The Weekday Edit: 10 Things to do in Edmonton this Week - October 12-16
Two festivals open on the same night, an archaeologist explains why medieval villages feared their own dead, and Monday finally pulls its weight with free stand-up under the Starlite.
From Wednesday on, horror fans and nonfiction readers each get five days of programming. In between: sake paired with chocolate, a design documentary with Edmonton roots, and an illusionist who'd rather you didn't figure him out.
Here are the best things to do this Week in Edmonton
Free Rough Cut Comedy Night | October 12
Monday nights in this city are usually a write-off. Not this one. Free stand-up in the room beneath the Starlite, lineup rotating weekly, hosted by a showcase that's had comics pass through on their way to bigger stages. Nine o'clock, downtown, costs nothing. Get there early if you want to sit.
Find a new Opportunity at SPARK Job Fair | October 13 and 14
SPARK 2026 is a free career and job fair for youth ages 16–30 in Edmonton, connecting young people with Indigenous-owned businesses, employers and schools. Whether you're looking for a first job, a next opportunity or a path you hadn't considered, SPARK is a place to make connections and figure out what comes next.
NorthWest Fear Fest Film Fest | October 14
Get an All-Access Pass to NorthwestFEARFest 2026, Edmonton's genre film festival at Metro Cinema, running October 14 to October 18.
Litfest Non Fiction Festival | October 14
LitFest returns to Edmonton October 14–18, 2026, with author talks, panels, and showcases celebrating nonfiction at the Citadel Theatre and Stanley Milner Library.
Pay What You Can for Ha Ha Haunting | October 15
Real ghost stories from Old Strathcona's past, handed to a stage full of improvisers and spun into something closer to a campfire tale gone sideways. The Ha-Ha-Haunting pairs Rapid Fire Theatre's comedians with the writer behind Edmonton's Dead Centre of Town, so the history is real even when the scene isn't.
Thursdays are pay-what-you-will, which makes October 15 the cheapest night to get spooked and laugh about it.
Free Talk: Second Life: The Medieval Dead with Dr. Sandra Garvie-Lok | October 15
Revenants, relics and the restless dead: a free Halloween-season lecture on how medieval communities feared and honoured their dead.
What are People for? Design Philosophy and Discussion | October 15
Edmonton Design Week hosts the Canadian premiere of Gary Hustwit's documentary on Edmonton-raised design pioneer Patrick Whitney, with a live talk.
Sake & Chocolate Pairing | October 16
Delavoye Chocolate Maker and Calgary's Sakegami host an evening of five chocolate and sake pairings plus a welcome sparkling sake, Oct 16 at their Edmonton shop. $95/ticket.
Darcy Oake Illusionist on Stage | October 16
In a world where everything can be explained, this is one of the few experiences that can’t. Darcy Oake brings his full-scale theatrical illusion show to the stage - an electrifying live experience that blends breathtaking visuals, impossible feats, and cinematic storytelling.
