Things to do in Edmonton this week: October 19–25, 2026

Make time for a free Art Hive on Thursday

When: Thursday, October 22, noon–2 p.m.
Where: Art Gallery of Alberta, 2 Sir Winston Churchill Square.
Admission: The Art Hive session is free and open to all.

This is the low-cost, daytime option on the list: a community art-making session with AGA educators and students from St. Stephen’s College’s Art Therapy program. No art experience is required. It is a practical choice if you would rather spend time making something than book another seated performance.

The free offer applies to Art Hive. The gallery’s separate Free Entry Thursday evening is October 29, outside this week’s dates, so do not plan on free exhibition admission on October 22. Check the AGA calendar.

Choose a DARK night before Halloween weekend

When: Thursday–Sunday, October 22–25; haunts run 7–11 p.m., with event-site access from 6:30 p.m.
Where: Fort Edmonton Park, 7000 143 Street NW.
Admission: General admission is listed at $50 plus the service fee and GST.

DARK combines four haunts with scare zones and food vendors. Fort Edmonton Park recommends it for ages 14 and older, so this is the option for a group that wants scares rather than a young-child Halloween outing. Costumes are not permitted.

Part of the evening is outdoors. Dress for the actual forecast, and leave time for queues instead of planning to arrive just before closing. Select the exact night when booking; the October 2–31 season range does not mean the event runs every day. DARK visitor details · Official date calendar.

See Peer Gynt during its two-day Edmonton stop

When: Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 24 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Where: Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, 11455 87 Avenue NW.
Admission: Paid tickets; the official ticket link shows available seats and prices.

Alberta Ballet presents Edward Clug’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, set to Edvard Grieg’s music. The Saturday matinee gives you a daytime alternative to the evening performances.

The company advises that the production’s dark themes and fantastical characters may be intense for young children. Double-check that you are choosing an Edmonton performance: the Calgary dates are the following week. Alberta Ballet’s production page · Edmonton venue and showtimes.

Spend the weekend with Edmonton’s game-making community

When: GDX conference sessions October 23–24, followed by Community Day on Sunday, October 25. Registration is listed from 8:15 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Where: Queen Elizabeth II Building, 9820 107 Street NW.
Admission: The organizer’s ticket page lists a $150 Standard Pass and a $95 Student Pass; check the pass details and checkout total.

GDX is the most focused choice here for aspiring developers, designers and people curious about the work behind games. Programming includes indie development, the games industry, and tabletop and analogue games. Sunday’s program includes mentorship sessions and an Indie Town Hall.

Read the schedule before committing a weekend. Some session details remain to be announced, and the organizer marks the program as subject to change. Early-bird pass sales have ended. Conference schedule · Official passes.

Pick the plan that fits your week

For a free weekday outing, start with Art Hive. For a performance with a firm closing date, check the Citadel first. For a Saturday afternoon booking, compare the Citadel and ballet matinees. Keep DARK for a group comfortable with scares, and GDX for people who want to spend time with the game-making community.

This is a dated selection, not an exhaustive calendar. Find additional options on Edmonton Spotlight’s Events page, and use Things to Do for longer-lived local guides.

How this guide was checked

This guide was researched from organizer, venue and official ticketing pages on October 18, 2026. It does not claim firsthand attendance. Times and listed prices can change, and an event listing does not guarantee that tickets remain available. No placement in this guide was paid for.

The cover is an archival photograph of MacKinnon Ravine taken on September 26, 2016. It illustrates Edmonton in autumn; it does not show this week’s events or current trail conditions.