Looking for a 'Grand Day Out' this autumn?  Lancashire has it all this autumn, especially if you are a Wallace and Gromit fan!  

This month, The Harris Museum reopens its doors after a five-year, £19million refurbishment; the flagship of a £100+ million Preston city centre transformation. 

A new-look home for its unique collections, a reimagined space for visitors and community alike, The Harris boasts the UK's longest museum Foucault pendulum and cutting-edge interactive displays blending heritage with technology.  

New exhibition spaces will welcome an exciting programme of temporary exhibitions, the first being the Wallace and Gromit A Case at The Museum; an exclusive look into the inspiration behind the animated duo from their Preston-born creator Nick Park, who officially opens the museum on Sunday 28th September. 

Lancashire's strong links with the much-loved Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit, are clear to see in locations across the county this autumn. Two permanent statues of Nick Park's animated characters are just a short walk from The Harris. The first statue, unveiled in 2021 outside Preston's popular market, shows Gromit reading the paper while Wallace struggles to control The Wrong Trousers - doubling up as a bench, it's the perfect place to snap a photograph. Just around the corner, next to Preston's new Animate entertainment centre, is a statue of the villainous Feathers McGraw. Unveiled earlier this year, Feathers has Wallace & Gromit in his sights and is holding the controls of the wrong trousers.  

Super fans, searching for more Wallace & Gromit fun, should head to Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool where they'll find, amongst an array of brilliant rides, the Wallace and Gromit Thrill-O-Matic Ride which has just undergone an update, to include references to the latest movie Vengeance Most Fowl.  There's no better time to visit too, as Blackpool's world-famous illuminations sparkle through the darker nights until January 4,2026. 

If you're visiting the area with your very own Gromit, why not head to Gisburn Forest and enjoy the Forest Walkies Trail which runs until the end of October. This interactive trail features a variety of Wallace & Gromit inspired games and challenges for you and your hound to complete, while you search for criminal mastermind Feathers McGraw. Just pick up the trail pack from the visitor centre, which includes tote bag, dog bandana and everything you'll need to complete your mission.   

The Harris Museum opens to the public on 28th September and A Case at the Museum runs until 4th January 2026. 

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If you are looking for more cracking days out, take a look at some of Lancashire's other events for the autumn below.  

Preston's Encounter Festival – 10th Anniversary 
20th September 2025  

A huge celebration of arts and culture in the centre of Preston, Encounter Festival is not to be missed. Expect music, motion and magic as the streets come alive with theatre and dance performances and much more during the ten-year anniversary of Encounter Festival. A lot of the action will take place on the Flag Market, but you can also catch acts on Harris Street and Birley Street nearby. The whole day concludes with the spectacular torchlight procession starting at Moor Park and making its way back towards the Flag Market.  

There will be bars and live music around the Flag Market during the evening, with stilt walking performances too. Check out the city's array of bars and restaurants in between shows, such as Chews Yard and 1842.  

Make a weekend of it and explore beyond the city centre, with a stay at Delta Hotels by Marriott Preston where you'll find lots to do nearby.  There's fun for all ages at The Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre in Brock or take a walk on Beacon Fell and be rewarded with stunning views of the coast and Forest of Bowland. Kids will love to burn off steam at Billy Bob's Parlour in Myerscough or creating a special keepsake with Crafty Diane in Garstang.   

British Textile Biennial  

2nd October – 2nd November  

Lancashire holds its breath in anticipation of this year's British Textile Biennial in October. You'll have to stay a while to see all the amazing artworks and exhibitions, as the county celebrates the legacy of the textile industry in East Lancashire and its global impact. With a variety of different displays across venues including Blackburn Cathedral, Burnley's Queen Street Mill, Accrington's Howarth Art Gallery. This year you'll also find the biennial exhibits in The Harris Museum in Preston and the Ashton Memorial, in Lancaster. 

With so many great options for days out, why not book yourself a home from home in one of Lancashire's fabulous self-catering accommodations? Ribble Valley Holiday Homes have 13 options of lodges and cottages for you to rent, sleeping from two to 14 people. Complete with hot tubs and incredible views and a swimming pool on site, plus its central location within the area, it's an ideal base. What's more it's close to so many great food and drink options, including Michelin-starred Northcote, Jules Restaurant at Mytton Fold Hotel, The Black Bull Inn and The Wellsprings all within 20 minutes.  

Fusion 2025 – Food Festival by Nigel Haworth 

13th – 19th October 

Discover a food festival like no other at Fusion 2025. Hosted by The Three Fishes in Mitton and renowned Lancashire chef Nigel Haworth, Fusion is a week-long celebration of food and flavour, creativity and collaboration.  

Founded by Nigel Haworth, Fusion 2025 will see Michelin-Star chefs cooking up a storm in Lancashire's Ribble Valley, including Nigel's son Kirk Haworth who was born and bred in the area and now heads up his own plant-based restaurant Plates in London, which gained its first Michelin Star in February. The impressive line-up also includes: Atul Kochhar, the first Indian Chef to be awarded a Michelin star; celebrated TV personality Angelo Sabatelli, an Italian Michelin star chef who blends local traditions with global influences; Shaun Rankin, who is known for his terroir-driven dining at Michelin-starred Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall; Thuy Diem Pham, the author of The Little Viet Kitchen who brings soulful, authentic Vietnamese cooking to the stage. Not forgetting Nigel Haworth himself, who will highlight a unique take on dishes from across his 50 years in the industry.  

Nearby Everything Retreat is an ideal escape for those looking to enjoy a little luxury in Lancashire this autumn. With 12 meticulously designed lodges crafted with luxury in mind, you will find hot tubs, balance bar and kitchen, healing hut and can even make use of their concierge service to get you around the area.  

Wholesome Halloween Fun - Various dates in October  

With Halloween around the corner, so many people are planning their pumpkin picking, and days out with the kids for the season. As a county that is 80% rural, Lancashire offers an abundance of farms which provide pumpkins galore and lots of Halloween related fun!  

Don't miss Mrs Dowsons Farm's Pumpkin Picking in Blackburn, a spooktastic day out with a 3-acre pumpkin patch offering picture perfect spots for those all-important Instagram posts, plus quirky characters to meet and greet, carnival games to try and more. The patch is found on the very popular farm park, where there are loads of animals to meet too, and a brilliant play barn to enjoy. 

Thorton Hall Country Park's Spooks event, also offers a whole farm of fun and games for the little ones to get involved in. With frights and thrills just right for little ones, they can explore Mischief Manor, step into Trick or Treet Street and enjoy live shows including The School of Evil and, new for 2025, The Ringmasters Challenge. This is all in addition to pumpkin picking and carving, and all the fun that can usually be found on the farm near Barnoldswick.  

The 6th annual Pumpkin Festival at Ridgeway Farm in Blackpool is set to be another fantastic event too, with plenty of homegrown pumpkins to be picked! Take a wander through the patch to find your perfect pumpkin, then wheel it through the autumn-themed orchard to the magical barn to decorate it ready for the big day. During the event you can enjoy autumnal food in the cafe and even grab a stone baked pizza to replenish your energy after pushing your pumpkin filled wheelbarrow through the site.  

These are just three of the many Halloween themed events happening throughout the county, but there are so many more! There are pumpkin picking events at Farmer Teds Farm Park, Bowland Wild Boar Park, Greenland's Farm Village and you can also enjoy pumpkin and spooky trains at West Lancashire Light Railway as well as East Lancashire Railway. There are also a number of patches at local farms if you just want to pick up a pumpkin on the way home.  You'll find all these and more at visitlancashire.com 

Halloween frights for the grown-ups - Various Dates in October  

Halloween isn't just for the kids and nowhere does grown-up spookiness better than Lancashire. Not only are we home to the 700-year-old Samlesbury Hall, one of the most haunted homes in Britain, where you can find a room dedicated to one of 13 resident ghosts (family friendly scares await). But we also have the year-round Pasaje Del Terror in Blackpool and a number of incredible events set to scare throughout October. 

Dare to be scared at Screams, Thornton Hall Country Park's SCREAMS! adult only adventure, Scare Kingdom, Mrs Dowsons Farm Park's spooky setting which opens after sunset, Farmaggedon at Farmer Ted's in Ormskirk, or the Pleasure Beach Resort's Journey to Hell Freak Nights.  

All of these scare attractions are designed to give you a fright, with something unique at each and every one. Expect freakish fear inducing actors, live scare shows, and rides that will make your heart race. Plus, food and drink, music and fun.  

Light displays you won't want to miss - Throughout the season 

Lancashire is home to arguably the most famous light displays in the world. Blackpool Illuminations are switched on each August and light up the seafront throughout the darker evenings. This year they once again continue through Christmas and New Year, until 4th January. This isn't the only light show in the county though!  

The infamous Blackpool Illuminations are supplemented by another light show, Lightpool Festival, which takes place in the seaside resort during October. This year the festival will take place for two weeks from 15th October with light-based art installations, live performances and 3D projection shows to keep the whole family spellbound. Elsewhere in the county you have Rivington's Festival of Light which lights up the trees and the terraced gardens for four nights from October 16th. In November, Light Up Lancaster returns to the historic city of Lancaster from 6th-8th November, followed by Astley Illuminated in Chorley; date TBC.  

The fun continues throughout Winter too, as the towns and cities switch on Christmas lights, Morecambe also has a Winter Lantern Festival on Saturday 6th December while Colne WinterBloom often lights up the skies in February. 

These are just some examples of great things to do in Lancashire this Autumn. For more inspiration head to visitlancashire.com and pull together your own exciting itinerary.  

ENDS 

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Notes to Editors  

1. Marketing Lancashire is charged with promoting Lancashire nationally and internationally, as a leading leisure, learning and business destination powered by Lancashire County Council.  Activities through our Visit Lancashire brand, Visit Lancashire Partnership and stakeholder engagement help attract 65* million annual visitors, who generate £4.8 billion for the local economy, which in turn supports 54,800 jobs. (*source STEAM research)   
2. Marketing Lancashire, leads the Lancashire LVEP (Local Visitor Economy Partnership). Part of a national portfolio of strategic and high-performing LVEPs that work in collaboration locally, regionally and nationally on shared priorities and targets, to support and grow the visitor economy. The Lancashire LVEP is a partnership between Marketing Lancashire and VisitBlackpool, with the support of Lancashire's 15 councils.  

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