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The Bedford Times

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What's On

What's On in Bedford

Things to do in and around Bedford: events, days out and family activities, with the practical details.

Top story Bedford Christmas Markets: Corn Exchange 15 Nov, £3 Entry Bedford's first Christmas market is at the Corn Exchange on 15 November, £3. Then Woburn Sands on 29 November and Shuttleworth House on 5-6 December, free. · 5 min read

Dates for the diary

  1. On now to 31 Oct Secret Pumpkin PYO at The Secret Farm The Secret Farm · From £5
  2. Wed 7 Oct Handling Sessions: Romans 1pm · The Higgins Bedford · Free
  3. Thu 8 Oct Kempston Market 8.30am · The Saxon Centre
  4. Sat 10 Oct Bedford parkrun 9am · Bedford Park · Free
  5. Sat 10 Oct Bedford Blues v Cornish Pirates, Ladies Day 5pm · Goldington Road · From £22
  6. Sun 11 Oct Bedford Flea, Affordable Art and Local Produce Market 10am · Harpur Square
  7. Sun 11 Oct Storytelling in the Gallery 2.30pm · The Higgins Bedford · Free
  8. Wed 14 Oct Ageing Well Exhibition 2026 10am · Bedford Corn Exchange · Free
  9. Wed 14 Oct Geology Drop-in with Bedfordshire Geology Group 2pm · The Higgins Bedford · Free
  10. Thu 15 Oct The Art of Nature workshop 11.30am · The Higgins Bedford · Free
  11. Sat 17 Oct The Egypt You Don't Know 2pm · The Higgins Bedford · Free
  12. Sat 17 Oct Bedford Town v Chorley 3pm · The Eyrie

More stories

Halloween Bedford Halloween 2026: pumpkins from £5, circus, fireworks Pick pumpkins at Moggerhanger for £5 from 4 October, Russell's Halloween circus on Longholme Way from 23 October, then Halloween fireworks on the 30th. · 8 min read Kempston Kempston Academy Fame Jr.: 100 Students, 14 to 17 December Kempston Academy stages Fame Jr. at 7pm from Monday 14 to Thursday 17 December, with more than 100 students, and is asking local businesses to come and watch. · 3 min read Events What's On in Bedford: Halloween Circus, Fireworks 6 Nov Pumpkins at Moggerhanger every weekend, Russell's Halloween circus from 23 October, the Blues fireworks on 6 November, a Christmas market on 15 November. · 10 min read Remembrance Bedford Remembrance Sunday 2026: 8 November, Embankment Bedford's Remembrance Sunday service is at the Embankment war memorial at 11am; arrive by 10.40am. 2026 falls on 8 November, Armistice Day on Wednesday 11th. · 4 min read Christmas Bedford Santa Run 2026: Sunday 13 December, £10 with suit Keech Hospice's Santa Run is on Bedford Embankment on Sunday 13 December at 11am: 5k or one 2.5k lap, £10 adults with a Santa suit, £30 for a family. · 3 min read Christmas Shuttleworth in Lights 2026: dates, £17 tickets, free market Shuttleworth in Lights runs on 12 nights from 4 December to 3 January, from £17. Plus a free Christmas market on 5 and 6 December and fireworks on 7 November. · 4 min read Bedford Park Madness at Bedford Park 2027: Friday 2 July, Tickets On Sale Madness play Bedford Park on Friday 2 July 2027, gates 5pm, with Scouting for Girls. Tickets are on sale now; still the only act named for the four nights. · 6 min read Black History Month Quarry Theatre Bedford: Marimba Band, 3 October (Past) Otto and the Mutapa Calling play their first Bedford show at the Quarry Theatre on Saturday 3 October at 7:30pm. Tickets £19, £16 seniors, £10 children. · 6 min read Kempston Kempston Art Trail, 13 September (Past): River Ouse Event A free art trail along the Great Ouse at Kempston Mill runs 11am to 4pm this Sunday, 13 September, and launches the town's new environmental charter. · 6 min read Bonfire Night Bedford Fireworks 2026: Blues Friday 6 November, £9 Online Bedford Blues fireworks and funfair is Friday 6 November at Goldington Road: £9 online, under-6s free, main display 8pm, buy ahead and arrive before the 8pm cut-off. · 6 min read Christmas Bedford Christmas Lights Switch-On: 2026 Date Not Set Bedford's free switch-on is run by the council in Harpur Square, always on a Saturday in late November. The 2026 date is not published yet, and the council's own Christmas page is still offline. · 5 min read Christmas Bedford Panto 2026: Jack and the Beanstalk, 21 Shows Jack and the Beanstalk runs at Bedford Corn Exchange from 19 to 31 December 2026, 21 performances, tickets from £20.25. There is one relaxed performance, on Monday 28 December. · 4 min read Running Bedford Half Marathon 1 November: Entries Open, 700 Places The ATW Bedford Half Marathon and 10k is Sunday 1 November from Russell Park, 9am. Still open on 30 September at £41 and £33, capped at 700 and 500 places. · 4 min read Clapham Twinwood Festival 2026: Gate Times, Parking and Line-Up Gates open 10.30am each day from Friday 28 August, parking is free and Friday is in the four-day ticket for the first time. Plus the sat nav trap at Clapham. · 6 min read