Events that cost nothing to turn up to in and around Rochdale. Library sessions, park activities, museum trails and town centre days. Some venues still charge for parking.
Bookstart Bear Club at Rochdale Central Library on Fridays in term time, 9.45am to 10.30am, for toddlers up to pre-school. Free, but book a ticket per child. Children collect stamps in a Bookstart passport.
Rochdale Town Hall runs free family Halloween activities every day of half term, 26 October to 1 November, 10am to 4pm. No booking. The exact activities are still to be announced on its social channels.
The first of Rochdale Council's three free school-night bonfires, with a reduced-noise display set to music at 7.30pm and a funfair from 6pm. There are no toilets on site, which is the practical point that matters with small children.
Free council bonfire with a reduced-noise display set to music, so it is kinder on small ears and on the dog left at home. No parking and no toilets on site: walk there, and go before you leave the house.
The last of Rochdale Council's three free nights, on Cronkeyshaw Common, with the bonfire at 7pm and a reduced-noise display set to music at 7.30pm. No onsite parking and no toilets, so treat it as a walk-in, walk-out evening.
Rochdale's Ignite Fire Festival and Christmas lights switch-on fills the Memorial Gardens opposite the Town Hall, 20 to 22 November, 5pm to 8pm each evening. Free, for all ages, just turn up.