minute ideas for things to do with the kids.
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