Come Alone by Meet & Mint Events you can go to on your own

5–11 Nov 2026 · Bonfire Night, Diwali, St Martin’s Day

A week of lights, alone: 5–11 November 2026.

Fireworks on the 5th, Diwali on Sunday the 8th, lantern walks on the 11th: what each one is, how to join respectfully on your own, and 2 matching events in our data.

Bonfire Night Diwali St Martin’s Day

5 November, mostly UK · 0 events in our data

Bonfire Night, 5 November

Bonfire Night (also Guy Fawkes Night) marks the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and is celebrated mainly in Great Britain with bonfires and fireworks. Today most displays are run by local charities, clubs and councils, often with an entry fee. It is a loud, crowded evening, so a newcomer’s easiest way in is an organised public display rather than a private garden party. Ask the organiser about parking, queues and accessibility, keep to the viewing area, and note that the displays often run on the nearest weekend too.

Sources: Guy Fawkes Night (Wikipedia) ↗

Events in our data, 5–11 Nov

None yet: no event for Bonfire Night is in our data as of 2026-10-22. We do not list anything we cannot link to an official page. Local lantern walks and fireworks are usually announced by town and parish pages only 1–3 weeks ahead, and this page is rebuilt as listings arrive.

Sunday 8 November · 1 event in our data

Diwali (Deepavali), Sunday 8 November 2026

Diwali, the festival of lights, is observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists, with meanings and customs that differ by region and community. In 2026 the main day is Sunday 8 November: Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower lists Deepavali on that date in its official 2026 public-holiday list. Other calendars show nearby days of the festival around it, and local temples and community groups announce their own programmes, so check the organiser. How to join respectfully: look for public events a temple or community centre invites everyone to, follow the hosts’ guidance on dress, shoes and photography, and if you are invited to a home, ask what is welcome to bring. It is fine to say it is your first time.

Sources: Singapore Ministry of Manpower, 2026 public holidays ↗

Events in our data, 5–11 Nov (1)

Kauniainen

Thu5Nov
Free
CultureKauniainenDiwali
18:00–19:00

Diwali-themed exhibition opening, Kauniainen library

Kauniainen library

On Thursday 5 November 2026 the Kauniainen library, at Thurmaninaukio 6, opens its exhibition Festive Tales with an evening whose theme is Diwali, the festival of lights. The listing describes it as suitable for the whole family and says pink sparkling drinks will be served, with storytelling in Finnish, Swedish and English, and guests are welcome to dress up for the occasion. The exhibition itself is a multilingual project by Ad Astra: twelve illustrations by the artist Alexander Reichstein, each with a QR code that leads to an audio story about a different celebration, which listeners can hear in one of seven languages. The exhibition can then be seen in the library from 5 to 30 November 2026. Entry is free. It is a gentle, short evening that is easy to join on your own, because the stories give everyone something to listen to and the drinks give you a reason to chat. The event starts at 18:00 and ends at about 19:00. «Exhibition opening for Festive tales» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:00. Source: City of Helsinki / City of Espoo — LinkedEvents (CC BY 4.0).

See who's going in Meet & Mint10 phrases for this evening ↗

11 November, DE / NL / AT / CH / BE · 1 event in our data

St Martin’s Day and lantern walks, 11 November

On or around 11 November, children and families in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium walk after dark with paper or beet lanterns and sing songs, in parades called Martinsumzug, Laternenumzug or Sint-Maarten. The day remembers Saint Martin, who according to the legend shared his cloak with a beggar. In Flanders the older tradition uses hollowed-out beets as lanterns, and in places the parade is held on the evening before 11 November. These are mostly family events, and adults without children are welcome to watch from the side: stand back from the route, keep the path clear, ask before photographing children, and join the song if you wish. Dates and routes differ by town.

Sources: Immaterieel erfgoed Vlaanderen: beet lanterns for Sint-Maarten ↗ · VRT NWS on the Ypres procession ↗

Events in our data, 5–11 Nov (1)

Soyans

Sun8Nov
Free
SocialSoyansSt Martin’s Day lantern walks
18:00–19:30

Lantern storytelling evening, old village of Soyans

Parking du vieux village de Soyans

On Sunday 8 November 2026 at 18:00 the old village of Soyans, in the Drôme, hosts the first of this year's solstice evenings, En attendant le solstice, with the storyteller Gwladys Batta. Her theme is love, told through Greek tales and myths. The OpenAgenda listing asks people to meet on the square of the old village with their lanterns and lampions, a dish to share, a few coins as a contribution and their appetite for stories, to warm up the autumn nights. The entry is a free and conscious contribution rather than a fixed ticket price, and the listing gives a minimum age of 8, so adults are very much welcome. The listing also gives a phone number for questions. A shared dish and a lantern make it easy to start a conversation with neighbours and strangers alike, so it suits someone arriving alone. The evening starts at 18:00 and ends at about 19:30. «EN ATTENDANT LE SOLSTICE - Gwladys Batta» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Les racines du vent (open data).

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint10 phrases for this evening ↗

Not in this week

Loy Krathong and the November full moon

Loy Krathong, the Thai festival of floating lanterns, falls on the full-moon night of the twelfth lunar month, which in 2026 is 25 November (RE Online festival calendar ↗), so it is outside 5–11 November. The November full moon is on 24 November. The moon around 9 November is a new moon, so it is a dark sky for lanterns rather than a moonlit walk. For moonlit evenings see Full-moon walks.

Going alone? What to expect. Lantern walks, fireworks and festival evenings are mostly open public events, so arriving solo is normal and you will see many people on their own. Arrive early, dress warm and stay on the edge of the crowd where you can leave easily. Check the organiser’s page for the start time, route and any ticket, and for fireworks stay behind the barriers.

How it works

A week of lights alone: how it works

  1. Pick a festival above and check the date in your town.
  2. Open the official page of an event and confirm time, route and price.
  3. Open Meet & Mint to see who else is going and say hi in the event chat.
  4. Meet at the start, stay at the edge of the crowd, and keep your way home in mind.

Questions people ask

When is Diwali in 2026?

Sunday 8 November 2026 is the main day, as listed by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower in its 2026 public-holiday list (mom.gov.sg). Local temples and community groups publish their own programmes around it, so confirm with the organiser.

Can I go to a lantern walk or Bonfire Night display on my own?

Yes. These are open public events, and many people come on their own. We found 2 matching events in our data for 5–11 November 2026 as of 2026-10-22; where there are none, use the walk groups and events-by-city pages linked here.

When is St Martin’s Day and what happens?

St Martin’s Day is 11 November (Wednesday in 2026). Children and families carry lanterns in an evening parade and sing songs in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. Many towns hold the parade on the nearest evening, so check the local date.

Related

Walk & talk groups · Full-moon walks · Events by city · Run clubs · Book clubs · Game nights

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