Family days out at Emmetts Garden

Current and upcoming events

Summer of Play Sponsored by Starling Bank

Saturday 19 July–Sunday 7 September, 11am–4pm

Invent a game for the play meadow with inspiration from our toy cupboard, which is stocked with sports cones, hula hoops, lawn games and more. Try out musical activities, specially installed for this year’s Summer of Play. Or explore the Wild Play Area to find balance beams, climbing frame, play net, tunnels and a fairy ring of large wooden toadstools. Normal admission applies.

Summer of Play at Emmetts Garden

Summertime Outdoor Theatre

Emmetts Garden plays host to Outdoor Theatre productions for audiences young and old throughout the summer. Bring picnics, blankets and chairs and perhaps a poncho in case of wet weather, but please leave dogs at home. Please see our events page for the full listings.

Outdoor Theatre: The Wind in the Willows by Immersion Theatre

Thursday 21 August, doors 2.30pm, performance 3–4.40pm including interval. Prices vary; pre-booking required.

Embark on the adventure of a lifetime with Ratty, Mole, Badger, and the wild Toad to save Toad Hall from the weasels!

Purchase tickets from the Immersion Theatre link for Emmetts Garden.

Outdoor Theatre: Much Ado about Nothing by The HandleBards

Saturday 13 Sep 2025, doors 4pm, performance 5–7pm. Prices vary; pre-booking required.

Pedalling from venue to venue with all of their set, props and costumes on the back of their bikes, the HandleBards are a four-strong troupe of actors who are spending the summer bringing environmentally sustainable Shakespeare to venues across the UK. Expect riotous amounts of energy, a fair old whack of chaos, and a great deal of laughter.

What’s the play about? A group of soldiers return from the war to a household in Messina, kindling new love interests and re-kindling old rivalries. The parallel love stories of Beatrice, Benedick, Claudio and Hero quickly become entangled with scheming, frivolity and melodrama in Shakespeare’s famous comedy.

Purchase tickets from the HandleBards ticketing link for Emmetts Garden.

Outdoor Cinema: Sing-Along ‘Wicked’

Saturday 6 September 6.30–10.20pm, (film starts 8pm)

Sing along to blockbuster musical, ‘Wicked’. Presented by Cinestock, your ticket allows you to explore the gardens before the film, as well as enjoy refreshments from the food and drink stands and listen to a live music artist as the sun sets before you settle in to watch the film under the stars. Film is BBFC certificate PG.

Pre-booking is essential; see the Cinestock website for ticket package options which include or exclude chairs and blankets. Please leave dogs at home for the performance.

Purchase tickets from the Cinestock ticketing link for Emmetts Garden.

Autumn and half term at Emmetts Garden

Celebrate the beauty of the changing seasons at the Emmetts Garden Autumn Festival, 10 October to 2 November. From music and market stalls to children’s graffiti workshops and a family activity trail there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Find out more about the Autumn Festival at Emmetts Garden to help plan your visit.

Autumn Festival: Family Garden Trail

Saturday 10 October–Sunday 2 November

Help Fun Gus and his friends save the forest with a new family activity trail, part of this year's Autumn Festival at Emmetts Garden.

Pick up a trail sheet from Visitor Reception. Trail costs £3 and includes a prize. Normal admission applies.

Autumn Festival: Family Garden Trail information.

Graffiti workshops for children

Saturday 25 October, 11am–12.30pm or 1pm–2.30pm

Ticket sales have started.

Graffiti Stars are back at Emmetts Garden for half term weekend fun. Kids aged 8 to 14 can get colourful and creative with experienced, DBS-checked graffiti artists leading the sessions. Parents and carers can stroll around the gardens or stick around to watch the young artists in action.

Limited spaces, pre-booking is essential.

Autumn Festival: Graffiti Workshop information and tickets

Family facilities

There are baby-changing facilities at the entrance to the site, next to the Visitor Centre, as well as at the Old Stables Tearoom. Please note that bikes and scooters are not suitable for the pathways at Emmetts Garden.