Congratulations on getting through September! We hope that your family in getting back into a routine that includes at least a bit of free time for checking out the many events and attractions that Toronto in October has to offer. Below we’ve rounded up 14 of those events and attractions that will let your family ease into fall and that offer some distraction from the busyness that is a still pretty new school year. Note that we’ve included several Halloween-themed ideas, which are all launching this month. But we’re also working on a roundup dedicated to just Halloween events; watch for that coming in early October.
Fall Family Fun in Toronto in October
Pumpkins After Dark
Friday, September 23rd – Sunday, October 30th
Country Heritage Park, 8560 Tremaine Road, Milton
Get into a Halloween frame-of-mind with Pumpkins After Dark, an award-winning outdoor walk-through event. This year’s edition is more impressive than ever with over 6,000 hand-carved pumpkins and over 80 per cent new display content. There is also a live pumpkin-carving demonstrations, fall treats and sweets and other forms of Halloween fun. All tickets must be purchased in advanced and are available for a starting price of $18, with a four-ticket family pack available for around $75.
Spooktacular Light Show
Friday, September 23rd – Monday, October 31st
Meadowvale GO Station, 6845 Millcreek Dr., Mississauga
Richmond Hill GO Station, 95 Newkirk Rd., Richmond Hill
Does a drive-through light show work better for your family? Then explore this vehicle-only option, which take a place in two GTA locations. The two-kilometer-long drive will take you past over two million lights arranged in Halloween-themed 2D and 3D displays, through a pumpkin-filled tunnel and alongside beloved (and sometimes spooky) characters. While you cruise, your family can listen to the show’s dedicated radio station that only plays Halloween-related tunes. Tickets are sold on per car basis, costing around $35 for a vehicle that seats up to eight people.
Camp Spooky
1 Canada’s Wonderland Drive, Vaughan
Saturday, September 24th – Sunday, October 30th
Before the night sets at Wonderland and brings out the zombies, ghouls, and other creepies, the GTA’s largest amusement park hosts a kinder, gentler Halloween event that’s perfect for the under-12 set. In addition to the usual rides and games, there’s trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, mazes, and more. There’s even a costume parade and yes, kids are encouraged to dress up). All the fun is covered by your Wonderland ticket, which costs around $60 (with kids under three being free).
Legends of Horror
Friday, September 30th – Monday, October 31st
Casa Loma, 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto
Just like over at Wonderland, this attraction offers family-friendly hours earlier in the day. From 5pm to 6:30pm, while it’s not too dark out, Legends of Horror turns down the scare factor by not running any live actors and leaving a few lights on. But you’ll still have the opportunity to see the creepily decked spaces and gardens of Toronto’s very own castle. While this might still be too much for really young children (and note that strollers aren’t allowed), many school-aged kids will get a thrill out of it. All tickets, which start at around $37, are timed and advance purchase is highly recommended.
Halloween Night of Lights
Friday, September 30th – Monday, October 31st
Sherway Gardens, 25 The West Mall, Toronto
Halloween Night of Lights is back with an expanded format that now includes Pumpkinville, “a fun fair located at the end of the Nights of Lights trail featuring larger than life pumpkin sculptures and village.” This walk-through event also features 1.5 million LED and RGB lights set to a Halloween score. Expect to spend around 45 minutes exploring the trail and then who knows how long in Pumpkinville, where you’ll find carnival rides, tons of photo ops and even a beer garden, complete with food trucks. Tickets for the whole experience start at $15 (kids under two are free) and admission to just Pumpkinville, which is open weekend afternoons, can be purchased for $12 per person.
Express Inspire Connect
Saturday, October 1st
Online
Organized by Toronto-based educational charity, Ripple Foundation, Express Inspire Connect is a one-day virtual creative literacy festival that features everything from songwriting to resume writing. Aimed at students in grades four to 12, this event has kids participating in a variety of workshops and other activities all, “…centred around the power of words with the means of encouraging expression, inspiring the next generation to explore creative writing, and providing a place to connect on topics that matter to them.” Registration is $30 per child.
Nuit Blanche
Saturday, October 1st
Various locations across Toronto
Toronto’s all-night –and all over the city—art party is back! The creativity kicks off at sunset, giving many families the opportunity to check out some of the artwork before bedtime. Well over 100 projects and presentations are taking place, clustered mostly downtown, in Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough. A few of the more kid-engaging projects include: Step Into My Space, at the Spadina Museum, which features “a massive maze on five acres of magically lit nature,” An Occupation, at the Eaton Centre, a participatory project that you kids can join and the self-explanatory Pinatas Bring People Together, at the Coxwell subway station. As always, access to Nuit Blanche is completely free.
SickKids GetLoud
Saturday, October 1st
Downsview Park, 70 Canuck Ave., Toronto
Help raise funds for Canada’s leading children’s hospital and have an awesome day of outdoor fun! Families that hit the fundraising minimum of $250 per adult are invited to attend an in-person event that includes an all-ages outdoor walk/fun run, live music, BBQ lunch, and more. GetLoud, which is also all about getting families to get up and move, can also be participated in virtually.
Bentboy
Monday, October 3rd – Sunday, October 23rd
Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front St. E, Toronto
Witness the world premiere of this original production, “a First Nation story of heroism and learning.” Told through live performance and dance, Bentboy aims to foster emotional growth in children, as well as entertain them. The show is best suited for kids ages five through 12. Weekend performances start at 2pm and run roughly and hour in length. Tickets, which do have assigned seating locations, start for as low as $10.
Peter and the Wolf at RUTAS 2022
Saturday, October 8th and Sunday, October 9th
Factory Theatre Mainspace, 125 Bathurst St., Toronto
The classic symphonic fairy tale, Peter and the Wolf, is brought to life through beautifully costumed puppets and live music by Toronto’s Euphonia Chamber Ensemble in this memorable performance. It’s part of the RUTAS performing arts festival, which also offers some cool events for adults. In addition to the live show, this production of Peter and the Wolf also includes a short film that looks at how the performance came to be created. The show runs for an hour and 15 minutes and takes places at 3pm each day. Tickets are offered on a “pay-what-you-can-afford” model, with a minimum $10 price tier.
PumpkinFest Toronto
Weekends in October: 8-10, 15-16, 22-23
Downsview Park, 35 Carl Hall Dr., Toronto
This Halloween-focused festival has been such a success in the past that it’s been expanded to cover three weekends! Families love this event because it has everything needed for a fun, fall day out: Food trucks, carnival rides and games, a pumpkin patch, and even pony rides. Tickets cost around $30 per person, which covers unlimited access to the carnival rides.
The Wiggles Big Show
Saturday, October 9th
Meridian Hall, 1 Front St. E, Toronto
One of the biggest names in children’s entertainment is headlining their very own show! Sing, clap, and dance along to such hits as, “Fruit Salad, “Hot Potato” and “Do the Propeller.” In addition to the four main Wiggles members, a slew of costume characters will also be performing including Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, and Shirley Shawn the Unicorn, as well as two human members from the Fruit Salad TV series. Two shows are scheduled, one at 12:30pm and one at 3:30pm. Kids under one are free but everyone else needs a paid ticket, which are starting at around $52.
MomFest
Thursday, October 20th
The Wychwood Barns, 76 Wychwood Ave., Toronto
This event is primarily for moms but since it’s also extremely baby and toddler friendly, we decided it made sense to include it in this month’s roundup. The free-to-access open-air market features tons of local vendors as well as a play area, live kids’ entertainers and a diaper changing station. MomFest also features an indoor VIP experience that includes food, speakers, and all kinds of cool perks like a massage station and a swag bag! VIP tickets cost $49.99 in advance and a portion of proceeds will be donated to SickKids for Mom Halo’s ongoing initiative to fund a new space at the hospital for families and caregivers.
Mad Magic: The World’s Funniest Mad Science Magician
Sunday, October 30th
Wychwood Theatre, 76 Wychwood Ave., #Studio 176, Toronto
One part “mad science” show, and one part magic show, this family-oriented production promises to have, “kids and adults laughing, gasping and screaming the entire way through.” It’s 50 minutes in length and is packed with plenty of audience participation (so watch where you sit). And since it falls near Halloween, kids are encouraged to wear costumes. Two shows are scheduled, one at 10:30am and one at 12:30pm, and tickets for either show start at around $25.
Tagged under: things to do in toronto,october in toronto,toronto in october,things to do in october
Category: events,attractions
