FREE events In Calgary This October: 15 Things To Do Without Spending a Dime
October in Calgary brings crisp fall days, spooky season, and plenty of reasons to get out and explore the city. As the leaves change and the days get cooler, Calgary comes alive with Halloween events, fall festivals, live music, markets, cultural experiences, and plenty of activities for the whole family. The best part? There’s always something happening around the city — you just have to bundle up and enjoy it.
We’ve rounded up 15 free events happening across Calgary in October 2026, from fall markets and Puptoberfest to Trick or Trivia, Halloween celebrations, local markets, community events, and more. Whether you’re looking for a fun fall outing, a budget-friendly date night, or simply more ways to enjoy spooky season without spending a fortune, October is packed with free ways to get out and experience the city.
Here’s everything worth showing up for, no budget required.
Full List of events
Haunted Historic Inglewood
📍 Various Locations, Inglewood, Calgary, Alberta
📆 October 01 – 31, 2026
⏰ Times vary
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
This fall, Calgary’s original main street comes alive with spirits, scares, and spine-tingling fun. Haunted Historic Inglewood is a month-long celebration of Halloween featuring eerie pop-ups, ghostly performances, zombie walks, spooky workshops, and immersive fright experiences woven throughout the neighbourhood.
Maple & Makers: A Fall Market
📍 Winston Heights Mountview Community Association (520 27 Avenue Northeast, Calgary, Alberta)
📆 October 03, 2026
⏰ 10am – 4pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Whether you’re looking for handcrafted home décor, cozy fall candles, delicious baked treats, artisan soaps, seasonal gifts, handmade jewelry, woodworking, clothing, artwork, or something completely unique, you’ll find it here!
Little Modern Market
📍 Red & White Club (1833 Crowchild Trail Northwest, Calgary, Alberta)
📆 October 03, 2026
⏰ 10am – 4pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Mark your calendars and get ready to shop over 110 incredible local and small shops at our one day pop up market and support the community at the same time!
The Colossal Carve: Heart of the Harvest
📍 Calgary Farmers’ Market Locations, Calgary, AB
📆 October 03 & 04, 2026
⏰ 11am – 3pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Watch champion carver Yann Blanchard transform enormous, award-winning pumpkins into incredible works of art before your eyes.
The fun continues with the Great Gourd Guess: guess the pumpkin’s exact weight for a chance to win a Thanksgiving Market Basket.
Kids can search for prizes during the Golden Gourd Hunt and create their own masterpieces at the Little Gourd Studio pumpkin-decorating station.
Enjoy live music and explore a market decked out in fall-chic décor. The perfect backdrop for family photos and seasonal selfies!
McDougall Fall Artisan Market
📍 McDougall United Church (8516 Athabasca St.SE, Calgary, AB)
📆 October 03, 2026
⏰ 10am – 4pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Join us on Saturday, October 3rd for our Fall Artisan Market. Talented local artisans will be offering their wares. There will be live Western music 2:00 pm -4:00 pm, a concession, bake table, silent auction and activities for all ages. Free admission and parking.
Paulaner Official Oktoberfest 2026
📍 Century Downs Racetrack and Casino, 260 Century Downs Drive, Rocky View County, AB)
📆 October 03, 2026
⏰ 1:45pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Celebrate autumn in style with high-stakes horse racing and authentic Bavarian culture! Join us for the Paulaner Official Oktoberfest featuring the prestigious CTHS Alberta Sales Stakes. Experience an unforgettable day of elite Canadian thoroughbred and quarter horseracing, live music, and cold German beer.
ZWILLING Warehouse Sale
📍 BMO Centre (20 Roundup Way SE, Calgary, AB)
📆 October 08 – 11, 2026
⏰ 10am – 7pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Shoppers can take advantage of huge savings with ZWILLING, Henckels, STAUB and Ballarini products as well as essentials from Backstage Beauty, including ZWILLING Beauty & Tweezerman, which will be reduced up to 85% off.
Calgary’s Thanksgiving Monday Walk & Dance Party
📍 Eau Claire Plaza (101 Barclay Parade SW, Calgary, AB)
📆 October 12, 2026
⏰ 9:30am – 12:30pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
The morning kicks off with a 5 km friendly walk along the city’s scenic downtown pathways—welcoming walkers of all ages and abilities. When the walk wraps up back at Eau Claire Plaza, the celebration turns up a notch with thePOWER hour, our outdoor dance party featuring a live DJ. The plaza will come alive with music, movement, and energy, plus our amazing collaborators offering free treats, samples, and goodies to keep the vibe high.
Freshtival
📍 Globe Cinema (617 8 Ave SW, Calgary, AB)
📆 October 16 & 17, 2026
⏰ Times vary
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Showing films from industry giants, Matchstick Productions and Teton Gravity Research and others, Freshtival, the world’s longest running ski film festival, has every ski movie you want to see.
Puptoberfest
📍 Crossroads (614 6 Ave SE, Calgary, AB)
📆 October 17, 2026
⏰ 11am – 3pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Puptoberfest is a celebration of all things fall and dogs in East Village. So grab your pooch and enjoy an afternoon of live music, Instagram-worthy moments, fall inspired décor, a dog fashion show and more.
Calgary Beaver Fest
📍 Vista Point, North Glenmore Park, Calgary, AB
📆 October 17, 2026
⏰ 12pm – 6pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Grab some beaver-themed food and a drink, listen to some music, learn something new, and spend an autumn afternoon overlooking the Glenmore Reservoir.
Beacon Original Art Annual Fall Show & Sale
📍 Bridgeland Riverside Community Association (917 Centre Ave NE, Calgary, AB)
📆 October 17 & 18, 2026
⏰ 10am – 4pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Shop directly from 45+ local artists in Bridgeland Riverside. Original art for every style and budget. Showcasing: Painting, Jewelry, Glass, Photography, Ceramics, Sculpture and Textiles. With different emerging to established artists each day and hundreds of unique handmade artworks, you are sure to find art as unique as you.
Halloween on 17th – A Carnival of curiosities
📍 Tomkins Park (17 Ave & 8 St SW, Calgary, AB)
📆 October 23 & 24, 2026
⏰ 11:30am – 5pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
On October 23 & 24, 2026, enter a realm of mystical oddities, roaming creatures, glowing wonders and supernatural spectacles. Dress up and bring your family and friends to Tomkins Park for a free, all-ages outdoor Halloween weekend. A Carnival of Curiosities awaits. Step closer, if you dare…
Trick or Trivia Night (18+)
📍 Lougheed House (707 13 Ave SW, Calgary, AB)
📆 October 29, 2026
⏰ 6:30pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
We’re bringing our Halloween trivia back from the dead… and it’s scarier than ever! Test your knowledge about iconic horror books and movies and historic Halloween traditions. Costumes are encouraged (but please no masks or prop weapons!). This is a free, adults-only (18+) event – no registration is required. Seating is limited, so tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis
Ready Set Halloween
📍 Calgary Police Discovery Centre (5111 47 St NE, Calgary, AB)
📆 October 31, 2026
⏰ 10am – 4pm
🔗 Learn more here: Click Here
Ready Set Halloween combines family fun, hands-on learning, community engagement, and Halloween safety education, making it one of Calgary’s most unique free Halloween events for children and families. Whether you’re looking for a safe way to start your Halloween celebrations, an educational activity for kids, or simply a fun free thing to do in Calgary, this event has something for everyone.
If you needed a reminder that some of the best fall plans don’t need a ticket, this is it — 15 free ways to make the most of October in Calgary. From Haunted Historic Inglewood and the Thanksgiving Walk & Dance Party to local art shows, fall markets, Halloween celebrations, community events, and more, Calgary is filled with plenty of ways to get out, explore, and enjoy spooky season without spending a dime.
Know of a free event we missed? Drop it in the comments or send us a note at info@madeforwanderers.ca, we update this list as new events are confirmed so bookmark this page and check back.
And if you make it out to any of these, tag us in your stories. We love seeing where our Wanderers end up.
Because we believe we are all made to wander, and the best wandering is always free. ✨
