Screams, laughs and music echoing around Edmonton this weekend

A scarecrow at Deadmonton. (Deadmonton)

Fall is in the air and October is just around the corner, fitting for the spooky events Edmonton has going on over the weekend.

It is officially fall, the season of turkey, pumpkin spice and scares, but not everything will elicit a scream as there are plenty of laughs to be had.

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From Deadmonton to DragonForce and Wanda Sykes, here’s what’s happening in and around Edmonton this weekend.

City of Laughs and Screams

The laughter keeps on going at the Edmonton Comedy Festival, with comedians from across North America descending on the city. The event began Thursday and runs until Sunday at various locations around Edmonton.

Staying humorous, for now, Emmy Award-winning stand-up comedian Wanda Sykes is performing at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Sunday at 8 p.m.

• Wanda Sykes to make Alberta debut with back-to-back comedy shows

Over at Rapidfire Theatre, The Improv All-Stars show will be generating laughs on the spot Friday at 9:30 p.m.

A chill is in the air and it isn’t from the cold as Pumpkins After Dark begins Friday. The Halloween event features more than 6,000 hand-carved pumpkins along a kilometre-long pathway on weekends until Halloween.

If you’re in the mood for screams, the Deadmonton Haunted House is returning to scare your socks off. The scares begin Friday with a number of dates going until Nov. 8.

A weekend of culture, music and festivals

September is Alberta Culture Days, a time to celebrate arts, culture, heritage, diversity and community spirit in the province.

As part of the celebrations, the Royal Alberta Museum is inviting people to explore history with a free visit to the museum Saturday and Sunday.

The Citadel Theatre is also getting in on the action with workshops, live entertainment, a ‘Wizard of Oz’ family film festival and more between Friday and Sunday.

Fall may be here but Fleurs de Villes Artiste is bringing a flowery experience to the Muttart Conservatory. The event, beginning Friday and running until Oct. 5, features 15 unique fresh-floral mannequins inspired by Edmonton’s arts and cultural organizations.

It’s the final weekend of Oktoberfest with the Ice District Fan Park transformed into a Bavarian wonderland with beer, food, games, music and more. The event runs until Saturday downtown.

The Canadian Finals Rodeo is in town and will have a number of western-themed events around Edmonton from music to food and, of course, rodeo events. The event runs until Oct. 5.

The Edmonton International Film Festival began Thursday, with movies of all genres showing and premiering. The event runs until Oct. 4.

• Local filmmaker to see debut on the big screen at Edmonton International Film Festival

Metalheads will be moshing through the fire and the flames as DragonForce and Powerwolf take over the Edmonton Convention Centre Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Edmonton Reptile Expo is teaching people about snakes, lizards, turtles and more on Saturday and Sunday at The Enjoy Centre in St. Albert.

The Edmonton Elks are hoping to come back from two close losses with a win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Commonwealth Stadium Saturday at 5 p.m.

Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling is taking over the Edmonton Expo Centre Friday and Saturday with stars like Matt and Jeff Hardy, Nic Nemeth and Joe Hendry.