The Ultimate Guide to Christmas Markets in North East England 2026

I can't believe how quickly Christmas Market season has come around. As usual, I'm sharing my guide to the region's best Christmas Markets.

If you know of any other Christmas Markets in our region, please email the details to sam@northeastfamilyfun.co.uk You must include a website / FB event link to be considered for this post. 

Dog Friendly Days Out for Autumn

🐶 Dogs are welcome at Spilman’s Pumpkin Festival where you’ll find lots of fun activities (including pumpkin slingshot) and a pumpkin patch. Selected dates across October.

🐶 Dogs can join you for a walk around the grounds at Beamish Museum. We love an autumn walk here! You can stop for refreshments with your dog in the Sun Inn Pub, Drovers Tavern or Cafe at the Museum Entrance.

What's On for Kids & Teen - October (+ Half Term) | North East England

This post contains adverts and affiliate links. Always check t&cs direct with venue when booking events and deals and check details with attractions direct before heading out as info can change. You can do this by clicking the blue links in the post. 

If you're looking for more ideas for days out, why not join our FREE days out Facebook group here. 

Please note, Half Term dates do vary depending on your county/school so make sure you double check before booking or planning everything. 

One Night in Pisa

This post was published in September 2026. We paid for this break ourselves. Always check with venues direct for the most up to date info before heading out. 

During a recent trip to Tuscany, we had a morning return flight from Pisa. We were staying in a fairly remote area and would have needed to hire an (expensive) driver for our transfer to the airport in the early hours which we didn't really want to do so instead, decided to travel to Pisa by train the day before our flight and spent the evening here. 

20 + FREE North East Events for October 2026 (including Half Term)

 As always - please double check with venues direct for up to date info before heading out as info can change. You can do this by clicking the blue links in the post. 

If you're looking for a FREE activity this October, this post shares ideas for weekends and half term in October. 

Spilman Farm Pumpkin Patch is NOW OPEN for 2026

(ad) This is an advert for September 2026. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for.

Spilman’s Pumpkin Festival is BACK for 2026

Mrs. Doubtfire Review (Newcastle Theatre Royal)

 AD - We were provided with press tickets to review this show in September 2026

📆 Wed 23 Sept - Sun 11 Oct 2026. Please note, evening performances start at 7pm

🫶 BSL interpreted and captioned perf on 1 Oct at 7pm, Audio described with pre-show touch tour perf on 3 Oct at 2pm.
⌚ 2 hr 30 mins including interval
🎫 Standard tickets available from £24
✅ Suitable for ages 6+ (flashing lights)

📽 You can watch a preview here: Mrs. Doubtfire Trailer

🎟️Book: https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/mrs-doubtfire/

FREE Halloween Trails at Plessey Woods & Druridge Bay Country Parks

This post was published in September 2026. Please check with venues direct for the most up to date info before heading out. 

FREE Halloween Trail at Plessey Woods 

FREE Scarecrow Trail at Ford & Etal (October Half Term Idea)

 This post was published in September 2026. Please check with organisers direct before heading out for up to date info, especially opening hours, as info can change. 

Save the Date for this FREE Scarecrow Trail for October Half Term

Residents & Business in Ford & Etal work hard to create a special Scarycrow Trail for visitors to enjoy over October Half Term. Follow the trail of weird and wonderful ‘Scarycrows’ around the villages, awarding them scores as you go.

Halloween Events for Tweens & Teens (North East England)

This post was published in September 2026. Please always check with venues direct for the most up-to-date information as details can change. Where an activity is listed as 'all ages' please check with venue direct re:how scary this activity is and whether it is suitable before booking. 

Christmas Activities for Tweens & Teens (North East England)

This post was published in September 2026. Please double check information with venues direct when booking and before heading out as information can change. 

Christmas with Teens is an absolute speciality of ours so below I have put together some suggestions for activities you can try with tweens and teens over the festive period: 

(ad) Ice Skating Theme Nights in Newcastle - Book Now for November

This AD post was published in September 2026. Any edits / shares beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. As always, please check with venues direct for the most up to date info when booking as info can change. 

Outdoor Ice Skating in Newcastle returns to Times Square Newcastle this November and there's a whole host of themed nights and regular sessions to choose from. 

(ad) FREE and LOW COST Activities for Under 5s at North East Museums

Ad - this post was published in September 2026. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. Always check with venues for up to date information before heading out as information can change. Discovery Museum

✨ Tiny Sparks for 3-5 year olds takes place at Discovery Museum every Friday 1-2pm. It’s a fun session led by an early years specialist with age appropriate STEM activities, crafts, storytime and play set to a different theme each week including Colours & Shapes, Transport, Floating & Sinking…. 

The Clothing Essentials for Busy Family Days and Weekend Adventures

This is an advert for September 2026. Any edits / shares beyond this date have not been asked or paid for.

Family life moves fast, and your wardrobe has to keep up. Between school drop-offs, grocery runs, playground visits, sports practices, birthday parties, and quick weekend getaways, clothes need to be comfortable, practical, and easy to style. The best family outfits are the ones that help everyone feel ready for the day without creating extra laundry stress or morning decision fatigue.

How to Buy a Newcastle United Women Match Ticket

 AD - this is an advert for August 2026. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. 

The highly anticipated Barclays WSL2 2026/27 season kicks off on Sunday 6 September and this season, the lasses are playing an epic 7 games at St James’ Park alongside their fixtures at Gateshead Stadium.

What's On in the North East for Kids & Teens - September 2026

 As always, this post is published in advance and event details can change. Please always double check event details with venues direct before heading out. You can do this by clicking on the event links in this post. 

50+ FREE North East Events Taking Place over Weekends in September

This post was published in advance - always check timings, dates & info with venues direct before heading out as informtion can change. 

If you're looking for even more FREE days out, check out this post: The Ultimate Guide to FREE Days Out in North East England (over 50 attractions) 

And don't forget to check out our post : How to Save Money on Days Out 

FREE Days Out for September with Heritage Open Days - INCLUDING National Trust

This post was published in September 2026. Please check with venues direct for the most up to date info before heading out.

Heritage Open Days are BACK. On selected dates this month, local heritage sites open their doors for free. This month you can save £100s on family days out with this offer.

Visiting Malta's Christmas Markets (from Newcastle)

This post was published in August 2026 and is based on a visit paid for by myself. As always, please check with venues direct for the most up to date information when making plans as info can change. 

My birthday is in December and the older I get, the more I hate the cold so I'm always looking for somewhere to escape the freezing depths of winter for a few nights if I can. One year we spent my birthday in Fuerteventura which was lovely and last year we did a day trip to Dublin Christmas Markets which weren't actually too chilly. 

This time though, I had to stick with Fri-Sun flights from Newcastle.

Flamingo Land Review (+ Ticket Discount)

 (ad) This post is based on a visit in August 2026. Please always check venues direct for up to date info. We booked HALF PRICE tickets to Flamingo Land using the Great Days Out website at the start of August. The process was super easy and our tickets were emailed to us instantly. I’ve added a little tutorial of how it all works at the end of this video: How to buy discounted tickets video

This deal was perfect for us as you can use a family pass for any 4 people and they can be adults / older teens so we brought along our 17 year old daughter and her friend.

Annie : Review (Newcastle Theatre Royal)

 AD - We were provided with press tickets to review this show in August 2026

📆 4 - 8 August 2026 at Newcastle Theatre Royal

🫶 Audio described & captioned performance with pre-show touch tour Sat 8 Aug at 2:30pm
⌚ 2 hr 20 mins including interval
🎫 Standard tickets available from £23
✅ Suitable for a family audience (triggers include strobes, haze, smoke and confetti bursts on stage)

📽 You can watch a preview here: Annie Preview

⭐ Starring Claire Sweeney at Miss Hannigan 

🎟️Book: https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/annie-2/

52 Days Out for Teens in Newcastle Upon Tyne

*This post was published in August 2026. Info can change so do check with venues direct for the most up to date info when booking. 

Summer at Preston Park Museum & Grounds

 AD - this is an advert for July 2026. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. 

Preston Park Museum & Grounds is Open Daily across the Summer Holidays. Watch a video from our Summer visit here: Summer at Preston Park Museum Video Tour

The Bodyguard Review (Newcastle Theatre Royal)

 AD - We were provided with press tickets to review this show in July 2026 

📆 27 July - 1 August 2026 at Newcastle Theatre Royal

🫶 BSL & Captioned 30 July at 7:30pm
⌚ 2 hr 10 mins including interval
🎫 Standard tickets available from £21
✅ Recommended for ages 10+ (haze effects, strobes and flashing lights)

📽 You can watch a trailer here: The Bodyguard Trailer 🎟️Book: https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/the-bodyguard-2/

Our Holiday to Kos (flying from Newcastle)

This post was published in July 2026. We paid for this holiday ourselves but some of the links in this post are (ad) affiliates. 

We're off to Kos for our summer holidays this year. This post shares a few of our plans and I have updated it to include our reviews from after our visit. 

Jet 2 fly to Kos direct from Newcastle twice a week on Sundays and Wednesdays. Flight time is approximately 4 hours 15 minutes. You can check flight times and prices here: Holidays to Kos from Newcastle 

100+ FREE Days Out & Events across North East England for August 2026

 This post features over 100 FREE events taking place across North East England. Always check details with venues direct for the most up to date info before heading out as details can change. 

If you're looking for even more FREE days out, check out this post: The Ultimate Guide to FREE Days Out in North East England (over 50 attractions) 

And don't forget to check out our post : How to Save Money on Days Out 

What's On in the North East for Kids & Teens : August Daily Planner

Ad  - This post was published in July 2026 and contains adverts. As always, please check details with venues direct before heading out as info can change and cancellations are possible. You can do that by clicking the links in this post. 

North East Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free

The Storied Lands : Review & Tips

 AD - This post is based on a press preview visit and a regular visit on the first day they were open to the public as well as previous visits to Kynren. As always, information can change so it's super important you check with the venue itself for the most up to date information when booking. Kynren has less than 250 employees and this post complies with HFSS guidance. 

The Storied Lands is a much-anticipated live action day time park that takes you on a whirlwind tour of history. It shares the same site as our fantastic Kynren evening show and is open every day except Mondays until 12 September 2026 (and will then take a break over winter and re-open next summer). 

A Summer of Play at Seaton Delaval Hall - Daily Planner

This is an advert for July 2026. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. 

There is SOOOO much going on at Seaton Delaval Hall this summer. With different activities available to enjoy each week and lots of variation, it's definitely somewhere you can plan to visit more than once across the holidays. 

What's On in the North East for Kids & Teens : July 2026

 This post was published in June 2026. As always, please check details with venues direct before heading out as info can change and cancellations are possible. You can do that by clicking the links in this post. 

Hello July! 

I have decided to split my Summer Holiday What's On Guide across July and August this year as quite frankly, they are just becoming too big to cover the full six weeks. Look out for August's guide towards the end of July. 

100+ FREE Events in North East England | July 2026

This post features over 100 events taking place in July over weekends and school holidays in North East England. ALWAYS check details with venues direct when making plans and before heading out as details can change. 

Is This The Most Scenic Walk in Northumberland?

We absolutely love the walk from Craster Village to Dunstanburgh Castle and back. It’s 30 minutes each way, offers beautiful views of the coastline and there’s a fantastic beer garden with sea views, smokehouse and a playground at the end. What’s not to love?

The walk is super easy to follow - simply keep the sea on your right hand side and walk towards the castle then when you’re ready, turn around and head back into the village where you’ll find the pub, smokehouse and playground. You can easily extend your walk in both directions. Just keep walking -  it’s part of the England Coastal Path. 

This is Rambert Review (Newcastle Theatre Royal)

 Ad - we were provided with press tickets to review this show at Newcastle Theatre Royal in June 2026. 

Rambert is a School of Contemporary Dance & Ballet with innovation and creativity at their core. This year, they turn 100 and are celebrating with a show featuring bite-sized high impact works with something urgent to say. 

5 Reasons to Visit Discover Festival at Newcastle University

 Ad - This is an advert for June 2026 and based on a visit in June 2026. Any edits / reshares beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. As always, please check with venue direct for the most up to date info. 

What is Discover Festival? 

Discover Festival is a free, one day festival taking place across Newcastle University Campus. It's designed to bring the community together, spark curiousity and discuss ideas. There are loads of activities to pre-book or drop into across the day and the festival is inclusive and suitable for all ages and abilities. 

Strawberry Picking at Spilman's Farm

This post is based on a visit in June 2026 which we paid for ourselves. Please check with venue direct for up to date info as details can change. 

When Spilmans announced that some of their strawberries were ready early this year due to all of the lovely sunshine we’ve been receiving, we decided to book up and go along as an end of term treat. We love it here and the teens did not need any convincing.

Sandy Park (Crimdon) Glamping Review

This post is based on a stay in August 2025 which we paid for ourselves. Please check with venue direct for the most up to date info as details can change.  

Last summer we booked a bargain mid-week glamping trip for 2 adults and 1 dog. It was £240 for 4 nights Mon-Fri in August. Considering this was school holidays and included a hot tub, I thought it was a massive bargain. 

A Brand New Theme Park Opens in the North East this July

 AD - This is an advert for June 2026. Always check details with venues direct when booking and before heading out for the most up to date info. 

The UK's first ever Live Action Show Park opens in Bishop Auckland on 18 July 2026. It will then be open daily for the season from 10:30am - 4:30pm  (closed Mondays) until 12 September 2026. 

Things To Do Near Alton Towers

 Ad - We visited Staffordshire as part of a press trip in May 2026. This blog post has not been asked or paid for. This post contains affiliate links. 

Alton Towers is a popular short break option for our readers. This post will share ideas for things to do if you're staying in the Staffordshire area or ideas for somewhere to stop off after an overnight stay before heading home. 

You can check out current Alton Towers Offers & Deals here: Current  Alton Towers Deals & Discounts

The Ballad of Johnny & June Review (Newcastle Theatre Royal)

AD - We were provided with press tickets to review this show in June 2026. 
 

📆 2 - 6 June 2026 at Newcastle Theatre Royal
🫶 Audio described & captioned performance with pre-show touch tour on Sat 6 June at 2:30pm
⌚ 2 hrs 30 mins including interval
🎫 Standard tickets available from £30 / 18-30s tickets available from £10
✅ Recommended for ages 12+ (adult themed and language)

⭐ Starring Christopher Ryan Grant and Christina Bianco 🎟️Book: https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/the-ballad-of-johnny-june/

What's On in the North East for Kids & Teens : June 2026

 Always check information with venues direct before heading out as changes are possible. 

Welcome to our bumper guide to what's on in June. Check out our top picks first and then scroll down to the dates you need for 'what's on at the weekend' listings. 

It's a busy month for us with Discover Fest, lots of theatre trips, the Hoppings & the World Cup. Steve is off to see Metallica in Glasgow too. 

30 + FREE Entry North East Events for June 2026

  Always check information with venues direct before heading out as changes are possible. 

Here's a bumper list of free entry events for kids and families taking place across North East England this June. Click on the links for more info. 

If you're looking for even more FREE days out, check out this post: The Ultimate Guide to FREE Days Out in North East England (over 50 attractions) 

And don't forget to check out our post : How to Save Money on Days Out 

My First Ballet : Cinderella (Newcastle Theatre Royal) Review

 AD - We were provided with tickets to review this show in May 2026. 

This new production by English National Ballet is the perfect introduction to ballet for children and their families. 

Performed by students of the English National Ballet's graduate programme, it's a chance to be inspired and entertained by the next generation of dancers. 

Specifically created for a younger audience, you can expect a shortened version of Prokofiev's score (recorded rather than live) alongside gentle narration which helps a younger audience to easily follow the story along. 

How to Save Money on North East Days Out

 This post was published in May 2026. Please check with venues direct for up to date info as details can change. 

Cragside 

If you're looking to save a bit of cash on days out this year, this post brings together all of the best deals and places to look for discounts. 

Little Shop of Horrors (Northern Stage) Review

 AD - We were provided with press tickets to review this show at Northern Stage in May 2026, Press images credit : Pamela Raith.

Our Guide to Exploring Italy

I absolutely love Italy and I think it is probably my favourite holiday destination. In fact, we are travelling to Italy again this summer. Cannot wait! I realised I have a fair bit of Italy content on my site now so thought I would bring it all together in one post. 

AD - The links in this post are affiliate links. 

Perfect for you to read if you're looking for some inspiration for your next trip! 

A Day Exploring Malcesine & Limone Sul Garda

 This post is based on a visit in June 2024 which we paid for ourselves. Please check with venues direct for the most up to date info. 

We spent a week exploring Lake Garda and were based at the South of the Lake in Pescheria which is more convenient for travel. This was our first visit though and I wanted to spend a day in the North of the Lake too. The North is very different to the South and has a much more mountainous terrain. 

We settled on spending the day at Malcesine and Limone which are just a 10 minute ferry apart. It does take a long time to get there from the South though - an epic 3 hour ferry journey! It was nice though with plenty of stops and we were able to make a note of places we'd like to visit next time as we passed them too.