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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: 75

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  1. People stood watching the traditional lion dance at Millennium Place Durham, part of the Lunar New Tear celebrations.

    Chinese New Year 2026 Celebrations - The Year of The Horse

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    Celebrate the Chinese New Year in Durham City with a programme of exciting events.

    Dates

    From:
    21 Feb 2026
    More info for Chinese New Year 2026 Celebrations - The Year of The Horse
  2. Santa reading three children a story.

    Add Story Time with Santa - Lumley Castle Hotel to your Itinerary

    Story Time with Santa - Lumley Castle Hotel

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Chester le Street

    Are you ready for Storytime? Get those PJ's on, bring your most cuddly teddy and join us for an afternoon of spreading Christmas spirit with Mr and Mrs Claus. With milk & cookies on arrival, this event is guaranteed to get your little ones excited…

    Dates

    From:
    23 Dec 2025Various Opening Times
    More info for Story Time with Santa - Lumley Castle Hotel
  3. A child sitting beside an illuminated reindeer on the Enchanted Christmas Trail.

    Add The Plotters’ Forest Enchanted Christmas Trail at Raby Castle Park and Gardens to your Itinerary

    The Plotters’ Forest Enchanted Christmas Trail at Raby Castle Park and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Staindrop

    Enchanted Christmas Trail at The Plotters’ Forest – Day & Evening Experiences. Step into a world of festive wonder this Christmas.

    Venue

    Raby Castle, Park and Gardens, Staindrop

    Dates

    From:
    13 Dec 2025to24 Dec 2025
    From:
    17 Dec 2025to23 Dec 2025
    From:
    29 Dec 2025to31 Dec 2025
    From:
    1 Jan 2026to4 Jan 2026
    More info for The Plotters’ Forest Enchanted Christmas Trail at Raby Castle Park and Gardens
  4. Sleeping Beauty cast showing Marcus Collins, Jason Jones, Leah Bell against a snowy forest backdrop.

    Add Sleeping Beauty - Empire Consett to your Itinerary

    Sleeping Beauty - Empire Consett

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Consett

    Don’t be afraid to dream everyone. For sometimes, dream come true.

    Dates

    From:
    28 Nov 2025to31 Dec 2025
    More info for Sleeping Beauty - Empire Consett
  5. Children playing at The Bowes Museum

    Add Stay and Play - The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Stay and Play - The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Barnard Castle

    Time for The Bowes’ youngest visitors to explore and play in the Conversation Gallery, investigate materials and be creative in this self-led, free-play session.

    Dates

    From:
    2 Jan 2025to8 Jan 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for Stay and Play - The Bowes Museum
  6. Table set for Christmas Day lunch with two glasses of champagne at the Radisson Blu Durham

    Add Christmas Day at Józef’s Riverside Restaurant to your Itinerary

    Christmas Day at Józef’s Riverside Restaurant

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Durham City

    Following the excitement of Christmas Day morning, come together with family and friends, and let the Radisson Blu Durham do all the hard work for you to celebrate your Christmas Day in style.

    Dates

    From:
    25 Dec 2025Open 12:00 - 15:00
    More info for Christmas Day at Józef’s Riverside Restaurant
  7. Cartoon image of the performance area with a stage, trees, hills and a yellow aeroplane with a banner with wording Derwent Fest!

    Add Derwent Fest 2026 to your Itinerary

    Derwent Fest 2026

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Edmundbyers

    A weekend festival of live tribute music, food and drink, and children’s activities and entertainment, set in a stunning location, not far from you. Bring all the family, including the dog, and enjoy some fun, quality time together.

    Venue

    Derwent Waterside Park, Shotley Bridge

    Dates

    From:
    14 Aug 2026to15 Aug 2026
    More info for Derwent Fest 2026
  8. Arthur Christmas poster

    Add Grand Cinema at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Grand Cinema at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Film

    Beamish

    Transport yourself to the golden age of cinema with a nostalgic afternoon in our beautifully restored 1950s Grand Cinema.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Dec 2025
    From:
    21 Dec 2025
    More info for Grand Cinema at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  9. A visitor to the Faith Museum looking at the Neapolitan Nativity

    Add Neapolitan Nativity - The Auckland Project to your Itinerary

    Neapolitan Nativity - The Auckland Project

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Market Place, Bishop Auckland

    Be dazzled by our monumental 18th-century Neapolitan Nativity scene. This remarkable Baroque créche, known in Italian as a presepe, is a giant Nativity scene staged in a true-life Neapolitan setting.

    Venue

    The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland

    Dates

    From:
    21 Nov 2025to31 Dec 2025Various Opening Times
    More info for Neapolitan Nativity - The Auckland Project
  10. Durham Miners' Gala. Crowds enjoying the Gala outside of the County Hotel. Colliery Banners can be seen as the Bands march through the streets.

    Durham Miners' Gala 2026

    Type

    Type:

    Show / Display

    Durham City

    The Durham Miners' Gala returns on 11th July 2026.

    Dates

    From:
    11 July 2026
    More info for Durham Miners' Gala 2026
  11. Locomotive pulling a coach pulling a crowd of people

    Add S&DR200 Celebrating Railways: Past, Present and Future at Locomotion to your Itinerary

    S&DR200 Celebrating Railways: Past, Present and Future at Locomotion

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Shildon

    The highlight of the anniversary year will be Rail Futures, a celebratory festival taking place in late September and early October.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Sept 2025to31 Dec 2025Open 10:00 - 16:00
    More info for S&DR200 Celebrating Railways: Past, Present and Future at Locomotion
  12. Father Christmas waving from a carriage at Beamish Museum.

    Add Breakfast with Father Christmas - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Breakfast with Father Christmas - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Beamish

    Kick off your day with something magical. Join Father Christmas for breakfast in The Coffee Pot Café at the Entrance Building, before he heads off on his Christmas duties.

    Dates

    From:
    29 Nov 2025to21 Dec 2025Various Opening Times
    More info for Breakfast with Father Christmas - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  13. Large Christmas Tree at Raby Castle

    Add Raby Castle at Christmas to your Itinerary

    Raby Castle at Christmas

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Staindrop

    Step back in time to experience a traditional family Christmas at Raby Castle.

    Venue

    Raby Castle, Park and Gardens, Staindrop

    Dates

    From:
    17 Dec 2025to24 Dec 2025
    From:
    29 Dec 2025to31 Dec 2025
    From:
    2 Jan 2026to4 Jan 2026
    More info for Raby Castle at Christmas
  14. Children listening to Santa telling a story beside the Christmas Tree

    Add Fireside Story & Breakfast with Santa to your Itinerary

    Fireside Story & Breakfast with Santa

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Lanchester

    This Festive season revel in the magic and excitement of Christmas and enjoy a delicious breakfast in comfortable surroundings, complete with fireplace setting and a visit from Father Christmas.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Dec 2025to23 Dec 2025Open 09:00 - 10:45
    More info for Fireside Story & Breakfast with Santa
  15. Mr. Grinch and Cindy-Lou posing for a photo in front of a Christmas tree at Lanchester Garden Centre.

    Add "Who Stole our Christmas?" Party - Lanchester Garden Centre to your Itinerary

    "Who Stole our Christmas?" Party - Lanchester Garden Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Lanchester

    Join us this Festive season for the return of our ever-popular children's Christmas Party!

    Dates

    From:
    18 Dec 2025to19 Dec 2025Open 17:00 - 19:00
    More info for "Who Stole our Christmas?" Party - Lanchester Garden Centre
  16. Grand Finale all cast of Kynren view from the tribune

    Add Kynren - An Epic Tale of England - 2026 to your Itinerary

    Kynren - An Epic Tale of England - 2026

    Type

    Type:

    Performance

    Bishop Auckland

    Step into Kynren, a live action outdoor theatre spectacular that immerses you in 2000 years of history on an epic scale.

    Dates

    From:
    18 July 2026to12 Sept 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for Kynren - An Epic Tale of England - 2026
  17. Crook Hall Gardens, exterior of medieval hall

    Add Cinderella: a Christmas puppet panto at Crook Hall Gardens to your Itinerary

    Cinderella: a Christmas puppet panto at Crook Hall Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Durham City

    Experience the classic tale of magic, princes, glass slippers and pumpkins at the Crook Hall Gardens puppet theatre.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Dec 2025to21 Dec 2025Open 12:30 - 14:00
    More info for Cinderella: a Christmas puppet panto at Crook Hall Gardens
  18. Father Christmas sitting in front of a Christmas Tree at Raby Castle

    Add Father Christmas at Raby Castle to your Itinerary

    Father Christmas at Raby Castle

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Staindrop

    ​​​​​​Experience the Magic of Christmas with Father Christmas in Raby Castle’s Barons’ Hall.

    Venue

    Raby Castle, Park and Gardens, Staindrop

    Dates

    From:
    19 Dec 2025to24 Dec 2025
    More info for Father Christmas at Raby Castle
  19. The Story at Mount Oswald

    Add S&DR200 - All Change to your Itinerary

    S&DR200 - All Change

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    South Road, Durham City

    Through authentic voices from letters, diaries, court papers, and other day-to-day records from their collections, The Story will uncover the impact of the Stockton & Darlington Railway on the socio-economic fabric of the region.  

    Dates

    From:
    25 May 2025to26 Jan 2026
    More info for S&DR200 - All Change
  20. Aerial view of Aglow presented by The Auckland Project

    Add AGLOW - The Auckland Project to your Itinerary

    AGLOW - The Auckland Project

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Bishop Auckland

    Auckland Palace's dazzling light trail AGLOW will light up the skies of Bishop Auckland once again this Christmas.

    Venue

    The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland

    Dates

    From:
    21 Nov 2025to31 Dec 2025
    More info for AGLOW - The Auckland Project
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