The Thanksgiving long weekend has arrived in Metro Vancouver. Whether you’re spending time with family, friends, both or neither, here are some events and activities you may want to check out over the next few days. Fright Nights at the PNE Playland has once again turned into a house of horrors for Fright Nights. Featuring multiple haunted houses, night rides on the midway, special food features and much more, Fright Nights bills itself as “the largest haunt in Western Canada.” The attraction opened earlier this week and will run Wednesday through Sunday through Oct. 31. Canyon Frights Another local attraction enspookifying itself this weekend is Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, where the annual “Canyon Frights” event begins Friday. The park has been decorated for Halloween with “trails filled with graveyards, pumpkins and glowing mycelium,” according to its website. Canyon Frights is included with park admission. Season pass holders must reserve their time online before visiting. Vancouver International Travel Expo The Vancouver Convention Centre’s east building will play host to the ninth annual Vancouver International Travel Expo this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. More than 200 exhibitors representing destinations around the world will be on hand, some offering exclusive show specials for prospective travellers. The event also includes free seminars and valuable door prizes. More information can be found on the expo website. Oddities and Curiosities Expo Just down the road at the Vancouver Convention Centre’s west building, a very different expo will be taking place this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The Oddities and Curiosities Expo describes itself as “the world’s largest travelling oddities event showcasing hand-selected vendors, dealers, artists and small businesses with all things weird.” Among the weirdness promised is taxidermy, preserved specimens, antiques, quack medical devices, creepy clothing, odd jewelry, skulls and bones, and “funeral collectibles.” Vancouver International Music Festival-Competition An international competition for young musicians is concluding this weekend with a final round on Friday and an awards gala on Sunday. The Vancouver International Music Festival-Competition features four categories: piano, strings, voice and woodwinds. The final round competition runs from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the VSO School of Music, and the gala concert and awards ceremony takes place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Orpheum Theatre. Ticket information can be found on the event’s website. Fort Langley Cranberry Festival Head to Fort Langley on Saturday for the village’s annual Cranberry Festival, a celebration of the harvest and the fall season that features more than 125 vendors and food trucks on Glover Road and around the village. Inside the Fort Langley National Historic Site, the celebration continues with a 19th-century flavour. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the village and from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the historic site, which is ticketed. The festival outside the walls of the fort is free to enter. Global Dance Festival Dance styles from around the world will take the stage at Global Dance Festival 2026 in Surrey this Saturday. Featuring contemporary and traditional dance styles from a variety of countries and cultures, the event is intended to showcase diversity, inclusion and the universal language of dance, according to organizers. The show begins at 4:30 p.m. at Surrey Arts Centre, and ticket information can be found online. For the sports fans Professional football, hockey and basketball games are all happening in Metro Vancouver this weekend. On Friday night, the B.C. Lions host the winless Ottawa Redblacks in their Gravy Bowl game at B.C. Place. Kickoff is at 7 p.m., and a win will see the home team clinch a playoff berth. On Saturday, the Toronto Raptors are in town for a preseason game at Rogers Arena as part of the NBA Canada Series. The game tips off at 3:30 p.m. While the Canucks are out of town this weekend, the Vancouver Giants are taking on the Seattle Thunderbirds at Langley Events Centre at 7 p.m. Saturday. With files from MOVE 103.5’s Leanne McLaren
