We've found all the fun and interesting things happening across the county this month for you to enjoy.
Now that the nights are getting longer, it's tempting to curl up at home in the warm. However, if you can drag yourself away from the sofa, there are a huge number of events happening in Somerset across October. From symphony orchestras to foodie festivals, there's something for everyone this month.
If you're looking for all things Halloween, check out our favourite places to pick pumpkins here. You can also learn more about the most haunted places in Somerset here.
eat:Festivals
Various locations and dates
The ever-popular eat:Festivals made a welcome return to our high streets in the spring, holding safe, secure and highly successful outdoor events to once again showcase the best in West Country produce. There are four more mouth-watering events across the county this month: Minehead (October 2nd); Nailsea (October 9th); Burnhamon-Sea (October 23th) and Clevedon (October 30th). As well as celebrating the finest fare from
local food and drink producers, each event offers plenty of music and events to entertain the whole family. Every event is town centre-based, is free and runs from 10am to 4pm.
Pete Firman - Bag of Tricks
Frome
October 1st
October at the Merlin Theatre in Frome opens with the UK’s most popular comedy magician, Pete Firman. Well known for his TV
appearances with Sarah Millican, John Bishop and on The Next Great Magician as well as Tonight at the London Palladium, Peter brings his trademark blend of hilarious jokes and jaw-dropping magic to the stage in the shape of his new Bag of Tricks show (recommended for over-16s). Show begins at 7.30pm, tickets are £18.
Society of Artists 2021
Bath
Opens October 2nd
Bath Society of Artists returns to the city’s Victoria Art Gallery for its 116th Annual Open Exhibition, running until November 20. Art enthusiasts can browse and buy from a selection of more than 250 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures by the region’s top artistic talent, at prices to suit every pocket. Last year the popular exhibition moved online due to Covid-19, but this year art lovers will once again be able to enjoy the show in person and place their votes for the Public Choice Prize. Entry costs £6, with concessions available and free entry to Discovery Card holders. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10.30am to 5pm.
London Symphony Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle
Bath
October 7th
Bath’s famous Forum hosts a poignant concert performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, celebrating the welcome return of live symphonic music to the region. The orchestra will perform Martinu’s romantic Rhapsody for Viola and Orchestra featuring Antoine Tamestit, recognised as one of the great violists, with a depth and beauty to his sound that is unrivalled. In the second half, Sir Simon Rattle leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No 6, known as the Pastoral. This life-affirming homage to nature will be a fitting work to mark the end of the silence endured in concert venues during the pandemic, and promises to leave concertgoers joyously refreshed. Tickets are from £30, with a number of £10 tickets available for under 26s. From 7.30pm.
What the Ladybird Heard
Taunton
October 7th - 10th
The stage adaptation of much-loved children’s book What The Ladybird Heard, from best-selling author Julia Donaldson and award-winning illustrator Lydia Monks, comes to Taunton’s Brewhouse Theatre as part of its countrywide tour. This farmyard frolic brings family-friendly live entertainment back to theatres, with original music and songs, puppetry and rhymes galore. A colourful countryside adventure brought to life on stage, What the Ladybird Heard is a fantastic introduction to theatre for the little ones and is packed with plenty of audience participation and full of laughs. Tickets from £14.
The School of Paris
Castle Cary
October 7th - 30th
Following a major exhibition of works on paper by Picasso earlier this summer, David Simon Contemporary in Castle Cary presents an important collection of original, signed works by the Modern Masters of Paris, giving a unique opportunity to acquire museum quality works throughout October. Exceptional drawings by Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse and Joan Miró are shown with rare, signed original linocuts, lithographs and etchings by Georges Braque, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. A diversion from the contemporary British painters usually seen at this Somerset gallery, this carefully researched and curated collection eloquently tells the story of this seminal period in modern art and transports the viewer to Bohemian Paris. The gallery is open from Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 5.30pm, and entrance is free.
Wells Food Festival
Wells
October 10th
The free, family-friendly festival returns to Wells and promises to be a jam-packed celebration of Somerset’s rich farming and food heritage. In the Artisan Market, a record-breaking 200 producers and street food sellers will be selling their creative, culinary delights. Gastronomic treats await with everything from dim sum to traditional Somerset cheddar, washed down with locally distilled gin and award-winning cider. Feature areas for 2021 include a Celebration of English Wine with wine tasting sessions (tickets available online). There are free cookery workshops for younger visitors, as well as the
Premiere of What Are You Looking At
West Coker
October 14th
OSR Projects in West Coker hosts an exhibition of new work by artist Angela Charles, who explores notions of ‘seeing’ in art from the perspective of a visually impaired painter. Goldsmiths graduate Angela has exhibited her work in galleries as diverse as St Ives and Milan, and has achieved tremendous success despite gradually losing her sight. A brighter palette and bolder strokes are features of her new series of vivid paintings. Her show is entitled What are you looking at? and runs until 7 November. The exhibition is open from 11am to 5pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and from 11am to 3pm on Sundays
Richard Lennox
West Huntspill
October 22nd
The Friends of St Peters and All Hallows Church, West Huntspill, proudly present a gala concert of popular music for piano and organ by Richard Lennox. Richard is an innovative classical crossover pianist and organist as well as a musical director. He has appeared at venues all over Europe as well as the Albert Hall and West End theatre so whether your tastes are more Baroque or boogie or somewhere in between you will undoubtedly be captivated by his performance. The concert at West Huntspill Parish Church begins at 7.30pm, with tickets priced at £10. A wine bar will be provided.
Annette
Clevedon
October 24th
A rare chance to see Leos Carax’s masterful rock opera Annette on the big screen, in the sumptuous surrounds of Clevedon’s wonderful Curzon cinema. This astonishing picture, which tells the story of a stand-up comedian who falls for a world-renowned opera singer, won Carax the Best Director award at Cannes this year and features stellar performances from Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. Tickets are £7.80, with concessions £6.20 and under-25s £5. From 7.30pm.
Come What May: The Ultimate Tribute
Taunton
October 27th
Come What May, a tribute to the greatest movie musicals of all time including Moulin Rouge, Rocketman, The Greatest Showman, A Star is Born and Burlesque, comes to the Brewhouse in Taunton for one night as part of a major UK tour this autumn. Featuring the sensational Britain’s Got Talent winner Jai McDowall alongside a cast of West End theatre performers, the musical extravaganza is packed with timeless classics including Your Song, Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend, Roxanne and Lady Marmalade. The show begins at 7.30pm, with tickets from £24.50.
This Island's Mine
Bristol
October 28th - 31st
Developed with support from Tobacco Factory Theatres, This Island’s Mine is a playful and daring exploration of the place we choose to call home, filled with magic, music and mayhem. Ariel was always here. Caliban was born here. And Stephano has just arrived. They all claim ‘this island’s mine’. But do any of them have that right? And what happens if they can’t agree? Set in the extraordinary world of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, this extraordinary performance at the Spielman Theatre encourages young people to ask, where do I belong? Tickets are £10, with performances at 2pm every day and 11am Friday to Sunday.
Kerry Godliman: Bosh
Bristol
October 29th
Fans of acclaimed stand-up and actor Kerry Godliman will be thrilled to hear her BOSH tour has been rescheduled and will reach the Redgrave Theatre, Bristol, this month. With her TV and radio appearances as wide ranging as Taskmaster, The News Quiz and BAFTA-nominated Adult Material, Kerry’s many talents will be familiar to most, but it’s on stage that she originally made her name, and with her hilarious new show it will be easy to see why. The show begins at 8pm, with tickets priced £18. Recommended for ages 14 and over.
The Vintage Bazaar
Frome
October 30th
After an 18-month hiatus, the Vintage Bazaar is back at Frome’s Cheese & Grain. This wonderful fair has been running for more than ten years and showcases a veritable cornucopia of delights from some of the best vintage sellers from across the South West and beyond. The fair has a well-deserved reputation as one of the top vintage fairs in the UK, having featured several times in the national press, as well as attracting regular visitors from as far as Italy. You will find wonderful French Brocante, vintage theatrical costumes, beautiful period clothing, textile treasures from France, shoes and accessories from the 1920s to the 1970s, wonderfully faded antique fabric and textiles, lace, linen, jewellery, homewares and collectables. From 9am to 2pm, entrance is £2. Refreshments are available.
Words by Charlotte Skidmore and Martha Griffiths
