Halloween week at Harpenden & St Albans

Hello Harpenden, hello St Albans! 👋

Halloween lands on a Saturday, the fireworks start on Sunday and the local DJs clearly have no plans to sleep. We've done the legwork so you don't have to: here's what's on, what it costs and where to book, with a few nudges from us on what we'd squeeze in.

Photo: John5199, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

☀️ Weather at a glance

Foggy tonight, dry and mild for Halloween, a hint of drizzle on Sunday. This is the forecast for St Albans, and Harpenden is only about five miles up the road, so it covers you too.

• Friday 30 Oct: foggy, 15° / 9°, no rain. Bring a torch for finding the car.
• Saturday 31 Oct: cloudy, 14° / 7°, 0% chance of rain. Dry Halloween, no soggy costumes.
• Sunday 1 Nov: light drizzle in the forecast, 10° / 6°, 4% chance of rain, with a breeze. Hat and gloves for the fireworks.
• Monday to Thursday: cloudy, highs of 9° to 12°, rain chance between 3% and 13%.

🎆 This weekend

Fireworks season opens on Sunday, and the first full weekend has a bit of everything.

Harpenden Rugby Club fireworks

Harpenden
📅 Sunday 1 November, 3pm to 9:30pm
📍 Harpenden Rugby Football Club
💷 Ticketed, so check with the organiser for prices and ages

Harpenden's own fireworks day runs from mid-afternoon to 9:30pm, so there's no need to rush: turn up, find a warm spot and stay until it's properly dark.

Halloween and Fireworks Party at the St Albans Irish Club

Nearby: London Colney
📅 Saturday 31 October, from 3pm
📍 St Albans Irish Club, Cotlandswick, North Orbital Road
💷 £3.50 · check with the organiser for ages

Halloween and Bonfire Night in one place, which feels efficient: a disco, a sweet stall, ice cream, a bonfire and fireworks. More info

London Colney Fireworks

Nearby: London Colney
📅 Sunday 1 November, 3pm to 6pm
📍 Morris Playing Fields
💷 £5 a head · All ages (under-twos are free but still need a ticket; numbers are limited and tickets are non-refundable)

If one bonfire party wasn't enough: a funfair, live music, food stalls and a mobile bar, all organised by the parish council. More info

Wheathampstead Fireworks

Nearby: Wheathampstead
📅 Sunday 1 November, 4:30pm to 6pm
📍 Beech Hyde Primary School and Nursery
💷 Ticketed · Family

The early-evening option, so you can be home in time for tea. It raises money for the school, and there's a quiet room with a direct view of the display for anyone who finds fireworks overwhelming, which we think is lovely. Online tickets close tomorrow, with a limited number on the gate from 4:30pm. More info

High Springers Halloween Party

Nearby: Park Street
📅 Saturday 31 October, 4pm to 5:30pm
📍 Park Street Village Hall, Park Street, St Albans AL2 2PX
💷 Child £14.75, adult £2, family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) £31 · For children aged 2 to 9

An afternoon party with the snacks sorted: Halloween crafts and tattoos, a picture hunt, pin the face, a disco, parachute and party games, then sandwiches, crisps and watermelon, plus a pumpkin biscuit to decorate. Come in your best spooky outfit. Places are limited, so book ahead; questions to info@highspringers.co.uk.

Halloween night out

St Albans
📅 Saturday 31 October
📍 The Great Northern (free party), The Peahen (DJ Jeddah from 7pm, over-18s, free) and The White Swan (six-DJ rooftop party from 3pm)
💷 Free at two of the three · rooftop party £10 to £20, limited tickets · Adults

Plenty of DJs, and rather fewer ghosts. Pick your venue and dress accordingly.

St Albans Vegan Market

St Albans
📅 Sunday 1 November, 10:30am to 4pm
📍 St Albans Market
💷 Free

A gentle Sunday option that costs nothing to browse, ideal before or after the fireworks. More info

🗓️ Also this week

A few more to put in the diary, in date order.

Tonight, Friday 30 October

• St Albans Record Shack with DJ Stumpi and Lee Drummond, The Peacock, from 7pm. Free. More info
• St Albans Nu-Metal Night, Halloween Special, The Horn, 8pm. Free. More info
• St Albans Pink Floyd by Candlelight, St Albans Cathedral, 7:30pm. £20 to £60. More info
• St Albans Thank You For the Music, an ABBA tribute, Alban Arena, 7:30pm. £35. More info

Saturday 31 October

• St Albans Colin Blunstone with Rod Argent and Russ Ballard, a candlelight concert at St Albans Cathedral. Doors 7pm, Colin Blunstone on at 8:20pm. From £45. More info
• Nearby: Chiswell Green Halloween Karaoke Night at the Three Hammers, from 8:30pm, hosted by DJ Derick. A spooky Saturday of music, drinks and plenty of singing, so warm up those vocal cords.

Tuesday 3 November

• St Albans Crochet Christmas Decorations, Fashion n' Fabrics, 10am. £22. Yes, it is nearly time for baubles. More info

Thursday 5 November

• St Albans Niall McNamee, The Horn, 8pm to 11pm. £15 to £18. Adults. More info
• St Albans Raincaller Tarot readings, The Farmers Boy, from 8pm. It runs on most Thursdays (it was on this week, on 29 October), so check with the pub that it's on. A fun one if you're after a bit of clarity, or at least a good story.

All week, and free

• St Albans Still Lives, an exhibition at St Albans Museum + Gallery. More info
• St Albans Honouring Our Communities, a mural project at St Albans Museum + Gallery. More info
• St Albans Bishops: Builders of the Diocese, an exhibition at St Albans Cathedral. More info

🏷️ Local deals

Yes, we know it's only October. The festive menus are open for bookings anyway, and no one is judging.

Harpenden

• The Fox: a festive set menu at £40.50, and book by tomorrow (31 October) with the promo code in your Rewards account to get a free glass of Moët & Chandon each when you dine between 18 November and 13 December. A rather good reason to plan early. Book
• The Old Bell: a three-course festive menu at £34, from 12 November to 24 December. Details
• Southdown lights switch-on, Friday 27 November: local businesses will have Christmas-themed offers on the night, alongside carols, fairground rides and stalls. Details

St Albans

• Cosy Club: festive menus from 18 November to Christmas Eve, three courses from £29.95. Details
• Lussmanns: a Christmas set menu at £40.95 per person, available from late November until 3 January. Details

📰 New in town

Harpenden

• Harpenden Ovee has opened in Thompson Close, taking over from Cinnamon. The new South Asian restaurant opened its doors on Tuesday 27 October and, according to the Herts Advertiser, serves classic dishes in what it calls a modern British dining setting. Open 5pm to 10:30pm Sunday to Thursday and 5pm to 11pm on Friday and Saturday; find Ovee Harpenden on Instagram or ring 01582 363026. Herts Advertiser
• Harpenden Bread Ahead, the Borough Market bakery famous for its doughnuts, is heading to Harpenden High Street, its first branch outside London according to Time Out. Expect a bakery with all-day dining, and a baking school upstairs with classes from January 2027. Time Out

⭐ Local spotlight

Harpenden: The Harpenden Arms

A weekend night out that doesn't need much planning. The Harpenden Arms' what's-on page lists live music every Saturday at 9:30pm, and a Dinner for Two deal on Wednesdays, so there's a reason to pop in midweek too. Check the pub's page for this week's line-up and the dinner deal terms. What's on

St Albans: Saint & Sinner

The McMullen's pub is having a busy month: a fireworks afterparty on Saturday 7 November, an IDJ4U takeover on 14 November and DJ Gucci Walker on 28 November. For a calmer night, it also hosts adult craft evenings, making wreaths on 19 November and fabric baubles on 2 December, both with Arty Pants. Saint & Sinner

Photo: John5199, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

👀 Coming up

Pencil these in now and thank yourself later.

St Albans Fireworks Spectacular

St Albans
📅 Saturday 7 November. Gates and food village 6pm, fireworks 7:30pm, finish 8:15pm
📍 Verulamium Park
💷 Online: adult £12.50, child (4 to 16) £7.50, family of four £35, under-3s free · On the gate: £15, £10 and £40

The big city show, in aid of Isabel Hospice and the Herts Domestic Abuse Helpline. Booking online saves you a few pounds. And on Sunday 8 November, St Albans Farmers' Market runs from 8am to 2pm, if you need a calm morning after. More info

Harpenden Christmas Carnival and main lights switch-on

Harpenden
📅 Sunday 22 November, 12pm to 6pm
📍 Harpenden town centre
💷 Free

The big Harpenden date. The Harpenden Farmers' Market is on the same morning, and the smaller Batford (Thursday 26 November) and Southdown (Friday 27 November) switch-ons follow that week, so the lights keep coming. More info

St Albans Christmas Cracker

St Albans
📅 Sunday 22 November, 12pm to 6pm
📍 City centre
💷 Free

Around 100 stalls, live music, Santa's grotto and fairground rides. Same day as Harpenden's carnival, so you'll need to pick a side, or do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. More info

Redbourn Christmas Market

Nearby: Redbourn
📅 Sunday 29 November, 11am to 5pm
📍 High Street and Cumberland Gardens
💷 Free to wander

Over 100 craft, food and gift stalls, plus music and Father Christmas. A good one for ticking off gift ideas. More info

See you at the fireworks! 🎇
The Social Martini team