October 1 – 3
Put on your headphones and press play because YEGPodfest is back for its second year. Learn the ins and outs of the podcasting industry with master classes and panels from professional producers and guests from Alberta’s top podcasts like The Well Endowed Podcast, HERspective and The Colour Gap. Hit record and take notes!
October 1 – 2
The Short and Suite Collective presents EDMONten: A Showcase of Ten-Minute Plays at Grindstone Theatre. Indulge in six 10-minute plays, followed by a free Pastries and Playwriting event the next day. Ticket holders can mingle with two of the playwrights and ask them about their processes.
October 1 – 10
Grab some popcorn and settle into your seat as the lights dim and the 35th annual Edmonton International Film Festival begins at City Centre’s Landmark Cinemas. Be one of the first to watch Oscar-qualifying films from a lineup of over 46 features and 26 short films. You can watch them from the comfort of your own comfy couch if attending virtually is your style.
October 2
Why go to one restaurant when you could go to four? 5th St. Food Hall is now open and it’s like dining in a fancy food court. Four mainstay restaurants (Backstairs Burger, HOM, Seitan’s and Three Foodies) share a dining room, providing a variety of options for you to order for take-out or dine-in. Don’t just try one, try them all!
Until October 31
Prairie Gardens is hosting its 27th annual Haunted Pumpkin Festival providing tons of hair-rising Halloween-themed farm fun. Pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch or peruse a path in the corn maze. Go on a ghost walk through the Elm Street Cemetery or plunge into the dark haunted house. Oh, and don’t leave without trying out the pumpkin cannon.
October 7 – 31
Fear will always find you, especially at Fort Edmonton Park’s DARK where three themed haunts await the brave souls who dare enter. Take a stroll through the midway, but beware the killer clown hiding in the shadows. Or tour an experimental lab gone wrong. If you make it out, you can travel up the road to the quaint house in the countryside, but watch out for the scarecrows…
October 8
Get wined and dined while you listen to the soft sounds of acoustic music. Cattail Crossing Golf & Winter Club is kicking off the Cattail Concert Series with An Evening of Acoustic Country Music and Storytelling. Enjoy an evening being serenaded by St. Albert’s own 10-time Alberta Country Music Awards winner (and Top 40 Under 40 alumnus) Dan Davidson, Calgary’s Nice Horse and Edmonton’s The Dungarees.
October 9 – 31
Walk through the haunted hollows of Highlands at Lowlands Project Space’s outdoor Halloween show. The multimedia show at 11208 65 St NW is inspired by fear, horror and anxiety. As the moon comes up and darkness creeps in, let yourself feel the fear.
Until October 10
How well do you know your neighbours? Edmonton author Todd Babiak’s novel, The Garneau Block, tells “a very Edmonton story” about a cul-de-sac in the well-known neighbourhood. Watch the story adapted for the stage by Belinda Cornish come to life in the world premiere at the Citadel Theatre.
Until October 11
Explore the University of Alberta Botanic Garden with your furry friend by your side during Dog Days at the Garden. Pack your pup into the car for a short drive to the garden for a paw-some day. The event is BYOB (bring your own bowl) and dogs must be leashed at all times. It’s sure to be a tail waggin’ good time.
October 12 – November 2
What happens when a reader wishes on a star? That person ends up at STARFest. Book-lovers are invited to the St. Albert Reader’s Festival where a line-up of 15 virtual events featuring locally and nationally esteemed authors awaits. Catch a screening of Anne Wheeler’s award winning film, Bye Bye Blues, or join Omar Mouallem (another former Top 40) for a discussion on his recent book, Praying to the West: How Muslims Shaped the Americas.
October 13
Hockey is back and the Edmonton Oilers are taking on the Vancouver Canucks in the home opener. Don your finest orange and blue threads, head to Rogers Place and cheer for our home team. Or, maybe you’re cheering for the Canucks. You have our sympathies in advance.
October 13 – 16
The Edmonton Comedy Festival has been making Edmontonians laugh for over a decade and it’s back for a better than ever 11th year. Over a dozen comedians will perform across four venues over four days giving everyone the opportunity to come out and laugh. These days, we could all use some cheering up.
October 14 – 24
Edmonton puts the “lit” in literature with this non-fiction festival. LitFest brings literature to life and provides a platform for book lovers to share stories, discuss genres and geek out about their love for writing and books.
October 14 – 16
Art forms collide as Ballet Edmonton collaborates with Art Gallery of Alberta on a dance installation within the gallery. PROGRAM ONE is a new work by Ballet Edmonton’s artistic director, Wen Wei Wang, and opens Ballet Edmonton’s 2021/2022 season. Your two-for-one ticket gives you admission to the galleries, as well as a front-row view of the performances as they happen within the space.
October 15 & 16
The Arden Theatre’s 2021/2022 Professional Series is bringing work from SkirtsAfire Festival to life. Makings of a Voice was a virtual affair in March 2021 and is finally getting its time in the spotlight as SkirtsAfire co-presents the show with The Arden Theatre.
Until October 15
The Public is taking over downtown St. Albert with the Public Outpost Pop-up at BreadLove Bakery. Try your hand at dumpling folding with Gourmai Dumplings, or perogy-making with Pierogie. A bounty of food events and classes like charcuterie with Meuwly’s or artisan bread making with BreadLove are on until October 15. Don’t miss out on these culinary experiences!
October 16 – 17
These short films are hitting the big screen. Celebrate locally produced short films at the Edmonton Short Film Festival, Alberta’s only film festival that accepts films with any creation date, pays screening fees and gives awards. Grab your popcorn because the show is about to start.
October 22
Compassion is always in fashion. Celebrate 25 years of Compassion House Foundation’s Fashion with Compassion fundraiser. Proceeds from the virtual fundraiser go towards Sorrentino’s Compassion House, which provides for women travelling to Edmonton for cancer treatments. They receive safe, comfortable and affordable housing. Show your support by attending the virtual event or donating.
October 22 – 23
Grab a cold one and learn all about the craft beer industry at the Edmonton Craft Beer Festival. The festival is one of the world’s largest beer festivals with over 500 beers and 100 breweries participating. Not only is the festival fun, bit it’s also educational. Grab a seat for one of the Let’s Meet for a Beer or Cooking with Beer seminars. Whatever you do, it’s bound to be a brew-tastic time!
October 23 – 24
Get your hands on locally made goods and crafts at Wholly Handmade. Sherwood Park’s craft fair is back with over 110 artisans and vendors. Get ahead (way ahead) of your Christmas shopping or treat yourself while supporting local businesses.
October 30
Are you ready to scream? Get loud at SCREAM, Canada’s largest and longest running Halloween dance event. Immerse yourself (safely) in the crowd of costumed creepers or visit the haunted labyrinth. More than 20 acts will perform to elicit the best screams out of you. You don’t want to miss out on this Halloween classic.
October 31
This Halloween, House of Hush Burlesque wants to put a spell on you. Sit in the shadows of Polar Park Brewing for a bone-chilling Halloween burlesque show. Sip on some potions and dine on devilish delicacies while the show creeps to a close. Come for the tricks and stay for the treats.
Until November 7
Show your Edmonton pride and post it to social media as part of Edmonton Art Council’s I heART Edmonton Hunt. New tasks are released every two weeks and prizes up for grabs include tickets to the Citadel Theatre and Edmonton Opera, memberships to the Art Gallery of Alberta and Royal Alberta Museum, and swag boxes with local goodies. Show your love for YEG and hit the town with your camera at the ready!
Saturdays until October 31
This scooter tour isn’t like any other scooter tour — it’s spookier. YEG SCOOT created a spooky scooter tour designed to scare. The Ghost Scoot takes believers and unbelievers around Old Strathcona and downtown to some of Edmonton’s most horrific haunted buildings and sites where you’ll learn about the souls who never left.
