This has now passed. What this story describes ran until 18 October 2026. We keep it as a record, and the details below were correct when published. For what is current, see News.

Lord Sackville's private garden opens at Knole, both Oaks sides play at home on Saturday, Riverhill's Pumpkin Festival starts and Hever's half term begins.

Lord Sackville’s private garden at Knole opens to visitors for one day only on Friday. On Saturday both the rugby and football clubs are at home, kicking off at 3pm.

The weekend also marks the start of the Halloween season. Riverhill’s Pumpkin Festival opens on Saturday, and so does Hever Castle’s half-term programme.

This weekend in Sevenoaks at a glance. Friday 16 October: Lord Sackville's private garden open at Knole, 11am to 4pm, Frozen at the Stag at 7.30pm, and the Gruffalo trail at Knole daily. Saturday 17 October: Sevenoaks RFC at home to Farnham at 3pm, Sevenoaks Town at home to Broadbridge Heath, and the Riverhill Pumpkin Festival opens. Sunday 18 October: Baby Broadway family concert at the Stag at 11am, Riverhead Jazz Club at Dunton Green at 3pm, and Swanley Sunday market. From Saturday to 1 November: Halloween half term at Hever Castle, included with entry.
Graphic by Sevenoaks Online
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Friday 16 October

  • Lord Sackville’s private garden, Knole. The garden opens from 11am to 4pm, on this day only. The event ticket is £5 for adults, £2.50 for ages 5 to 17 and free for under-5s. You also need normal admission; the cheapest is the Outdoor and Tower ticket at £6 for adults and £3 for children. (National Trust, Knole private garden open day)
  • Knole Fawns. The baby and toddler group meets from 10.30am to noon. The session is free, but you pre-book an Outdoor and Tower ticket. (National Trust, Knole Fawns)
  • Frozen at the Stag. Rare Productions stage the musical at 7.30pm. (The Stag, book Frozen) Musical Medium with Sue O’Brien is listed as sold out.
  • Films at the Stag. Sense and Sensibility (U) at 1pm and 8pm, Forgotten Island (PG) at 1.30pm and 5pm, The Uprising (15) at 4.30pm and Street Fighter (12A) at 8.15pm. (The Stag, what’s on)

Saturday 17 October

  • Rugby: Sevenoaks v Farnham. The 1st XV are at home at Knole Paddock, Plymouth Drive, kick-off 3pm. The club says the game will be streamed live. The match-day lunch runs again: bar from noon, lunch at 1pm, £30 for members and £40 for non-members, with a free pint or glass of wine. (Sevenoaks RFC, Make a day of it at the Paddock) The 2nd XV are away at Gillingham Anchorians. (Sevenoaks RFC, fixtures)
  • Football: Sevenoaks Town v Broadbridge Heath. The Oaks are at home in the Isthmian South East, kick-off 3pm, according to the fixture list on Football Web Pages. They sat 11th after their last game, as in our latest sport round-up. (Football Web Pages, Sevenoaks Town fixtures)
  • Riverhill Pumpkin Festival. The gardens’ end-of-season festival opens on Saturday and runs to 1 November. Bring your own pumpkin to carve in the grotto, or buy one there, then follow the pumpkin trail, from 10am to 4pm. There is no extra charge beyond entry and no need to book. Yeti spotting in the Chestnut Woods runs from 2pm to 4pm. Our Riverhill guide has the entry prices. (Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, daily calendar)
  • Saturday markets. Bligh’s Market and the High Street Market outside the Chequers both run from 9am to 4pm. (Sevenoaks Town Council, Markets)
  • Frozen at the Stag. One Saturday performance is sold out; the 6.30pm can still be booked. (The Stag, book Frozen) The same four films show at the same times as Friday.

Sunday 18 October

  • Baby Broadway Family Concert. A show-tunes concert for small children at the Stag at 11am. (The Stag, book Baby Broadway)
  • Riverhead Jazz Club. Sarah Spencer’s Sax ‘n’ Bone Band play New Orleans Revival jazz at Dunton Green Social Club, 159 London Road. Doors open at 2.30pm and the music starts at 3pm. Our preview has the line-up. (Riverhead Jazz Club, upcoming events)
  • More at the Stag. The Hotshots dance competition from 9am, and a screening of Hadestown: The Musical at 7.30pm. Films include a subtitled Forgotten Island at 12.45pm. (The Stag, what’s on)
  • Swanley market. The general market trades in Swanley town centre, as it does every Sunday and Wednesday. (Sevenoaks District Council, Markets)

All weekend

  • The Gruffalo at Knole. The Gruffalo Art Adventure has 12 sculptures in the park and the Orangery, from 10am to 5pm daily until 1 November. It is included with admission, and pre-booking is essential. (National Trust, The Gruffalo Art Adventure)
  • Halloween half term at Hever Castle. From Saturday to 1 November, included with admission, Hever has:
  • a Mad Scientist’s Halloween Trail
  • a goggles craft, 11am to 4pm
  • Dr Frankenstein’s Science Adventure Show at 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm
  • face painting on Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4pm, at £6 a child

(Hever Castle, Halloween half term fun)

Planning your weekend

Trains. Southeastern’s engineering map for this week shows revised services on the Orpington, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge line on Saturday and Sunday, and on the Swanley, Otford and Bat and Ball line on Sunday. Check your journey before you travel. (Southeastern, engineering work map, 12 to 18 October) Our train times page has the regular service.

Next weekend. Buses replace trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. Sevenoaks keeps its London trains. Our Hastings line story has the detail.

Bins. Garden waste sack collections, paused this week for the wheelie bin switch, are due back after Friday 16 October. Check your day on our bin collection page.

More is on our what’s on this month page, our Halloween events guide and our October half term guide.

Sources

Image: Deer in Knole Park. Photo by Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph and Wikimedia Commons. Graphic by Sevenoaks Online.