Half term is 26 to 30 October 2026. Wallace and Gromit at Wakehurst, Borde Hill's Halloween trail, Nymans ghost hunt, Ardingly fireworks, with prices.

October half term in Mid Sussex is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Schools break up on Friday 23 October and go back on Monday 2 November, except Downlands in Hassocks, whose pupils return on Tuesday 3 November. Below are the nine things confirmed so far for that week, each checked on the organiser’s own website.

The quick answer

  • Half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, back on Monday 2 November.
  • Three garden trails run all week: Wallace and Gromit at Wakehurst (£3 plus entry), Borde Hill’s Halloween trail (£3.50 plus entry) and the Ghost Hunt at Nymans (free with entry).
  • The fireworks come first: Ardingly Fireworks Spectacular is on Saturday 24 October, the first night of the holiday.

The dates

West Sussex County Council’s half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October. Oathall, St Paul’s, Sackville and Downlands all publish the same week. Downlands adds an INSET day on Monday 2 November. Our school term dates page has the whole year, including INSET days for each school. (West Sussex County Council)

What’s on, at a glance

When What Where Cost
17 Oct to 1 Nov Wallace and Gromit: Fantastic Fungi Trail Wakehurst, Ardingly £3 trail pack plus garden entry
17 Oct to 1 Nov A Spellbinding Halloween kids’ trail Borde Hill, Haywards Heath £3.50 plus garden entry
10 Oct to 1 Nov We’re Going on a Ghost Hunt trail Nymans, Handcross Free with admission
Sat 24 Oct Ardingly Fireworks Spectacular South of England Showground Adults from £15, children £12.50, family £50
22 Oct to 1 Nov The Ghost Train Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park Adults from £42, children from £21
26 to 28 Oct Halloween marquee activities Borde Hill From £3.50 per child plus entry
29 to 31 Oct Canopy Tree Climbing Borde Hill See booking page
Sun 25 Oct, 2pm The Sunday Afternoon Show, ConChord Big Band Chequer Mead, East Grinstead See booking page
29 to 31 Oct The Addams Family, COS Musical Theatre Chequer Mead, East Grinstead See booking page

Wallace and Gromit at Wakehurst

Kew’s garden at Ardingly runs Wallace and Gromit: Fantastic Fungi Trail from 17 October to 1 November, part of Aardman’s 50th anniversary. Families follow a trail through the autumn woods identifying fungi and keeping the secrets away from Feathers McGraw. The trail opens at 10am; from 25 October the last entry is 4pm. Paths are buggy friendly and there is a dog-friendly route.

You book a garden entry ticket and add a trail pack, which costs £3 (free for Wakehurst family members). Garden entry in 2026 is £18.50 for adults and free for children up to 16; National Trust members get in free but pay for parking. (Kew Wakehurst, Fantastic Fungi Trail; Kew, 2026 at Wakehurst)

Borde Hill: Halloween trail, marquee sessions and tree climbing

A Spellbinding Halloween runs daily from Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November, 10am to 5pm. A mischievous owl, Morticus Moonfeather, has been casting spells on the scarecrows in Pumpkin Patch Meadow, and children follow the story round the garden. The trail is aimed at children aged 3 to 8, costs £3.50 per trail plus garden admission, includes a prize, and is free to child and family members.

In half term week there are extra sessions in the garden marquee that you book separately. These include 30-minute sessions on Monday 26 October (£3.50 per child), wand making on Tuesday 27 October (£4.50 per child) and shows on Wednesday 28 October. Borde Hill also runs Canopy Tree Climbing on 29 to 31 October. (Borde Hill, A Spellbinding Halloween; Borde Hill, What’s On)

Nymans: We’re Going on a Ghost Hunt

The National Trust’s garden at Handcross runs a trail based on the children’s book We’re Going on a Ghost Hunt, from 10 October to 1 November, 10am to 4.30pm. Families look for hidden ghosts and play games such as Halloween hoopla. It is aimed at preschool and young children and is free with normal admission. Nymans’ 2026 admission runs from £21 to £23.10 for adults and £10.50 to £11.60 for children aged 5 to 17; National Trust members go free. (National Trust, Nymans)

Ardingly Fireworks Spectacular, Saturday 24 October

The district’s big ticketed display is at the South of England Showground on the Saturday that starts the holiday. Tickets are from £15 for adults, £12.50 for children and £50 for a family, plus a 10% booking fee, with parking from £3. A quieter, low-noise family show goes up at 6.30pm, and fairground rides are £2 before 5pm. Full times, prices and parking are on our Mid Sussex fireworks page, along with East Grinstead’s bonfire the week before and Lindfield and Cuckfield the week after. (Ardingly Fireworks Spectacular)

The Ghost Train on the Bluebell Railway

The Bluebell Railway’s Ghost Train runs from 22 October to 1 November. It starts and ends at Sheffield Park, just over the border in East Sussex: the station opens from 4.30pm, the performance starts on the platform at 6.15pm, and the train leaves at 6.30pm for Horsted Keynes, in Mid Sussex, where the story plays out across the station before the 8.10pm return. It is “not a jump-scare attraction, but it is spooky”, recommended PG, with all under-16s accompanied. Adults from £42, children from £21. The railway says it will sell out. (Bluebell Railway, The Ghost Train)

Chequer Mead, East Grinstead

Two half-term dates at the town’s theatre: The Sunday Afternoon Show with the ConChord Big Band on Sunday 25 October at 2pm, and COS Musical Theatre’s The Addams Family from Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 October. The theatre’s pantomime, Robin Hood, opens on 5 December: see our East Grinstead panto page. (Chequer Mead, What’s On)

Getting around that week

Southern’s list of major Brighton Main Line closures has none in half term week; the line through Haywards Heath is closed the weekend of 10 and 11 October, a fortnight before. Overnight and early-morning works can still change late trains. Roadworks and closures are on our roadworks and travel page, and car park charges on our parking page. More ideas are on our things to do in Mid Sussex page. (Southern, Brighton Main Line engineering work)

What is still to be confirmed

Leisure centre holiday activities, library events and town council family days for half term had not been published when we checked on 25 September. We will add them when they appear, and recheck in mid October.

Sources