What’s On in Newquay and Cornwall this October Half Term
Autumn has arrived in Holywell Bay, bringing crisp sea breezes, colourful leaves, and plenty of time for coastal stomps followed by hot chocolates piled high with marshmallows. Whether you’re looking for a holiday with outdoor exploration, family adventures or Halloween thrills, October Half Term at Trevornick is the perfect mix of fun, adventure and relaxation by the sea.
Even better, families can enjoy seven nights at Trevornick from just £99! With a packed programme of free entertainment and Halloween activities included in your stay, just pack the costumes and head to the coast for the most spooktacular school holiday! From zombies taking over Newquay and pumpkin picking on the farm to fireworks, spooky stories and plenty of Halloween fun right here at Trevornick, there’s lots happening across Cornwall this October Half Term. Read on to see our top picks for family days out and things to do during your stay.
Spooky Newquay Zombie Crawl
Sat 24th October, Newquay
FREE for all
Join the undead in Newquay Town Centre for the annual Zombie Crawl – one of the biggest Halloween parades in the UK! Spooky Newquay returns for 2026 with a full week of Halloween fun, kicking off with the famous Zombie Crawl on Saturday 24th October.
Activities begin throughout the town from 11am, with the main parade setting off from Cliff Road near Newquay train station at 3pm. Expect creepy costumes, professional make-up artists and thousands of zombies shuffling through the streets of Newquay.
The spooky fun continues throughout the week too, with Halloween activities taking place around town from 24th–31st October.
Pumpkin Fest & Firework Fiesta at Camel Creek
October Half Term
Pumpkins, rides, and a few family-friendly frights await at Camel Creek Adventure Park this half term.
At Spooky Creek, children can visit the pumpkin patch, brave the House of Horrors, follow the potion trail and come face to face with the witch! There are also more than 40 rides and attractions to squeeze into the day, plus spooky live entertainment around the park.
Not So Scary Halloween Trains at Little Western Railway, Newquay
Throughout October Half Term
For Halloween fun without too many frights, hop aboard the Little Western Railway in Trenance Gardens. Cornwall’s oldest miniature railway will be getting into the spooky spirit with its Not So Scary Halloween Trains, with decorations aimed at younger children – and plenty of fun for the young at heart too.
Once you’ve finished your journey, make a morning of it with a wander around Trenance Gardens, stop by the boating lake or let little legs burn off some energy in the playground, bounce around at the Trampoline Park, waddle with the penguins at Newquay Zoo or hire a family court at the Heron Tennis Centre.
Halloweden at the Eden Project
Saturday 24th October – Sunday 1st November
Halloween activities included with Eden admission
Things are getting spooky beneath the Biomes as Halloweden returns to the Eden Project for October Half Term. Follow the Magical Miniature Mushroom trail, step into the immersive UV Hidden Glow Room, and enjoy storytelling and live music within the Citrus Grove in the Mediterranean Biome
And there’s plenty more to fill the day while you’re there. Take a spin on Eden’s glittering ice rink, warm up in the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes, or follow the Giant Marble Runs through the gardens. And for Halloween thrills of a different kind, older children and brave grown-ups can take to the skies on the zip wire, or try one of the other Hangloose adventure activities, including the giant swing and aerial course (additional charges apply).
With so much indoors and out, Eden is always a handy one to have up your sleeve for a changeable Cornish autumn day.
A Wickedly Witchy Afternoon Brew at The Headland Hotel, Newquay
Fri 16th October – Mon 2nd November
£45 adults | £22.50 children
Step inside one of Cornwall’s most iconic film locations for a Halloween treat with a little extra magic. Inspired by the 1990 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, Rowan Atkinson, The Headland’s Wickedly Witchy Afternoon Brew returns for 2026.
Expect themed treats, delicate sandwiches, warm scones with Cornish clotted cream and a bewitching array of cakes, all served with views across the Atlantic. Little witches and wizards should keep their eyes peeled too – there may even be a witch roaming the corridors.
Set high above Fistral Beach it’s the perfect spot to enjoy an exceptional Afternoon Tea. Advance booking is recommended.
Halloween at the Farm at Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm
10th – 31st October
£12.50 ages 4+ | £6.25 ages 0–3
Pick your perfect pumpkin without having to clean up the carving afterwards!
Halloween is taking over Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm this October. Climb aboard the vintage tractor for a spooky journey through the orchards before arriving at the pumpkin patch, where everyone can choose their favourite pumpkin.
Once you’ve found the one, it’s back to the farm for a pumpkin carving session, with everything you need supplied – including someone else to deal with the mess afterwards. Grown-ups can even swap their pumpkin for a pint of Rattler or Rattler Zero.
For Animal Lovers: Blue Reef Aquarium & Newquay Zoo
If your little ones love animals, there are two brilliant family attractions right in Newquay to add to your half-term plans.
Head to Blue Reef Aquarium on Towan Beach to discover local Cornish marine life and colourful tropical species. Walk through the underwater ocean tunnel as sharks, rays and fish glide overhead, and look out for daily talks and feeding sessions throughout your visit.
Or stay on dry land at Newquay Zoo, home to an amazing variety of animals including red pandas, penguins, lemurs, meerkats, otters, lynx, and tapirs. Grab a pasty from Cafe Lemur or take a picnic and sit amongst the wallabies and meerkats for a truly fun day out, whatever the autumn weather brings.
Halloween at The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Saturday 24th October – Sunday 1st November
Step into the darker side of Heligan this October Half Term, with medieval myths, spooky storytelling, historic falconry and after-dark adventures taking over the gardens.
By day, families can watch Falconry displays and explore medieval myths and Victorian ideas about the natural world, before gathering round for live retellings of some of the Brothers Grimm’s original, more macabre, tales. All daytime Halloween activities are included with normal Heligan admission.
By night, things get a little darker as you venture on a twilight journey beyond the garden gates, guided by a Victorian coach driver sharing local lore from Heligan’s past. There’s also a brand-new Folk Horror Film Festival, with eight nights of atmospheric cinema planned deep within the estate, reached via a lantern-lit walk through the historic gardens. Expect cult horror favourites, Cornish-language films and more, with full film details and tickets coming soon.
Trains, PAW Patrol and Fireworks at Lappa Valley
PAW Patrol’s Chase: Sunday 25th & Monday 26th October
Fireworks Spectaculars: Friday 30th & Saturday 31st October
There’s lots happening at Lappa Valley this October Half Term.
Younger visitors can meet Chase from PAW Patrol on 25th and 26th October, when he’ll be making appearances at intervals throughout the day. Alongside the special guest, families can enjoy Lappa Valley’s trains, indoor soft play, adventure play areas and other attractions. Booking is strongly recommended.
Then, as Halloween approaches, Lappa Valley’s popular Fireworks Spectaculars return on 30th and 31st October. Arrive by train as the light begins to fade, explore East Wheal Rose illuminated for the evening and finish the day watching fireworks light up the sky above the historic engine house.
The Lakeside Railway, adventure golf, play areas and indoor Engine Shed will also be open, so there’s plenty to do before the main event begins.
Brave Cornwall’s Most Immersive Spooky Experience at Bodmin Jail
If your family likes its Halloween with a few more chills, step inside Bodmin Jail for what might just be Cornwall’s most immersive spooky experience.
The historic jail leans fully into its haunted past throughout October, with dimly lit cells, tales of former inmates and a whole programme of eerie experiences. During the day, explore the jail at your own pace and discover The Haunted Gallery, included with standard admission and filled with stories of hauntings and supernatural traditions from around the world. Or take things up a notch on a Go Darker Guided Tour, running daily and delving deeper into the jail’s darker history.
For older children and teenagers aged 12+, the lantern-lit Ghost Walk brings real ghost stories and supernatural encounters to life after hours. And if the grown-ups are feeling particularly brave, there are 18+ ghost-hunting nights, overnight investigations and even a special Halloween-night sleepover inside one of Cornwall’s most famously haunted buildings.
Halloween Fun at Trerice Manor
Monday 26th – Saturday 31st October | 10:30am – 4:30pm
National Trust members go FREE
Step through the gates of Trerice and into a world of witches, wyrms and spooky stories this Halloween.
The Reign of the Wyrm and the Witch brings together enchanted dragon storytelling, Halloween decorations and games and activities for all ages throughout the beautiful Elizabethan manor and grounds. Come dressed for the occasion and keep an eye out for witches hiding among the trees before letting the kids run around the gardens and apple orchard.
The Halloween event itself is free with normal admission, so National Trust members – remember your card!
Halloween Fun at Trevornick
Free activities and live entertainment – every day!
Of course, you don’t have to venture far to find plenty to do this October Half Term.
There’s a jam-packed programme of FREE family activities and entertainment right here at Trevornick, making it easy to fill your holiday without planning a paid-for day out every day. Our famous Halloween fancy dress party is back, alongside pumpkin carving and apple bobbing, crafts for kids and families, a scavenger hunt, kids’ prize bingo and cash bingo for the grown-ups. Look out for appearances from Wild Thing too, before finishing the season in style with live evening entertainment, party games and our end-of-season disco.
When you’re not joining in with the entertainment, explore our forest and bike trails, head to the Bear Den, challenge the family to a round of golf, enjoy a spot of fishing or simply make the most of having beautiful Holywell Bay right on the doorstep. The Farm Club, Arcade, Farm Shop and Courtyard Takeaway are also open over the half-term week. It means there’s plenty to keep the whole family entertained without even leaving Trevornick.
See what’s on during your stay.
Explore the Outdoors: Free Family Fun
One of the best things about autumn in Newquay is how easy it is to fill your days with simple, memorable family adventures – many of them completely free. Wrap up in cosy scarves and wander along Holywell Bay Beach, hunt for crabs at the harbour, or go rock pooling to uncover tiny ocean treasures. Brave little ones (and big ones too!) might even take a brisk morning dip in the sea to wake up for the day ahead.
At Trevornick, we’re perfectly placed to explore the South West coast path heading south to Perranporth or north towards Newquay. Either way is absolutely stunning. Think hidden coves, ambling rivers and lots of wildlife – seals are usually spotted on route and Perranporth even has wild ponies roaming. If this is too far for little legs, pull your wellies on and grab a drink from Hollywell Bay Beach Bar and stroll along beautiful Holywell Bay Beach or head to Crantock for a walk followed by a pub lunch.
This is just a few of our favourite things to do in Cornwall this October Half Term, but the fun doesn’t stop there! Whether you’re seeking thrills, chills or simply a peaceful autumn walk, Cornwall has plenty to fill your half-term holiday. From the spine-tingling Zombie Crawl in Newquay and pumpkin picking at Healeys to fireworks at Lappa Valley and all the Halloween fun taking place right here at Trevornick, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this autumn.
If you’re looking for a last-minute stay in Cornwall this October Half Term, then look no further than Trevornick. Choose from camping and touring pitches, contemporary static caravans, luxury lodges or a cosy Cornish cottages – we have it all, plus a jam-packed programme of free family activities and evening entertainment. There’s something for everyone, from pumpkin carving and fancy dress to discos, crafts, bingo, live entertainment, quizzes and competitions. It’s the perfect way to make the most of your holiday and enjoy every moment before we close for the season.
