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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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  1. Forky Pen

    Add Forky Pens & Alien Goo Creations - Lanchester Garden Centre to your Itinerary

    Forky Pens & Alien Goo Creations - Lanchester Garden Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Lanchester

    Get ready for some Toy Story magic! Join us and Craftily Ever After for a hands‑on craft session where kids can make their own Forky Pen and mix up a pot of bright green Alien Slime. Creative, colourful, and full of character — the perfect family…

    Dates

    From:
    16 Aug 2026Open 13:30 - 14:15
    More info for Forky Pens & Alien Goo Creations - Lanchester Garden Centre
  2. Scene from The Polar Express (2004) Small child looking up a towering steam train in the snow

    Add Grand Cinema: Polar Express - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Grand Cinema: Polar Express - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Stanley

    Transport yourself to the golden age of cinema with a nostalgic afternoon in our beautifully restored 1950s Grand cinema. The Grand cinema, from Ryhope, in Sunderland, has been recreated and brought to life in our 1950s Town.

    Dates

    From:
    21 Nov 2026Open 14:00 -
    More info for Grand Cinema: Polar Express - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  3. Adults and children enjoying the pop-up beach at Locomotion by Richard Salkeld, with colourful buckets and spades, a giant deckchair and seaside photo

    Add Summer Festival - Locomotion to your Itinerary

    Summer Festival - Locomotion

    Type

    Type:

    Summer Event

    Shildon

    Join us for an action-packed summer of fun! Enjoy our sandy beach, take a train ride and get stuck into hands-on family activities as we celebrate the exciting world of engineering. Legendary locomotive Flying Scotsman will be visiting from 2…

    Dates

    From:
    18 July 2026to31 Aug 2026
    More info for Summer Festival - Locomotion
  4. A volunteer demonstrates anatomy with an animal skull. Skulls, Science and Investigation.

    Add Skulls, Science & Investigation - Museum of Archaeology at Palace Green Library to your Itinerary

    Skulls, Science & Investigation - Museum of Archaeology at Palace Green Library

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Palace Green, Durham City

    Are you fascinated by the natural world past and present? Investigate the archaeology and science of animal bones with experts from the Skull Index CIC at FREE family-friendly workshops at the Museum of Archaeology.

    Venue

    Museum of Archaeology at Palace Green Library, Durham City

    Dates

    From:
    28 Aug 2026to29 Aug 2026Open 11:00 - 15:00
    From:
    12 Sept 2026Open 11:00 - 15:00
    More info for Skulls, Science & Investigation - Museum of Archaeology at Palace Green Library
  5. Yellow and purple font with a white lego brick background, 'Brick Fairytales, enchanted Bishop Auckland'

    Add Brick Fairytales, Enchanted Bishop Auckland - Bishop Auckland Town Hall to your Itinerary

    Brick Fairytales, Enchanted Bishop Auckland - Bishop Auckland Town Hall

    Type

    Type:

    Summer Event

    Bishop Auckland

    Bishop Auckland Town Council is pleased to announce the Brick Fairy tales, Enchanted Bishop Auckland Competition which will open on Monday 17th August 2026, until Sunday 30th August 2026. Step into a world of Fairy tales and discover enchanting…

    Dates

    From:
    17 Aug 2026to30 Aug 2026
    More info for Brick Fairytales, Enchanted Bishop Auckland - Bishop Auckland Town Hall
  6. Spooky scarecrow looking sinisterly at the camera at Beamish, at night.

    Add Halloween Evening - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Halloween Evening - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Halloween

    Stanley

    Something spooky is coming… Step back in time and get ready for a night you’ll never forget.
    Join us for a special spine-tingling experience as Beamish is transformed into The Un-living Museum of the North.

    Dates

    From:
    28 Oct 2026to31 Oct 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for Halloween Evening - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  7. A spooky green grave in the forest saying "Dr.Acula 1897" with a skeleton coming out of the ground

    Add Halloween After Dark in The Plotters’ Forest - Raby Castle, Park and Gardens to your Itinerary

    Halloween After Dark in The Plotters’ Forest - Raby Castle, Park and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Halloween

    Darlington

    Halloween After Dark Illuminated Trail in The Plotters Forest. As dusk descends, The Plotters’ Forest stirs with an eerie excitement. Adventurers don their spookiest costumes and venture into the shadows, where spiders spin webs and witches and…

    Dates

    From:
    24 Oct 2026Various Opening Times
    From:
    29 Oct 2026to31 Oct 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for Halloween After Dark in The Plotters’ Forest - Raby Castle, Park and Gardens
  8. Member of Beamish Museum staff with a Nutcracker figure and festive decorations in the background.

    Add Christmas Daytimes - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Christmas Daytimes - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Beamish

    Experience the magic of a traditional Christmas through time at Beamish.

    Dates

    From:
    21 Nov 2026to24 Dec 2026
    More info for Christmas Daytimes - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  9. A scientist conducting an experiment with fire - Big Science.

    Add Big Sweetie Science - Lanchester Garden Centre to your Itinerary

    Big Sweetie Science - Lanchester Garden Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Workshop

    Lanchester

    Join us this Summer for the return of our Big "Sweetie" Science Workshop.

    The children will explore different science areas using sweets. Every child will make their own pot of sherbet and a chemistry mocktail, making fizzy reactions.

    Dates

    From:
    24 Aug 2026Open 11:30 - 12:30
    More info for Big Sweetie Science - Lanchester Garden Centre
  10. Little boy in green jacket, peering into binoculars - Nature Spotters at The Bowes Museum

    Add Nature Spotters - The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Nature Spotters - The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Barnard Castle

    Gather around an indoor campsite to explore the plants and animals that thrive in the museum's surrounding parkland.

    Dates

    From:
    18 Aug 2026Open 11:00 - 12:00
    More info for Nature Spotters - The Bowes Museum
  11. 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
  12. A red vintage bus parked between two others

    Add Heritage Open Days - Aycliffe Bus Museum to your Itinerary

    Heritage Open Days - Aycliffe Bus Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Heritage Open Days

    Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe

    Step aboard at Aycliffe Bus Museum for a journey through North East transport history. Explore vintage buses, fascinating memorabilia, enjoy free heritage bus rides, and meet our friendly volunteers. Free admission and fun for all ages!

    Dates

    From:
    12 Sept 2026to13 Sept 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    More info for Heritage Open Days - Aycliffe Bus Museum
  13. Close up of the Grinch looing quizzical at the camera wearing a Santa hat in the snowy night

    Add Grand Cinema: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (PG) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Grand Cinema: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (PG) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Stanley

    Transport yourself to the golden age of cinema with a nostalgic afternoon in our beautifully restored 1950s Grand cinema. The Grand cinema, from Ryhope, in Sunderland, has been recreated and brought to life in our 1950s Town.

    Dates

    From:
    12 Dec 2026Open 13:45 -
    More info for Grand Cinema: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (PG) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  14. Three singers in traditional clothing, next to a Christmas tree, performing festive live music during Beamish Museum's Christmas Evenings.

    Add Beamish, The Living Museum of the North’s Magical Christmas Evenings to your Itinerary

    Beamish, The Living Museum of the North’s Magical Christmas Evenings

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Beamish

    Beamish Museum Christmas Evening Tickets on Sale Soon!

    Dates

    From:
    3 Dec 2026to4 Dec 2026Open 17:00 - 21:30
    From:
    10 Dec 2026to11 Dec 2026Open 17:00 - 21:30
    From:
    17 Dec 2026to18 Dec 2026Open 17:00 - 21:30
    More info for Beamish, The Living Museum of the North’s Magical Christmas Evenings
  15. A beautiful view of the Aurora Borealis in the dark night sky

    Add Aurora Night - Grassholme Observatory to your Itinerary

    Aurora Night - Grassholme Observatory

    Type

    Type:

    Stargazing Events

    Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle

    The event will begin with a personal welcome from our astronomer, Gary Fildes. Gary is a very experienced science communicator and astronomer, and founder of the Kielder Observatory, where he was Director and CEO for over 11 years.

    Dates

    From:
    27 Sept 2026Open 20:00 - 23:00
    More info for Aurora Night - Grassholme Observatory
  16. Child with dinosaur model at High Force Waterfall.

    Add Discover Dinosaurs at High Force Waterfall to your Itinerary

    Discover Dinosaurs at High Force Waterfall

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Forest-in-Teesdale, Durham

    Breathe in the fresh summer air and stomp into a prehistoric world of fun at High Force Hotel & Waterfall. Our brand‑new Discover Dinosaurs Trail is waiting for little explorers who love big adventures and fascinating history.

    Dates

    From:
    23 May 2026to31 Aug 2026Open 10:00 - 16:00
    More info for Discover Dinosaurs at High Force Waterfall
  17. Elegant font depicting "The Fairytale Pantomime: Beauty and the Beast," with an extravagant interior background and a rose

    Add Beauty and the Beast - Pantomime - Empire Consett to your Itinerary

    Beauty and the Beast - Pantomime - Empire Consett

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Consett

    Leah Bell and company return in 2026 with a tale as old as pantomime – Beauty and the Beast.

    Dates

    From:
    27 Nov 2026to31 Dec 2026
    More info for Beauty and the Beast - Pantomime - Empire Consett
  18. Two people looking up to a starry sky with a telescope

    Add Family Astronomy - Grassholme Observatory to your Itinerary

    Family Astronomy - Grassholme Observatory

    Type

    Type:

    Stargazing Events

    Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle

    Due to popular demand, we have laid on this exclusive event to educate the little ones on all things spacey! What better way to get the kids into astronomy and science than a visit to the UK’s newest public observatory. Your little ones will enjoy…

    Dates

    From:
    12 Sept 2026Open 18:00 - 19:30
    More info for Family Astronomy - Grassholme Observatory
  19. Two photos of people smiling on a blue background surrounded by cartoon books

    Add An Evening with Hollie McNish and Michael Pedersen - Durham Book Festival to your Itinerary

    An Evening with Hollie McNish and Michael Pedersen - Durham Book Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    Join award-winning poet Hollie McNish for a hilarious and heartfelt evening of poetry, reading from her latest collection, Virgin, and unpicking the meaning of the word with her trademark feminist wit, fury and compassion. 

    Dates

    From:
    9 Oct 2026Open 19:00 - 20:00
    More info for An Evening with Hollie McNish and Michael Pedersen - Durham Book Festival
  20. People observing framed sketches and drawings displayed on a gallery wall, highlighting an art exhibition setting.

    Add Heritage Open Days - The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Heritage Open Days - The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Heritage Open Days

    Barnard Castle

    Celebrate Heritage Open Days with free admission to The Bowes Museum and a packed programme of activities inspired by this year's theme, Everyday Histories. Enjoy guided tours, including rare behind-the-scenes access to the museum's vaults, hands-on…

    Venue

    The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle

    Dates

    From:
    12 Sept 2026to13 Sept 2026Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Heritage Open Days - The Bowes Museum
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