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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: 105

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  1. Two women and three children walking around the lake at Hardwick Park

    Add Forest Club - Hardwick Park to your Itinerary

    Forest Club - Hardwick Park

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Sedgefield

    Forest Club is a hands-on experience designed to engage children with the world around them through natural and play based activities. The programme is aimed at children between two and six years of age. Each session will include a different …

    Dates

    From:
    26 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    From:
    28 Oct 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    More info for Forest Club - Hardwick Park
  2. 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
  3. Artwork relating to beasts and legends on display at Palace Green Library. Silhouette of knights and dragons.

    Add Beasts and Legends: Adventures Through North East Folklore to your Itinerary

    Beasts and Legends: Adventures Through North East Folklore

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Durham

    This family friendly exhibition features a selection of artefacts from across the Durham University collections to help tell the stories of local folktales. 

    Dates

    From:
    14 June 2025to2 Nov 2025Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Beasts and Legends: Adventures Through North East Folklore
  4. Photography by Claire Collinson. Larger-than-life, soft recreations of an animal

    Add Pippa Hale: Pet Project - The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Pippa Hale: Pet Project - The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Barnard Castle

    See the museum’s renowned ceramic collection re-imagined into a vibrant and interactive experience for all ages.

    Dates

    From:
    26 July 2025to1 Mar 2026
    More info for Pippa Hale: Pet Project - The Bowes Museum
  5. People doing Yoga outside in the sunshine

    Add Summer Yoga at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens to your Itinerary

    Summer Yoga at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham

    Join our experienced Yoga instructors from Yoga Union (Thursdays) Kalma Life (Wednesdays) for a guided session of child-friendly Yoga in our beautiful building.

    Dates

    From:
    27 Aug 2025Open 13:30 -
    More info for Summer Yoga at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens
  6. Audience watching the spectacular fireworks display from the arena: Pyromusical 2024

    Add Pyromusical - Kynren 2025 to your Itinerary

    Pyromusical - Kynren 2025

    Type

    Type:

    Bonfire Night

    Toronto, Bishop Auckland

    Join us for the seventh edition of our sensational Pyromusical on Saturday, 1st November 2025.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Nov 2025Open 19:00 -
    More info for Pyromusical - Kynren 2025
  7. Blanchland Show Arial View

    Add Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show to your Itinerary

    Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Blanchland

    Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show is an annual country show held in the picturesque village of Blanchland.

    Held each summer on August Bank Holiday Monday, the show draws visitors from across Northumberland, County Durham, and beyond. It features a…

    Dates

    From:
    25 Aug 2025Open 10:30 - 17:00
    More info for Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show
  8. outer space galaxy

    North Pennines Stargazing Festival 2025

    Type

    Type:

    Stargazing Events

    The North Pennines Stargazing Festival is returning for 2025 – running for a week between Friday 24 October and Sunday 2 November.

    Dates

    From:
    24 Oct 2025to2 Nov 2025
    More info for North Pennines Stargazing Festival 2025
  9. People sitting in a carriage drawn by two beautiful black horses at Beamish Museum

    Add Attelage Horse Weekend 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Attelage Horse Weekend 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Beamish

    See a remarkable carriage driving competition by the Concours d'International d'Attelage de Tradition (CIAT) take place around the museum.

    Dates

    From:
    13 Sept 2025to14 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Attelage Horse Weekend 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  10. A cartoon image of children and adults enjoying an outdoor activity at Auckland Palace Deer Park

    Add Hearth Outdoors at Auckland Palace Deer Park to your Itinerary

    Hearth Outdoors at Auckland Palace Deer Park

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Bishop Auckland

    A free, welcoming programme of nature-based activities designed to help you feel good, connect with others, and explore the green spaces of Auckland Palace Deer Park.

    Venue

    The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland

    Dates

    From:
    29 July 2025to31 Dec 2025
    More info for Hearth Outdoors at Auckland Palace Deer Park
  11. Staff and children dressed up as Vikings at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens

    Add Viking Weekend - Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens to your Itinerary

    Viking Weekend - Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Durham

    On Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 September head to Ushaw for their Viking Weekend where history comes alive!

    Dates

    From:
    27 Sept 2025to28 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 16:00
    More info for Viking Weekend - Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens
  12. A selection of images of children painting and enjoying craft activities

    Add Wildlife Watch - Low Barns Nature Reserve to your Itinerary

    Wildlife Watch - Low Barns Nature Reserve

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Bishop Auckland

    If your child cares about nature, loves exploring wild places, learning all about wildlife and making new friends, then Watch is for you!

    Dates

    From:
    31 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    More info for Wildlife Watch - Low Barns Nature Reserve
  13. 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
  14. A firework display

    Add Festival of Fireworks at Durham Cricket to your Itinerary

    Festival of Fireworks at Durham Cricket

    Type

    Type:

    Bonfire Night

    Chester le Street

    The Festival of Fireworks is back and set to light up the skies over Banks Homes Riverside on Saturday 1st November 2025 in collaboration with Chester-le-Street CC.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Nov 2025Open 19:30 -
    More info for Festival of Fireworks at Durham Cricket
  15. Josef's restaurant at the Radisson Blu Durham

    Add Family Santa Sunday Lunch to your Itinerary

    Family Santa Sunday Lunch

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Durham City

    A relaxed family-friendly atmosphere, delicious food and a visit from the main man himself – Santa Claus will be delivering a selection box for the kids!

    Dates

    From:
    7 Dec 2025Open 12:30 - 15:30
    From:
    14 Dec 2025Open 12:30 - 15:30
    From:
    21 Dec 2025Open 12:30 - 15:30
    More info for Family Santa Sunday Lunch
  16. Two women and three children walking around the lake at Hardwick Park

    Add Passport to Nature: Winter Wildlife Walk to your Itinerary

    Passport to Nature: Winter Wildlife Walk

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Sedgefield

    It might be cold outside but that does not stop the wildlife at Hardwick Park! Join the education team as we explore the park's tranquil beauty, from the rustling of winter leaves to the tracks left by the park's wildlife. Whether you're a nature…

    Dates

    From:
    12 Dec 2025Open 07:00 - 09:00
    More info for Passport to Nature: Winter Wildlife Walk
  17. Santa greeting visitors aboard the Santa Express

    Add Santa Express at Weardale Railway to your Itinerary

    Santa Express at Weardale Railway

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Station Road, Stanhope

    Santa Express returns to Weardale Railway this Christmas.

    Venue

    The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland

    Dates

    From:
    21 Nov 2025to24 Dec 2025
    More info for Santa Express at Weardale Railway
  18. High Force Waterfall at sunset

    Add Summer Lates at High Force Hotel and Waterfall to your Itinerary

    Summer Lates at High Force Hotel and Waterfall

    Type

    Type:

    Summer Event

    Forest-in-Teesdale

    Evenings Just Got Better at High Force Waterfall. Until the 7th of September we are now open daily until 8pm! Giving you more time to unwind, explore, and catch those spectacular sunset views in one of the North East’s most scenic locations.

    Dates

    From:
    23 July 2025to7 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 20:00
    More info for Summer Lates at High Force Hotel and Waterfall
  19. Image of a field of Sunflowers at East Grange Farm.

    Add East Grange Sunflowers - East Grange Farm to your Itinerary

    East Grange Sunflowers - East Grange Farm

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham

    Welcome to our 12-acre field bursting with 12,000,000 sunflowers! That's the equivalent of strolling through a field stretching across 7 football pitches!

    Dates

    From:
    15 Aug 2025to24 Aug 2025
    More info for East Grange Sunflowers - East Grange Farm
  20. Children in Hamsterley Forest searching for stick characters on The Stickman Man Trail. Credit Forestry England Crown Copyright

    Add The Stick Man Trail at Hamsterley Forest to your Itinerary

    The Stick Man Trail at Hamsterley Forest

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Hamsterley, Bishop Auckland

    Families can join a new forest adventure as the much-loved character Stick Man, based on the beautiful picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, returns to Forestry England Hamsterley.

    Dates

    From:
    12 Feb 2025to31 Jan 2026
    More info for The Stick Man Trail at Hamsterley Forest
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