Half term runs two weeks, 19 to 30 October. The Ruddington trick or treat train has sold out; free play parks, library sessions and Holme Pierrepont remain.

October half term in Nottinghamshire is two weeks long this year: Monday 19 to Friday 30 October 2026, with schools back on Monday 2 November. That is the county council’s calendar. Some academies differ, and in Bingham Toot Hill School is open until Thursday 22 October, so check your child’s school on our term dates page.

Updated 3 October: the Trick or Treat Train has now sold out. For Halloween itself, including the racecourse fireworks on 31 October, see our West Bridgford Halloween page.

Two weeks is a lot of days to fill. Below is what is actually confirmed on in West Bridgford and the Rushcliffe villages, from the organisers’ own pages, checked on 25 September.

The quick answer

  • Dates: Monday 19 to Friday 30 October, back to school Monday 2 November.
  • The Trick or Treat steam train at Ruddington on Friday 30 October is sold out: all four departures had gone by 3 October.
  • Free options: the Adventure Play Park at Holme Pierrepont, Rushcliffe Country Park, and the under-5s exhibition at West Bridgford Library.

Halloween

Trick or Treat Train, Ruddington: Friday 30 October

The Great Central Railway (Nottingham) runs a Halloween steam train from Ruddington Fields station, Mere Way, NG11 6JS, on the last Friday of half term. It is a return journey of about 70 minutes with entertainment from Halloween characters and goodies for the children.

  • Departures: 1pm, 3pm, 4.45pm and 6.30pm. All four were marked sold out on 3 October; on 25 September the 1pm still had tickets.
  • Fares: adult £17.50, child £12.50, infant free.
  • No dogs on this train.
  • Booking is through Fox and Edwards. Free cancellation runs to 11.59pm on the Monday before; after that there is a £25 charge, and nothing can be changed inside 24 hours.

(Fox and Edwards, Trick or Treat Train; Great Central Railway Nottingham)

Council Halloween event

Rushcliffe Borough Council’s news area had announced no half-term Halloween event for 2026 when we checked on 25 September. If it does, we will add it here.

Holme Pierrepont Country Park

The country park at the National Water Sports Centre, Adbolton Lane, NG12 2LU, is 270 acres of lakes, paths and cycle routes, “just 10 minutes from Nottingham City Centre” in the park’s own words.

  • Adventure Play Park: free. Open every day, 8am to 6pm. Swings, a treetop multi-play tower, climbing walls and a zip line. Children must be supervised by an adult over 18.
  • Sky Trail: £13 per person. A high-ropes course at 12ft and 24ft. Minimum height 1m with an adult, 1.2m alone. Closed-toe shoes only.
  • Sky Tykes and a nine-hole mini golf course sit alongside, bookable through the park.
  • Canoe slalom on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October on the white water course. The park lists spectators as welcome.

Parking is charged by number plate recognition, 8am to 8pm. Pay through ParkPCM using location code 4455; there is a 30-minute grace period for drop-offs. A 12-month parking membership is £65. (Holme Pierrepont Country Park: play park, Sky Trail, events, car parking)

The park’s own page describes a Sky Trail session as one hour in one place and as 45 minutes including a 15-minute briefing in another, so allow the hour.

Rushcliffe Country Park, Ruddington

The borough council’s country park at Ruddington is free to enter. The car park costs £1.50 for up to three hours and £3 for longer, and is open 8am to 6pm.

  • Play area, upgraded in 2024, with a 14-element multi-play tower, a pendulum pod swing and an inclusive wheelchair see-saw.
  • Skatepark for boards, BMXs and scooters, and a 4X cycle track in the woods behind it.
  • Permanent orienteering course, free, with maps from the visitor centre. Volunteer-made trail sheets cost 50p.
  • Outdoor gym and two table tennis tables, free.
  • Parkrun at 9am every Saturday and junior parkrun at 9am every Sunday; register with parkrun first.
  • Coffee and Cake by the Lake, the takeaway café, is open 10am to 4pm (hours vary with the season). The visitor centre is open 8am to 4pm.

The council also says “holiday activities are delivered throughout the year, including den building and pond dipping”, and points to the Friends of Rushcliffe Country Park Facebook page for dates. (Rushcliffe Borough Council: visiting the park, activities)

West Bridgford and Bingham libraries

From Inspire’s August to November 2026 programme:

  • Little Creatives Interactive Exhibition, West Bridgford Library: Saturday 3 October to Monday 9 November. Made by the artists who run the Little Creatives workshops for under-5s. Free, no booking.
  • Little Creatives workshops, West Bridgford and Bingham libraries, October and November. Art sessions for children aged 2 to 5 with their families, at 10am to 10.45am or 11.15am to 12pm. Free, booking essential, dates on the Inspire website.
  • Tales from Hungerhills, West Bridgford Library: Tuesday 27 October, 2pm. A heritage talk by Mo Cooper on the history of the St Anns allotments. £3.50, booking required. One for the grown-ups.

(Inspire, What’s On August to November 2026)

Straight after half term

  • Saturday 7 November: the Fireworks Extravaganza at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre, Ruddington. See our Bonfire Night page.
  • Saturday 7 November, 10.30am: children’s author Guy Bass at West Bridgford Library with his character Hugh Dunnit, stand-up and stories. Tickets £3 for children, free for adults with them. (Inspire)
  • Sunday 8 November: Remembrance Sunday. See our Remembrance page.

Getting about

Forest home games bring Lady Bay Bridge closures; our matchday closures page has the pattern, and our roadworks page and parking page cover the rest.

Still to confirm

  • Any council Halloween event in West Bridgford: nothing announced as of 25 September.
  • Rushcliffe Country Park holiday activities for October: the council says the Friends group posts them.
  • Little Creatives dates at West Bridgford and Bingham: on Inspire’s booking pages.