Northamptonshire Day Is Coming to Kettering

If you love a good local celebration, get this one in the diary now. Northamptonshire Day is taking over Kettering on Sunday 25 October, turning the town centre into one of the biggest family days out the county puts on all year.

What is Northamptonshire Day?

Northamptonshire Day is the county’s annual celebration of its history, culture and communities, organised jointly by North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire Council. Last year’s event was based around Northampton’s Market Square, and this year the celebrations are moving to Kettering, giving families in that part of the county a turn to host.

The event is designed to showcase Kettering as a cultural destination in its own right, as well as celebrating the wider county, and it also coincides with the full reopening of the Alfred East Art Gallery and Kettering Library.

Where it’s happening

The celebrations will span several locations across Kettering town centre, with the main focus on the Market Place. Kettering Leisure Village and Wicksteed Park are also joining in, so there’s plenty of ground to cover if you want to make a full day of it.

What families can expect

According to North Northamptonshire Council, visitors can expect:

Family activities and children’s entertainment throughout the day
Heritage exhibitions celebrating local history and community stories
Live performances in the heart of Kettering town centre
Historic venues opened for exploration and activities
Vintage and heritage bus experiences linking key attractions
Opportunities to visit Wicksteed Park and Kettering Leisure Village as part of one memorable day out
Community groups, arts organisations and sporting partners coming together to celebrate the county

Promotional banner for Northants Families directory, reading 'Find trusted local businesses for your family - Local. Trusted. For families in Northants.' Features a smiling mother and young son looking at a laptop together, five category icons (childminders & nurseries, kids classes & clubs, family services, health & wellbeing, parties & events), a 'Free to use' badge, and a 'Visit the Directory' call-to-action button.

A highlight for the kids: heritage bus rides

One of the standout features of the day is a fleet of heritage bus services run by the Northamptonshire Transport Heritage Society. Families will be able to hop on classic double-decker buses to travel between the different activity hubs, which is a lovely way to explore more of the county’s transport history while getting between Market Place, Kettering Leisure Village and Wicksteed Park.

Good to know

Date: Sunday 25 October 2026
Location: Kettering town centre (Market Place), plus Kettering Leisure Village and Wicksteed Park
Times: Not yet published — check the official council page nearer the date
Price: Not confirmed at the time of writing

The events listed in this guide are run by third-party organisers, and all details were correct at the time of publication, based on information from their official websites. However, changes or cancellations can happen at short notice. To avoid any disappointment, we recommend double-checking the event information on the official websites before making plans.

If big family days out in town centres are your thing, you might also like our piece on Planetarium Go coming to Northampton Market Square, or head to our guide of things to do in Northamptonshire for families for more ideas. And if you’d rather have days out like this land straight in your inbox, sign up to the free weekly What’s On newsletter.