Guide: 10 fall festivals and events to hit up in Calgary

Well, there’s no denying what’s around the corner. Lucky for you, you can ease the pain with our guide to fall festival events in Calgary that are worth checking out. Trust us, we will be looking for every possible excuse to take our minds off of the changing weather.

Here are the fall festivals and events to hit in Calgary.

Calgary Tattoo and Arts Festival

Featuring over 450 of the best local and international artists, plus a whole bunch of contests and exhibitions, this massive tattoo show will not disappoint.

When: October 18-20
Where: BMO Centre
Cost: $25

Autumn Pumpkin Festival

The Calgary Farmyard features a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, and a whopping 11 acre corn maze to check out. Plus, you can head there on Friday and Saturday nights for a spooky, flashlight lit corn maze adventure. (Cue spooky ghost sounds)

When: Weekends until October 27
Where: Calgary FarmYard, 284022 Township Road 224, Rocky View County
Cost: $14.95 online and $19.95 at the gate

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Canada’s Largest Gluten Free Expo

Perfect for those who are celiac, gluten-sensitive or just fed up with being weirdly bloated after drinking too many wheat ales (guess where we stand).

When: October 19-20
Where: Big Four Building, 1801 Big Four Trail SE
Cost: $12 online, $15 at the door

Imaginairium by Wordfest

Not to be confused with the weird fantasy movie by Terry Gilliam. This massive literary festival features 52 events to check out, from writer talks to a literary death match. Sounds neat!

When: October 14-23
Where: Venues around Calgary
Cost: Varies per event

Dine Under the Stars

The wildly popular dining event returns to Deane House for fall. This time, you can dine in a heated garden dome as you experience the best of the Autumn harvest.

When: September 27- October 27
Where: Fish Creek Provincial Park
Cost: $55 to reserve a dome plus $92 per diner for dinner

Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival

A 2-day festival celebrating, you guessed it, wine and food! Hey, when have we ever complained about sampling a bunch of wine and eating some meat and cheese.

When: October 18-19
Where: BMO Centre, 20 Roundup Way SE
Cost: $22 to $33

Halloween & Entertainment Expo

Canada’s first expo dedicated to Halloween lovers! Catch us dressed up like a bootleg version of the skeletal reindeer from Nightmare Before Christmas.

When: October 11-14
Where: BMO Centre, 20 Roundup Way SE
Cost: $30 and up

44th Banff Centre Mountain Film + Book Festival

We love the mountains, so what’s better than a festival celebrating all things mountain related? Guest speakers, workshops, tasting events and films will be on during this 9-day long celebration.

When: Friday, October 26 – November 3
Where: Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, 107 Tunnel Mountain Dr, Banff
Cost: Varies per event

Rockies Shred Fest

If you wanted to distill the mountain experience to one day, then this is your opportunity. The best of local ski and snowboard films, a trade show, and more await you.

When: Thursday, October 17
Where: Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon, 201 Banff Ave, Banff
Cost: $22

Brühaüs Oktoberfest at CRAFT

This free to attend, two-day long will be having an all-things-German ball. Eat German food, drink German beer, try (and fail) to pronouce German words. It’s all you could ask for from an Oktoberfest!

When: October 4-5
Where: CRAFT Beer Market Downtown
Cost: Free to attend!

Boom! All of our top picks for fall events and festivals in Calgary that we think you should attend. We’re actually pretty interested in the running around a corn maze in the dark and shredding it up at Shred Fest. How about you?