Festivals In Staffordshire: Autumn & Winter
Many of the fantastic festivals in Staffordshire are about promoting local and regional talents. Staffordshire is a semi-rural county, which often means that even the next town or village is separated by miles of stunning scenery. The result is lots of pockets of distinct local identities with some special small festivals and events in Staffordshire that are worth looking out for.
Sonic Boom Festival
Location: Multiple venues, Burton upon Trent
Cost: From Free
Who’s it for: Music fans
When: September – check this year’s dates
This fantastic non-for-profit music festival supports local music professionals, as well as pulling in some big name acts. It might only be one day, but it packs plenty in to make it one of the best small independent festivals in Staffordshire.
Sonic Boom’s free main stage in Burton town centre ensures it can be a real community event, while other paid performances cover costs. Everything else goes back into future festivals, as well as a training programme for young people.
BBC Introducing and Six Music have been lending their support, helping to promote Staffordshire’s rising stars. It’s currently still a hidden gem that you music fans won’t want to miss out on.
Get directions to Burton
Similar things to do in Staffordshire:
Leek Blues & Americana Festival
Cheadle Arts Festival
Location: Multiple venues, Cheadle
Cost: From Free
Who’s it for: Everyone
When: October – check this year’s dates
From film and music to artisan food and photography competitions, Cheadle Arts Festival embraces a whole range of local culture. This small town just outside Stoke-on-Trent has been determined to bring more culture and creativity to Cheadle and the nearby villages.
This festival is all about celebrating and promoting the area’s own unique identity, both for locals and visitors. Previous years have included theatre shows, talks, comedy nights and a spectacular lantern parade through the town.
Similar things to do in Staffordshire:
Festival of Folk & Folk on the Farm, Lichfield
Scarefest
Location: Alton Towers, Alton
Cost: From £34
Who’s it for: All thrill-seekers
When: September – November – check this year’s dates
We couldn’t resist highlighting one of the larger events in Staffordshire during the cooler months. While most theme parks are preparing to shut down for the season, Alton Towers ramps things up with their annual Scarefest.
During the extended Halloween season the park stays open later, usually until 8pm on weekdays and 9pm at weekends. This gives you the opportunity to experience rides in the dark – a whole new level of thrills!
There are also lots of special hair-raising Halloween attractions and spooktacular live entertainment! You can explore family-friendly spooky shows and enjoy horrifying photo opportunities with younger Halloween fans. Think friendly spirits and mischievous ghosts.
For bigger adrenaline junkies, there are bigger scares – you’ll find that some rides and scare mazes have age restrictions (previously that’s included some for over 12s only). If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to step into a horror movie, this could be it…
Similar things to do in Staffordshire:
Drayton Manor, Tamworth
Stafford Music and Food Festivals
Location: Market Square, Stafford
Cost: FREE!
Who’s it for: Families, friends, couples, solo adults
When: October and December – check this year’s dates
These free monthly mini events offer a regular fun festival in Stafford’s town centre, with special Halloween and Christmas festivals. They were once mainly a food event and the street food is still the highlight for many. There are always a range of options, with mobile bars offering tempting drinks too. Come winter, they’re often warm and spiced to keep your spirits up!
This Stafford festival offers plenty of entertainment, with performances from dancers, singers and bands that get the crowd going. There’s usually an extra element each month too, such as fancy dress at Halloween and Santa’s Grotto for Christmas. The Christmas festival is supported by the local radio station’s Vibe 1 Roadshow.
One thing we really like about these winter festivals is that if you start to feel the chill, you can take your food into nearby pubs – so long as you grab a drink while you warm up too. While some pubs don’t normally allow children later on, those nearest the event usually relax their rules on festival days to welcome young families.
Similar things to do in Staffordshire:
Sausage & Cider Festival, Stoke-on-Trent
Beer Festival Raceday
Location: Uttoxeter Race Course
Cost: From £25
Who’s it for: Racing, beer and live music fans
When: November – check this year’s dates
Bringing you close to the action, this is a more exciting beer festival than most. The Beer Festival Raceday at Uttoxeter is always popular with both regular racegoers and beer enthusiasts. It brings a real party atmosphere to brighten a crisp November day.
Whether you want to enjoy a flutter, sample a range of craft and real ale or just soak up the atmosphere with some live music, it’s the perfect winter escape. And while it’s called a beer festival, there are plenty of options if beer isn’t your thing, including cider, gin and wine.
