Harrow's October half term is 26 to 30 October 2026. A free pumpkin trail, pond dipping from £4, a bubble show, clay theatre and a market, with prices.
Harrow’s community schools are off from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and the venues that run the borough’s family programme have already put their half term on sale. Headstone Manor has a free pumpkin trail for the whole nine days, Harrow Arts Centre has a bubble show and a clay theatre morning, and the Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner has two Halloween art workshops. Most of them need booking. The Halloween events alone, and the nearest pumpkin picking, are on Halloween in Harrow.
The quick answer
Harrow’s October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 for schools on the council calendar, back on Monday 2 November. John Lyon and North London Collegiate break a week earlier, from 19 October. The one free thing that runs all week is the Pumpkin Trail at Headstone Manor, 24 October to 1 November; the Manor is closed on Mondays.
Which week, school by school
Harrow Council’s calendar gives community schools 26 to 30 October. Several schools that set their own dates differ, and two independents take two weeks.
| School | October break |
|---|---|
| Harrow Council calendar (community schools) | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct |
| Harrow High School | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct |
| Nower Hill High School | Mon 26 Oct to Tue 3 Nov |
| Bentley Wood High School | Thu 22 Oct to Mon 2 Nov |
| John Lyon | Mon 19 to Fri 30 Oct |
| North London Collegiate School | Mon 19 to Fri 30 Oct |
| Harrow School (provisional) | Fri 23 Oct, 1pm, to Wed 4 Nov, 9pm |
The sources for each school, and the Christmas and INSET dates, are on Harrow school term dates. If your child’s school is not in the table, its own term dates page is the one that counts.
What’s on, day by day
Every event below is from the organiser’s own listing, checked on 25 September.
| Date | Event | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 24 Oct to Sun 1 Nov | Pumpkin Trail | Headstone Manor | Free |
| Sat 24 Oct, 4pm | Magical Family Concert | Harrow Arts Centre | £17, concessions £13 |
| Sun 25 Oct, 10am to 3pm | Artisans market | Headstone Manor, Great Barn | No entry price listed |
| Sun 25 and Wed 28 Oct | Halloween Nightmare Catcher workshop (two sessions) | Headstone Manor, The Granary | £28, concessions £16 |
| Mon 26 Oct | Claytime | Harrow Arts Centre, The Boiler House | £12, concessions £10 |
| Tue 27 Oct | Creepy Creature Pond Dipping | Headstone Manor | £7, concessions £4 |
| Tue 27 Oct, 10am | Junior Art Workshop: Bugs and Bats | Heath Robinson Museum, Pinner | £10 per child |
| Tue 27 Oct, 7pm | Gothic Ghostly Tales (16+) | Harrow Arts Centre, Backstage Bar | £5 |
| Wed 28 Oct, 1pm | Senior Art Workshop: Gargoyle Sculpture | Heath Robinson Museum, Pinner | £15 |
| Thu 29 Oct | Captain Calamity's Mad Science and Bubble Show | Harrow Arts Centre | £13, concessions £11 |
| Fri 30 Oct, 10am | Spooky Puppet Theatre Workshop | Harrow Arts Centre | £10, concessions £8 |
| Fri 30 Oct | Spooky Halloween Craft | Headstone Manor, The Granary | £7, concessions £4 |
| Sun 1 Nov | Diwali Kids Celebration Day | Heath Robinson Museum, Pinner | £7 per child |
Headstone Manor and Museum
Headstone Manor, on Pinner View, HA2 6PX, is free to enter, and its museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, closed on Mondays. Half term is the last week on those hours: from 2 November it switches to winter opening (Headstone Manor, visit).
- Pumpkin Trail, Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. Find the pumpkins hidden around the Manor House to spell out a spooky word, and win a treat. Pick up a free trail sheet at the museum entrance. It runs during museum opening hours, so not on Monday 26 October (Headstone Manor).
- Halloween Nightmare Catcher workshop, Sunday 25 and Wednesday 28 October. A two-part course making a spooky dream catcher, for children aged 5 and over with an adult, maximum two children per parent. Morning group 11am to 12.30pm, afternoon group 1.15pm to 2.45pm, on both days. £28 standard, £16 concessions, booked through Learn Harrow (Headstone Manor).
- Creepy Creature Pond Dipping, Tuesday 27 October, 10am or 11.30am. An hour in the Yeading Brook with the Friends of Headstone Manor Park. Bring wellies. £7, £4 concessions, and you only buy tickets for the children (Headstone Manor).
- Spooky Halloween Craft, Friday 30 October, 10am or 11.30am. Make glowing Halloween creatures in The Granary, then take them outside. £7, £4 concessions, children’s tickets only (Headstone Manor).
- Artisans market, Sunday 25 October, 10am to 3pm. Duck Pond Market’s food and craft market in the Great Barn. The free car park on Pinner View is 100 metres from the gate; the H9 and H10 buses stop at Pinner View (Duck Pond Market).
Online bookings carry a £1 fee per transaction.
Harrow Arts Centre, Hatch End
Harrow Arts Centre is at 171 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, HA5 4EA, box office 020 3773 7161. Every booking carries a £1 fee.
- Magical Family Concert, Saturday 24 October, 4pm. The Audentior Symphony Orchestra plays Peter and the Wolf and The Firebird with live narration and painting. One hour, no interval. £17, £13 concessions (Harrow Arts Centre).
- Claytime, Monday 26 October, 10am, 12.30pm or 3pm. A play with clay plus a workshop, best for children aged 3 to 6. 75 minutes. £12, £10 concessions. The centre notes that all workshops have moved to 26 October (Harrow Arts Centre).
- Captain Calamity’s Mad Science and Bubble Show, Thursday 29 October, 11.30am or 3pm. Science experiments and a bubble show, 90 minutes with an interval. £13, £11 concessions (Harrow Arts Centre).
- Spooky Puppet Theatre Workshop, Friday 30 October, 10am to noon. Make Halloween puppets from recycled materials, for families with children aged 5 and over. £10, £8 concessions (Harrow Arts Centre).
- Gothic Ghostly Tales, Tuesday 27 October, 7pm to 9pm. For the adults: poet Alice Benson and musician Marek Tribedi, spoken word by candlelight, ages 16 and over, £5, booked through Ticket Tailor (Harrow Arts Centre).
Heath Robinson Museum, Pinner
The museum is at 50 West End Lane, Pinner, HA5 1AE, and sells tickets online or at the door, Thursday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm (Heath Robinson Museum).
- Junior Art Workshop: Bugs and Bats, Tuesday 27 October, 10am to 11.30am. Moving bug and bat decorations for ages 4 to 8, with an adult. £10 per child (Heath Robinson Museum).
- Senior Art Workshop: Gargoyle Sculpture, Wednesday 28 October, 1pm to 3pm. Clay gargoyles for ages 8 to 16. £15 (Heath Robinson Museum).
- Diwali Kids Celebration Day, Sunday 1 November, 10.30am to 12.30pm or 1.30pm to 3.30pm. £7 per child, the accompanying adult goes free (Heath Robinson Museum).
The week after
Harrow’s fireworks display, with its Diwali show and funfair, is at Byron Recreation Ground on Saturday 7 November: details on Harrow fireworks and Bonfire Night. If you are driving to any of these, parking in Harrow has the council car parks and charges, and Harrow roadworks and travel has what is dug up.
Still to confirm
- Bentley Priory Museum in Stanmore says more half term workshops are on its calendar but had not listed October dates when we checked.
- Libraries and leisure centres had not published half term programmes. We will check again in mid October and add anything new.
Sources
- Headstone Manor, Pumpkin Trail
- Headstone Manor, Halloween Nightmare Catcher workshop
- Headstone Manor, Creepy Creature Pond Dipping
- Headstone Manor, Spooky Halloween Craft
- Headstone Manor, visit and opening times
- Duck Pond Market, Harrow
- Harrow Arts Centre, Magical Family Concert
- Harrow Arts Centre, Claytime
- Harrow Arts Centre, Captain Calamity’s Mad Science and Bubble Show
- Harrow Arts Centre, Spooky Puppet Theatre Workshop
- Harrow Arts Centre, Gothic Ghostly Tales
- Heath Robinson Museum, what’s on
- Harrow Council, school term dates
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