Castles by mid-morning. Woodland by lunch. A cosy pint by dusk.

Kick off Friday evening with Crime and Dine at the National Space Centre, where a three-course dinner meets a full CSI investigation and a cast of costumed suspects. It is a genuinely theatrical Halloween experience that the whole table will be talking about long after dessert. Then on Saturday, Spellbound at Statfold brings a charitable fundraising evening filled with seasonal atmosphere, making it a wonderful way to enjoy Halloween while doing something genuinely good at the same time. Over at Cattows Farm, the Halloween Farm is in its final days before closing on Sunday 1st November, so this weekend is your very last chance to catch one of Leicestershire's most popular seasonal spectacles. Bigger and more elaborate than ever for 2026, it is superb fun for families with children of all ages. Meanwhile, the Halloween Forest Light Walk at Conkers in Moira promises a magical trail of illuminated wonder winding through the trees on Friday and Saturday evening, turning the woodland into something truly enchanting after dark. Round off the weekend with a spectacular flourish at Twinlakes Fireworks in Melton Mowbray. Twinlakes Park puts on a proper display that lights up the November sky in the most spectacular fashion, and it is one of those family evenings that feels genuinely special from start to finish. If younger ones need a gentler Halloween fix before then, Halloween at 360 Play offers a cheerful, spooky setting perfectly pitched for little visitors who want costumes and fun without the frights. When you need a breather between adventures, Leicestershire's venues have you well covered. The 1620s House and Garden in Ashby de la Zouch is a beautifully restored seventeenth-century manor where the barn tearoom is just the ticket for warming up after an autumnal walk among the period gardens. Over in Leicester, Highcross is your destination for a spot of shopping, a bite to eat, or even a cheeky round of indoor mini golf. And if you are making a full weekend of it, the Novotel Leicester offers comfortable city-centre rooms alongside a stylish restaurant and bar that takes the stress out of staying over. Temperatures are sitting at a brisk 12 degrees with mixed conditions across the county, so pack a cosy layer and embrace that proper autumnal feeling. The cooler air only adds to the atmosphere of a lantern-lit walk or a fireworks display glowing against a dark November sky. However you choose to spend Friday evening through Sunday, Leicestershire has something genuinely worth heading out for, so get your plans in place and make the most of a weekend that deserves to be savoured.