Calgary's first week of fall looks busy in the best way. Warm weather is forecast, and the city's events calendar is stacked with everything from a cat café paint night to a free light festival, preseason hockey and the return of one of Alberta's favourite Halloween traditions.

The headline act for many will be Night Light, a new free festival running September 24 to 26 from 6 to 11 p.m. across Victoria Park and The District at Beltline (227 11th Ave. SW). Expect interactive art installations, projection-mapped buildings and live performances, plus workshops, food and drinks at the Beltline hub. Five sites, no ticket needed.

Also new for the season, Pumpkins After Dark returns to WinSport (88 Canada Olympic Rd. SW) from September 25 through October 31, nightly from 6:30 to 11 p.m. More than 10,000 hand-carved pumpkins light up displays along a walking route, with live carving demos and interactive games. Entry starts at $17.19, making it one of the cheaper evening outings on this list.

Culture fans are well served. The Calgary International Film Festival runs September 24 to October 4 at venues across the city, screening documentaries, Canadian features, international films and shorts — tickets vary by screening. Alberta Ballet opens its 60th anniversary season with Giselle at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, September 24 to 26, with matinee and evening shows from $73. If you'd rather have theatre with your weeknight, the musical Nine runs at the Pumphouse Theatre on September 22 from $27.

Sports and social options fill the rest. The Calgary Flames host the Vancouver Canucks in preseason action at the Scotiabank Saddledome on September 22 at 7 p.m., with tickets from $27.98 — a chance to see the 'Dome before the team's final season there. At Regal Cat Café in Kensington (303 10th St. NW), a Kitty Paint Night on September 21 costs $52 and lets you paint at your own pace while resident cats wander past. Over at Shelter Cocktail Bar, a guided Campari tasting on September 25 ($60) walks you through a classic Negroni and three variations, food pairings included. Indian folk-fusion band When Chai Met Toast plays Commonwealth Bar the same Monday ($77.50), and the Calgary Fall Home Show takes over the BMO Centre September 25 to 27 from $10, with 300-plus booths and HGTV's Sarah Baeumler on stage.

For visitors, this is a good snapshot of why early fall suits Calgary: shoulder-season prices, mild days and a compact downtown-adjacent event scene. Most venues sit along the CTrain lines or a short cab ride apart, so you can realistically pack a hockey game and a festival night into the same weekend.