This October half term, Burnley Business Improvement District (BID) is inviting families to set off on a fun-filled adventure with The Great Burnley Explorer Trail – a free, interactive activity trail designed to entertain children and support local businesses.
Running throughout the half-term holiday (27 October – 2 November), young explorers can begin their journey by collecting a trail map from Pets at Home at Anchor Retail Park. From there, they can navigate their way around ten participating Burnley stores, collecting stamps at each stop before finishing at Hays Travel in Charter Walk, where they’ll be rewarded with a certificate and sticker, courtesy of Discover Burnley, and a balloon, courtesy of the Burnley travel agent.
Families who complete the full trail and collect all ten stamps can enter a prize draw to win a £50 gift card from a business of their choice within the Burnley BID area.
Alongside the adventure, several businesses are offering exclusive discounts to participants who show their stamped trail map, including:
- Tim Hortons – 20% off
- Claire’s – 15% off (excluding piercings, gift cards and sale items)
- Hays Travel – 5% off any holiday when presenting a completed card
Full trail route:
- Pets at Home, Anchor Retail Park
- Tim Hortons, Anchor Retail Park
- Heavenly Desserts, Pioneer Place
- Clarks, Charter Walk
- British Heart Foundation, 86 St James’s Street
- Claire’s, Charter Walk
- Sweet Desserts, 68 St James’s Street
- The Entertainer, Charter Walk
- Coffee House, Charter Walk
- Hays Travel, Charter Walk
Families can complete the trail at their own pace across the half-term week, with no booking required.
Becki Heath BID Project Manager said: “The Great Burnley Explorer Trail is all about bringing families into the town to enjoy a fun and affordable day out. It’s a great way for children to stay active, use their curiosity and feel a sense of achievement as they collect their stamps along the way. We’re proud to be working with so many brilliant local businesses who are not only taking part but also offering discounts and rewards to trail-goers. We can’t wait to see young explorers out and about enjoying everything Burnley has to offer this half term.”
Families can continue their October half term adventures with a packed programme of activities running throughout the week across Burnley including:
From 25 – 31 October (10am–12pm), Burnley Library will host an out-of-this-world week of space-themed fun as part of the Family Learning Festival. Children aged 6+ can create mini solar systems, seek and draw constellations, code a space rover, take part in an extraterrestrial treasure hunt and on Friday only, learn how to use a 3D printer. Sessions are free to attend.
On 25 October (12pm – 3pm), Gawthorpe Hall invites brave explorers to take on its outdoor Halloween Trail, where ghosts, pumpkins, black cats and witches hide among the gardens. Trail sheets can be collected from the entrance, with entry priced at £2.50 per child. The event is drop-in, weather-dependent and children must be accompanied by an adult.
On 30 October (10am – 4pm), families can take part in The Cloak of Spells, a free drop-in craft workshop celebrating community and creativity at Burnley Library. Participants can decorate fabric patches inspired by someone special, which will then be stitched onto a growing ‘Cloak of Spells’ -part of Pendle Witch, an Arts Council England-funded outdoor dance theatre project led by performance artist Aimee Williamson.
Also, on 30 October (11am – 4pm), Charter Walk (outside Superdrug) is hosting a Free Pumpkin Carving Workshopwith Budding Burnley volunteers bringing children’s spooky pumpkin face ideas to life. Pumpkins are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the event will run while supplies last.
On 31 October (12pm – 4pm), visitors to Gawthorpe Hall can come face-to-face with the Plague Doctor and uncover the gruesome realities of 17th-century medicine – from bloodletting and leeches to herbs, potions and plague cures. Children can also create a scented posy believed to ward off disease. This drop-in session is included with Hall admission (£7 per adult, children are free).
Also, on 31 October (12.45pm – 2.15pm), Queen Street Mill presents Young Yutick’s Adventure Tours – Halloween Special. Taking inspiration from the Lancashire term ‘Yutick’ (a young mill worker), this immersive, costumed tour invites children to step into mill life of the late 1800s. Guided by a ghostly tour leader, participants will try out roles such as Weaver, Overlooker or Firebeater, take part in hands-on demonstrations and earn their ‘day’s wage’ and certificate at the end. The experience is ideal for families, with a maximum of 12 children per tour and adults required to accompany them. Once booked, standard museum admission is included.
