A free open day at the Mick Jagger Centre on 10 October, Orchard half-term workshops, six Dartford FC home games and Remembrance Sunday on 8 November.

The first fortnight of October is the busiest stretch in Dartford until Christmas. The Mick Jagger Centre throws its doors open for a free community open day on Saturday 10 October, the Orchard Theatre’s monthly makers’ fair is back on Saturday 3 October, and Dartford FC play three home games in twelve days. Then half term brings a run of Orchard workshops for children and teenagers, and the month closes with the Belvedere Concert Band’s Halloween concert. Remembrance Sunday follows on 8 November.

Everything below comes from the organisers’ own listings and booking pages, read on 28 September 2026, with the link beside each entry so you can check before you set off. The Orchard Theatre itself is still closed for RAAC removal, so its October events are at Acacia Sports Hall on the High Street, not at the theatre. For places that are open whatever the month, see our guide to things to do in Dartford.

This week

  • Dartford FC v Whitehawk, Tuesday 29 September, 7.45pm, Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park, Grassbanks, DA1 1RT. An Isthmian League Premier Division game under the lights (Dartford FC).
  • Tony Stockwell, psychic medium, Tuesday 29 September, 8pm, The Mick Jagger Centre, Shepherds Lane, DA1 2JZ. £26.50 to £28.50. The TV medium’s stage show, back at the centre after sell-out visits since 2023 (The Mick Jagger Centre).
  • Swanscombe Centenary Walk: From the Vale to the Grove, Friday 2 October, 10am to about 12pm, meeting outside the town council offices, The Grove, Swanscombe, DA10 0GA. Free, no booking, donations welcome. A new walk by Christoph Bull with Adrian Day through every building the council has used, for the centenary of Swanscombe Urban District Council; it finishes at the Old Fire Station in Church Road (Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council).
  • Black History Month talk: local stories from minority communities, Friday 2 October, 7.30pm, The Church Centre, 112 Swanscombe Street, DA10 0JZ. £5 for visitors, paid at the door, light refreshments included. An illustrated open meeting of the Swanscombe & Greenhithe Local History Group, speaker Christoph Bull (Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council).
  • Orchard Theatre Community Fair, Saturday 3 October, 10am to 2pm, Acacia Sports Hall, High Street, DA1 1DJ. Free, no ticket needed. Local makers, bakers, artists and small businesses, pre-loved clothing and open mic performances (Orchard Theatre Dartford).
  • Guided walk: Swanscombe Peninsula and the Northfleet border, Saturday 3 October, 10.30am to 12.30pm, meeting outside the George & Dragon, Galley Hill, DA10 0LF. Free, but booking is required through the Eventbrite link on the listing. Cement works, spy ships, paper making and the English Civil War, also for the council centenary (Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council).

Next week

  • Dartford FC v Ramsgate, Tuesday 6 October, 7.45pm, Princes Park, DA1 1RT (Dartford FC).
  • Dartford Business Awards, Thursday 8 October, 7pm to 10.30pm, Bluewater, Bluewater Parkway, Greenhithe, DA9 9ST. £20 a ticket or £200 a table. Entries have closed; the evening is the council’s celebration of the borough’s businesses (Dartford Borough Council).
  • Voxtober: celebrating JMI Vox, Friday 9 October, 8pm, The Mick Jagger Centre, DA1 2JZ. £12. Brian Brockie and guests, including Eight Days A Beat, play the music of Vox-amp players from the Shadows and the Rolling Stones to the Kinks and Queen (The Mick Jagger Centre).
  • Mick Jagger Centre Community Open Day, Saturday 10 October, 11am to 4pm, The Mick Jagger Centre, DA1 2JZ. Free. Art and craft demonstrations and workshops, music workshops and performances, face painting for children, food and drink (The Mick Jagger Centre).
  • Dartford FC v Wingate & Finchley, Saturday 10 October, 3pm, Princes Park, DA1 1RT (Dartford FC).

Later in October

  • Dartford Symphony Orchestra: Masterworks, Saturday 17 October, The Mick Jagger Centre, DA1 2JZ. Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak, with the conductor David Grubb and the soloist Flora Valila. The start time and prices are not on the centre’s listing; the orchestra sells seats online, by phone and on the door (The Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford Symphony Orchestra).
  • Dartford FC v Three Bridges, Saturday 24 October, 3pm, Princes Park, DA1 1RT (Dartford FC).
  • West End Workshop: & Juliet, Monday 26 October, 10.30am to 2pm, Acacia Sports Hall, DA1 1DJ. £25. A half-term singing, acting and dance masterclass with Miriam-Teak Lee, the Olivier-winning lead of & Juliet, for ages 11 to 18. Bring a packed lunch (Orchard Theatre Dartford).
  • Dartford FC v Bromley, Kent Senior Cup, Tuesday 27 October, 7.45pm, Princes Park, DA1 1RT (Dartford FC).
  • Kids Craft Club, Wednesday 28 October, Acacia Sports Hall, DA1 1DJ. £8.50. Three sessions by age: 4 to 5 year olds 10.30am to 11.30am, 6 to 8 year olds 12pm to 1pm, 9 to 11 year olds 1.30pm to 2.30pm (Orchard Theatre Dartford).
  • Paper, Pens and Rising Voices writing workshop, Thursday 29 October, 10am to 12pm, Acacia Sports Hall, DA1 1DJ. £10. A two-hour creative writing and performance workshop for 12 to 17 year olds (Orchard Theatre Dartford).
  • Belvedere Concert Band: Halloween Concert, Saturday 31 October, 7.30pm to 9.45pm, The Mick Jagger Centre, DA1 2JZ. Chillers, thrillers and music from stage and screen, pitched at the whole family, fancy dress encouraged (Belvedere Concert Band).

Dartford Borough Council also lists Black History Month across the borough for all of October, run with partners including Cohesion Plus, and points to Black History Kent for the full programme (Dartford Borough Council).

November

  • Orchard Theatre Community Fair, Saturday 7 November, 10am to 2pm, Acacia Sports Hall, DA1 1DJ. Free, no ticket needed (Orchard Theatre Dartford).
  • Dartford FC v Eastbourne Borough, Saturday 7 November, 3pm, Princes Park, DA1 1RT (Dartford FC).
  • Dartford Remembrance Sunday service, Sunday 8 November, 10.30am to 11.30am, Memorial Gardens, Dartford War Memorial, Market Street, DA1 1EU. Free. Our Remembrance Sunday page has Swanscombe and Greenhithe too (Dartford Borough Council).

Dartford Lions Club has not yet announced a date for the bonfire and fireworks in Central Park; our fireworks page will carry it when they do. Further out, the Christmas lights switch-on is on Saturday 14 November and the Orchard reopens with Cinderella on 12 December.

Regular events

  • Dartford parkrun, every Saturday at 9am, Central Park, DA1 1JP. A free 5k to walk, jog or run; register once before your first visit and bring your barcode (Dartford parkrun).
  • Dartford Saturday Market, every Saturday, 9am to 5pm, Dartford High Street (Dartford Borough Council).
  • Dartford Thursday Market, every Thursday, Dartford High Street. The council does not publish its hours (Dartford Borough Council).
  • Free weekly health walk, Greenhithe, every Wednesday, 10.30am to 11.30am, from Greenhithe Community Centre (Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council).

Getting there

Princes Park, the Mick Jagger Centre and Central Park are all within walking distance of Dartford station, and Acacia Hall is on the High Street at the other end of Central Park. Council car parks and tariffs are on our parking in Dartford page, and for rail engineering works before a weekend trip see Dartford roadworks and travel.

This page is rewritten as organisers confirm new dates. Every listing was read from the organiser’s own page on 28 September 2026. Dates can still change, so use the links before you travel. More in our What’s On section.

Send us your event

Running something in Dartford, Swanscombe, Greenhithe or the villages? Email the date, time, venue, price and a photo to hello@dartfordonline.co.uk. Listings are free of charge, and the event goes on this page and in the diary on our front page.

Sources