Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and Edmonton has a full day of it before the doorbells start ringing: indoor trick-or-treating at West Edmonton Mall, face painting and a scavenger hunt at the Muttart, the Oil Kings at 1 p.m. and the lit Halloween trail at the Magrath Mansion after dark. On Sunday, bring the jack-o'-lantern to the City's Pumpkin Smash and send it flying.
It's also the last weekend for Pumpkins After Dark, DARK at Fort Edmonton and Shadow Theatre's YAGA, and the Citadel opens The Great Gatsby on Halloween night. Daylight saving time ends early Sunday morning, so you get an extra hour of sleep after the candy.
Fourteen things worth doing in Edmonton this weekend, with times, addresses and what each one costs.
Trick or Treat Festival at West Edmonton Mall
Free
The warmest trick-or-treating in the city. WEM sets up candy stations throughout the mall for three hours on Halloween afternoon, with special character appearances at Centre Stage. It's the easy answer if it's cold or snowing, or if the little ones are too young to go door to door. Grab the candy station map on the WEM site before you go, and go early: candy is handed out while supplies last.
When: Saturday, October 31, 3 to 6 p.m.
Where: West Edmonton Mall, 8882 170 Street NW
Cost: Free
Halloween at Muttart
Family
The Muttart's Halloween afternoon is the gentle, indoor one: face painting by Beyond Face Painting, juggling and other tricks with Hula-Hoop Circus, a Halloween scavenger hunt with prizes and a craft table where kids make a monster to take home. Come in costume and get the photos in the Fall Harvest feature pyramid, with its pumpkins and flower tower, while it's still up.
When: Saturday, October 31, noon to 4 p.m.
Where: Muttart Conservatory, 9626 96A Street NW
Cost: Regular admission: adults $14.95, youth and seniors $12.95, children $7.75
Halloween at Magrath
Free
Concordia University of Edmonton's lit Halloween walk on the Magrath Mansion grounds saves its biggest night for last. On Halloween, the full decorated trail is lit and there are trick-or-treating stations along the way. It's also open Friday evening. It's free, with donations to the CUE Cupboard student food bank, and street parking on Ada Boulevard is limited, so walk, bike or take transit if you can.
When: Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31, 5 to 9 p.m.
Where: Magrath Campus, 6240 Ada Boulevard NW
Cost: Free, donations welcome
Oil Kings vs Kamloops and Red Deer
Sports
The Oilers are on the road all weekend, so Rogers Place belongs to the WHL Oil Kings. They host the Kamloops Blazers at 1 p.m. on Halloween, an afternoon game that has you home well before trick-or-treating, then the Red Deer Rebels at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Doors open an hour before puck drop. Tickets start around $23.50.
When: Saturday, October 31, 1 p.m.; Sunday, November 1, 4 p.m.
Where: Rogers Place, 10220 104 Avenue NW
Cost: From about $23.50
City of Edmonton Pumpkin Smash
Free
Don't put the jack-o'-lantern in the garbage. The City's Pumpkin Smash is back at a new location, the Booster Juice Recreation Centre in Terwillegar, where you can drop, bop and even catapult your Halloween pumpkins. Waste Services staff will show off garbage trucks and explain home composting, which makes it a surprisingly good outing for kids who love big machines.
When: Sunday, November 1, noon to 3 p.m.
Where: Booster Juice Recreation Centre (Terwillegar), 2051 Leger Road NW
Cost: Free
Headless Carrot Halloween Party on Alberta Avenue
Free
The Carrot, the community arts coffee house on 118 Avenue, throws a neighbourhood Halloween party on Friday: a pumpkin carving demo, candy bags, Halloween crafts, a hot dog roast and marshmallows over the fire pits. It's free, it starts right after school, and it's a nice way to start the weekend in costume.
When: Friday, October 30, 3 to 8 p.m.
Where: The Carrot, 9351 118 Avenue NW
Cost: Free
Halloween Market in Fort Saskatchewan
Free
More than 25 local vendors fill the historic Pioneer House in Fort Saskatchewan with seasonal and handmade finds on Halloween day. Entry is free, with door prizes and a candy handout, and it's about 30 minutes from downtown Edmonton if you want a short drive before the evening rush.
When: Saturday, October 31, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Pioneer House, 10102 100 Avenue, Fort Saskatchewan
Cost: Free
Pumpkins After Dark, final night
Family
The walk-through trail of thousands of hand-carved, lit pumpkins at Borden Park closes on Halloween. There are no jump scares, which makes it the one to take small kids to, and entry is timed, so book the slot you want online before you go. Parking is at the Expo Centre next door.
When: Evenings through Saturday, October 31
Where: Borden Park, 7727 Borden Park Road NW (parking at the Edmonton Expo Centre)
Cost: From about $17, timed entry
The Great Gatsby at the Citadel
Culture
The Citadel opens its big fall show on Halloween: a stage version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the Jazz Age story of Jay Gatsby, his mansion parties and the woman he can't let go of. It runs in the Shoctor Theatre until November 22. Early-run performances are usually the easiest to get good seats for.
When: Saturday, October 31 to Sunday, November 22
Where: Shoctor Theatre, Citadel Theatre, 9828 101A Avenue NW
Cost: About $40 to $146
YAGA at the Varscona, closing Sunday
Culture
Last chance for Shadow Theatre's season opener: Kat Sandler's YAGA, a comedic mystery that turns the old Baba Yaga folk tale into a modern whodunit. It closes on Sunday. The company recommends it for mature audiences, so this one is for the grown-ups.
When: Through Sunday, November 1
Where: Varscona Theatre, 10329 83 Avenue NW
Cost: About $25 to $40
IRON MATRON at Northern Light Theatre
Culture
Trevor Schmidt's new play is in its second week: Alice is over 60, almost divorced and forced to move in with her adult son and his family, and she decides to reinvent herself. The Studio Theatre at the Fringe's Arts Barns is small, so seats are limited. It runs to November 7.
When: Through Saturday, November 7
Where: Studio Theatre, Fringe Theatre Arts Barns, 10330 84 Avenue NW
Cost: $37 to $48
DARK at Fort Edmonton Park, final night
Halloween
The grown-up end of Halloween wraps up on Halloween night: haunts, scare zones and the midway after dark at Fort Edmonton. Gates open at 6:30 and the haunts run 7 to 11 p.m. The final Saturday is always the busiest night, so the $80 fast pass earns its price. Leave the little ones at Pumpkins After Dark.
When: Saturday, October 31; gates 6:30 p.m., haunts 7 to 11 p.m.
Where: Fort Edmonton Park, 7000 143 Street NW
Cost: $50 general admission, $80 with fast pass, plus fees and GST
U of A History and Haunted Hike
Culture
Edmonton Ghost Tours' campus walk mixes real University of Alberta history with its ghost stories, including the little boy said to haunt Rutherford House and the scientist still seen in the halls of the old Power Plant. The tour takes about an hour and 15 minutes and starts at 9 p.m. in front of Rutherford House; tours run on select nights until November 5, so check the dates before you go.
When: Select nights through November 5, 9 p.m. (arrive at 8:45)
Where: Meet in front of Rutherford House, 11153 Saskatchewan Drive NW
Cost: About $20 to $25 plus fees
Old Strathcona Farmers' Market
Food
Edmonton's original indoor farmers' market is open both days, and Saturday morning is the time to stock up before a busy Halloween: produce, baking, coffee and local makers under one roof in Old Strathcona. It's a short walk from the Varscona and the Arts Barns if you're making a theatre day of it.
When: Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: 10310 83 Avenue NW
Cost: Free to browse
Editor's Pick: Saturday, done as one long Halloween day. Halloween at Muttart when it opens at noon, then West Edmonton Mall's trick-or-treat route from 3, which gets the candy in before it's dark and cold. If the kids still have energy, finish at the Magrath trail after dark. On Sunday, take the pumpkin to Terwillegar and let them catapult it.
Know an event we missed? Tag us @culturealberta or email hello@culturealberta.com.
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