October at last! From giving thanks to tricks and treats, this is a month full of opportunities for family fun and memory-making! Want to know what’s happening this month? Read on for our top picks for Family Fun Events in Edmonton in October! Craving more? Use the Family Fun Edmonton calendar to find every event for every day of the month!
đ Pumpkins After Dark | All Month
FEATURED Are you ready for a magical Halloween stroll? Canadaâs largest Halloween festival, Pumpkins After Dark, is returning to Edmontonâs Borden Park this September and October for another spooktacular season. With all-new pumpkin displays, roaming entertainment, and exciting 2025 enhancementsâincluding theme nightsâthis is a must-see event for ghosts and ghouls of all ages!
đ Super Mario’s Bowser Boogie Battle | Until November 1
FEATURED Super Marioâs Bowser Boogie Battle jumps onto the stage this fall with Jubilations Dinner Theatreâs signature mix of a laugh-out-loud show and a tasty multi-course meal. Join Mario, Luigi, and friends on a musical adventure filled with energy, laughs, and toe-tapping tunesâperfectly designed for families who want to see their favourite game brought to life!
FREE Drop-In Outdoor Adventure Programs with the City of Edmonton | Saturdays
Get outside this Fall and have some free fun with the City of Edmonton! Play Rangers are back with FREE outdoor fun for the whole family! Drop in at Whitemud Park or Northeast River Valley Park to join program leaders for exciting adventures like slacklining, orienteering, and games.
- Every Saturday in Whitemud Park.
- Once a month at the North East River Valley Park.
Spooky Strathma: Down the Rabbit Hole | October 1-31
This October, the Strathcona County Museum & Archives is transformed into a whimsical, spooky wonderland inspired by Alice in Wonderland! Go Down the Rabbit Hole with drop-in activities all month long, plus a series of special themed events for kids, families, and adults alike. Regular admission by donation, charges apply for events.
đź Blatchford Outdoor Movie & Open House | October 3
FEATURED On October 3rd, join the community for a fun-filled, family-friendly Outdoor Movie and Open House. Itâs an evening you wonât want to miss! Kick off the evening with the Homebuilder Open House from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Explore the beautiful green spaces, trails, and energy-efficient home as you sip a delicious free drink from The Coffee Mule. Then, cozy up to watch Hocus Pocus outdoors from 7:00 – 8:30 PM!
Smoky Lake Great White North Pumpkin Fair | October 3-5
Gourd Big or Gourd Home! The annual event is a multi-day extravaganza that includes a midway, pancake breakfast, car show, pumpkin weigh-off, corn maze, pumpkin drop, farmersâ market, and artisan fair, perogy eating contest, and much more.
DARK: Fort Edmonton Park | October 3 – November 1
Kids aged 14 and up should come prepared to be afraid at DARK: Fort Edmonton Park. This series of spine-chilling storylines offers guests an immersive scare experience and lets visitors see Fort Edmonton Park in a new light through Halloween-themed haunts, roving entertainment, and special food and beverage service.
đ APEGA Rock and Fossil Clinic | October 4
FEATURED This exciting free event allows people of all ages to experience and explore the wonders of geoscience (thatâs a fancy word for the study of Earth and what itâs made of!)Â Join in the fun in the morning from your home computer, then join in an in-person rock finding adventure in the afternoon.
đ The Great Canadian Variety Show | October 4 & 5
FEATURED This epic, family-friendly show will bring the best of the best together in a fun and exciting variety show format that will be high-energy, full of culture, and celebrate the vibrancy of the artistic community around Edmonton. From dazzling dance numbers and powerhouse vocal performances to laugh-out-loud comedy and mesmerizing specialty acts, thereâs something for everyone in this unforgettable production
Edmonton Elks Theme Days | October 11 & 24
Don’t miss the last two games of the Elks’ regular season! Plan to be there 2 hours before kick-off to experience everything Fan Park has to offer, including The Brick Kids Zone! Enjoy inflatables, balloon artists, face painters, football mini games, and the Kids Zone Express Train. October 11 is Campus Clash, and October 24 is “Spooktacular” themed!
A Charmed Affairâs Villainsâ SoirĂ©e | October 17 & 18, 24 & 25
This Halloween, meet your favourite Villains, Heroes, and Princesses during A Charmed Affairâs 3rd Annual Halloween Villainâs Ball! Come in costume ready for a dreadful dance party, themed mocktails and delicious treats, live performances, glitter tattoos, frighteningly fun party games, and plenty of photo ops.
Alberta Prairie Railway Pumpkin Fest | October 18
Head out to Stettler and hop aboard Alberta Prairie Railway to enjoy an authentic train ride that leads to fun-filled activities, including a petting zoo, barrel train rides, and picking out your own pumpkin to bring home from the patch!
đȘ Arden Theatre presents Afrique en Cirque | October 24
FEATURED Prepare to be mesmerized by a show that symbolizes the strength, agility, and joy of life found in African youth! Join Cirque Kalabanté at The Arden Theatre for Afrique en Cirque, a one-of-a-kind show that features daring acrobatics, rhythmic music, stunning choreography, and vibrant costumes.
Your Guide to Spooktacular Halloween Events!
We all know Halloween is the highlight of October, so we have compiled all the best haunted houses and pumpkin parties in our Spooktacular Halloween Events Guide. We have fun events for the whole family – even some terrifying thrills for the older kids!
Country Fairs & Harvest Festivals
Select Dates in October | Celebrate autumn with this round-up of Fall festivals! There are several Annual Harvest Fairs that take place in this month and are well worth the drive out to the country for a day of family fun.
Fall Fun Bucket List
You loved our Summer Fun Bucket List, so we thought we would keep the excitement going with a Fall Fun Bucket List! There are so many great activities to get out and enjoy as the leaves start changing. The only trick is trying to fit it all in before we get hit with that first snowfall of the season.
FREE (and almost free) Make and Take Events Kids Love
From LEGO builds and storytimes to crafts and woodworking projects, the kids are always excited to get creative and get their hands on a new treasure to bring home! Many stores offer kid-friendly events, so we have rounded up all our favourite spots to watch for FREE (and almost free) events we know your kids will love.
Love seeing the Family Fun Events in Edmonton in October, but want MORE? Sign up for the monthly Family Fun Edmonton enewsletter! Also, keep tabs on everything happening in #YEG with our calendar, and stay tuned to all the best local family events through our Facebook and Instagram pages.
