What’s On at Rushden Lakes This Easter — Dinos, Egg Hunts, a Fayre and a Brilliant Competition

If you’re looking for a one-stop destination to make the most of the Easter holidays this year, Rushden Lakes has got a lot going on. From free dinosaur adventures to egg hunts with a seriously good prize, there’s something happening pretty much every day of the break. Here’s your full run-down of everything to know about.

The Dino Bus — Thursday 9th and Friday 10th April (FREE)

Get ready for a FREE ROAR-some day out as the Dino Bus arrives at Rushden Lakes! Step inside a fully themed 39ft American school bus packed with AR dinosaur photo ops, VR experiences, baby dinosaur meet-and-greets, free Polaroids, colouring activities, fossil handling and more. Kids can also take on the Dino Hunt Trail to win fun prizes. A perfect family-friendly adventure!

What to expect: enjoy four 30-minute appearances from incredibly realistic baby dinosaur puppets — including a T. rex and Velociraptor — perfect for memorable photos. Snap pictures with AR dinosaurs helped by the Dino Bus team and take home free instant Polaroid photos (up to 200 per day). Enjoy dinosaur peep-through boards, cut-outs and a giant footprint photo spot.

There are educational activities too — explore large dinosaur cut-outs with fact boards, visit colouring tables, a dinosaur shapes board and a sand-pit full of mini dinos, and scan 100+ dinosaur QR boards linking to detailed Natural History Museum pages.

Don’t miss the Dino Hunt Trail either. Kids can follow a trail of 10 dinosaur “lollipop” stands around the centre to collect codes. Finish the hunt to earn a special badge, a mini dinosaur toy, and entry into a daily prize draw for a model dinosaur.

All of this is completely free, which makes it one of the best days out of the Easter holidays without a doubt.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf Easter Egg Hunt — 30th March to 12th April

The EGG HUNT returns to Paradise Island Adventure Golf for 2026! Fancy winning some chocolate treats AND a month of unlimited golf for 4 people? Here’s how: collect an egg hunt form at the paybooth before your round, find the 6 hidden eggs as you play and note down the letter on each one, unscramble the letters to reveal the Easter-themed word, then drop your form into the collection box to be in with a chance of winning!

This one runs right through the whole Easter break so you’ve got plenty of opportunities to get involved. Paradise Island Adventure Golf is a brilliant one for families — even little ones who aren’t particularly bothered about golf tend to absolutely love it once they get going, and the egg hunt adds a really fun extra layer to the round.

Hope Fayre — Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th April

Come and join the Hope Fayre on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th April, and support our local traders. Located in the centre of Rushden Lakes, it’s a lovely chance to browse independent makers and sellers over the Easter weekend.

If you’re already heading to Rushden Lakes for the Dino Bus on the 9th or 10th, it’s well worth coming back for the weekend to take in the fayre too. There’s something really lovely about browsing local traders — you always seem to find something brilliant that you weren’t expecting.

Win an Epic Easter Weekend — Competition Closes 5th April

And saving the best until last — Rushden Lakes and Bedford Summer Sessions have teamed up to offer one lucky winner the ultimate Easter treat!

To celebrate the return of TK Maxx presents Bedford Summer Sessions in 2026, headlined by Deacon Blue, UB40, Paul Weller and Tom Grennan, they’re offering you the chance to win one amazing weekend of activities. The prize package is:

A day out at Rushden Lakes including 2 tickets to Cineworld for a movie of your choice, and lunch in one of Rushden Lakes’ fabulous restaurants

Overnight accommodation in a Bedford Hotel

2 x VIP tickets to a Bedford Summer Sessions concert of your choice

2 x large Easter eggs

Competition closes on Easter Sunday — 5th April — at midnight. Winners will be notified on Monday 6th April. To enter, head to the competition page and fill in the form.

So there you have it — a whole Easter’s worth of brilliant things to do, all in one place. Whether you’re after a completely free day out with the kids, a fun activity during a golf round, a browse around some lovely local stalls, or you just fancy your chances at winning a seriously impressive prize, Rushden Lakes has got Easter well and truly covered. If you want to stay on top of everything else happening across Northamptonshire this Easter and beyond, make sure you’re signed up to my weekly newsletter — I round up the best local family events every single week so you never miss a thing.

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.