A new Metro Vancouver events roundup for October 2026 highlights dozens of family-friendly attractions, festivals, and live sports across the region.
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A Metro Vancouver events roundup for October 2026 is recommending 41 activities spanning Halloween happenings, major cultural events, and ongoing sports schedules around the region.
For those looking for family programming tied to the spooky season, Vancouver Aquarium’s Fin-tastic Fall Days runs until Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, with special underwater jack-o’-lantern carvings on weekends until Oct. 11 and daily starting Oct. 17. The event runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Vancouver Aquarium (854 Avison Way).
Live theatre is also on the October calendar. Broadway Across Canada – & Juliet plays through Oct. 4, 2026, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (630 Hamilton St., Vancouver), with performances scheduled at various times.
The Vancouver International Film Festival returns for VIFF 2026 from Thursday, Oct. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, with events at various locations. The festival is described as showcasing approximately 160 features, including the Vanguard competitive international feature section featuring eight narrative and hybrid films; ticket prices for regular screenings are listed as $17 to $22.
Literary events in October include the Vancouver Writers Fest 2026, running Oct. 18 to 25, 2026, with more than 90 events featuring over 150 authors. Events take place at various locations, with a mix of paid and free programming.
Several Halloween-themed events are scheduled across the region. The Forbidden Vancouver’s Lost Souls of Gastown Tour runs nightly until Saturday, Nov. 29, 2026, starting at the corner of Water and Cordova Streets beside Monaco Cafe, with extra times on weekends and Halloween week.
For a weekend option, UBC Botanical Garden hosts its 35th annual UBC Apple Festival on Oct. 17 and 18, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 6804 SW Marine Dr., with tickets listed as varying prices.
Additional fall activities include Harvest Days at VanDusen Botanical Garden on multiple dates—Oct. 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18, 2026—from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., held at 5251 Oak St., Vancouver.
Horror and film fans can also look to the Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival, scheduled Oct. 14 to 18, 2026, at International Village Cineplex Cinemas (88 W. Pender St., 3rd floor, Vancouver), where the lineup is described as including more than 60 short films and 15 feature-length films.
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