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Preview: Croydon Harvest returns with the Walnut Fair, honey shines in Selsdon, and your week fills with music, cinema, family fun, heritage and community energy.
☀️ MONDAY MOMENTUM: CROYDON’S WEEK STARTS HERE
Croydon’s autumn heartbeat is growing louder, with Croydon Harvest, the Walnut Fair, a buzzing honey show and a packed programme of culture, music and family fun ahead.
🌰 THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE: CROYDON HARVEST AND THE WALNUT FAIR
Croydon Harvest featuring the Walnut Fair returns on Saturday 03/10/2026 and Sunday 04/10/2026, from 12:00 to 17:00 each day, with free entry and a family friendly programme across the town centre.
The borough takes over The Queen’s Gardens, Katharine Street, the High Street, Croydon Clocktower, David Lean Cinema and Surrey Street, with live folk music and dance, Farm Yard Circus, Vauxhall City Farm animal encounters, fruit and vegetable carving, craft workshops, historic pub tours and family film screenings.
The festival also celebrates the historic Walnut Fair, which dates back to 1314, bringing old Croydon traditions into a lively modern town centre weekend.
Source: Culture Croydon and Croydon Council
Save the weekend of 03/10 and make a day of it in town.
🏆 COMMUNITY CHAMPION OF THE WEEK
Every week we celebrate one Croydon person or group making the borough better, and this week it is the volunteers behind the Friends of Norbury Brook and Thames21.
They spent Saturday clearing litter and improving the brook for wildlife in Thornton Heath, giving their own time to a waterway that most of us walk straight past. Read the story
Pass their story to anyone who would back them.
You have your own link, and sharing it helps the Pulse reach more of the borough.
🎶 TODAY: MONDAY 28/09/2026
Time | Event |
|---|---|
10:45 | 🌱 Little Roots Garden Group, St Mildred's Community Garden, 30 Bingham Road, Croydon. A friendly gardening session, with a further date on 26/10/2026. Source: East Croydon Community Organisation |
13:30 to 15:30 | 🫂 Dementia Cafe, Croydon University Hospital. A free drop in for people living with dementia, their carers and families, with conversation, activities and support. |
19:00 to 21:00 | 🎉 Big Fat Quizbox, BOXPARK Croydon, Unit 71. A lively Monday quiz with food and drinks on hand. Source: BOXPARK Croydon |
20:00 for 20:15 | 🎶 Croydon Folk Club presents Emily Portman and Friends, with Louis Campbell and Lucy Revis, at Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon CR0 1BD. Hear material from the album Dominion of Spells. Tickets are listed at £20, with £15 concession. Some ticket pages show an additional booking fee, so check the booking page for the final price. Doors open at 20:00, with the performance at 20:15. Source: East Croydon Community Organisation |
🎨 WEDNESDAY 30/09/2026: CREATIVE CALM AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION
🎨 Dementia, Art and Joy, a Museum of Croydon programme for people living with dementia and their carers, usually from 10:30. The sessions run on selected Wednesdays, so check the museum's listing for the next confirmed date and venue before travelling. Source: Museum of Croydon
🧘 Wednesday Meditation Drop-in, from 19:15, welcomes everyone to a free and friendly evening session. Check the organiser’s listing for the venue before travelling. Source: East Croydon Community Organisation
🚌 Croydon Drop In Talkbus, Legacy Youth Zone, Whitehorse Road, 17:30 to 19:30. Informal, friendly support for young people. Source: Croydon Drop In
✈️ Amelia Earhart: 20 Minutes and 40 Miles, Historic Croydon Airport, 19:00 to 20:00. An illustrated talk by Chris Denchfield, with tickets at £5 for Friends and £7.50 for non members. Source: Historic Croydon Airport
🎬 THURSDAY 01/10/2026: TONY TAKES THE SCREEN
🎬 TONY screens at the David Lean Cinema at 14:30 and 19:30. Check the cinema’s listing for tickets, running time and the latest screening information. Source: David Lean Cinema
☕ Memory Tree Cafe, Selsdon, 13:30 to 15:30. Age UK Croydon's welcoming cafe for people with mild to moderate dementia and their carers. Source: Age UK Croydon
🎯 Bid to Win, Croydon Smile Hub, 159 London Road, Broad Green, Croydon CR0 2RJ, 16:30 to 18:30. Free weekly workshops from Simple Bid helping SMEs, CICs, charities, social enterprises and community organisations find and win contracts, tenders and funding. Everyone is welcome. Source: Eventbrite
🎤 FRIDAY 02/10/2026: FEELGOOD FRIDAY FUN
🍻 Friday Feelings brings music and late night energy to BOXPARK Croydon from 17:00 to 01:00. Source: BOXPARK Croydon
🎤 Hip-Hop Karaoke follows at BOXPARK Croydon from 18:00 to 22:00, giving local singers their moment under the lights. Source: BOXPARK Croydon
🍯 SATURDAY 03/10/2026: HONEY, HARVEST AND HERITAGE
🍯 2026 Croydon Honey Show runs from 10:00 to 16:30 at Selsdon Community Centre, 132 Addington Road, Selsdon CR2 8LA. The show is held by the Croydon Beekeepers Association, in the hall on the lower floor next to the coffee shop, with honey, hive products, children’s activities and refreshments. Source: Croydon Beekeepers Association
🧸 Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon pop up, Unit 49 Whitgift Centre, 11:00 to 16:00. Rotating displays from the collection, a small shop and toy theatre performances at 12:00 and 14:00. Free entry and no booking needed. Source: Pollock's Toy Museum
🚶 Harvest Historic Pub Tour departs from Croydon Central Library, offering local stories, historic drinking spots and a different route through the town centre. Check the Harvest programme for the departure time and whether booking is needed. Source: Culture Croydon
🥂 PLAYBOX Bottomless Brunch takes over BOXPARK Croydon from 13:00 to 17:30, with games, drinks and street food. Source: BOXPARK Croydon
🎶 Saturday Sessions brings food, drinks, DJs and late night vibes to BOXPARK Croydon from 19:00 to 01:00. Source: BOXPARK Croydon
✈️ SUNDAY 04/10/2026: FAMILY FAVOURITES AND FLYING HISTORY
✈️ Historic Croydon Airport Open Day takes place at Airport House, Croydon CR0 0XZ, with guided tours from 13:00. Tours last about an hour, followed by around 30 minutes to explore the museum and control tower; pre-booking is required, attendees should arrive ten minutes before their slot, and onsite parking is free. Source: Historic Croydon Airport Trust
🎤 K-Pop vs Pop Queens brings a family show to BOXPARK Croydon. Check the venue and booking listing for confirmed times and ticket details. Source: EventsList
🤸 RAVERTOTS Croydon takes place at BOXPARK Croydon from 14:00 to 16:00, with family friendly dance music, performers and activities. Source: BOXPARK Croydon
🎷 Sunday Jazz with Kate Lane begins at Manuel’s Restaurant and Bar from 18:30. Check the listing for booking information before setting off. Source: Croydon music listings
🎸 Lydia Hammond appears at Croydon Folk and Blues Club, Ruskin House. Check the club listing for the confirmed time and booking details. Source: Culture Croydon events
🌳 Looking ahead: the Friends of Ashburton Park AGM takes place on Wednesday 07/10/2026 from 19:00 in the main hall, Ashburton Hall, Ashburton Park, with the group's new Chair and an update from the Heritage Lottery Restoration Project team. Wates holds a recruitment open day at Croydon College on Wednesday 08/10/2026, with walk in sessions from 10:00 to 12:30 or 14:00 to 17:30, and all trades welcome. Source: Wates Careers 🤖 And save Tuesday 27/10/2026 for the Croydon AI Summit 2026 at the Hilton London Croydon, 101 Purley Way, CR0 4QA, from 10:00 to 16:00, with tickets at £25 including lunch, tea and coffee. Source: Eventbrite
Times and ticket details vary between sources for several of these listings, so please check each organiser’s own page before travelling.
🎨 ALSO RUNNING: A MURAL FOR 750 YEARS OF MARKET
Vic Lee's 18 metre Surrey Street mural stands on Croydon High Street, celebrating 750 years of Surrey Street Market.
Commissioned by Croydon Council, it is in place from 11/09/2026 to 31/01/2027 and brings the market's history, facts and memories to life. The market was established by Royal Charter in 1276. Source: Open House Festival
💡 DID YOU KNOW? CROYDON'S 50P TOWER
No.1 Croydon, the twisting tower beside East Croydon station, was designed by Richard Seifert and built between 1968 and 1970. Its rotating square floor plates give it the nickname the 50p building.
It is one of the borough's best known modernist landmarks, and fresh bids to have it listed have twice been rejected, most recently in 2024. Source: The Twentieth Century Society
🏫 SCHOOL CORNER & PTA NOTICEBOARD
Croydon schools and PTAs can share verified fairs, bake sales and fundraiser notices with the Pulse for free.
Submit your future school or community event through the 📅 Submit Your Future Event form.
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The week ahead is already buzzing, so keep this briefing close and make space for the people, places and events that keep our borough moving.
Building a Stronger Croydon, Together
The Croydon Local Pulse Team