Just like that, we’ve waved goodbye to summer for another year, and autumn in Norwich is now in full swing. But the best part? It’s officially spooky season!
And October in Norwich is looking seriously busy, but that means incredibly exciting too. So, whether you go all-out for Halloween, love a good night at the theatre, or can’t wait for the tasty seasonal food and drink, the City of Stories has something for everyone this month. Read on for the best events in Norwich this October!
And if you want to find even more happening in the next month (and beyond), make sure to check out our ‘What’s On’ page, so you don’t miss a single thing happening across Norwich & Norfolk!
If you’ve ever been to the Assembly House for their themed afternoon teas, you’ll know that they are worth getting very excited about. And this October, there isn’t just one, but two magnificent, themed teas to enjoy! And we’re sure they’re both going to be absolutely fantastic.
Kick off the season in style with the Autumn Hedgerow Afternoon Tea (Available Now – Sunday, October 15), with a range of tasty finger sandwiches, savouries, scones, and the best bit of every afternoon tea – the cakes and pastries.
Tuck into a Falling Leaves cupcake made from ginger and toffee buttercream, Harvest Apple and salted caramel Gateau Opera, Bramble Hedgerow Trifle, and so much more. Our mouths are watering just writing this.
Then, get into the Halloween mood with the devilishly delicious Assembly House of Horrors Afternoon Tea (Monday, October 16 – Tuesday, October 31). This afternoon tea features similar savoury treats to the Autumn Hedgerow, before moving onto delights like the Jack o’ Lantern dodger, an orange shortbread biscuit filled with ghoulishly good raspberry jam, and What’s Your Poison Shot, which comes with a magic potion bottle. Of course, there’s plenty more to try, we just can’t fit it all in!
Booking is strongly advised for these popular afternoon teas. Both cost £29.50 per person, with a children’s version available for £18 per child.
The Autumn Hedgerow Afternoon Tea is the tastiest way to welcome autumn!
If you’ve ever visited the iconic Norwich Market, the chances are you’ve spotted Sir Toby’s Beers’ beautiful stall facing Guildhall. Here, you can find a huge range of craft beers from the UK and around the world, including real ales from across East Anglia. They have more than you can imagine, including beer slushies during the summer, and mulled wine in the winter. It’s a unique spot for a drink too – at just over four square meters – it’s one of the smallest bars in the country!
And this October, they’re about to have even more beer available as they host their sixth year of ‘Oktobyfest’! This year is the biggest and best Sir Toby’s has ever been, with over 55 different German beers being served from the market stall.
Plus, there’ll be four events to get involved in, including a tasting event on Wednesday, October 11 (6:30pm, tickets available for £15 per person), which will see you sample a selection of Munich classics alongside lesser-known Germanic beers. Then, from Thursday, October 12 – Saturday, October 14, you can see their market takeover, as tables and benches lie along an entire aisle of the market for everyone to enjoy these draught and bottled beers. Booking is necessary for a table! Find out more on the Sir Toby’s Beers website.
Sir Toby’s Beer is going to transform Norwich Market into a Bavarian beer paradise!
The Clutter City Night Market makes its return to the Norwich Arts Centre on Friday, October 13 (5pm – 9pm) for a spooky night of supporting local artistic talent! With over 25 carefully selected stalls featuring the best local makers, artists, illustrators, and designers, you’ll be sure to find something unique to take home with you!
Expect to see a huge range of jewellery, prints, ceramics, clothing, and homeware! Plus, if all that browsing gets you hungry, you can opt for some tasty Vietnamese spring rolls by pop-up food stall Papayaverte. It’s going to be a great night of supporting local, independent trade!
Entry into the Clutter City Night Market is FREE, or you can opt-in to a voluntary £1 donation to the Norwich Arts Centre to support their fantastic calendar of events.
Support local independents at this intimate and fun evening at the Norwich Arts Centre!
Have you ever heard of the secret street hidden under Castle Meadow? You might have thought it was just a rumour, or perhaps there was one, but there isn’t anymore. Well, the rumours are true, and you can see it for yourself in the spooky ‘Lantern Light Underground Tour’ with The Shoebox Experiences!
Discover what lies beneath one of Norwich’s most walked roads with just a lantern to light your way, and immerse yourself in tales from Norwich’s darker and lesser heard of past… This is a seriously fascinating tour, especially for history lovers. Tickets for this tour cost £15 per adult, and £8 per child aged 8-12.
And if grizzly tales aren’t for you, be sure to check out the ‘Hidden Street Tour’, which offers a tour of the very same street, but in a lot more light and with more family-friendly stories!
The hidden street beneath Castle Meadow is sure to fascinate, it’s especially spooky in the dark!
Possibly the most unique experience you’ll find in Norwich this month, and one for the foodies, Eric’s Pizzas ‘Slow Food Supper Club’ makes its return in Yalm this October (Tuesday, October 10, 7pm – 10pm).
After great success in July, Executive Chef Owner, Eric Snaith, and Head Chef, Fred Bambridge, have brought this intimate and exclusive evening of five-course food back on a seasonal-basis. Picture local ingredients coming together to form incredible autumnal treats, all of which have been cooked within arm’s reach of you.
If you missed out on July’s Supper Club, this is your chance to get involved and enjoy some delicious food across the evening. There’s going to be tasty soup, chalk stream trout, braised local venison, tiramisu, and quince. All five courses cost just £50 per person, which makes for great value. Find out more about the Supper Club and the menu on the Yalm website.
This month’s Supper Club is a must for foodies!
A new addition to Norwich in summer 2023, an exciting chapter began which saw a series of eight new book benches appear around the City of Stories. These benches, which are part of the EXPERIENCE project and a collaboration between Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council, National Centre for Writing, and the Norwich Business Improvement District (BID), celebrate our city’s wealth of literary heritage.
Each bench is handmade and unique from one another. Some are made from wood, some from stone, and some from metal. They’re also designed around the shape of a book, which makes them truly gorgeous.
So, if you’re looking for a new walk around the city, this is the perfect trail to follow to see the city in a completely new light, all while taking in our rich writing history for FREE. And why not pop into our lovely local restaurants, cafés and eateries for a quick break? Check out the ‘Book Benches’ page for more information, as well as the trail route!
Admire the city in a new light with the Book Benches!
This October, a magical twilight adventure awaits… Join BeWILDerwood for their most famous event of the year with The Glorious Glowing Lantern Parade! (Saturday, October 14 – Sunday, October 15 and Thursday, October 19 – Tuesday, October 21) BeWILDerwood is going to shine like never before in this gorgeous and glowing woodland display.
See these woods shine as you venture through the magical light extravaganza ahead – and watch the story unfold down mysterious paths exclusive to this event. It’s going to create some fantastic memories for the family, and since it’s designed with family in mind, it’s spooky, not scary! Perfect for introducing Halloween to the little ones.
Start your adventure at dusk and craft your own Twiggle Twilight Lantern to help light up the woods, before embarking on a journey through BeWILDerwood like you’ve never seen before. There’ll even be food onsite at the Munch Bar, including warming snacks and hot drinks! Tickets for this event are available from £12.50, with children under 92cm going FREE.
This is one for the older friends and families… PrimEvil, Norfolk’s biggest scare attraction is back for 2023 at Roarr! And if you’ve been before, you’ll know it’s frighteningly fun. There is always so much to do at PrimEvil, with hair-raising haunts that will certainly get your adrenaline pumping!
There are five mind-blowing haunts this year, we won’t spoil the details of what you’ll find, and there’s plenty of food and drink vendors to choose from – it might just be your last meal!
PrimEvil runs from Friday, October 13 – Saturday, November 4, with tickets available from £35 (or £29.75 if you’re a student or Roarr! Annual Pass Holder.) Be sure to book soon, this is a sell-out event!
