Here's ten fun things to do in Hampshire this weekend

Here's our guide to ten of the best.

(1) At Beaulieu...

Discover the fantasy and folklore of Halloween at Beaulieu from tomorrow, with amazing seasonal activities and traditional fun and games for all the family to celebrate the magic of autumn.

See the harvest festival-themed decorations in Palace House, the home of the Montagu family since 1538, and immerse yourself in the spirit of the season with autumnal activities.

Head to the Victorian Kitchen to watch the cook bake soul cakes, a traditional autumn recipe.

Younger visitors can have their face painted with a ghoulish design and there will be special arts and crafts activities for them to get stuck into.

Follow the All Hallows trail around the Beaulieu attraction, discovering fascinating seasonal facts as you go and learning about the origins and folklore of Halloween and All Hallows Day.

Search for the spiders that are hiding across the attraction, from the National Motor Museum to Beaulieu Abbey and Palace House – can you spot where these eight-legged critters have gone?

For more magical goings-on, explore the secluded Mill Pond Walk to see fairy doors belonging to Beaulieu’s smallest residents, plus tree carvings of the mythical griffin, many-headed serpent and the green man of the woods. Why not hop on the Veteran Bus or take a ride on the high-level Monorail to see the sights of Beaulieu?

Autumn is the time to watch out for restless spirits and ghosts have often been seen and heard in Palace House over the centuries. Listen to costumed guides as they tell chilling ghost stories from the past.

See beaulieu.co.uk.

(2) At Sunnyfields Farm, Marchwood...

SUNNYFIELDS Farm has gone pumpkin orange once again!

Farmers have grown thousands of pumpkins for you to choose from: massive ones, warty ones, white ones, blue ones, little munchkins and of course lots of orange ones.

During this year's pumpkin festival, you can choose from an amazing display of thousands of pumpkins, then get to work on it in a special carving area.

Enjoy some great food from the Pumpkin Cafe and celebrate autumn with face painting, tractor rides and more.

Fancy dress is welcome at the family friendly event, which runs from 10am to 5pm both days this weekend and beyond.

(3) At Toys R Us, Southampton...

LOOK out for Scooby- Doo and the Mystery Inc Gang as they arrive at Toys R Us in none other than their infamous Mystery Machin.

The Mystery Machine will be making a pit stop in Southampton on Sunday.

Come on down between 11am and 3pm and snap a selfie with Scooby and the Gang with the Mystery Machine!

Also, spend £15 or more on any Scooby-Doo! products and get a ‘Scooby-Doo Mystery Mini 5 Pack Figure Set’ worth £9.99 absolutely free.

(4) At Winchester Science Centre...

Halloween is coming to Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium with lots of spooky goings-on to keep the whole family terrifyingly well-entertained this weekend and for the whole of half term.

Throughout the week, visitors will be shown the science behind some of the best tricks of stage, screen and Halloween during the live Spooky Science show. This myth-busting experience will inspire guests to look beyond the smoke and mirrors of magical happenings and use science to solve supernatural riddles.

The Spooky Science show takes place daily at 11am, noon, 1pm and 2pm.

www.winchestersciencecentre.org

(5) At the Great South Run...

THE world's premier ten mile running event is returning to Hampshire this weekend.

There's going to be a wheelchair race at the Great South Run this weekend

The Great South Run is a flat, fast course along paved routes for the entire duration - which means it's perfect for setting a new personal best. The route will also take runners past some of Portsmouth's best scenery, including the Spinnaker Tower, Southsea Seafront and through Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (past Nelson's flagship HMS Victory).

It's not all about the big event, though. There are a number of other races taking part across the weekend, to suit all ages and abilities.

Saturday plays host to the Great South Run 5k, which welcomes those just getting into running or who feel the 10 mile route is now a little too much. It's a great entry into distance running - and there's not a hill in sight! Additionally, there are two children's races - the Junior (2.5k) and Mini (1.5k).

On top of all this, a number of high-profile guests descend on Southsea for the event. Celebrity participants have, in previous years, included Hugh Dennis and Iwan Thomas. There's also a number of famous faces pulling the starting trigger and welcoming the kids as they pass the final bend of the Junior and Mini events.

See greatrun.org

(6) At Marwell...

CELEBRATE All Hallows’ Eve at Marwell Zoo. Dress up in your best Halloween costume and take part in Marwell’s spooky activities at Boo At The Zoo.

With creepy storytelling in the Haunted Hall, broomstick flying sessions on the back lawn (earn your Level 2 licence) and a pumpkin patch where you can carve your own creation. Plus, design and make your own magical wand.

Visit marwell.org.uk/zoo?

(7) At Winchester City Mill...

CELEBRATE all that’s great about British apples, with opportunities to sample sweet crunchy fruits from the past, at Winchester City Mill. Apple experts from Sparsholt Agricultural College will be on hand with a wide assortment of local heritage apple varieties. Learn all about how in previous centuries many counties had their own apple varieties, with colourful names like Catshead and Frogmore Prolific. Take a recipe card to try at home.

Go to nationaltrust.org.uk

(8) At Southampton Common...

The Grand Opening Ceremony of the new Common Play Area will take place on Sunday at 11.30am.

Southampton-born Saints legend Francis Benali will be cutting the ribbon at 12noon alongside the Right Worshipful Mayor of Southampton and Cabinet Member for Environment & Transport, Councillor Jacqui Rayment.

Southampton Ukulele Jam will be playing a set and entertaining the crowds at the new play area, which features a 7.5 metre-high play tower featuring rope bridges, tunnels, scramble nets and a long slide. It also features two zip wires, a variety of swings and new active water play installations for kids to enjoy 365 days a year.

(9) SOUTHAMPTON'S Festival of Words, SO:To Speak, continues this weekend with more than 60 events over ten days.

The event will showcase the city’s own talents as well as bringing nationally known authors, historians and poets to Southampton.

Organisers are bringing the city alive with theatre, poetry, Spoken Word, comedy, history and author talks, as well as workshops for writers.

Highlights this weekend include An Evening with Pam Ayres at Nuffield Southampton Theatres, a Regency Tea Party at Cobbett Road Library and a women's writing workshop at Central Library tomorrow.

On Sunday, lovers of prose can enjoy the world premiere of a Jane Austen play at the Mercure Dolphin Hotel where the legendary author danced, one-man show Forget Me Not at The Art House and The Sunday Scratch - an afternoon of theatre, comedy and conversation.

Visit sotospeakfestival.org

(10) At Netley Abbey...

THE Netley Literary Festival, which commemorates the 200th anniversary of the death of Jane Austen, continues this weekend.

The event features a diverse range of authors’ talks, book launches and signings, workshops and performances exploring Austen’s works, and her links to Netley Abbey.

It also takes a look at the Abbey’s place in gothic tradition, as well as its broader literary heritage.

Netley Abbey has a host of links to the life of Jane Austen, having purportedly been a great source of inspiration for the 18th-century writer, particularly for her gothic satire novel Northanger Abbey.

Go to theberrytheatre.co.uk/whats-on/autumn-17/netley-literary-festival/