If you're in Edmonton the week of October 19-23, the city and its surroundings are packed with seasonal stuff to do, from family-friendly farm outings to full-on scares in the woods. Here's what's on.

For a gentler autumn day out, the Edmonton Corn Maze in Spruce Grove, west of the city, runs until late October with farm animals, a sunflower stroll, mini golf, spud gun launches and a pumpkin patch. It's open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday afternoons from 1 to 5 p.m., with entry from $15.

Once the sun goes down, the Halloween gear kicks in. Pumpkins After Dark at Borden Park has rebuilt its carved-pumpkin light walk for this season and runs nightly from 6:30 to 11 p.m. until October 31, with date-based pricing. Bigger thrills await at Deadmonton on 47th Street, widely considered the city's scariest haunted house, with three new haunts this year and dates running into early November. Out in Vegreville, the Haunted Haunted Hike — sorry, the Haunted Hike — packs 20 themed rooms and live actors into an old building, with a tamer Kids Hour at 3 p.m. and a Scary Hour from 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. And for one weekend only, October 23-25, Warwa Woods at Camp Warwa near Darwell transforms a forest into a haunted trail experience with two immersive paths this year instead of one — $22 a head, or $77 for a family of four.

If scares aren't your thing, Fort Edmonton Park's Fall Paranormal Tours hand you EMF readers and a Spirit Box for an actual ghost-hunting session through the historic grounds, with two routes this year including a pass through Rowand House. Tickets run $67 plus tax and continue into December.

There's culture and comedy on the bill too. Neil deGrasse Tyson brings his Cosmic Collisions talk to the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Tuesday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m., with seats from $91.40. Over on Whyte Ave, the Grindstone Theatre hosts a free stand-up open mic on Wednesday at 10 p.m. — five-minute sets, beginners welcome — and a paid improv show Thursday at 7 p.m. from about $15. Fitness fans can also join Orangetheory's Hell Week challenge across all Edmonton studios for a $39 pass; complete four of eight themed workouts and you earn the t-shirt.

Why it matters: Edmonton makes a solid autumn city break, and this week shows the range — a pumpkin patch afternoon, a haunted forest at night, and a big-name science talk, all within an hour's drive of downtown. Most events are family-friendly or offer daytime alternatives, so you can dial the fright level up or down. Note the specifics: some events (Warwa Woods, the Tyson talk) are date-limited to this exact week, while the corn maze, paranormal tours and Deadmonton stretch later into the season if you're arriving after the weekend.