Autumn in Warsaw: events and things to do in Warsaw in October 2020
The weather in Poland in October differs each year and is difficult to predict – one day you can enjoy sunny weather and the other it’s cold and rainy (there are no frosts that can occur in Poland in November). The average temperature in October in Poland is 9°C / 48°F (just like in April). The average rainfall level in Poland in October is 46 mm (lower than in September). The Polish name for October – październik (quite a tongue twister, isn’t it?) comes from the word paździerze meaning the dry stalks of flax. In October, days in Poland get noticeably shorter and in this transition month, you can be surprised how early the sun goes down in the evening. The length of the day goes from 11 hours 35 min. on October 1 to 9 hours 39 min. on October 31. Sunrise in Warsaw on October 1 will be at 6.37 am, sunset at 6.13 pm. Sunrise in Warsaw on October 31 will be at 6.30 am, sunset at 4.08 pm. Read more about the weather, changes in nature, seasonal fruits and vegetables in Poland in autumn. October is one of the few months in Poland with no public/bank holidays. Sunday Trade Ban Teachers’ Day in Poland (Dzień Nauczyciela) Time change (zmiana czasu) Halloween Please note that due to the weather conditions, some of the outdoor events may be canceled last minute (it’s recommended to check their Facebook events for information before heading out). Fruits and vegetables picking in the Warsaw area “Game of Dragons” – an outdoor exhibition of 20 animatronic dragons “Breakfast Market” / Targ Śniadaniowy – an outdoor shopping & street food in Żoliborz “Breakfast Market” / Targ Śniadaniowy – an outdoor shopping & street food in Mokotów Outdoor Farmers’ Market / Sunday Healthy Food Fair in Ursynów (October 4, 11, and 18) Guided tour of the Wilanów Palace Garden Horse Racing at Służewiec Racetrack “Agro Bazar” in Służewiec – organic food market (Weekendowy Agrobazar Rodzinny) “Warsaw Jumping” – Polish championship in horse racing, show jumping, dressage, eventing, and carriage driving Food truck festival – Żarcie na Kółkach (end of season) “The Royal Garden of Lights” – the opening of illuminations festival in the Wilanów Palace Garden Yoga class in Łazienki Royal Garden TISH Jewish Food Festival Avant Art Festival Warsaw Gallery Weekend Warsaw off ART Retro train trip for tourists – narrow-gauge train “Niech żyje Komiksowa Warszawa” – fair of comic books, workshops, meetings Dog Day & Cat Day – a fair of products for pets and events for all pet lovers “Vintage Bazar” – fair of vintage fashion, upcycle, handmade, jewelry, eco cosmetics, plants, books, vinyl records The Music Gardens Festival (Festiwal Ogrody Muzyczne) “Let’s Talk About Art” – IN ENGLISH about works of art su_list icon=”icon: calendar”]
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36th International Warsaw Film Festival (Warszawski Festiwal Filmowy) “Niech Żyje Rzemiosło!” – fair of craft brands creating ceramics, jewelery, furniture, leather accessories, clothes, and stationery “Overview” – fair of Polish designers fashion “Wege Festiwal” – fair of vegan food, products, cosmetics, accessories Railway Modeling Fair (Giełda Modelarska) “Domomarket” – slow fair of decorative items, accessories, fragrances, textiles, office and kitchen supplies, plants, fashion International Cat Show Exhibition and fair of exotic animals and plants Interior of 4 train wagons at the Warsaw Railway Museum open to visitors Ukrainian Film Festival Jazz Jamboree – one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe World Travel Show – Tourism Trade Fair (Międzynarodowe Targi Turystyczne) Festival of Tea and Coffee The largest permanent automotive exhibition in Poland – over 300 cars (Polish and from other countries) “The Fascinating World of Spiders and Scorpions” – the exhibition “African Expeditions, Asian Ways” – a new permanent exhibition at the Ethnographic Museum A new exhibition for children “Eureka, let’s discover!” – an exhibition on philosophy and art for children at the Museum for Children The core exhibition at POLIN Museum: 1000 years of the history of Polish Jews A new exhibition in the restored monument in Wola available to visitors for the first time in history – ‘Wolskie Rotundy’ “Warsaw Under Construction” – a new exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art The huge park surrounding the summer residence of the last Polish king. A must-see on your Warsaw bucket list, every season of the year. The photos speak for themselves! Our tips in English on visiting the Łazienki Garden. The Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów in Warsaw is a baroque summer residence of King Jan III Sobieski and his wife, Queen Maria Kazimiera. Not everyone knows that the area next to the Wilanów Palace is 45 hectares! You will find there not only modeled palace gardens in the baroque style, but also a river and a huge landscape park. Our tips in English on visiting the Wilanów Palace Garden. The Garden is located on the roof of a new building of the University of Warsaw Library (in Powiśle) and is one of the largest roof gardens in Europe. From the top, you will have a wonderful view of Warsaw, including the Vistula river and the Palace of Culture and Science. The library Garden has two parts: the upper garden on the roof and the lower garden where you will find the ponds, the fountain, and the granite sculptures. The Lower Garden is open all year, and the Roof Garden is open from April 1 until the end of October. Our tips in English on visiting the Roof Garden of the Warsaw University Library. Looking for a weekend trip idea and the best photo spots in Poland? You will find them in one of the biggest (over 50 hectares) botanical gardens in Poland – the Arboretum Forest Educational Center in Rogów near Łódź. The Arboretum in Rogów has one of the most valuable plant collections in Europe. It’s “a forest park”, located in the thinned-out area of the forest. Our tips in English on visiting the Arboretum in Rogów. Photo source: www.arboretum.sggw.pl The pumpkin farms are usually open from mid-September until end of October. Pumpkin farm in Powsin, south of Warsaw Pumpkin farm ‘Dynioland’ in Wieliszew, north of Warsaw Walk in the woods and crossing over the swamps dry feet – educational nature trail (Goździkowe Bagno) in the Masovian Landscape Park, 40 km from Warsaw. Do you want to go for a walk in the forest, are you looking for peace, quiet, and contact with nature? One of the attractions of the Masovian Landscape Park (Mazowiecki Park Krajobrazowy) is Goździkowe Bagno – an educational trail, a wooden footbridge on which you can walk over the swamps. And a bonus for those who live on the left side of the Vistula and will have to cross the river – you can take a ferry near Konstancin. The baroque palace and 2 historic parks (managed by the National Museum in Warsaw) are located an hour’s drive west of Warsaw, on the way to Łódź – nice chillout spot for a weekend outing and a picnic, a combination of history and nature. And if you still have some time and energy, you can visit the ethnographic museum in the city of Łowicz – the historic capital of the region. The museum exhibits, among others, traditional costumes, embroidery designs, Łowicz colorful folk paper cuttings (wycinanki łowickie). Almost 10 hectares of land with educational routes for walks designed to protect the richness of fauna and flora. Attractions include 1 km nature trail, picnic area, small beach, the observation deck, rope park, playground, butterfly meadow with 50:1 scale models of Polish butterfly species, a treetop route dedicated to birds (the whole route is almost 250 m long; the bridges are hung between ten nests, the first of which is 2.5 m high and the last one is over 5 m high). Konstancin-Jeziorna (Konstancin for short) is a town located 20 km south of the center of Warsaw, on the Jeziorka river. It is the only health resort / a spa town in the immediate vicinity of Warsaw – Konstancin has a distinctive microclimate associated with the surrounding pine forests and natural deposits of healing waters. The central place of Konstancin is the Park Zdrojowy, nicely renovated and revitalized in 2012. The park is friendly to children in prams, there are two playgrounds (for younger and older children). You will find there lots of alleys, paths, benches, a wooden footbridge with viewpoints leading through the pool. The park is worth visiting also outside the weekend, during the week it is extremely calm and pleasant there. The graduation tower (Tężnia Solankowa, also known as a thorn house) is a unique place located in the park. It is an open-air ‘inhalatorium’ – a huge natural inhaler. It’s a wooden structure, covered with blackthorn branches that were originally used in the production of salt. Subscribe to Kids in the City weekly Newsletter in English – each Thursday you will receive an email with the list of family-friendly events in Warsaw for the upcoming weekend:
Subscribe to Kids in the City weekly Newsletter in English – each Thursday you will receive an email with the list of family-friendly events in Warsaw for the upcoming weekend:
Weather in Poland in October
Dates to remember in Poland in October 2020
In October 2020, there is no shopping Sunday in Poland. The next shopping Sunday is on December 13 and December 20. Click here to read our post about shopping Sundays in Poland in 2020 and 2021. Read our post with the list of online stores in Poland delivering groceries to home.
In Polish schools, there are no regular classes on this day. Students give teachers flowers and/or other gifts. Usually, there is the inauguration event for first-grade students (called in Polish ślubowanie) and older kids either do not go to school or have some fun activities.
On Sunday night, October 25, at 03:00 am clocks are turned backward 1 hour to 02:00 am. The European Union lawmakers decided to end the twice-a-year (March and October) custom of time changes throughout the European Union, leaving member states the freedom to decide their standard time. In Poland, consultations were carried out on changing the time – 78 percent of Poles are in favor of not changing clocks. The government data shows that most Poles prefer summer time. It is not yet known whether the last time change in Poland will take place in 2021 – there are no new legal regulations yet. Click here to find out more in our post about the time changes in Poland.
Halloween celebrations are relatively new in Poland. A few years ago, it was almost impossible to buy a pumpkin this time of year in Poland! Now pumpkin carving and pumpkin decorations are more and more popular at Polish schools and homes. In bars and restaurants in Poland, there are themed Halloween parties for adults and costume parties for kids at schools. More and more children in Poland dress up in costumes for Halloween and travel from house to house playing trick or treat (in Polish: cukierek albo psikus).Outdoor events and things to do in Warsaw in October 2020
You will find some options for the upcoming weeks in the Mazowieckie region on this website. Please note that in most of the cases you need to contact a selected orchard/garden/farm to book a slot. It’s recommended to have disposable gloves. Picking options include visiting an organic demonstration farm (Polish fruits and vegetables; until October 15), apples (until October 31), apples, plums, chokeberry/aronia (until October 31).
Location: Aleja Na Skarpie 20/26 Street (city center, 200 m from Plac Trzech Krzyży), the garden of Muzeum Ziemi PAN (Museum of the Earth), 10 am – 8 pm. Tickets to be purchased online or at the ticket office (you can pay with a card). The exhibition is open every day and runs until October 31, 2020. The exhibition of moving dragons from different legends and cultures around the world, from ancient Greek mythology, through Slavic legends, to stories from the Far East. More in English about the exhibition. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: corner of aleja Wojska Polskiego Street and Śmiała Street (Żoliborz), 9 am – 4 pm, free entrance. Street food, bread, pastries, cheese, sausages, vegan delicatessen, vegetables, fruits, flowers, fish. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Skwer Grupy AK “Granat”, corner of Puławska and Woronicza Street (Mokotów), 10 am – 5 pm, free entrance. Street food, bread, pastries, cheese, sausages, vegan delicatessen, vegetables, fruits, flowers, fish. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: a parking lot next to Ursynów District Office, Imielin metro station, al. KEN 61 Street (Ursynów), 9 am – 3 pm, free entrance. Regional food, vegetables, fruits, dairy and meat products, honey, juices, organic food. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Wilanów Palace Garden, Stanisława Kostki Potockiego 10/16 Street, 1 pm (except August 15), meeting point at the ticket office (small yellow building in the park in front of the palace). Meeting point on a map (a ticket office / kasa muzeum marked as no. 1). Regular tickets to the park 7 PLN, reduced tickets 4 PLN (online tickets).
Location: Tor Wyścigów Konnych Służewiec, Puławska 266 Street, online tickets (children up to 5 free entrance). Website in English. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Tor Wyścigów Konnych Służewiec, Puławska 266 Street. Friday 3 pm – 7 pm, Saturday 8 am – 6 pm, Sunday 9.30 am – 6 pm. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Służewiec Horse Racing Racetrack – Tor Wyścigów Konnych Służewiec, Puławska 266 Street, online tickets. Website in Polish. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: PGE National Stadium, Al. Ks. J. Poniatowskiego 1 Street (Praga), free entrance. Warsaw street food offering Polish and international food. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Wilanów Garden, Stanisława Kostki Potockiego 10/16 Street. Click here to read Kids in the City tips in English about the illuminations festival and on visiting the Wilanów Palace Museum and Park. The festival runs until February 28, 2021.
Location: Łazienki Royal Garden, 10 am – 11 am, click here to check the meeting point (the area next to the Palace on the Isle). Families with children are welcome. Facebook event in Polish and English.Fairs, festivals, and other events in Warsaw in October 2020
Location: POLIN – Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Anielewicza 6 Street (Muranów) and other locations in Warsaw. Walks, workshops, film screenings, meetings at the table to cook together, talk and taste the Jewish foods.Facebook event in English and Polish. Detailed agenda in English.
Different locations in Warsaw. International Festival of experimental and avant-garde music, performance, and experimental electronics. More info in English, including the detailed agenda. Facebook event in Polish.
An annual festival (exhibitions and special events) of contemporary art, put together by private galleries in Warsaw, free entrance. Facebook event in Polish and English. The list of galleries and the program in English.
An annual festival (exhibitions and special events) of contemporary art, put together by private galleries in Warsaw. Thursday 5 pm – 9 pm, Friday-Sunday 12 pm – 8 pm, free entrance. Facebook event in Polish and English. The list of galleries and the program in English.
The trips are organized by the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in the town of Sochaczew (about 60 km from Warsaw). Location: Muzeum Kolei Wąskotorowej, Licealna 18 Street, 96-500 Sochaczew, the Museum’s location on Google map. Agenda: 9.50 am – guided tour in the outdoor train museum, 10.30 am – train travel to the Kampinos Forest, 11.45 am – a guided walk in the Kampinos Forest, 12.34 pm – a picnic and bonfire, 2.14 pm – 3.20 pm – trip back to Sochaczew. For the next weeks, you can buy tickets for the following days: October 3, 10, 17, 24 (the end of the season). You can buy tickets online (regular ticket – 29 PLN, reduced ticket for children – 23 PLN, ticket without seat reservation for children up to 4 – 9 PLN). More in English about the retro train trips.
Location: Elektrownia Powiśle shopping mall, Dobra 42 Street (Powiśle), 11 am – 7 pm. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Hala Gwardii, Plac Żelaznej Bramy 1 (city center), 9 am – 5 pm, free entrance. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Elektrownia Powiśle shopping mall, Dobra 42 Street (Powiśle), 10 am – 6 pm, free entrance. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: the Royal Castle courtyard (a huge tent decorated with flowers) and Kino Atlantic movie theater. Live concerts and screenings – featuring classical music, ballet, and opera. Online tickets. Detailed agenda in Polish. More in English about the Festival.
Location: Royal Łazienki Garden, Agrykola 1 Street, 5.30 pm, meeting point in front of the Palace on the Isle (Pałac na Wyspie). Tickets 10 PLN, book your place: rezerwacje@lazienki-krolewskie.pl. Workshops in English dedicated to audience aged 15+. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Kinoteka movie theater (located in the Palace of Culture and Science) and Multikino Złote Tarasy movie theater (located in Złote Tarasy shopping center). The biggest international film festival in Poland. All films will be screened with Polish and English subtitles. More info in English, including the detailed agenda. Facebook event in English and Polish.
Location: Elektrownia Powiśle shopping mall, Dobra 42 Street (Powiśle), 11 am – 7 pm. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: “MYSIA 3” center, Mysia 3 Street (city center), 11 am – 10 pm. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: the Palace of Culture and Science, plac Defilad 1, 12 pm – 7 pm, online tickets presale 6 PLN. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Warsaw Railway Museum (Stacja Muzeum), Towarowa 3 Street (Wola), 10 am – 2 pm (the Museum is open 10 am – 6 pm). A chance to buy model railways and trains and meet railway modeling enthusiasts. During the event reduced tickets for every one (6 PLN, children up to 7 free entrance). The Museum website in English. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Domoteka, Malborska 41 Street, Friday 3 pm – 9 pm, Saturday 10 am – 9 pm, free entrance. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Hala Sportowa Znicz/Sports Hall Znicz, Bohaterów Warszawy 4 Street, 05-800 Pruszków, 10 am – 4 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office at the entrance to the hall (regular tickets 15 PLN, reduced tickets 8 PLN, children up to 3 free entrance). Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Sports Center at Siennicka 40 Street (Praga), 10 am – 4 pm, regular tickets 15 PLN, family (2+2) tickets 50 PLN, children up to 6 free (online tickets). Snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, snails, insects, spiders, ants, fish, and plants from all over the world. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Warsaw Railway Museum (Stacja Muzeum), Towarowa 3 Street (Wola), 10 am – 6 pm. Entry to the wagons is included in the admission ticket (children up to 7 free entrance). The Museum website in English. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Kino Iluzjon movie theater, Narbutta 50A Street (Mokotów). Detailed agenda in Polish. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: Klub Stodoła, Batorego 10 Street (Mokotów). Click here to read more in Polish.
Location: Ptak Warsaw Expo in Nadarzyn, Al. Katowicka 62 Street, 05-830 Wolica 114D. The partner country of this year’s World Travel Show: India. The event includes Camper & Caravan Show, Ski & Outdoor Show, Warsaw Yacht Salon. Click here to read more in English. Facebook event in Polish.
Location: “MYSIA 3” center, Mysia 3 Street (city center), free entrance, 11 am – 7 pm. Facebook event in Polish.Selected exhibitions in Warsaw in October 2020
Location: Jagiellońska 88 Street (Żerań/Białołęka, location on Google map). The exhibition is located in the building of the former paint shop in the passenger car factory (FSO). You can buy tickets ONLY online (40 PLN, children up to 7 free entrance, however you need to ‘buy’ a free ticket for them too to reserve a spot). For safety reasons and technical limitations, the exhibition is not adapted to the needs of people with physical disabilities and is not available to children under 4 years of age. The exhibition is open during the following weekends: October 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25 (11 am – 4 pm, last entry at 2.30 pm). Facebook event in Polish. More in Polish about the Exhibition.
Location: the Palace of Culture and Science, pl. Defilad 1, entrance from Marszałkowska Street, open every day, 10 am – 7 pm. Online tickets: regular 22 PLN, reduced 18 PLN, family 2+2 60 PLN, children up to 4 free entrance. Each weekend (at 12 pm, 2 pm, and 4 pm) the visitors can hold spider on the hand and take close photographs with the assist of an exhibition employee. Facebook event in Polish. More in English and photos.
Location: the Ethnographic Museum, Kredytowa 1 Street (city center). Tuesday, Friday 10 am – 5 pm, Wednesday 11 am – 7 pm, Thursday 1 pm – 5 pm, Saturday 10 am – 6 pm, Sunday 12 pm – 5 pm. More in English about the exhibition.
Location: Museum for Children is a part of the Ethnographic Museum, Kredytowa 1 Street (city center), free entrance. Tuesday, Friday 10 am – 5 pm, Wednesday 11 am – 7 pm, Thursday 1 pm – 5 pm, Saturday 10 am – 6 pm, Sunday 12 pm – 5 pm. More in Polish about the Exhibition. The Exhibition runs until April 30, 2021.
Location: POLIN – Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Anielewicza 6 Street (Muranów). Monday, Saturday, Sunday 10 am – 6 pm, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10 am – 4 pm. Thursday – free entrance. More in English about the Exhibition.
Location: Wolskie Rotundy, Ignacego Prądzyńskiego 14a Street (Wola), open every day from 10 am until dusk, tickets 6 PLN (children up to 6 free entrance). Two renovated, 19th-century brick rotundas are the buildings of the former municipal gas plant. An installation exhibition has just opened in one of them. Facebook event in Polish. More about the building in Polish.
Location: “Museum on the Vistula” Pavilion, Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 22 Street (on the Vistula bank). Facebook event in English and Polish. More in English about the exhibition. The Exhibition runs from October 2, 2020 until January 17, 2021.The best places in the Warsaw area to admire autumn leaves and fall foliage
The queen of Warsaw parks – the Łazienki Garden – does not disappoint in autumn
A huge landscape park in Wilanów
October – the last chance this year to visit the garden located on the roof of the Warsaw University library
Maple leaves in fall foliage colors in one of the biggest botanical gardens in Poland, 100 km from Warsaw
Pumpkin farms in the Warsaw area
Day trips from Warsaw
Click here to find out more about one-day trips from Warsaw in our post. 10+ spots to explore in the Warsaw area (how to get there, opening hours, tickets info, photos).
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