Hertfordshire weekend plans for 24–25 October 2026

Hemel Hempstead’s Old Town leads the last weekend before half term: a free Halloween street party on Sunday 25 October, finishing with fireworks at Gadebridge Park (the exact fireworks time and the Old Town Hall show programme are still TBA). Around it, Knebworth opens its gardens, park and dinosaur trail for a week of autumn colour, Ware Drill Hall fills with makers and young entrepreneurs on Saturday, and The Galleria in Hatfield hosts a two-day Black History Month market and workshop weekend. Clocks go back early on Sunday 25 October, so evenings arrive sooner — useful to know if you’re finishing at fireworks or a late garden stroll. Whether you’re rounding up mates, planning a family day or after a slower couple’s outing, these are the four worth building 24–25 October around.

Halloween in the Old Town — Hemel Hempstead

Halloween in the Old Town takes over Old Town High Street, Hemel Hempstead (HP1 3AE) on Sunday 25 October 2026, 3pm–7.30pm. The event is free. Dacorum Council’s listing covers family-friendly entertainment and activities, Halloween-themed attractions, interactive performances, market stalls, and food and drink from the Old Town Market. Fancy dress is encouraged. The Old Town Hall will run its own show programme during the afternoon, but that programme is still TBA.

Optional spooky walking tours of the Old Town run through the afternoon at £7 adults / £3 children, with proceeds going to the Mayor’s Future Fund via Community Action Dacorum. There’s also a free Halloween word hunt around St Mary’s Churchyard, with a sweet treat for completed sheets. The evening finishes with a fireworks display at Gadebridge Park; the exact fireworks time is still TBA, so check the council page nearer the day. Full details are on the Dacorum Council Halloween in the Old Town 2026 page.

Because the clocks go back in the early hours of that Sunday, it will already be dark by the time fireworks start — wrap up and plan parking or a lift home. This is the weekend’s headline pick, and it suits families and groups of mates who want a proper town-centre Halloween without buying a day ticket.

The Magic of Autumn — Knebworth House Gardens & Park

Knebworth’s Magic of Autumn opens the Gardens, Park and Dinosaur Trail daily from Saturday 24 to Friday 30 October 2026, 10.30am–4pm (last admission 3.30pm). The house itself is closed for this spell, and the adventure playground stays shut through October and November. Visitor entrance postcode is SG1 2AX.

Online, the autumn Gardens & Dinosaur Trail ticket is listed at £8 per person aged 3 and over on Knebworth’s digitickets page; under-3s go free. An optional Autumn Trail for ages roughly 2–8 is an extra £2 and includes a trail sheet, pencil, a small chocolate prize (dairy-free option available) and two craft activities. Season ticket holders get admission and the trail free. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in the park only, not the gardens or dinosaur trail. Book on the Magic of Autumn digitickets page; event detail is on the Knebworth Magic of Autumn page.

This is the outdoor family (or couple’s walk-and-tea) pick of the weekend: autumn colour, dinosaurs for the kids, and a short trail if you want a structured hour. Go Saturday if Sunday is already booked for Hemel; both days are in the opening window.

Makers & Mini Makers Community Market — Ware Drill Hall

Makers & Bakers’ Makers & Mini Makers Community Market is at Ware Drill Hall (17 Amwell End, Ware, SG12 9HP) on Saturday 24 October 2026, 10am–3pm. Entry is free. The organiser pitches it as an artisan market plus a children’s enterprise market — local makers, bakers and young entrepreneurs under one roof, with handmade gifts and produce, and Young Enterprise stallholders judged on products, presentation and customer engagement. Mum’s Guide to Hertford also flags family workshops bookable via the organiser’s site, billed as a half-term kick-off.

Details are on the Mum’s Guide listing for the Ware market and at makersandbakersmarkets.com; workshop places are promoted from that site if you want a booked activity rather than a browse.

It’s an easy Christmas-gift Saturday with a friend or partner, or a gentle family morning before half term starts on Monday. Ware also pairs well with a later trip west to Hemel for Sunday’s Halloween evening if you’re splitting the weekend.

Black History Month Cultural Pop-Up Market — The Galleria, Hatfield

Hatfield Cultural Connection CIC’s Black History Month Cultural Pop-Up Market & Workshop Weekend returns to The Galleria, Hatfield (Unit 27, Upper Level, Comet Way, AL10 0XR) on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026, 11am–5pm. Entry is free. The Galleria and the organiser both describe it as a community celebration of Black history, culture and creativity, now in its fourth year at the centre.

Expect a pop-up market of Black-owned independent businesses and makers, hands-on workshops, live music and family entertainment, community organisations to meet, an “Express Yourself” creative corner, and a new Black history exhibition developed with support from A2Dominion’s Black History Month 365 Fund. All ages are welcome. Paid parking at The Galleria is listed on the Eventbrite page at £3 all day on Saturday and Sunday (disabled patrons free for up to three hours).

Reserve a free spot via the Eventbrite listing for the Black History Month Cultural Pop-Up Market; more background is on the Galleria’s event page and the Hatfield Cultural Connection CIC post.

This is the weekend’s indoor culture pick: browse, learn, eat and hang about with friends, family or a partner without needing a ticket budget.

Quick shortlist

• Halloween in the Old Town, Hemel Hempstead: Sun 25 Oct, 3–7.30pm, free; optional walking tours £7/£3; fireworks at Gadebridge Park (families / mates)
• The Magic of Autumn, Knebworth: Sat–Sun 24–25 Oct (runs to Fri 30), 10.30am–4pm, gardens & dinosaur trail £8 online, optional trail £2 (families / couples)
• Makers & Mini Makers Community Market, Ware Drill Hall: Sat 24 Oct, 10am–3pm, free; workshops via makersandbakersmarkets.com (couples / family / friends)
• Black History Month Cultural Pop-Up Market, The Galleria Hatfield: Sat–Sun 24–25 Oct, 11am–5pm, free entry (Galleria parking listed £3/day) (friends / family / couples)

Also worth a look: Tring Farmers Market in Church Square (Sat 24 Oct, 9am–2pm); Harpenden Farmers’ Market on Lower High Street (Sun 25 Oct, 10am–2pm); half-term pumpkin days at Willows Activity Farm (daily 23–31 Oct) or the gentler Aldenham Country Park Spook-Fest (scarecrow shows and Horrid Hay tractor ride on for 24–31 Oct); Hertfordshire Zoo’s Pumpkin Valley (included with zoo day tickets, 23 Oct–1 Nov).

Coming up: Hertfordshire October half term runs Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 — peak week for Willows, Aldenham, Knebworth’s autumn opening and the zoo’s Pumpkin Valley. Clocks go back at 2am on Sunday 25 October.

If you’re only picking one, match the vibe: a Halloween street party and fireworks in Hemel, an autumn garden day at Knebworth, a makers’ morning in Ware, or a free culture weekend at The Galleria. Hertfordshire has all four on the same weekend.