1. Edmonton International Film Festival | Through October 8
Now one of five Oscar-qualifying film festivals in Canada, this friendly film fest gives a voice to indie filmmakers. The cinematic feast will please any film fan as it covers all genres, including contemporary independents, world cinema, documentary, Canadian films, and shorts.
Edmonton City Centre | 102 Ave. & 102 St. | 780-423-0844
2. Edmonton Comedy Festival | October 5 – 8
Over 30 comedians will perform and host comedy showcases throughout this festival. Tom Arnold, Rondell Sheridan, and John Wing are among the headliners.
Various venues | 780-439-8809
3. Up + Downtown Music Festival | October 7 – 9
Independent artists and musicians in a variety of genres will be showcased at unique venues throughout downtown. Headliners this year include Basia Bulat, Tokyo Police Club, White Lung, and The Sadies.
Various venues
4. Dig In Horticulinary Festival | October 12 – 15
This exciting weekend of culinary adventures will introduce all the possibilities and benefits of eating locally grown food. Through a series of demonstrations and hands-on workshops, participants will learn how to grow food in an urban setting and to prepare and preserve their own produce. There will be workshops on edible landscaping, nano-farming, saving money and shopping local, and home brewing craft beer.
The Enjoy Centre | 101 Riel Dr., St. Albert | 780-419-6800
5. STARFest | October 12 – 25
St. Albert Readers Fest welcomes the stars of the Canadian literary world, including Clara Hughes, Alissa York, and Ian Brown, for unique talks and opportunities for fans to meet the people behind these life-changing books.
The Arden Theatre | 5 St. Anne St. | 780-459-1542
6. LitFest: Edmonton’s Nonfiction Festival | October 13 – 23
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, LitFest is Canada’s only creative nonfiction festival, showcasing literary talent through a variety of panels, workshops, and presentations with local and internationally renowned writers. Lindy West — author of Shrill — headlines this year’s diverse festival!
Various venus | 780-498-2500
7. DEDFest | October 18 – 23
This annual film festival showcases a selection of blood-curdling, suspenseful independent feature-length and short horror, cult, and sci-fi films from around the world.
Metro Cinema at the Garneau | 8712-109 St. | 780-425-9212
