October is one of the best months to explore Toronto, with fall colours, spooky attractions, film and theatre, food festivals, and plenty of seasonal events filling the city’s calendar. From classic Halloween traditions to autumn day trips and cultural experiences, there’s no shortage of ways to make the most of the month.
See our round-up of 30+ enchanting things to do in Toronto this October:
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Toronto’s free all-night art festival Nuit Blanche transforms public spaces across the city into an open-air museum. Stroll through downtown streets to discover striking large-scale art installations, immersive visual projections, interactive exhibits, and live performance art from local and international creators embracing this year’s theme, Tomorrow’s Memories.
Embrace spooky season with a chilling Candlelight Halloween Concert, with two shows on October 30! See an enchanting string quartet cover some of your favourite horror theme songs, like Michael Jackson’s Thriller or Danny Elfman’s Beetlejuice theme song. Surrounded by the soft glow of candlelight, this mesmerizing event is sure to be a highlight of the season.
Pocket Planet Canada is a 45,000 sq ft immersive miniature world in downtown Toronto where visitors can explore detailed animated scenes of iconic Canadian places, take part in scavenger hunts, and even 3D-scan themselves as mini-figures.
An immersive, interactive Harry Potter experience lands in Toronto starting October 16, 2026, featuring multisensory rooms, an interactive wand, and video mapping across iconic locations from the wizarding world.
Toronto’s annual PumpkinFest returns to Downsview Park from October 9 – 12, offering four days of fall fun for the whole family. Your ticket grants access to unlimited midway rides, games, live entertainment, and attractions like tractor-pulled hayrides, a trackless train, live characters, and an inflatable corn maze.
Toronto’s original haunted attraction, Screemers, is back for its 32nd terrifying season this October at Assembly Park in Vaughan! Navigate seven haunted mazes filled with over 120 live actors, catch thrilling stage shows, and experience lifelike spooky props. Plus, your entry includes unlimited Midway rides, and there will be delicious food trucks and plenty of other spine-tingling surprises to enjoy.
Toronto’s historical castle is transformed into an immersive theatrical horror experience for the return of Legends of Horror, with a 2 km self-guided path taking visitors through gardens, secret tunnels, and dark castle chambers. Spooky lighting, live actors, and state-of-the-art set designs bring classic horror figures to life.
Face your fears inside scream zones at Canada’s Wonderland Halloween Haunt
Canada’s top theme park shifts into a nightmare realm featuring hundreds of monsters, terrifying maze walk-throughs, scare zones, and thrilling night rides for the return of Halloween Haunt. Roller coasters run after dark for an extra adrenaline rush during Halloween season.
Pumpkins After Dark is a family-friendly, immersive evening walk at Country Heritage Park in Milton showcasing more than 10,000 hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns across continent-themed displays. The 2026 run runs from September 26 to October 31 with timed-entry tickets and free onsite parking.
Catch scary indie flicks at Toronto After Dark Film Festival
A premier showcase of thrilling cinema, Toronto After Dark Film Festival brings together fans of horror, sci-fi, action, and cult films for five continuous nights. Screenings feature an exciting mix of Canadian and international feature films, short horror clips, and Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers.
Pingle’s Harvest Festival is back at Pingle’s Farm Market with pick-your-own pumpkins, field-side vendors, a massive corn maze, wagon rides, farm animals, and farm-made seasonal food. The festival runs from September 5 through November 1.
Cheer on runners at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon
One of Canada’s biggest running events returns to Toronto’s lakefront this October, bringing thousands of marathoners, half-marathoners, and spectators together. Spectators can gather along the course to cheer on runners while enjoying live music, cheer stations, and post-race festivities near the finish line.
The Royal Ontario Museum opens its doors for two back-to-back special Halloween 19+ after-hours celebrations on October 30 and 31. Guests can dress up in costume, explore museum galleries after dark, enjoy live music and thematic performances, and sample curated food and beverage offerings throughout the night.
Meet world-renowned authors at the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA)
Canada’s longest-running literary festival, the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA), brings world-class writers, poets, and thinkers to the waterfront for a celebration of storytelling. The lineup features book launches, author interviews, panel discussions, creative writing masterclasses, and poetry slams.
Walk among ghost stories on The Haunted Walk of Toronto
Led by lantern-light, guides in cloaks share creepy tales, urban legends, and supernatural lore from Toronto’s historic streets at the Haunted Walk of Toronto. Tours run nightly and take brave participants through haunted hot spots like the historic Distillery District and old downtown courthouses.
Go apple picking at a nearby farm
Apple picking season is still ongoing this October, and there’s a number of farms a short drive away to stock up for all your fall baking needs! Chudleigh’s Entertainment Farm, Pingle’s Farm Market, and Applewood Farm are all great destinations to visit this month, full of other various fall attractions like wagon rides, corn mazes, and even petting zoos.
Where: Various locations
Attend the opening night of the Toronto Maple Leafs 2026-2027 Season
Hockey returns to Scotiabank Arena as the Toronto Maple Leafs open their NHL regular season schedule at home, featuring matches against rival Canadian and American teams throughout October.
Enjoy family farm fun at Downey’s Pumpkinfest & Corn Maze
Downey’s annual Pumpkinfest is a classic autumn day trip featuring wagon rides, farm animals, over 40 child-friendly activities, live puppet shows, a massive 8-acre corn maze, and thousands of pumpkins to pick.
Walk through glowing displays at Halloween Nights of Lights + Pumpkinville
Halloween Nights of Lights and Pumpkinville returns this year, featuring a walk-through light show featuring over 2 million LED lights synchronized to Halloween music, integrated with Pumpkinville—a pop-up village built entirely out of real pumpkins and autumn sculptures.
Play drag bingo in costume at AGO Halloween Drag Bingo
Get ready for a fabulous night of fun at Halloween Drag Bingo at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Walker Court. Co-hosted by Toronto queens Ivory Towers and Helena Poision, the event features four rounds of bingo, dazzling drag performances, fantastic prizes, and plenty of Halloween spirit.
Cheer on the Raptors at the Toronto Raptors NBA Preseason & Home Opener
Basketball returns to Toronto as the Raptors complete their preseason tune-ups before tipping off their regular season home opener at Scotiabank Arena.
The Distillery District is celebrating Oktoberfest for three consecutive weekends starting in September. The festivities include ticketed Oktoberfest feasts on opening weekend, a special menu from the Pure Spirits smoker, live polka music by The Black Forest Band in Trinity Square, and live entertainment in the Pure Spirits Courtyard each day.
Marvel at fall foliage on the Toronto Island Ferry & Park Walk
Catch the public ferry across Toronto Harbour to explore the tranquil paths, colorful fall foliage, and skyline views of Toronto Island Parks during crisp autumn days.
Halloween on Church Street is taking over Toronto’s Church-Wellesley Village on October 31 from 6:30 p.m. to midnight, transforming Church Street between Carlton and Gloucester streets into Canada’s largest Halloween party. The free street celebration will feature elaborate costumes, a new beer garden, drag performances by Sofonda and Jada Shada Hudson, a Michael Jackson impersonator, live music, a fashion show, go-go dancers, and DJs.
Brawley Woods is an outdoor haunted attraction in a real forest featuring 13-foot animatronics, 24 cinematic scenes, movie-style props and 40 scare actors. The trail runs select nights from October 9 to November 1, 2026, with separate Forest Walk and Intense Maze experiences and combo ticket options.
Board restored 1920s coaches for an hour-long scenic ride through the Beeton Creek Valley to view Ontario’s fall colours. The excursions run on select weekends from September 26 through October 18, 2026 with five daily departures and tickets from $9–$17.
Runway Reels returns to YZD for four themed weekends of free drive-in and outdoor film screenings this October. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., with live pre-show entertainment from 6:30 p.m.; free admission requires an advance reservation online.
The Toronto Biennial of Art kicks off September 26 and runs through December 20. Explore contemporary art installations and exhibitions across the city during this free, multi-week arts event.
Catch live CFL action at a Toronto Argonauts Home Game
Cheer on the Toronto Argonauts this October at BMO Field during their final regular season games of the CFL schedule as they push for a playoff spot.
Glow in the Wild is a new after-dark illuminated trail at the Toronto Zoo featuring towering lantern animals, colourful light installations, and interactive photo opportunities. The walk-through experience opens from September 2 through January 3 with limited nightly entry and ticketed time slots recommended.
Fear Farm transforms Snyder’s Family Farm in Bright, Ontario from a family-friendly daytime destination into a nighttime haunted experience featuring seven haunted attractions, a signature hayride, food vendors and live entertainment.
Art Toronto returns October 29 – November 1 at the Metro Toronto Convention Center, bringing together over 100 galleries across Canada and around the globe.
As the country’s largest and oldest international art fair, Art Toronto bridges modern and contemporary art in one venue, showcasing the very best of creativity and culture. A vibrant Latin American showcase, striking installations, engaging talks… You won’t want to miss this 2026 edition. Get tickets here.
