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You are here > Home > What's On > Family Events

Family Events

For guaranteed fun for all the family check out our list of events taking place across the county.

Whether you are looking for things on this weekend, or looking for what's on today, we have all the amazing events for a great days out with the kids.

Create lasting memories with your loved ones at Durham's family-friendly events. Explore a diverse array of kid-friendly activities, family festivals, and interactive outings that cater to all ages. From educational workshops to entertaining performances, Durham offers a vibrant calendar of events designed to bring families together. Stay informed about the latest family-friendly happenings, and plan your weekends with the exciting array of cultural and recreational activities that Durham has to offer.

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Number of results: 52

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  1. Dragon Scale Slime, a wooden sword and shield and a handmade dragon eye.

    Add How to Train Your Dragon Craft School - Lanchester Garden Centre to your Itinerary

    How to Train Your Dragon Craft School - Lanchester Garden Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Lanchester

    Join us and Craftily Ever After for our very first How to Train a Dragon Crafting School.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Mar 2026Open 15:15 - 16:45
    More info for How to Train Your Dragon Craft School - Lanchester Garden Centre
  2. Dragon cupcakes.

    Add Train Your Dragon Cupcakes Class - Lanchester Garden Centre to your Itinerary

    Train Your Dragon Cupcakes Class - Lanchester Garden Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Lanchester

    Join us and Craftily Ever After for our very first Dragon Training inspired Cupcakes class where we will create 2 Dragon cupcakes along with container decoration to take your creations home.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Mar 2026Open 14:00 - 14:45
    More info for Train Your Dragon Cupcakes Class - Lanchester Garden Centre
  3. A close up photograph of a Chinese astronomical clock face.

    Add Family Activities: Tick Tock - Durham University Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    Family Activities: Tick Tock - Durham University Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Durham City

    Learn all about our special Chinese clock and make a super star decoration to take home.

    Dates

    From:
    14 Feb 2026Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for Family Activities: Tick Tock - Durham University Oriental Museum
  4. A wooden carving of a hornbill bird with a long, curved beak.

    Add Family Activities: Brilliant Birds - Durham University Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    Family Activities: Brilliant Birds - Durham University Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Durham City

    Learn about birds from the beautiful forests of South Asia and make your own feathered friend to take home.

    Dates

    From:
    7 Feb 2026Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for Family Activities: Brilliant Birds - Durham University Oriental Museum
  5. Two staff perched on Victorian steam locomotive ‘Sir Berkeley’.

    Add Festival of Transport 2026 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Festival of Transport 2026 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Beamish

    Join us for a Festival of Transport as part of May Half Term!

    Dates

    From:
    23 May 2026to31 May 2026
    More info for Festival of Transport 2026 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  6. Silhouette of a person photographing The Milky Way from the hillside

    Add Family Astronomy - Grassholme Observatory to your Itinerary

    Family Astronomy - Grassholme Observatory

    Type

    Type:

    Stargazing Events

    nr Mickleton

    Due to popular demand, we have laid on this exclusive event to educate the little ones on all things spacey!

    Dates

    From:
    7 Feb 2026Open 18:00 - 19:30
    From:
    21 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 11:30
    More info for Family Astronomy - Grassholme Observatory
  7. Ignite festival

    Add IGNITE Winter Arts Festival to your Itinerary

    IGNITE Winter Arts Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    IGNITE 2026 is a brand-new winter festival for Bishop Auckland, County Durham  bringing light, creativity and joy to the darkest days of the yeae.  Expect illuminations, a community parade, live performances, hands-on workshops, music, art and…

    Dates

    From:
    20 Feb 2026to22 Feb 2026
    More info for IGNITE Winter Arts Festival
  8. Jelly What Cupcakes - Lanchester Garden Centre

    Add Jelly What Cupcakes - Lanchester Garden Centre to your Itinerary

    Jelly What Cupcakes - Lanchester Garden Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Lanchester

    Join us and Craftily Ever After for our very first Jelly What Cupcakes class where we will create 2 Jelly What cupcakes along with container decoration to take your creations home.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Mar 2026Open 10:00 - 10:45
    More info for Jelly What Cupcakes - Lanchester Garden Centre
  9. A family speaking to Beamish Museum staff before boarding the tram.

    Add Mothering Sunday 2026 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Mothering Sunday 2026 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Mother's Day

    Beamish

    Make treasured memories this Mother’s Day at Beamish!

    Dates

    From:
    15 Mar 2026
    More info for Mothering Sunday 2026 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  10. Two women and three children walking around the lake at Hardwick Park

    February Forest Club - Hardwick Park

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Sedgefield

    Forest Club is a hands-on experience designed to engage children about the natural world around them, aimed at children from approximately 2 to 6 years of age. This workshop takes place in our outdoor learning area. Older siblings are welcome to…

    Dates

    From:
    24 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 15:00
    More info for February Forest Club - Hardwick Park
  11. Spindizzy attraction at Diggerland Durham

    Add Special Half Term Offer at Diggerland to your Itinerary

    Special Half Term Offer at Diggerland

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Langley Park

    A special half term offer at Diggerland Durham, Buy 2, get 2 free!

    Dates

    From:
    14 Feb 2026to1 Mar 2026
    More info for Special Half Term Offer at Diggerland
  12. Ariel view of Wolsingham Show

    Add Wolsingham Show 2026 to your Itinerary

    Wolsingham Show 2026

    Type

    Type:

    Agricultural Show

    Wolsingham

    Celebrate the county’s farming life at England’s oldest and Durham’s biggest open-air Agricultural show. A jam-packed weekend of family-friendly entertainment.

    Dates

    From:
    5 Sept 2026to6 Sept 2026
    More info for Wolsingham Show 2026
  13. Poster promoting Spring Fair with colourful illustrations of cakes, chocolate eggs, tulips and rabbits.

    Add Spring Fair - The Pavilion to your Itinerary

    Spring Fair - The Pavilion

    Type

    Type:

    Fete / Fair

    Peterlee

    Spring is in the Air at The Peterlee Pavilion!

    Dates

    From:
    21 Mar 2026Open 10:30 - 14:30
    More info for Spring Fair - The Pavilion
  14. Two children in The Plotters' Forest pointing to a dragon hatching from an egg at Raby Castle.

    Add The Plotters' Forest Dragon Quest - Raby Castle to your Itinerary

    The Plotters' Forest Dragon Quest - Raby Castle

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Staindrop

    February Half Term Fun at The Plotters’ Forest Adventure Playground.

    Step into a world of wonder on our brand-new Dragon Quest, weaved amongst the winding paths of our Christmas tree plantation. This family-friendly adventure invites little…

    Dates

    From:
    14 Feb 2026to29 Mar 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    More info for The Plotters' Forest Dragon Quest - Raby Castle
  15. A Witch and a cat riding a broom.  Room on the Broom © 2001 Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler. Licensed by Magic Light Pictures Ltd.

    Add Room on the Broom Trail at Hamsterley Forest to your Itinerary

    Room on the Broom Trail at Hamsterley Forest

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Redford, Hamsterley Forest

    This interactive family trail is packed with Room on the Broom themed activities, fascinating forest facts and plenty of hands-on fun. 

    Dates

    From:
    28 Jan 2026to31 Dec 2026
    More info for Room on the Broom Trail at Hamsterley Forest
  16. The Bowes Museum at night

    Add Bowes Lates to your Itinerary

    Bowes Lates

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    The Bowes Museum is inviting visitors to step inside after hours for the first in a series of Bowes Lates, a new way to enjoy a cultural evening of art, food and more in a relaxed atmosphere. The event takes place on Saturday, 14 February 2026, from…

    Dates

    From:
    14 Feb 2026
    More info for Bowes Lates
  17. A fairground on the street.

    Add Sacriston Party in the Park to your Itinerary

    Sacriston Party in the Park

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Sacriston

    Free community fun day including fairground rides, inflatables, climbing wall, face-painting & much more!

    Dates

    From:
    6 June 2026Open 11:00 - 15:00
    More info for Sacriston Party in the Park
  18. child poses with ice culture and flame lit torch outside Durham Cathedral.

    Add Fire and Ice Durham to your Itinerary

    Fire and Ice Durham

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham City

    Experience the magic of Fire and Ice in Durham, a spectacular winter event transforming Durham City into a captivating wonderland.

    Dates

    From:
    27 Feb 2026to28 Feb 2026Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Fire and Ice Durham
  19. Crowds of people enjoying the Durham Fringe Festival on Palace Green, Durham city.

    Add Durham Fringe Festival 2026 to your Itinerary

    Durham Fringe Festival 2026

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham City

    Between 29th July and 2nd August 2026, Durham Fringe Festival will host a spectacular array of performing arts.  Genres include theatre, music, stand-up comedy, comedy theatre, magic, spoken word, cabaret, dance, physical theatre, circus, and…

    Dates

    From:
    29 July 2026to2 Aug 2026
    More info for Durham Fringe Festival 2026
  20. Rapunzel written in gold on a purple background.

    Add Rapunzel - Gala Durham Pantomime to your Itinerary

    Rapunzel - Gala Durham Pantomime

    Type

    Type:

    Pantomimes

    Durham City

    In the dark, tangled forest of Hamsterley stands a mysterious tower, locals swear they can hear beautiful singing drifting through the trees, a voice so pure it stops even the bravest woodcutter in their tracks.

    Dates

    From:
    19 Nov 2026to31 Dec 2026
    More info for Rapunzel - Gala Durham Pantomime
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