The leaves are falling and the temperature is dropping, so come inside and warm up with a jam-packed month of (mostly) free activities. From Consent Action Week to Ukraine Week, Queer History Month to theatre season, October has more events than you can possibly fit in your calendar.

Scroll through some of the fun, informative and creative activities happening on campus, and see just how many you can squeeze into your schedule.

Consent Action Week – October 6-10

Take in some powerful artwork from the MacEwan community at the Reclaiming Power gallery on October 6 and 7 in the SAMU Lookout. 

From there, head to the Robbins Health Learning Centre to check out the Consent Skills Fair on October 6, where community organizations will offer advice for preventing sexual violence and supporting survivors.

Stop by Craft & Chat on October 6, and drop in to kihêw waciston on October 7 and connect with the Native Youth Sexual Health Network at Beading Condoms: Decolonial Sexual Health for the Revolution.

Get active for a good cause and register your team for a dodgeball tournament on October 9. All proceeds from the event will go to the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton.

Find a full listing of Consent Action Week events on our website.

Can’t find time during Consent Action Week? No problem. Register for Creating a Culture of Consent on October 20, learn about technology-facilitated sexual violence on October 23, paint a rock and chat about accountability on October 27, or get proactive about bystander intervention on October 30.

Ukraine Week – October 6-10

Celebrate the rich beauty of Ukrainian culture. Throughout the week, the Sunflowers of Hope art collection will be on display in the library, along with a Ukrainian book exhibit.

Visiting scholar Dr. Natalia Ostrishchenko will be on campus October 7 to speak about a documentation initiative following a cohort of people through the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and into more longitudinal efforts two years later.

Join Ukrainian artist Liubov Kosteska on October 8 in a painting workshop, where you can flex your creativity while also learning about Ukrainian culture.

End the week with a night of musical entertainment. ShockolaD, a Ukrainian jazz duo and MacEwan’s current Gene Zwozdesky Artist in Residence, will play a show in Allard Hall on October 10.

Learn more and see full event listings for Ukraine Week on our website.

Queer History Month

To mark Queer History Month, the Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity (CSGD) is holding multiple Queer Horizons Speaker Series events to educate the MacEwan community.

Attend the first event on October 3 to learn about using a queer lens in historical analysis, and meet Dr. Alessio Ponzio, the new director of CSGD. On October 14, the second event in the series discusses the evolution of obscenity laws in Alberta during the 1980s.

Top off your learning at a talk with the International Committee on LGBTQ+ History Months, including Dr. Ponzio and representatives from around the globe.

Expand your cultural horizons

Check out the recently opened exhibition at the Mitchell Art Gallery. New Routes: threads across space and time features four artists who all share Jamaican heritage and currently live in Edmonton. Check out the artist panel on October 2, and make sure you see the exhibition before it ends its run on December 6.

Each Wednesday afternoon, pop in to the Art Buffet outside the Mitchell Art Gallery, where you can engage with other students while getting creative.

Author Lorna Crozier will take the stage at the annual Monica Miller Memorial Lecture on October 8. The event will feature both a moderated Q&A and a book signing. Still not enough to satiate your love of literature? Attend a Visiting Authors Series event on October 15 to hear some of Tolu Oloruntoba’s poetry.

If you were one of the lucky people who snagged tickets to the sold-out run of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the first production of the 2025/26 Theatre Season, the show hits the stage from October 29 to November 2. And if you didn’t get your tickets in time, be sure to get ahead of demand for the next show, Carrie The Musical, while you still can!

Learn new skills and get involved

Have an upcoming class presentation? Learn tips and tricks for public speaking, and even get personalized feedback, at a skills session on October 1. And on October 23, Dr. Rodney Schmaltz will present "You Had Me Until Slide Two," a deep dive into the art of creating better posters and presentations.

Attend the Fall Career Fair on October 2 to network, explore and apply for positions ahead of leaving MacEwan. Not done with your learning journey just yet? Explore your options for a master’s or doctorate degree at the Graduate School Fair on October 8. And if you’re a business student wondering about more options for experience while you’re still here, check out the co-op info session on October 15.

If you’d rather spend your undergrad experiencing new cultures, check out Education Abroad info sessions on October 10, 16 and 27, or a virtual session on October 21.

It might feel like the semester just started, but midterms and finals are creeping closer. Take an exam prep skill session on October 8.

That might seem bleak to think about, so take care of your mental health, too. Once you’ve completed the online portion of the mental health and well-being essentials course, register for the in-person portion on October 16.

Have your say in municipal politics in between classes. Bring proof of address and head to the Municipal Polling Station in Building 9 on October 8.

After all that, you’ll likely have worked up an appetite. Check out pop-up lunch markets on October 8, 22 and 29, and grab a sandwich or pasta dish supplied by the Italian Centre Market for only $5. Or round out your new skill set with some cooking classes on October 9 and 16, where you can learn how to make a Mexican dish, eat your freshly prepared meal and even take home a kit of ingredients to make it again, all for just $5. Visit MacEwan.ca/CookingClass for more information.

International students

Attend online sessions on taking a leave from studies, the difference between a Temporary Resident Visa and an Electronic Travel Authorization, what you need to do to turn your international student status into permanent residency and the express entry path to permanent residency throughout the month.

Meet new friends while filling your belly at a Thanksgiving dinner on October 9, and finish off the month at a Halloween costume contest on October 31 – the best costumes will win gift cards and other prizes!

And even more!

Check MacEwan.ca/Events throughout the month to ensure you don’t miss these events, or any others that might be added throughout October.