Ruddington's trick or treat train has sold out. Colwick racecourse has fireworks on 31 October from £12, plus Wollaton's Halloween films and pumpkin picking.

Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday 31 October, the day after Nottinghamshire’s two-week half term ends (Monday 19 to Friday 30 October). West Bridgford itself has no Halloween event announced for 2026, so the choice is a short drive or tram ride away: fireworks at the racecourse, horror films at Wollaton, Halloween skating in the city, and a pumpkin field north of Nottingham.

The quick answer

  • The Trick or Treat Train at Ruddington on Friday 30 October is sold out, all four departures, as of 3 October.
  • Biggest event on the night: Nottingham Racecourse’s Halloween fireworks, Saturday 31 October, gates 4pm, fireworks 7pm, tickets from £12.
  • No council Halloween event has been announced in West Bridgford for 2026.
  • Pumpkin picking at Oxton runs 10 and 11 October, then 17 to 31 October. Free entry, pay for what you pick.

Nottingham Racecourse Halloween fireworks: Saturday 31 October

The closest Halloween night out to West Bridgford is at Nottingham Racecourse, Colwick Park, NG2 4BE, on the north bank of the Trent. Its Halloween Spooktacular page sets it out:

  • Gates 4pm, fireworks 7pm. The display lasts about 15 minutes, and the timing is subject to the weather.
  • A traditional funfair, food stalls, music, and a fancy dress competition with prizes.
  • Tickets now from £12, hospitality from £16. The early-bird prices (family of four £28, adult £9, child aged 5 to 17 £6) ended on 30 September. Under-5s go free.
  • Under-18s need a paying adult over 21, and one adult can bring in no more than three.
  • You cannot bring in your own food or drink, sparklers, chairs or pets.

The parking advice contradicts itself. The event page says “limited parking will be available, so please travel by public transport where possible”, while the same page’s visitor section says there is “ample on-site parking which is free”. On a fireworks night, believe the first one and arrive early.

The racecourse is a separate night from the borough’s bonfire weekend: Trent Bridge, Ruddington, Bingham and Radcliffe all run their fireworks in the first week of November, listed on our West Bridgford fireworks page.

Trick or Treat Train, Ruddington: Friday 30 October, sold out

The Halloween steam train from Ruddington Fields station, Mere Way, NG11 6JS, run by Fox and Edwards with Great Central Railway Nottingham, was the borough’s own Halloween event this year. On Fox and Edwards’ booking page on 3 October, all four departures, at 1pm, 3pm, 4.45pm and 6.30pm, were marked sold out. On 25 September the 1pm still had seats.

For the record, fares were adult £17.50, child £12.50 and infant free, for a round trip of about 70 minutes with Halloween characters and treats on board, and the railway describes it as “no scary monsters or frightening frights”.

A note on the railway’s own page: the GCRN event listing still says “Departure times to be confirmed” and “Prices From £12.50”, and does not say it is sold out. Go by the Fox and Edwards page, which is where the booking happens.

Wollaton Hall Halloween outdoor cinema: 23 to 25 October

Adventure Cinema’s Wollaton Hall listings carry three Halloween screenings in the park on the first weekend of half term:

Date Film Gates Availability on 3 October
Friday 23 October Scream (18) 6pm On sale
Saturday 24 October Hocus Pocus Spooktacular (PG) 5pm “Close to selling out”
Sunday 25 October The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG) 5pm “Tickets running low”

Scream is rated 18, so the Saturday and Sunday shows are the ones for children. Ticket prices are on Adventure Cinema’s booking pages. Wollaton is across the city from West Bridgford, so allow time for the drive or the bus.

National Ice Centre Halloween skating: 16 October to 1 November

The National Ice Centre’s October half term page runs Halloween-themed sessions from Friday 16 October to Sunday 1 November:

  • Daily public skating, with pushchairs and wheelchairs allowed on the ice.
  • A Halloween party: a Friday night disco, then a family disco on the Saturday “for little monsters”. The page does not give the dates or times, so check the activity timetable before you set off.
  • Themed tots sessions; children aged 5 and under skate free all year.
  • A holiday club for ages 7 to 13 and a junior ice hockey clinic at £45 per child.

The centre says tickets are non-refundable and advises booking ahead; prices are on its public skating timetable.

Pick your own pumpkins, Oxton: 10 and 11 October, then 17 to 31 October

The nearest big pumpkin field is Nottinghamshire ‘Pick Your Own’ Pumpkins, Oaks Lane, Oxton, NG25 0RH, just off the A6097 north of Nottingham. The farm posts its updates on Facebook; its own listing on Visit Nottinghamshire gives the 2026 opening as Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October, then 17 to 31 October.

  • No booking and free entry: you pay for the pumpkins you pick.
  • Tractor rides, food and drink on site, free parking, card and cash taken.
  • A flat but uneven agricultural field: wheelchairs and pushchairs can manage it, but the toilets are portaloos with no accessible toilet.
  • No dogs or other animals.

The listing does not give daily opening hours. The farm puts itself “only a 20 minute drive from the centre of Nottingham”; from West Bridgford, add the time to cross the city.

A council Halloween event? Not this year, so far

Rushcliffe Borough Council has run a free half-term Halloween Spooktacular on the Croquet Lawn by Central Avenue in past years, 11am to 4pm with crafts, face painting and shows, according to its own earlier announcements. Nothing has been announced for 2026: the council’s news area had no Halloween item on 3 October, and its old Spooktacular announcements and event page now return “page not found”. If a 2026 event is announced, we will add it here.

Getting there

  • Racecourse: Colwick Park is across the Trent, and the racecourse asks people to use public transport where possible on the night.
  • Wollaton and the Ice Centre: both are on the city side. If you are leaving the car in West Bridgford and going on by bus, our parking in West Bridgford page sets out what each borough car park costs.
  • Ruddington: Mere Way is the single approach road to the heritage centre, which is worth knowing even with the train sold out, because the same site runs its fireworks on Saturday 7 November.
  • Roadworks: anything closing a road in the half-term fortnight is on our roadworks and travel page.

For everything else in the two weeks, free and paid, see our October half term page, and for the month as a whole, What’s On in West Bridgford.

Frequently asked questions

When is Halloween 2026?

Saturday 31 October 2026. Nottinghamshire schools are off from Monday 19 to Friday 30 October and go back on Monday 2 November.

Is there a Halloween event in West Bridgford in 2026?

Not one that has been announced. Rushcliffe Borough Council has published nothing for 2026, and the borough’s one ticketed Halloween event, the Trick or Treat Train at Ruddington, is sold out.

Are there Halloween fireworks near West Bridgford?

Yes. Nottingham Racecourse at Colwick runs a Halloween Spooktacular on Saturday 31 October with fireworks at 7pm, gates at 4pm, tickets from £12 and under-5s free.

Where can I pick pumpkins near West Bridgford?

At Nottinghamshire ‘Pick Your Own’ Pumpkins on Oaks Lane, Oxton, open 10 and 11 October and 17 to 31 October 2026. There is no booking and no entry fee.