Oxfordshire half term is 26 to 30 October. Steam galas, a free Halloween trail in town, £9.25 Kenton shows and Greys Court's autumn hunt, with dates and prices.

October half term for Oxfordshire schools is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, with the weekends either side making it nine days off from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. Wallingford School finishes two days early on Wednesday 21 October, The Henley College takes two weeks from 19 October, and Shiplake College breaks on 16 October. Here is what is on locally that week, from the organisers’ own listings, with prices.

The quick answer

  • Half term: 26 to 30 October 2026, back at school on Monday 2 November.
  • Free in town: Terror on the Thames, Saturday 31 October, 11am to 3pm, trick or treating round Henley’s shops.
  • Cheapest ticketed show: The Spooktastic Halloween Show at the Kenton, Wednesday 28 October, from £9.25.

Every school’s dates, including INSET days, are on our Henley school term dates page.

What is on, day by day

Date Event Where Price
Sat 24 to Sun 1 Nov Autumn Colour Detectives Greys Court Normal admission
Sat 24, Sun 25, Wed 28, Sat 31 Oct, Sun 1 Nov Pumpkin Express steam days Didcot Railway Centre Adult £18.50, child £11
Thu 29 and Fri 30 Oct Pumpkin Express discovery days (no steam rides) Didcot Railway Centre Adult £12, child £7.50
Sun 25 Oct, 5.30pm The Snow Queen, Ballet Theatre UK Kenton Theatre £26, under-18s £23
Wed 28 Oct, 11.30am and 2pm The Spooktastic Halloween Show Kenton Theatre Adult £9.25, child £11.25
Thu 29 Oct, 1.30pm Red Robin’s Winter Song, for 3 to 5s Kenton Theatre £10
Fri 30 Oct to Sun 1 Nov Autumn Steam Gala Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Adult £27, child £12 online
Sat 31 Oct, 11am to 3pm Terror on the Thames Henley town centre Free
Sun 1 Nov, 5pm StageWorks: SpOOky Season Kenton Theatre £23, under-16s £18
Tue to Sat all week Wallingford Museum High Street, Wallingford Adult £6, children free

In Henley

Terror on the Thames, Saturday 31 October, 11am to 3pm, free. Experience Henley runs the town’s Halloween day: shops taking part put up black and orange balloons for trick or treating, and the 2025 event also had a food bank donation station, trails, stocks, music and apple bobbing. No 2026 programme is out yet (Experience Henley, events). It finishes before dark, and there is no fireworks display in Henley this year: see Henley fireworks for the nearest.

Four family shows at the Kenton Theatre, all from the theatre’s own box office (Kenton Theatre, what’s on):

  • The Snow Queen, Sunday 25 October at 5.30pm. Ballet Theatre UK’s version of the Hans Christian Andersen story, recommended for ages 3 and up, about two hours. £26, under-18s £23.
  • The Spooktastic Halloween Show, Wednesday 28 October at 11.30am and 2pm. An hour of songs, dancing and panto-style comedy from the Dantastic team, with dressing up encouraged. Adults £9.25, children under 16 £11.25.
  • Red Robin’s Winter Song, Thursday 29 October at 1.30pm. A 50-minute play by Manjeet Mann from Tutti Frutti Productions, pitched at 3 to 5 year olds and their families. £10 for everyone.
  • StageWorks: SpOOky Season, Sunday 1 November at 5pm. The local stage school’s show, written by Mark Hampshire, with the character of Mary Blandy at its centre. £23, under-16s £18.

For older children and adults, the Henley Players stage Gaslight at the Kenton from Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 October, with a 2.30pm matinee on the Saturday.

Greys Court, Rotherfield Greys. The National Trust house runs Autumn Colour Detectives every day of half term, a hunt for autumn colours and patterns across the house and gardens, included with admission (National Trust, Greys Court events). The gardens open 10am to 5pm until Monday 26 October, then switch to winter hours of 10am to 4pm, with the house open from 11am. Admission without Gift Aid is £19 for an adult, £9.50 for a child aged 5 to 17 and £47.50 for a family of two adults and up to three children; National Trust members go free (National Trust, Greys Court opening times and prices).

Steam trains

Didcot Railway Centre: The Pumpkin Express. A pumpkin trail with a trick or treat bag at the end, slime making, a Ghost Carriage and a “Phantom” diesel, plus a visiting 1876 tank engine, Great Eastern No. 229 “Coffee Pot” (Didcot Railway Centre, The Pumpkin Express steam days). The centre’s calendar has it open on these days only:

  • Steam days, with unlimited steam train rides: Saturday 24, Sunday 25, Wednesday 28 and Saturday 31 October, and Sunday 1 November. Adult £18.50, senior £16.50, child £11, under-3s free, family of two adults and two children £55.
  • Discovery days, with the Halloween activities but no steam rides: Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October. Adult £12, senior £9, child £7.50, family of four £35 (Didcot Railway Centre, Pumpkin Express discovery days).

The centre is closed on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October. Prices are the booking system’s standard fares; paying with Gift Aid adds about 10 per cent.

Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway: Autumn Steam Gala, Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November. Four locomotives are confirmed, including the new-build GWR Saint class No. 2999 “Lady of Legend” and the visiting 9F No. 92134, with brake van rides at Princes Risborough and traction engines at Chinnor station. A one-day rover costs £27 for an adult and £12 for a child online, or £32 and £17 on the day, and online sales close at 6pm the day before (Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway, Autumn Steam Gala).

Museums

Wallingford Museum is open through half term, Tuesday to Friday 2pm to 5pm and Saturday 10.30am to 5pm, until its season ends on 28 November. An adult ticket is £6 and covers unlimited visits for the season; children with an adult go free. This year’s exhibitions include Agatha Christie’s Wallingford, 50 years after she died in the town (Wallingford Museum, visit us).

Henley’s River and Rowing Museum is closed to the public, so do not plan a wet day around it. Our things to do in Henley page lists what is open all year.

Getting around that week

Live road closures are on Henley roadworks and travel, and car park limits and prices on parking in Henley. Christmas travel, including the London line closure from 27 December, is on Henley Christmas trains and travel.

Still to be confirmed

Terror on the Thames has a date and times but no 2026 programme yet. This page will be updated in mid-October when Experience Henley publishes it, along with any late additions from Greys Court and the Kenton.

Dates and prices checked against each organiser’s own page or booking system on 25 September 2026.