17 dated events coming up in and around Chester, Cheshire. Collected from the organisations running them, not from anyone paying to appear.
The Zoo vs You Top Trumps trail round the Islands zone, pumpkin sculptures, and an exclusive card to take home for finishing, all included in an ordinary zoo ticket. Nothing extra to book and nothing that will give anyone nightmares. Face painting is the one thing charged on top.
A free Halloween trail round Chester city centre, 24 October to 1 November. Spot ten or more candy clues in local businesses, note their colour and design, and enter to win a £50 Chester Gift Card.
The Zoo vs You Top Trumps trail round the Islands zone, pumpkin sculptures, and an exclusive card to take home for finishing, all included in an ordinary zoo ticket. Nothing extra to book and nothing that will give anyone nightmares. Face painting is the one thing charged on top.
A free Halloween trail round Chester city centre, 24 October to 1 November. Spot ten or more candy clues in local businesses, note their colour and design, and enter to win a £50 Chester Gift Card.
A bonfire, live music and fireworks at 6.45pm on Bonfire Night itself, with the slides and a run of the fairground rides open all evening. The trail is closed for safety, so this is the rides and slides in the dark, not the full Crocky.
An afternoon of play at the farm with a firework finale 'without the loud bangs' at about 6.30pm, which makes it a gentle first fireworks for a nervous three-year-old. Only ticket holders are on site after 2pm.
The zoo after dark on a new route this year: glowing tunnels, more interactive puppets than before, fairground rides, festive food and Father Christmas along the way. There are adults-only nights on selected dates, so check you have not booked one of those, and remember it is all outside in December.
About 80 traders round the Town Hall square, selling local food, crafts and stocking fillers. Bring some cash for the food stalls and mug deposits. The cathedral's Christmas Tree Festival is a few steps away from 25 November and makes a warm second half to the trip.
Community groups and local artists parade through the city centre to start the festive season, with a hinted visit from Father Christmas. Free, and a 7pm start, so it works for primary-age children on a school night if you are local.
A gingerbread-themed walk-through grotto in Eastgate Square, Chester, ending with Santa and a gift, from 20 November to Christmas Eve. Quieter SEN sessions run on 28 November, 5, 13 and 21 December.
More than 80 trees decorated on a Spirit of Christmas theme through the cathedral, a quiet, warm counterweight to the market outside. Children five and under go free, and on Sundays there is no booking or entry fee for anyone. Between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day the cathedral shuts at 4pm, with last festival entry at 3.30pm.
Runs on 3 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Storyhouse's own Christmas show, Rapunzel with pop songs, dance and comedy. Every performance is captioned, with a relaxed performance on 27 December at noon, audio description on 20 December and BSL on 2 January.
An hour on the Dee aboard the Lady Diana with Santa and the elves, a gingerbread man for the children, mince pies for the adults and a book chosen to each child's reading age. There are only six sailings. No baby change on board (the nearest is by the Bandstand, 100m away) and pushchairs must be folded.
A small farm's Christmas: Santa's grotto, festive crafts, the cafe, and a gift for each child that includes a free farm pass worth £7. Booking is old school, by email or phone (text after 3pm) and they send a payment link, and tickets are non-refundable unless the farm cancels. There is a separate, quieter SEN grotto.
Brunch with Santa in Chester Cathedral's medieval refectory on Sundays 6, 13 and 20 December and Christmas Eve. Best for ages 1 to 10, and every paying child meets Santa. Everyone in the party needs a ticket.
The Ice Cream Farm's grotto runs for the last fortnight before Christmas, with Breakfast with Santa and Storytime with Santa sessions on selected mornings. An SEN-friendly grotto and breakfast run earlier, on Saturday 28 November.
Santa at the shire horse centre, and the ticket covers farm admission plus free return visits for a month, which softens the price. Your booked time is your Santa slot, so come for 10am, see the horses, then head to the grotto. Tickets are online only and not sold on the day.
The Snowman on a big screen in Chester Cathedral with a live orchestra on Monday 21 December, at 2pm, 4pm and 6.30pm. A Shaun the Sheep Christmas short is included. Recommended for ages 3 and up.
Places you can turn up to whether or not anything is on.
A free adventure playground in Blacon, going for over 50 years, with a zip wire, a fort and an 8ft slide, plus a small farm of donkeys, goats and sheep. No food on site, so take a picnic and wellies.
Nearly a thousand years of history in the middle of Chester, free to walk into for most of the year and dry when the Walls are not. The tower tour costs extra, and its age rules only show up in the booking system.
Two miles of Roman, Saxon and medieval wall right round the city centre, free and always there, and the most complete circuit in Britain. Children like being up high; parents like that you can drop off at any gate for a cake.
The largest Roman amphitheatre uncovered in Britain, sitting in the open just outside the city walls. Only about half of it has been dug out and the rest is still under the buildings behind.
Twenty nine hectares on the north edge of Chester, with five waymarked routes. The paths and kissing gates were designed for wheelchairs, which makes it easy going with a pushchair. No playground.
Chester's Roman story done properly: real tombstones from the fortress walls, a hands-on natural history gallery, and a walk-through period house at the back. Free, central, and the right size.