ART
Letchworth Open
Until 7 October
Broadway Gallery
The Letchworth Open is an annual exhibition that is taking place at the Broadway Gallery in celebrating our region’s creative community. Each year they aim to create Hertfordshire’s largest and most celebrated exhibition by bringing together some of the region’s most talented artists under one roof, whilst discovering new practitioners in our ever-expanding community.
FILM
Film Festival
Throughout October
Various
This October, we’re delighted to bring you the inaugural Ware’s the Film Festival! The week long event will include a showcase of popular films in different venues across the town. Sit back, relax and enjoy a film in a venue a little different to the norm. To allow as many people as possible to join in, tickets are offered for free on a first come first served basis. Films featured include The Banshees of Inisherin at Southern Maltings and Good Luck To You, Leo Grande at Fletcher’s Lea.
MUSIC
ABBAMANIA
4 October
Alban Arena
It has been over 40 years since ABBA last toured, but even now ABBAMANIA continues to grip the nation, with little signs of this popularity slowing down. ABBAMANIA The Concert is the tribute that will transport you back in time, featuring all of ABBA’s most memorable hits including Waterloo (the Eurovision song contest winner 1974), Dancing Queen (a hit in the charts and many movie soundtracks), Take a Chance, Money, Money, Money, Chiquitita, Voulez Vons and The Winner Takes it All, to name a few.
EVENT
Herts 10K
8 October
Rothamsted Research
The popular Herts 10K race in aid of Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care will return to Rothamsted Research this year. The annual mixed terrain race is voted one of the top 30 races in the country thanks to its beautiful course and community spirit. Whether motivated by the charity cause, the chance to run through the picturesque course or the opportunity to beat a PB, runners are guaranteed a great day out.
EVENT
Dame Joan Collins
9 October
The Alban Arena
To coincide with the release of her much-anticipated memoir ‘Behind the Shoulder Pads’, global superstar Dame Joan Collins is embarking on a brand new tour for 2023. With her husband, Percy Gibson by her side, they will field your questions, giving audiences the opportunity to have an intimate chat with the world famous actress. Featuring seldom told tales, enchanting anecdotes, and rare and fascinating footage from her seven decades in showbusiness, the evening will be full of the usual wit, candour, and of course glamour that we have come to expect from this British born Hollywood legend.
ART
Together
20 October-13 January
Art + Design Gallery
A new art exhibition exploring portraiture, presented by University Hertfordshire Arts + Culture, opens on Friday 20 October at the Art + Design Gallery, College Lane. The exhibition, titled Together, is a small snapshot into the multiplicity of human experience. Every portrait captures a moment in a person’s life – through the lens of the sitter, artist, or sponsor. The stories explored in this exhibition are diverse, and begin in the 1700s, but there are connections to our contemporary era and the issues we face today.
Spooks & Scares
Why Knebworth House is perfect for a little Halloween horror
Get your broomsticks, hats and magic wands at the ready and venture into Knebworth Gardens this autumn for a Halloween adventure from 24-26 October. This Halloween event will have visitors taking part in a number of fun Halloween activities throughout the Gardens. Completing exciting Halloween games such as ‘Hungry Ghosts, ‘Hook a Pumpkin’ and ‘What’s in the Box’ in Knebworth Gardens will earn visitors stamps on their Pumpkin Passport. Follow the path through the Wilderness Gardens to find all the wooden Halloween sculptures and characters along the way. And, new for 2023, Knebworth House have introduced a Spooky Crazy Golf activity for visitors to enjoy.
The Mini Broomstick Workshop is an interactive experience where visitors can create their very own magical mini Broomstick with the help of the Knebworth Gardens Wizard. Tickets for this are £2 extra and can be added to your order once you have added a child ticket to your basket. The workshop will last 15–20 minutes. Numbers are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
Bring a decorated pumpkin with you and place it in the ‘Pumpkin Parking’ patch on your way into the Gardens. A judge will award a prize to the visitor with the best decorated pumpkin at the end of each session. There will be two age categories, under 6 and 6 and over.
The Garden Terrace Tea Room will be open and offering some fantastic Halloween sweet treats as well as a delicious selection of fresh autumnal soups and sandwiches. You can pre-book a Children’s Halloween Lunch Box and collect from the Tea Room during your visit this will include a sandwich, Halloween biscuit, drink, fruit, Pom Bears and Halloween themed colouring in.
