Halloween & Half Term Events in South Devon

As autumn leaves begin to fall and the air turns crisp, South Devon transforms into a magical realm of Halloween enchantment and half-term excitement. From eerie trails to pumpkin hunts, there's something for everyone to enjoy during this spooky season. In this blog post, we'll take you on a journey through some of the most thrilling Halloween and half-term events in South Devon. 

If you're looking for some interesting Halloween facts, check out Sykes Cottages' brilliant blog post here.

Haunted Hay Bales Halloween Hunt, The Donkey Sanctuary 

1st Oct 2023 – 31st Oct 2023 

Can you make it through The Donkey Sanctuary’s haunted hay bales before dark? Don't get too spooked too soon! 

To make it through, explore the sanctuary and find all the Neddies' secret hiding spots to collect a stamp for each Halloween Neddy and win a prize at the end! 

Combine family fun, exercise and brainpower for just £5 per trail, including a prize on completion. Head to the Gift Shop to pick up a trail sheet and you're ready to take on the haunted hay bales. 

Plus, with a new play area, daily talks, scenic walks, engaging exhibits, award-winning gardens and, of course, hundreds of adorable donkeys to meet, there's so much to explore with your own herd, whatever the weather. Friendly dogs on leads are welcome too! 

Autumn Family Forage, Carswell Farm 

22nd Oct 2023, 10.30 - 2.30pm 

Pop along and learn how to forage for an autumn wild food lunch from the fields and hedgerows of beautiful coastal Carswell Farm, with Forager Trudy Turrell.  

You'll be gathering the ingredients for a big wild soup, wild teas and apples and berries for a wild windfall crumble, which you’ll cook and enjoy together in Carswell's field kitchen! 

Top tip - Please bring suitable wet weather clothes and footwear for walking across fields and coast paths. 

A (Very) Batty Half Term, Kents Cavern 

21st Oct 2023 – 31st Oct 2023

Kents Cavern have gone batty this Halloween! Join them over Half Term week to take part in some bat-tastic activities! After your tour around the prehistoric caves, discover multiple interactive activities, all included with your Cave Tour ticket.  

Find out more about the activities:  

Craft Bats – decorate your very own egg-box bat. No need to stick to realistic colours, your bat can be whatever colour you’d like. We’ll even attached some string to it so that you can hang it up somewhere at home. 

Bat Challenge – Find the words missing from your bat fact sheet in the woodland trail whilst discovering the 17 different species of bat native to the UK. Complete the fact sheet to become a bat expert, don’t forget to pick up your certificate! 

Pumpkin Hunt – Can you find all the pumpkins hidden in the cave? It won’t be easy; they’ve been turned into all sorts of strange shapes! Collect a prize from your guide at the end of the tour if you find them all. 

Guess the Weight of the Pumpkin – You’ll find an unusually large pumpkin in our visitor centre. Anyone who can guess the correct weight of it will be entered into a draw to win 4 annual memberships to Kents Cavern. 

Batty Joke Trail – look out for different coloured bat shapes around the visitor centre, each one has the punchline, or answer, to a joke on it. Can you match the correct coloured bats with each other? 

Fancy Dress – Halloween costumes and fancy dress is fully encouraged for any children visiting the site. 

Halloween at Babbacombe Model Village 

21st Oct 2023 – 31st Oct 2023, 10am-5pm 

During the day from 21st to 31st October, enjoy some miniature Halloween themed characters and scenes spooking Babbacombe Model Village’s miniature residents. 

Kids can also enjoy their new Miniature Pumpkin Hunt! All successful young explorers will take home their very own Halloween TREAT (only suitable for children aged 3 years+).  

Babbacombe Model Village will also be hosting fabulous atmospheric evening illuminations, with fire effects and some spooky twists, from the 25th to 31st October!  

Boo at the Zoo, Dartmoor Zoo 

27th & 28th Oct 2023, 5.30pm - 8.30pm 

This Halloween, Dartmoor Zoo is opening its gates after dark to invite you to a truly FANG-tastic night at the zoo! 

Head along on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th October for two FRIGHTfully good evenings, filled with shock horrors, hair raising delights and nail-biting frights… 

Gates open at 5.30pm with staggered entry tickets available. The event closes at 8.30pm. 

Listen out for rustling amongst the trees and peeping eyes as you make your way around the Zoo, meeting characters of the strange, unsavoury and nightmarish kind on your travels! 

Wild School for Kids, Dartington 

24th Oct 2023, 10am-4pm 

The perfect day school for kids who love messing about in the woods with sticks, streams, mud, fires and a pinch of danger! 

WildWise offers a series of varied and exciting bushcraft days – one per school holiday – starting at Easter. Each day will include various activities, drawing upon bushcraft, fieldcraft and nature awareness and include shelter-building, firecraft, campfire cookery, woodcraft, making traditional weapons, natural cordage and weaving, natural remedies, potions and lotions, wildlife identification, tracking & stealth. 

Each day will be adapted to suit the age / skills / experience and interests of the children plus the level of challenge adapted so that those who have previously attended can develop and enhance their skills! 

Two Bridges Hotel Murder Mystery, Two Bridges Hotel 

27th Oct 2023, 6.45pm - 11pm 

There's murder in the air. Can you unravel the clues and point a finger at the culprit?! 

Enjoy a night out with a difference at the Two Bridges Hotel, with fine food, good company, and a dastardly plot. Prepare yourselves for a delicious four course dinner, with an unfolding murder-mystery plot as the evening goes on. 

Why not make a night of it with a stay in one of their comfortable and characterful rooms?  

Slapton’s Horrible History 

28th Oct 2023, 5pm – 7pm 

Explore the horrid history that has shaped Slapton and delve into the lives of the people who lived through the ghastliest times! 

Slapton, though be it a sleepy little place in the South Hams, has no end of stories. The roads walked by mammoths, built in shelter from pirates and plagued by the black death. A village who's tower still stands despite Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries and who's sands have seen more bloodshed than Utah beach on D-Day.  

Visiting historic sites around the village, hear of the tragedies that our ancestors would have experienced, see the sites of momentous moments and question: what does Slapton's future hold? 

South Devon comes alive with spooky magic and half-term fun during the Halloween season. Whether you're seeking thrills, family-friendly activities, or simply want to savour the flavours of autumn, our picturesque region has something for everyone. So, gather your family and friends, put on your costumes, and embark on an enchanting journey through the Halloween and half-term events of South Devon. It's a time to make cherished memories and embrace the spirit of the season! 

If you’re visiting South Devon this Half term and Halloween, be sure to share your time with us on Facebook, Twitter (X) and Instagram using the tag @VisitSouthDevon!