7 Of The Best Things To Do In Yorkshire This September

As the summer draws to a close, we reflect on fun days of sun, holidays, festivals, taking the kids on adventures, and countryside walks. Happy memories! However, the good times don’t have to stop as we head into Autumn. There is still a packed calendar of events and activities taking place across the county to keep you busy. To help you plan, we have put together this list of the best things to do in Yorkshire in September.

We explore inspiring living artwork, rural agricultural shows, walking and book festivals, and the chance to go back in time. There is so much to do for you and the family, so let’s jump in and explore.

1. Take a Trip Back in Time at Grassington 1940s Weekend

Next on our list of best things to do in Yorkshire this September is an event that lets you travel through time and experience the sights and sounds of wartime Britain. Set in the iconic market town, the cobbled streets come alive with live performances, market stalls, vintage vehicles, and even a replica Spitfire. Visitors often dress in 1940s fashion, only adding to the sense that this momentous time in our history has been brought back to life.

Here are just some examples of the entertainment on offer at the Grassington 1940s weekend:

The Rhythm Exchange Band & The Alka Seltzer Sisters
Murray Rose
Jeep Johnson
Paul Harper and the Rum & Cola Girls
Yorkshire Volunteers Band & Corps of Drums
Echo 42 Big Band
Afternoon Tea Dance with Geoff and Maggie Forrest

The weekend is rounded off with Matthew Wood leading a moving Remembrance Service, accompanied by the Earby Brass Band. It is a wonderful tribute to the era celebrated at the Grassington 1940s Weekend.

For more information about the event, please visit the official page here.

2. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry at York Beer and Cider Festival

Fancy an event that offers fun, food, and fine ale? Silly question, course you do! Well, take a trip to York and visit the annual York Beer and Cider Festival. It is organised by the York Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and runs from Wednesday 16th to Saturday 19th September. It is held at the magnificent St Lawrence Church.

The festival is enjoyed by locals and visitors from across the UK who can sample a collection of over 200 real ales, craft beers, ciders, wines, and prosecco. For those not drinking, there are plenty of non-alcoholic beers and soft drinks available.

As well as the fantastic ale and cider selections, the food will make your mouth water. Some of the independent food stalls include:

Ged Bell – Award-winning, handmade pies provide the perfect partner for your ale. You can choose from bite-sized ones with a variety of toppings, or a hearty pie and peas.
Sarras – Offering authentic Indian street food including handmade chicken pakoras, pani puri, onion bhajis, samosa chaats, butter chicken, channa masala. For those with a sweet tooth, they have mango lassi and gulab jamun.
Clean Crust – Wonderful Neapolitan pizza served up in just 90 seconds! They keep it simple, with free-range British produce and expertly developed dough. Great for the environment and bloody delicious.

Sound right up your street? Find out information about tickets and times here.

3. Experience Rural Life at the Muker Show

Next on our list of best things to do in Yorkshire in September is a celebration of rural life in our beautiful county. The Muker Show is a traditional agricultural show held in Muker, a small village in the picturesque Upper Swaledale, in the north of the Yorkshire Dales. The organisers sum it up well by saying, ‘run by volunteers, nothing fancy, just good old community spirit’.

The 2026 edition will be the 119th, so you will be part of Yorkshire Dales history. It takes place on Wednesday 2nd September and will be a day filled with fun, food, drink, and real insights into the farming lifestyle. Just some of the events of the programme include:

Dales Pony Society Demonstrations
Dry Stone Walling Demonstration
Children’s Fancy Dress Parade
Fell Races (Both Junior and Senior)
Sheep Dog Trials
Junior Sheep Handling Competition
Working Dog Type Judging
Muker Band Leading Community Singing

The show also has horticulture and produce tents that celebrate home baking, local produce, art and crafts, and local agricultural efforts.

Visit the Muker Show this September and experience life in the Yorkshire countryside in all its glory. Visit the website here for more information.

4. Watch To Fly! At Bradford’s Science and Media Museum

This addition to the best things to do in Yorkshire celebrates a bit of cinematic history. To Fly! is an incredible documentary film about the story of flight and it was the first film ever to be screened at Bradford’s Science and Media Museum. It returns to the big screen throughout September and you won’t want to miss it.

The film was produced in 1976 and premiered at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It was the centrepiece of the museum’s grand opening. Ever since its release, it has played continuously, and it is estimated that over 100 million people have seen the film at IMAXs worldwide. Now, you can see it right here in Bradford.

Watching the film will lift you off your feet with an exhilarating overview of transportation and flight to the USA. The images in the film give you the thrilling sensations of flying in an original barnstormer bi-plane, hang gliding, and floating in a helium balloon. Don’t just take our word for it; a certain director named Christopher Nolan praised the film by saying:

“A buddy of mine and I were riding the roller-coasters, and we saw they had an IMAX theatre there that was showing To Fly! There was a moment in the film where we’re flying over a ridge, and then the camera banks to one side. I looked at the audience and saw that all of the heads were tilted in that direction at the same time in unison… That always stuck with me. I fell in love with the IMAX format then, and I’ve been using it myself for years.”

Ready to take to the skies? Visit the Science and Media Museum’s website for more information about tickets and dates.

5. Let Art and Nature Inspire You and Go See the Flower Carpet

We are staying in Bradford for the next choice on our list of best things to do in Yorkshire in September. The internationally praised Flower Carpet project is having its premiere right here in Bradford from 24th to 27th September.

Local artist Shiraaz Ali has taken inspiration from the city’s textile heritage, industry, and people to create a powerful, intricate design at 29 metres wide. His living artwork is made entirely by hand from more than 300,000 dahlia flowerheads.

This is the first time the Flower Carpet has been displayed in the UK and will be free to view in Centenary Square. You will be able to get up close and see the pavement transformed into a beautiful display of flowers and colour. If you are visiting at night, the artwork will be illuminated with light and sound, bringing the design to life.

Furthermore, the flowers will change as they respond to the environment across the 4 days. When the event is finished, and the flowers have ceased to bloom, they will be composted locally and allowed to decompose. This means they will continue their natural lifecycle.

So, head down to Bradford this September and get inspired by art and nature.

6. Get Wild at the Spurn Migration Festival

Get ready to get in touch with nature at the annual Spurn Migration Festival, also known as ‘Migfest’. The festival is a celebration of the incredible journeys birds make during the migration season. Organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and Spurn Bird Observatory Trust (SBOT), it takes place between 11th and 13th September.

The 2026 programme offers a fascinating line-up of speakers, including:

Magnus Robb and Mark Constantine from The Sound Approach
Ajay Tegala, a conservationist, broadcaster, and author.
The Two Jonnie Podcast

There is a host of things to do at the event – guided walks, seawatching, workshops, visible migration sessions, birding masterclasses, and ‘Migfester’ walks, which are perfect for lone travellers or first-timers. Whether you are a bird enthusiast or just have a passing interest, you’ll find something you love at the festival.

Bringing the kids? There is plenty for them to do. There are BBQs, quizzes, dedicated youth walks, and just an opportunity for them to explore nature and the wonderful wildlife found in Yorkshire.

For more details about the festival and how to get tickets, visit the website here.

7. Energise Your Mind and Body at Richmond Walking & Book Festival

When looking for the best things to do in Yorkshire in September, there is an event that is good for the mind and the body. From the 18th to the 27th September, the Richmond Walking and Book Festival is a unique mixture of daytime walks and evening book events to invigorate and inspire you.

You’ll get the chance to discover new authors, meet celebrated writers, and take part in an extensive programme of fascinating book events, such as book club discussions and poetry open mic. Examples of some of the diverse talks and events include:

Fiesta – A Journey Through Festivity, Daniel Stables – Daniel takes you on a journey through human festivity. You’ll examine why we celebrate festivals and how they express our cultures and celebrate life’s milestones with insights from history, psychology, folklore, and anthropology. Saturday 19th September.
165 Days – Prisoner Of The Taliban, Asad Qureshi – This is a remarkable tale of how Asad’s interview with Taliban commanders turned into a hostage situation with a ransom demand of $10 million. In 165 Days – Prisoner Of The Taliban, you will hear his account of his captivity, the fear and hope he felt, and the battle by his loved ones to save his life. Friday 18th September.
Children’s Book Hunt – One for the kids! Around 80 books will be hidden around the town. Once the children find them, they can either keep or hide them again so another child can also find them. There is also the ‘Book Treasure Trail’ where there is the chance to win a vast range of books! Saturday 19th September.

So, get your walking boots and reading glasses ready, and head down to the Richmond Walking and Book Festival. For information about tickets and to see the full programme, check out their website here.

Want to Explore More of the Best Things to do in Yorkshire?

We hope our list has inspired you to have a fun-filled September. However, our list is just an overview. There are so many events, festivals, activities, and exhibitions taking place in September and beyond.

To find out more of the best things to do in Yorkshire, discover our events and travel pages for our latest guides.