Things to Do in Alberta This Fall – 2026 Events, Festivals and Fun Activities

Fall in Alberta moves quickly. By late September, the larches are turning gold in the Rockies, pumpkin farms are in full swing, and communities across the province are filling weekends with harvest fairs, film festivals, Oktoberfest celebrations and Halloween events.

The Great White North Pumpkin Fair

This 2026 guide focuses primarily on things to do from September 25 to November 25, from the final colourful weekends of September through Halloween and into the first holiday markets of November. Enjoy this transitional season with some great places, events, and celebrations that run before the snow settles in.

If you are planning around the leaves rather than an event date, start with our guides to Alberta’s best parks for fall colours and bucket-list fall activities in Alberta.

Late September: Balloons, Films, Food and Fall Colours

1. See High River’s Balloon Glow

The 2026 Heritage Inn International Balloon Festival runs September 23 to 27, with balloons taking to the skies over High River when weather permits. The free Night Glow on September 25 is the easiest part of the festival to plan around, with inflated balloons illuminated after dark. Turn the festival into a day trip with these fall things to do in High River.

Heritage Inn International Balloon Festival

2. Catch International Film Festivals

The Calgary International Film Festival runs September 24 to October 4, bringing screenings from Canada and around the world to Calgary venues. Edmonton’s film festival marks its 40th edition in 2026 and runs September 24 to October 3.

3. See Calgary Lit Up During Night Light

Calgary’s Night Light continues through September 26, transforming locations around Victoria Park and the Beltline with projection-mapped buildings, interactive light installations and live performances. The festival runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and is free, making it an easy addition to a late-September evening in Calgary.

4. Explore AsiaFest Edmonton

September 25 to 27 brings AsiaFest 2026 to Currents of Windermere. This year’s “Under the Moon” theme is tied to Mid-Autumn celebrations, with lantern displays, cultural programming and vendors. Find details through ToDoCanada’s Edmonton festivals calendar.

5. Celebrate Oktoberfest Around Alberta

You have several choices during the final weekend of September. Edmonton’s large ICE District Oktoberfest runs September 25 to October 3, Harvest Haus Calgary takes place September 25 and 26, while Bragg Creek and Spruce Meadows host celebrations on September 26. Compare the options in our guide to 2026 Oktoberfest events around Alberta.

6. Go Behind the Scenes During Doors Open YYC

On September 26 and 27, Doors Open YYC offers free access, tours and behind-the-scenes looks at selected Calgary buildings and spaces. See the event and other ideas in Things to Do This Weekend in Calgary.

7. Walk Through Thousands of Illuminated Pumpkins

Pumpkins After Dark Calgary and Pumpkins After Dark Edmonton both run from September 25 to October 31. The outdoor evening walks feature thousands of carved and illuminated pumpkins, large displays and live carving.

8. Take a Haunted Trolley Ride in Medicine Hat

Medicine Hat leans into Halloween early with the Haunted Medicine Hat Trolley Tour on September 25 and 26 and October 2, 3 and 4, 2026. and explore real local ghost stories, haunted landmarks, fascinating history, forgotten stories and legends that have been passed down through generations.

9. Catch the End of Alberta Culture Days

September 30 is the final day of Alberta Culture Days. Events take place in communities throughout the province and include arts, heritage and cultural programming. See more in 50 Things to Do in Alberta This September.

October: Harvest Festivals, Thanksgiving and Halloween

10. See Alberta’s Giant Pumpkins in Smoky Lake

The Great White North Pumpkin Weigh-off & Fair takes over Smoky Lake on October 2 and 3. Giant pumpkins are the headline attraction, but the weekend is a good excuse for a longer road trip through the region. Use our guide to fall activities around Smoky Lake to plan the rest of the day.

11. Spend Thanksgiving Season at Banff Pride

Banff Pride Festival runs from October 2 to 12, with a mix of performances, social events, outdoor activities and all-ages programming in Banff National Park. See 2026 details in ToDoCanada’s Alberta fall and harvest festival guide.

12. Take the Kids to Halloweekends

Halloweekends at Calaway Park continues on weekends and Thanksgiving Monday through October 12. It is geared toward families, with costumes, themed areas, rides and a Halloween parade on select days rather than a high-scare haunted attraction.

13. Visit a Pumpkin Farm or Corn Maze

October is prime time for pumpkin patches, corn mazes and harvest activities. Around Calgary, Calgary Farmyard’s Fall Days and Harvest Lights continue into late October, while Edmonton-area farms offer their own mazes and pumpkin attractions. Start with our guide to fall and harvest festivals in Alberta.

14. Spend a Day at Prairie Gardens’ Haunted Pumpkin Festival

The Haunted Pumpkin Festival in Bon Accord runs on weekends and Thanksgiving Monday from October 3 to 31, combining pumpkin picking and farm activities with a family-oriented haunted house and ghost town.

15. Meet Horror Stars at Calgary Horror Con

Calgary Horror Con 2026 takes over the Genesis Centre on October 3 and 4. Horror fans can browse more than 100 themed vendors, attend panels and workshops, watch independent horror films and meet celebrity guests. The convention is open to all ages.

16. Browse Edmonton’s Harvest Art & Book Fair

If your idea of a fall weekend involves books rather than pumpkins, head to Harvest Art & Book Fair at ArtsHub Ortona in Edmonton on October 3 and 4. The free two-day market brings together independent artists, writers, bookshops, publishers, collectives and small presses from Edmonton and the surrounding prairie region.

17. Take a Haunted Walk Through the University of Alberta

For a Halloween activity with some local history mixed in, join one of the University of Alberta Ghost Tours, running from October 5 to November 5. The 75-minute outdoor walking tour explores campus stories involving ghosts, unexplained events, murders, mysteries and university history. Dress for Edmonton’s autumn weather and wear comfortable walking shoes.

18. Experience Canadian Finals Rodeo Week

One of Alberta’s biggest western events returns to Edmonton from October 7 to 10. Canadian Finals Rodeo Week combines championship rodeo competition with related events around the city.

19. Make a Thanksgiving Road Trip to the Andrew Garlic Festival

The village of Andrew hosts its annual Garlic Festival on October 10, with a market, parade, family activities and community events. It can also be worked into a longer drive through the region.

20. Ride Alberta’s Train of Terror

Aspen Crossing’s adults-only Train of Terror runs through October. It turns a railway excursion into a moving Halloween haunt, beginning with a maze before the scares continue aboard the train. Compare it with other autumn rail experiences in our 2026 Alberta fall train guide.

21. Spend a Day With Writers at Wordfest

Calgary’s 31st Wordfest Imaginairium runs October 13 to 18, with 41 shows and 60 authors scheduled for 2026. See the full program on the Wordfest website.

22. Head to Edmonton for LitFest

Edmonton’s nonfiction literary festival runs October 14 to 18. The 2026 program includes conversations on memoir, politics, science, identity, travel and Canadian public life. See the current schedule at LitFest Alberta.

23. Look Up During the Jasper Dark Sky Festival

Jasper’s annual Dark Sky Festival runs October 16 to 25. The surrounding national park is part of a large dark sky preserve, giving the festival a setting where stargazing is an attraction in its own right.

24. Take the Harvest Pumpkin Train From Stettler

Alberta Prairie Railway’s Harvest Pumpkin Fest takes place on October 17. The trip combines the train ride with time at the Country Hideaway for pumpkins, animals and family activities. See this and other excursions in our Alberta fall train tours guide.

25. See an Alberta Story on Stage in Lethbridge

New West Theatre presents Flight Risk from October 15 to 24, 2026 at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre in Lethbridge. Written by an award-winning Alberta playwright and based on interviews with veterans and nurses in Alberta senior homes, the play follows an unlikely friendship between an elderly Second World War veteran and a nursing student.

26. Try Something Different at Picklefest Edmonton

Picklefest Edmonton takes place at Fan Park on October 17. The all-ages festival is centred on pickles and fermented foods, making it one of the more unusual additions to an October weekend.

27. Sample Alberta Beer in Banff

Banff Craft Beer Festival

The Banff Craft Beer Festival runs October 22 to 24. If food and drink are part of your fall getaway, combine the festival with a few days exploring Banff after the busiest larch season.

28. Celebrate Halloween

Celebrate Halloween by visiting spooky haunts in Edmonton, Calgary or any other city of your choice!

29. Spend Halloween Weekend at the Banff Mountain Film Festival

The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival begins on Halloween and runs from October 31 to November 8. The 51st edition includes more than 80 films, speakers, books, exhibitions, music and free festival events.

30. Spend Halloween Weekend at a K-pop Festival

JAMMY CON 2026 runs from October 31 to November 1 at WinSport Event Centre in Calgary. The all-ages K-pop festival features live performances, Random Play Dance sessions, fan activities, merchandise and appearances by local and international talent.

November: Films, Food and the Start of the Holiday Season

31. Join Grey Cup Festival Week in Calgary

One of Canada’s biggest sporting celebrations comes to Calgary from November 11 to 15. The 2026 Grey Cup Festival includes free and ticketed events at venues around the city before the Grey Cup game at McMahon Stadium on November 15. Even visitors without game tickets can take part in the festival atmosphere during the week.

32. Eat and Drink Your Way Around the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival

The Edmonton edition of the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival takes place at the Edmonton Convention Centre on November 6 and 7. The 18+ event brings together hundreds of wines, beers, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks alongside food from local restaurants.

33. Start Christmas Market Season at Spruce Meadows

The International Christmas Market at Spruce Meadows begins earlier in 2026, with weekends on November 13 to 15 and November 20 to 22.

34. See New Documentaries at CUFF.Docs

Calgary Underground Film Festival’s CUFF.Docs Documentary Film Festival runs from November 18 to 22 at Globe Cinema. It is a good late-fall choice if you would rather spend November indoors.

Fall Road Trips and Outdoor Ideas

35. Hike Among Golden Larches

Larch season is brief, usually peaking from mid-September into early October depending on conditions. Use our guides to golden larch hikes in Banff and larch hikes around Calgary to pick a route suited to your time and ability.

36. Plan a Kananaskis Fall Getaway

Kananaskis offers an alternative to the busiest Banff trails, with lakes, mountain viewpoints and fall hikes spread over a large area. Start with our fall guide to Kananaskis Country.

37. Drive the Crowsnest Highway

If you would rather see the season through the windshield, follow Highway 3 from the southeastern Alberta prairies toward the Rockies. Our Crowsnest Highway road-trip guide covers the drive from Medicine Hat to Coleman.

38. Walk Through Edmonton’s River Valley

You do not need to leave Edmonton for fall colour. Mill Creek, Kinnaird Ravine and river valley parks offer plenty of options, or you can use the city as a starting point for a longer drive. See 25 fall day trips in and around Edmonton.

39. Make a Fall Weekend of Smoky Lake

If you are travelling for the Pumpkin Fair, there is enough in the region to extend the trip. Our guide to 10 fall activities around Smoky Lake includes nearby attractions and road-trip ideas.

40. Explore Red Deer and Gaetz Lakes

Red Deer’s Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary offers around five kilometres of trails through Alberta’s oldest federal migratory bird sanctuary. Find it alongside other seasonal ideas in 15 fall activities around Red Deer.

41. See Alberta’s Waterfalls in Fall

Blue-green mountain water against yellow and orange foliage makes fall a particularly photogenic time for waterfalls. Our list of 10 Alberta waterfalls to visit during fall ranges from roadside viewpoints to hiking destinations.

42. Visit Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai’pi

Southern Alberta’s hoodoos, coulees and rock art make Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park / Áísínai’pi a worthwhile fall road trip even after the busiest summer season has ended. Check Alberta Parks conditions and services before travelling.

43. Explore Dinosaur Provincial Park

The cooler temperatures of fall can make the badlands easier to explore than during peak summer heat. Check current trail conditions and seasonal programming before making the drive, particularly later in October.

44. Go Stargazing at Elk Island

Shorter days create longer nights for exploring the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve. Elk Island National Park is also an easy addition to an Edmonton fall trip, particularly on a clear, moonless evening.

45. Explore East Central Alberta

From Andrew and Vegreville to prairie trails, roadside attractions and small-town stops, eastern Alberta works especially well for an unhurried fall drive. Use our East Central Alberta fall guide to build a route.

46. Spend a Fall Weekend Around Grande Prairie

Northern Alberta’s mix of boreal forest, parkland and foothills gives fall road trips a different look from the southern Rockies. As you drive around, you’ll find plenty to do, including fall-themed activities, outdoor recreation between the Provincial Parks, and a few events you can’t experience anywhere else. Fall is an especially cool time in Grande Prairie, as these months offer excellent birdwatching and plenty of opportunities to see rare species.

47. Visit Movie Locations

As the Halloween season is fast approaching, you can get some movie and TV show ideas from the creepy flicks filmed across Alberta. And it doesn’t matter what you find scary; there are a wide array of types of horror movies or shows filmed in Alberta: you’ll experience zombies, serial killers, the supernatural or ghosts, and some satirical takes on the genre.

48. Follow the Fall Colours Into Alberta’s Small Towns

You do not need a major festival to justify a weekend drive. Cochrane, Diamond Valley, High River, Smoky Lake and communities across central and southern Alberta offer trails, local restaurants, historic sites and scenic drives that fit easily into a fall day trip.

Fall Fun: