Local news, what's on and the information you need across Dorset, from Dorchester to the Blackmore Vale.
The Dorset Post

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What's On

What's On in Dorset

Things to do in and around Dorset: events, days out and family activities, with the practical details.

Top story Corfe Castle: £15 Entry This Winter, Parking and the Train Corfe Castle is £15 an adult and £37.50 a family off-peak, open daily 10am to 3.30pm from 2 November. Parking, the Norden park and ride, buses and dogs. · 6 min read

Dates for the diary

  1. On now to 1 Nov The Great Halloween Mystery, Moors Valley Moors Valley Country Park and Forest · From £3.50
  2. On now to 31 Oct Bincombe Bumps Pumpkins, October Pumpkin Festival Bincombe Bumps · Free
  3. On now to 25 Oct Pumpkins and Fun on the Farm, Dewflock Farm Dewflock Farm · From £6.50
  4. On now to 31 Oct Bincombe Bumps Pumpkins Bincombe Bumps · Free
  5. On now to 13 Dec Dressed For Duty: Fashion, Function and the British Army Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
  6. Mon 19 Oct Nigel Havers: Talking B*ll*cks 7.30pm · Weymouth Pavilion · From £38
  7. Tue 20 Oct People's Emergency Briefing: screening and panel discussion 6pm · The Pavilion, Bournemouth · Free
  8. Wed 21 Oct Store Tour at the Collections Discovery Centre 2pm · Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
  9. Thu 22 Oct Illusion Impossible 7.30pm · Weymouth Pavilion · From £31
  10. 23 Oct to 1 Nov Halloween Experience at Moors Valley Moors Valley Country Park and Forest
  11. Fri 23 Oct While and Matthews 7.30pm · Dorchester Corn Exchange · From £18
  12. 24 to 31 Oct October Illuminate, Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

More stories

What's On Man O'War Beach: Steps, Swimming and Dogs by Durdle Door Man O'War beach is the sand and shingle cove east of Durdle Door: same £15 car park, steep steps, Excellent bathing water, dogs all year. Checked 15 October. · 8 min read What's On Lulworth Cove: Parking £9 for 3 Hours, Stair Hole, Dogs Lulworth Cove parking is £9 for three hours or £25 for nine, every day. Stair Hole, rock pools, dogs, the walk to Durdle Door and buses, checked 14 October. · 9 min read Dorchester Dorset Autumn Afternoon: £25 Folk and Ploughman's, 15 Nov Folk musicians Alastair Braidwood and Tim Laycock play Dorchester Corn Exchange at 1pm on Sunday 15 November; £25 buys a ploughman's lunch and a drink. · 3 min read What's On Durdle Door: Parking £15 to £35, the Walk Down, Dogs Durdle Door is free; parking above it is £15 for six hours or £25 for nine, every day. The 15-minute walk down, dogs, buses and swimming, checked 13 October. · 9 min read Poole Free Half-Term Family Sessions in Poole on 24 and 25 Oct Two free family activity sessions in Poole this half term: 24 October at Bank by Nicholas James, 25 October at Hotel du Vin, for ages 3 to 7. Booking needed. · 2 min read Bournemouth People's Emergency Briefing: Free at Bournemouth, 20 Oct Free screening of the People's Emergency Briefing climate film at Bournemouth Pavilion on Tuesday 20 October, 6pm to 8pm, then a panel Q&A. Ages 16 and over. · 3 min read Dorchester Liza Pulman Sings Streisand: Dorchester on Fri 30 October Liza Pulman of Fascinating Aïda brings her Streisand show to Dorchester Corn Exchange on Friday 30 October at 7.30pm. Tickets £32, or £30 for members. · 2 min read Christmas Abbotsbury Illuminate 2026: the light trail returns on 20 November Abbotsbury's Illuminate light trail runs on selected dates from 20 November to 31 December, with free parking, no booking fee and Santa from 5 December. · 6 min read Halloween Dorset Halloween 2026: pumpkin patches, ghost trains and trails Bincombe's pumpkin patch is free from 10 October, Swanage Railway's ghost trains run 30 and 31 October at £25, and Mapperton's trail is £5 a child. · 10 min read Events What's On in Dorset: Beach Motocross, Then Weymouth Fireworks Free motocross on Weymouth Beach on 10 and 11 October, the fireworks at 8pm on 5 November, plus 42 more dated events with times, prices and organiser links. · 13 min read Fireworks Dorset fireworks 2026: Weymouth beach at 8pm on 5 November Weymouth: stalls on the Promenade from 5pm on Thursday 5 November, beach bonfire 7.40pm, fireworks from a boat in the bay at 8pm, plus a pilot drone show. · 6 min read Christmas Dorset pantomimes 2026: Cinderella at Weymouth from 19 Dec Cinderella at Weymouth Pavilion runs 19 December to 2 January, adults £22 to £25. Jack and the Beanstalk at the Tivoli, Wimborne, is 12 December to 3 January. · 4 min read Christmas Santa in Dorset 2026: Swanage Railway from 28 November Swanage Railway's Yuletide Express runs from 28 November at £29.95 a seat and Kingston Lacy's Storytelling with Santa is £15.50 a child from the same day. · 5 min read Christmas Kingston Lacy Christmas 2026: Starlit Ball from 21 November Kingston Lacy's Starlit Christmas Ball runs 21 November to 3 January, free with admission and no booking. House open 10.30am to 3pm, closed 25 and 26 December. · 4 min read Remembrance Dorset Remembrance Sunday: 10.55am in Weymouth and Dorchester Weymouth and Dorchester both start at 10.55am on Sunday 8 November at their war memorials. The Esplanade parade, the roads that shut and free parking. · 6 min read Christmas Sherborne and Bridport Christmas markets 2026: 6 and 9 Dec Sherborne's Christmas market is Sunday 6 December, 10am to 4pm; Bridport Christmas Cheer is Wednesday 9 December. Swanage, Dorchester and Weymouth too. · 10 min read Christmas Dorset Christmas lights switch-ons: 2026 dates and times Lyme Regis switches on first on 21 November; Dorchester, Weymouth and Swanage follow on 28 November, and Sherborne lights its tree on 6 December. Times inside. · 6 min read