Looking for something to do at the start of November 2024 in the North East? I’ve got you covered with this list. As part of my feature on BBC Tees and Newcastle, I select my top picks of things happening across the North East, and here’s what I’ve chosen for Thursday 31st October to Wednesday 7th November.
Bishop Auckland Christmas Town – not until Fri 29th Nov, but free tickets are available now
We’re starting off in Bishop Auckland for something that isn’t happening until the end of November, but I wanted to bring it to the table because the tickets on available now and I don’t want anyone to miss out. So on Friday 29th November, the super popular Bishop Auckland Christmas Town will be returning, bringing 10 days of dazzling festive magic with it. The historic market square will be transformed into a winter wonderland with all kinds of fantastic experiences and things to do for people of all ages. Of course, there’ll be a Santa’s grotto, a market, an ice rink and traditional fairground rides, but there’s also going to be craft workshops, giant tipi bars, and music and comedy shows on the evenings. It’s going to be an amazing few days and one to really get into the Christmas spirit. Entry tickets to the site are completely free, but there are some chargeable ticketed activities, like the workshops, for example, but you can find out everything you need to know on the Bishop Auckland Christmas Town website.
Diwali in Middlesbrough – Centre Square – Sat 2nd Nov
Come and celebrate the Festival of Light in Centre Square with Diwali in Middlesbrough. Organised by the team behind the annual Mela, this free event will kick off at noon on Saturday 2nd November with live music, a dance-along, delicious street food, a fun fair, children’s activities and a Bollywood-inspired fireworks show to close, with fabulous choreographed music and pyrotechnics. This Hindu, Sikh and Jain festival brings communities together to mark good over evil, and people from all cultures are invited to join in the fun. It should be a really lovely day and one that the whole family can enjoy, so take a look at the Middlesbrough Mela website for more info or head to Centre Square on Saturday 2nd to get involved.
Pyromusical 2024 – on the Kynren site – Sat 2nd Nov
We are inching closer to Bonfire Night, so I’ve picked out a couple of firework-y themed things, starting with Pyromusical 2024 at the Kynren site. Now if you fancy this, you’ll have to be fairly quick because it’s on Saturday 2nd November and tickets will go quickly. But this is the North East’s biggest fireworks spectacular in a couple of ways – it’s set on a 7.5 acre site, up to 8000 people can watch it, and it’s around 25 minutes long, all expertly choreographed to music from the past five decades. If you’ve been to Kynren, you’ll have seen the fireworks finale there. Think about that, but times it by ten! Doors open at 4:15pm ahead of the show starting at 7pm, so you can enjoy the firepits, hot dogs, mulled wine and hot chocolate before taking your seats. It’s going to be utterly breath taking, so if you want to go along, you can book your tickets on the 11 Arches website.
Big Blaze Day of the Dead Special – Lintz Hall Farm, Newcastle – Sat 2nd Nov
Another huge firework extravaganza is the Big Blaze Day of the Dead Special on Saturday 2nd November at Lintz Hall Farm in Newcastle, and that location might sound familiar to some of you. This is the site where Psycho Path is, but don’t worry, the Big Blaze is definitely not a scare event and is fine for the whole family to enjoy. Of course, there’ll be a fireworks display and a huge bonfire, but there’s also going to be a fire and angle grinding show, street food village, and a day of the dead parade, so it’s a real mixed bag of things to see and do. This is on the cusp of being sold out with some last chance tickets left, so if you fancy it, you need to run not walk to the Psycho Path website and follow the prompts to find the Big Blaze section to book.
North East Vegan Festival – Gateshead International Stadium – Sun 3rd Nov
This is something a little bit different and ideal for our vegan listeners, maybe people who want to try and incorporate a more plant-based approach into the their lives, or even those who just want to learn more about veganism and our responsibility to the environment. The North East Vegan Festival is on Sunday 3rd November at Gateshead International Stadium and has a jam-packed programme to cover all kinds of aspects of veganism. There’s going to be a brilliant market that’s completely made up of plant-based foods, products and crafts, like scotch eggs, chocolate brownies, candles and so much more, so it’s a great place to get a treat for yourself. There’s going to be food demos to show you how to cook with plant-based ingredients, as well as talks, yoga, film screenings, a board game zone and an area for kids to keep them entertained. This is a ticketed a event, so if you want to go, you can book on the North East Vegan Festival website.
Fenwick Christmas Window Reveal – online – Sun 3rd Nov
Now that we’re just a whisker away from November, I feel like I can get away with talking about Christmas, and what’s a more quintessentially North Eastern Christmas thing than the Newcastle Fenwick window reveal? This year, they ran a ballot for people to get tickets, which is unfortunately finished now, but don’t fret. Instead of being stood out in the cold, you can watch the whole thing for free from the comfort of your living room on the Facebook live stream. For over 50 years, Fenwick in Newcastle has been bringing just a touch of festive magic to the toon with their Christmas window reveal and the anticipation is always high, and this year is no different. You can tune in on the Fenwick Facebook at 6:30pm on Sunday 3rd November to see the reveal, then the windows are free for public viewing from Monday 4th right the way through the festive season.
War Horse – Sunderland Empire – Tues 5th to Sat 16th Nov
If it’s a trip the theatre you’re after, then look no further than War Horse at Sunderland Empire. This unforgettable show is based on the much-loved novel by Michael Morpurgo about Joey the horse, who is sold to the cavalry during World War One and shipped to France. He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in No Man’s Land. His previous, young owner, Albert, isn’t old enough to enlist, but sets off on a quest to find Joey and bring him home. It’s such a moving and breathtaking show, with so much emotion, stirring music and the most incredible puppetry. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it and you’ve got plenty of time as it’s on from Tuesday 5th to Saturday 16th November. Head to the Sunderland Empire website to book your tickets.
Solve-Along A Murder She Wrote – The Hullabaloo, Darlington – Tues 5th and Wed 6th Nov
Last, but certainly not least, we’ve got something for fans of a whodunnit. The Hullabaloo Theatre in Darlington is playing host to Solve-Along A Murder She Wrote, where you will watch an interactive screening of the classic ‘A Fashionable Way To Die’ episode. Jessica Fletcher visits a designer friend in Paris, but soon there’s a murder for her and the whole audience to solve. There’ll be a race to solve the crime with help from the fameometer and suspiciometer, a cabot cove quiz, and a singalong to the theme tune with new lyrics. It sounds like a really fun alternative evening out, and if you fancy it, it’s on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th with tickets available on the Darlington Hippodrome website.
Make sure you check back next week for more amazing events!
