Thursday, 8th October 2026
The nights are drawing in, the pumpkins are out, and spooky season has officially crept into Horsham District. 🎃
This week's guide has everything Halloween from now to the 31st: pumpkin picking at Poynings from this Saturday, a ghost train at Amberley Museum, glowing silent discos at Leonardslee, a spooky Friday Lates on the Carfax and a run of kids' parties across the District. Our Halloween guide has the top 10 picks and every event on the map, so you can plan half term in one place.
Closer to now, it's a busy weekend. Dust off your dancing shoes for the Horsham Matters ceilidh on Friday. On Saturday, steampunk takes over Amberley Museum, Firebird in Rudgwick throws its Oktoberfest, and St Mary's Church hosts two candlelit concerts, Coldplay and AC/DC vs Pink Floyd. There's live music in pubs from Billingshurst to Pulborough all weekend.
Weather-wise, it's mostly dry with crisp, chilly mornings, so dig out the scarf.
Enjoy the week, if you dare. 👻
Local News
🧣 Free Winter Warm Ups for Over-50s. Two free event days to help people stay active, connected and ready for winter: sport tasters, hearing tests, vaccinations, health MOTs, electric blanket testing, crafts and local support groups, plus a free bowl of soup. Wed 14 Oct at The Bridge Leisure Centre, Broadbridge Heath, and Thu 15 Oct at Chanctonbury Leisure Centre, Storrington. Read more
🗺️ Local Plan Hearings Begin on Tuesday. The public hearings into where new homes and development will go across the District resume on Tuesday 13 October at 10am in the Council Chamber, running over two weeks. The session on the proposed Kilnwood Vale housing allocation has moved to Thursday 15 October in the afternoon. Read more
🎃 Spooky season: your Halloween guide
Everything Halloween across Horsham District, from pumpkin picking this weekend to Halloween night itself. Book early: the evening events sell out.
Pumpkin picking 🎃
Poynings Pumpkin Patch (Poynings, by Pyecombe): pick your own from around 19 varieties of pumpkins and squash at the foot of the Downs. Free entry and parking, wheelbarrows provided, and you just pay for what you pick. Opens this Saturday. Every weekend from 10 Oct, then every day of half term (26 to 31 Oct), 10am to 4pm. Just outside the District and worth the short drive. See dates
Camelia Botnar Pumpkin Patch (Littleworth Lane, Cowfold): pick your own, with scary rooms and Halloween displays, and every pumpkin supports the charity's work with young people. Daily from Sat 24 Oct to Halloween, 9:30am to 4:30pm. 2026 dates still to be confirmed, so check before you go. See the event
All through half term
👻 Halloween at Leonardslee (Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, Lower Beeding): a daytime Halloween adventure through the gardens. Daily, Sat 17 Oct to Sun 1 Nov. See the event
🚂 October Half Term Fun (Amberley Museum, Amberley): family activities across the museum. Sun 25 Oct, then Wed 28 to Fri 30 Oct. Included in admission. See the event
🌲 St Leonard's Forest legends walk (Mick Mills' Race, near Colgate): a free, self-guided spooky walk through the woods where a 1614 pamphlet reported a "strange and monstrous serpent". Any day. See the walk
Tuesday 20 October
🎃 Pumpkin Party (The Venue, Broadbridge Heath): a Halloween party for little ones. 9:15am to 11am. See the event
Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October
🎨 Halloween Pottery Painting (Ceramic Shack, Piries Place, Horsham): paint your own spooky pottery to take home. 10am to 1pm. Booking recommended. See the event
Thursday 29 October
🪩 Family Spooky Silent Disco (Leonardslee, Lower Beeding): glowing lights, three DJs and fancy dress for all ages in the Courtyard. From £11.25 a child. 4:15pm to 8:30pm. See the event
🧱 Halloween Brick Bus Workshop (the Carfax, Horsham): spooky LEGO-style building sessions for kids. Thu 29 to Sat 31 Oct, 9am to 4pm. Book a session. See the event
Friday 30 October
👻 Friday Lates Halloween Special (Carfax Bandstand, Horsham): A Million Dreams to A Million Screams, a Greatest Showman tribute followed by a spooky high-energy Halloween show, with street food. Free. 6pm to 8pm. See the event
🔪 Pumpkin Carving Night (Wolfpack, Carfax, Horsham): carve your lantern with friends, with no mess at home. 6pm to 8pm. See the event
🧙 Kids' Halloween parties: take your pick of the Holbrook Club disco (5:30pm), the Roffey Club party (6pm), The Venue, Broadbridge Heath (6:15pm), Broadbridge Heath Village Centre and the Bax Castle disco in Southwater (7pm). Fancy dress welcome.
Saturday 31 October: Halloween night
🚂 Halloween Evening & Ghost Train (Amberley Museum, Amberley): ride the ghost train through the dark woods and explore the museum after dark. Book a time slot. 6pm to 9pm. See the event
🦇 Halloween Adult Silent Disco (Leonardslee, Lower Beeding): three live DJ channels, food and drinks, fancy dress encouraged. 18+, from £15.75. 6:30pm until late. See the event
💀 Grown-up parties: Firebird Brewing Co in Rudgwick (7pm), Love You Boo at Love you, Bye in Horsham (7pm), and from 8:30pm the Playback Club party at the Malt Shovel and Eat the Beat at The Coot.
🗺️ See them all in one place: our Halloween guide has the top 10 picks, and every event is on the What's On map with its own page to share with friends. Running a spooky event? Add it free.
⭐Weekly spotlight
Our HD Loop Directory has grown fast: independent shops, cafés, pubs, days out and trusted local services across the District, now including Steyning, Southwater and Henfield in depth. What's new this week:
Browse by type. Tap a chip to find exactly what you need: barbers, bakeries, pubs, estate agents and 45 more.
Your village in one place. See everything near you, plus this week's events and local jobs: Henfield, Steyning, Southwater, Horsham.
What's coming up. Business pages now show their upcoming events and any jobs they're hiring for.
Run a local business? Your listing may already be there. Claim it free to add photos, opening hours and your own description. Know a gem we've missed? Tell us.
🔝This week's top 3
⚙️ Steampunk at Amberley (Amberley Museum, Amberley): a weekend of top hats, goggles and Victorian-futurist fashion, with stalls and fun across the whole museum. Fancy dress very welcome. Sat 10 and Sun 11 Oct. Read more
🍺 Oktoberfest (Firebird Brewing Co, Rudgwick): a Bavarian-style night of steins, songs and German food at the brewery. £28. Sat 10 Oct, from 4:30pm. Read more
🕯️ A Coldplay Candlelight Experience (St Mary's Church, Horsham): Coldplay's songs performed by candlelight in one of the town's oldest buildings. Sat 10 Oct, evening. Check the exact start time when you book. Read more
⭐Also worth noting
💃 Horsham Matters Ceilidh (St John the Evangelist Church Hall, Horsham): a barn dance with the Square The Circle band and a caller, so no experience needed, with a bar and raffle raising money for Horsham Matters. £15. Fri 9 Oct, 7pm. See the event
🔥 Fireside Fridays (Knepp Wilding Kitchen, West Grinstead): live music and seasonal pies in the fire-lit barn. £35, book ahead. Fri 9 Oct, 6pm. Read more
🔧 Repair Café & Home Energy Helpdesk (Steyning): bring broken things to be fixed by volunteers, plus free advice on cutting energy bills. Free. Sat 10 Oct. Read more
✍️ Writing Workshop with Kathryn Evans (Horsham Library): tips from a published author. Free. Sat 10 Oct, 11:30am. Read more
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Join other annual supporters.
🗓️ The full week, day by day
Events are subject to change. Please confirm details with the host.
Thursday 8 October
🛒 Thursday Market — Carfax, Horsham. 9am.
☕ Horsham Chai and Chatter (networking) — Wolfpack, Carfax, Horsham. 9:15am. £17. Read more
Friday 9 October
🛒 Friday Market — Carfax, Horsham. 9am.
🛍️ Storrington Community Market — Storrington Village Hall, Storrington. Morning, indoors. See the event
🔥 Fireside Fridays — Knepp Wilding Kitchen, West Grinstead. 6pm. £35. Read more
🎸 Boneyard Breakout (with Lee Martin) — The Brolly Fermentarium, Horsham. 7pm. Read more
💃 Horsham Matters Ceilidh — St John the Evangelist Church Hall, Horsham. 7pm. £15. Barn dance with a caller, no experience needed. See the event
🎤 Open Mic — Warnham Comrades Club, Warnham. 8:30pm. See the event
🎸 Harry Pannell — The Railway Inn, Billingshurst. 8:30pm. See the event
🎸 Growler — The King's Arms, Billingshurst. 8:30pm. See the event
🎶 Luke Elder — The Stout House, Horsham. 9pm. See the event
Saturday 10 October
🏃 Horsham parkrun — Horsham Park, Horsham. 9am. Free.
🛍️ West Street Entrepreneurs Market — West Street, Horsham. Morning. See the event
🧁 Autumn Cupcake Decorating Workshop — Leonardslee, Lower Beeding. 10:30am. £75, garden entry included. See the event
✍️ Writing Workshop with Kathryn Evans — Horsham Library, Horsham. 11:30am. Free. See the event
⚙️ Steampunk at Amberley — Amberley Museum, Amberley. All weekend, 10am to 4:30pm. Museum admission. Read more
🎃 Poynings Pumpkin Patch opens — Poynings, by Pyecombe. 10am to 4pm. Free entry. See the event
🔧 Repair Café & Home Energy Helpdesk — Steyning. Free.
⚽ Horsham FC v Maidstone United — The Fusion Aviation Community Stadium, Horsham. 3pm. Read more
🍺 Oktoberfest — Firebird Brewing Co, Rudgwick. 4:30pm. £28. See the event
🎶 David Staff — Brolly Brewing Tap Room, Horsham. 5pm. See the event
🤘 AC/DC vs Pink Floyd Candlelight Experience — St Mary's Church, Horsham. Sittings at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm. See the event
🕯️ A Coldplay Candlelight Experience — St Mary's Church, Horsham. 6pm. See the event
🎶 Black Heart Angel — The Malt Shovel, Horsham. 8:30pm. Read more
🎸 Kayla & The Cards — The Holbrook Club, Horsham. 8:30pm. See the event
🎸 Shindig Saturday: Playback Club — The Rock Crafthouse, Horsham. 8:30pm. See the event
🎉 Undercover Party People — The Green Dragon, Horsham. 9pm. See the event
🎶 The Hi-Vibes — The Bedford, Horsham. 9pm. See the event
Sunday 11 October
⚙️ Steampunk at Amberley (day two) — Amberley Museum, Amberley.
🎃 Poynings Pumpkin Patch — Poynings, by Pyecombe. 10am to 4pm. Free entry. See the event
🌳 Forest Bathing — Leonardslee, Lower Beeding. 10am. Book ahead. See the event
🎶 Five Dollar Shake — The Riverside, Pulborough. 5pm. See the event
🎤 Sunday Open Mic — The Brolly Fermentarium, Horsham. 5pm. See the event
Monday 12 October
🥕 Henfield Weekly Market — Henfield Hall, Henfield. 9am to 1pm. See the event
Tuesday 13 October
🏛️ Local Plan public hearings begin — Council Chamber, Horsham. 10am.
Wednesday 14 October
🛍️ Wednesday Market — West Street, Horsham. 9am.
🚶 Talk & Walk — Horsham Park, Horsham. 10am. Free.
🧣 Winter Warm Up (over-50s) — The Bridge Leisure Centre, Broadbridge Heath. Free. Read more
👉 Every event now has its own page on our What's On map, with directions and an Add to calendar button, so it's easy to share with friends. Know of an event we've missed? Add it free, or promote it for £15.
🏡 Local favourite
The Little Sweet Shop, Steyning
A family-run sweet shop with more than 250 jars of old-fashioned sweets, plus homemade chocolates and fudge. Our tip for a proper trick-or-treat stock-up this Halloween, and a lovely trip down memory lane for the grown-ups.
📍 51 High Street, Steyning, BN44 3RE 🔗 See it in the directory
🧠 Horsham Trivia
A spooky one for October. 🦇 Deep in St Leonard's Forest, a long, straight avenue of trees is named after a local smuggler, Mick Mills. According to legend, he once raced someone along it, and won. Who did he race?
Hit reply with your guess. We'll print the answer, and whoever got it, in next week's edition.
Last week's answer: a dragon! The 1614 pamphlet described a "strange and monstrous serpent" said to be living in St Leonard's Forest, just outside Horsham. Well done to everyone who guessed it.
🍽️ Where to eat
Bax Castle, Southwater
An old country pub right on the Downs Link, known for its homemade stone-baked pizzas, real ales and the Junipers gin bar. There's a big garden for the kids, and dogs are welcome inside, which makes it a cosy stop after an autumn walk or cycle.
📍 Two Mile Ash Road, Southwater, RH13 0LA 🔗 See it in the directory
🏠 House of the week - guess the price
Crossways, West Chiltington
🌤️ Weather
This Week's Weather: Horsham District
A mostly dry week. It starts crisp, with chilly mornings down to 7°C over the weekend, then turns milder from Monday, with highs near 19°C and much warmer nights. Worth a final check with the Met Office on Thursday morning.
Day | High | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
Thursday 8 October | 15°C | ☀️ Dry, chilly start |
Friday 9 October | 18°C | 🌤️ Mostly dry |
Saturday 10 October | 15°C | 🌤️ Mostly dry |
Sunday 11 October | 15°C | 🌤️ Mostly dry |
Monday 12 October | 18°C | 🌤️ Mostly dry, mild |
Tuesday 13 October | 19°C | 🌤️ Mostly dry, mild |
Wednesday 14 October | 18°C | 🌤️ Mostly dry |
As always, have a suggestion? Please hit reply to this email or say hello at [email protected]
Have a great week exploring Horsham District!
David
