Updated every week
Things to do in Cumbria this weekend
The weekend of 3 to 4 October: the weather call, one proper adventure and a checked list of family days out across Cumbria and the Lake District, plus every dated event from The Cumbrian Almanac.
Latest edition: Weekend edition, Friday 25 September 2026. Refreshed 29 September 2026.
Cockermouth food festival and a Gruffalo weekend. Buttermere for a proper walk.
Late September, so autumn colour starting, cooler and earlier evenings, and colder tops. We can't say what the sky will do, so check the MWIS Lake District forecast and pack waterproofs and a warm layer.
Sunset 7.03pm. Full mountain forecast (Mountain Weather Information Service)
It's the last weekend of September, and Cockermouth is throwing its food festival while Walby Farm Park has the Gruffalo out. A proper autumn walk at Buttermere rounds it off.
The weekend adventure
- 7.5km full circuit, or a 1.5km out-and-back on the accessible section
- Full lap is a long afternoon with six and seven year olds
- Start: Buttermere village car park, CA13 9XA
The lake is ringed by steep fells, and the path stays close to the water. You can pick the short section if you want to keep it easy and turn round when someone gets grumpy, which is usually before the far end.
The accessible section has rough sections due to a washout, and some steep slopes up to 1:8, so it's a struggle for buggies. The Honister Rambler bus (77/77A) helps with a one-way walk, and it runs March to November.
Route details (opens the official page)
Friday after school
Fri 25 Sep, 7pm to 9pm
Market Place, Cockermouth
Most attractions free, All ages
The festival opens on Friday with a chill-out in the Market Place. Worth knowing if you're passing through Friday after work rather than after school. Details and booking
Saturday
Sat 26 Sep 10am to 5pm, Sun 27 Sep 10am to 1pm
Main Street and Market Place, Cockermouth
Most attractions free; fairground rides and some events charged, All ages
About 70 food producers, cooking demos, street theatre, children's activities and music stages. Most of it is free, but the fairground rides cost, so budget for those. Details and booking
Sat 26 and Sun 27 Sep
Walby Farm Park, Crosby-on-Eden, near Carlisle CA6 4QL
Included with regular admission, All ages
The Gruffalo and his child are out on both days, included with a normal ticket. The park has the county's largest indoor play area, so the weather won't ruin it. Details and booking
Garden 10am to 4pm, house by tour on selected days
Main Street, Cockermouth CA13 9RX
Child (5 to 17) £3 at the time of writing, All ages
Wordsworth's childhood home with a walled garden of heritage vegetables and herbs. A quiet contrast to the festival, and it's on the same street. Details and booking
Listed for Sat 26 Sep
Eskdale, near Holmrook
Check the organisers, All ages
The show for Herdwick sheep, with a World Champion Herdwick award. Check the show's website for times and entry, as we couldn't confirm them. Details and booking
Sunday
Open daily
Penrith Golf Hub, Redhills, Penrith CA11 0DR
See website, All ages
Eighteen holes of adventure golf just off the M6 at Penrith. Quick to do, and Rheged is close by at Redhills if you need a cafe stop. Details and booking
Daily 10am to 5.30pm, until Sat 3 Oct
Fell Foot, Newby Bridge LA12 8NN
Hourly hire, Beginners welcome
Kayak, paddleboard and rowboat hire closes for the season on Saturday 3 October, so this weekend is close to the last chance. Details and booking
Steam season to 1 Nov
Haverthwaite Station, near Ulverston LA12 8AL
See fares page, All ages
A short steam train ride down to Windermere. Dogs ride free. Details and booking
Open seasonal days, 10am to 5pm
Near Sawrey LA22 0LF
See National Trust, All ages
Beatrix Potter's farmhouse. If you drive, pre-book because parking is very limited with a two-hour maximum stay. Details and booking
Tip. The deer rut in Martindale is mainly a mid-October to early November thing, so don't go hunting for stags yet. If you do go later, keep well back and don't get between the animals.
Where this came from
Everything else on this weekend
Saturday 3 October 2026
Acorn Bank (National Trust), Temple Sowerby · Free event, normal admission applies
Every October weekend you can taste apples from Acorn Bank's orchard of 165 varieties, some with hints of pineapple, aniseed or strawberry. Meet in the courtyard by the café; sessions may end early if the crop runs out. Organiser
Carlisle Cathedral, Carlisle · Free
Local food producers, crafts and charity stalls in the cathedral grounds and the Fratry. A good one to pair with a look at Museum of the Moon. Organiser
The Sands Centre, Carlisle · From £16.01
An interactive family show with life-like dinosaurs including T-Rex and Triceratops, lasting 50 minutes plus a 15-minute meet and greet. It won the 2024 Olivier Award for Best Family Entertainment. Organiser
09:00 Masonic Hall and Silver Street Gardens, Kirkby Stephen · Free
The first-Saturday market of local food, jams, plants and crafts, mostly indoors. Organiser
09:30 St Bees Beach, beachfront car park, St Bees
Volunteer Marine Champions lead one of their monthly survey days on the shore at St Bees, finding and recording marine life. Meet at the beachfront car park. Organiser
10:00 Lakeland Motor Museum, Backbarrow
The museum's monthly morning meet, 10am to 12.30pm. Organiser
11:00 Ford Park, Ulverston · Free
A free community day with apple pressing, an Apple Day bake off, children's crafts, traditional games, plant and apple sales and a makers market. Drop in, no booking needed. Organiser
11:00 Gosling Sike, Houghton, Carlisle · Free
Cumbria Wildlife Trust opens its community orchard for apple picking. Bring bags or baskets and take home as much fruit as you like; dogs on leads are welcome. Organiser
14:00 Dalton Castle, Dalton-in-Furness · Free
Friends of Dalton Castle open the castle for the last time this season, so you can climb the spiral staircase, see the dungeon and dress up. It opens on the first Saturday afternoon of each month until October. Organiser
19:00 Bassenthwaite Parish Room, Bassenthwaite
GreenMatthews take a 90-minute comic tour through 600 years of music on instruments such as the virginal, lute and rauschpfeife. Doors 6.30pm. Organiser
19:30 The Victoria Wood Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere · £16 adults, £14 Friends of the theatre
A tribute evening of witty songs and sketches from two much-loved British comedy double acts. Runs for 1 hour 50 minutes. Organiser
19:30 The Beggar's Theatre, Millom
A touring stage show at the Beggar's Theatre in Millom. Organiser
Sunday 4 October 2026
Acorn Bank (National Trust), Temple Sowerby · Free event, normal admission applies
Every October weekend you can taste apples from Acorn Bank's orchard of 165 varieties, some with hints of pineapple, aniseed or strawberry. Meet in the courtyard by the café; sessions may end early if the crop runs out. Organiser
08:30 Devil's Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale · Free
A team of 78 pulls an 11.5 ton wagon 10.5 miles from Devil's Bridge to Sedbergh, raising money for the Samaritans, Cancer Research and the Rawthey Project. Come and cheer them on. Organiser
11:00 Acorn Bank (National Trust), Temple Sowerby · Free event, normal admission applies
Bring up to three apples for Acorn Bank's gardener and the North Cumbrian Orchard Group to identify. Slots are handed out on arrival, and there is free apple tasting in the courtyard the same day. Organiser
12:00 Acorn Bank (National Trust), Temple Sowerby · Free with normal Acorn Bank admission
A volunteer-led walk through the orchard covering its history, the 165 varieties and how they are looked after. Ten places per tour, first come first served at the Shepherd's Hut; a second tour runs at 2pm. Organiser
Open The Cumbrian Almanac
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