Spooky, strange & supportive ways to spend your days

Temperatures may be taking a dip, but that doesn’t mean your appetite for fun has to drop, too. In the lead-up to Halloween, Ethan Rotberg highlights six events to get you through the week

Canadian Immigrant Fair

The Canadian Immigrant Fair for new Canadians provides assistance for those looking for jobs, going back to school or just settling into a new home. Meet hiring companies, industry experts, educational institutes and government agencies — all from the comfort of home. The two virtual sessions take place Oct. 28 and Nov. 4. You can register for the free event online.

Art Toronto

Art Toronto is back in person, Oct. 29 to 31, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The fair for modern and contemporary art features more than 80 leading galleries from around the world, with more than 60 of these exhibitors participating in-person. The others appear at the online event running until Nov. 7.

Haunted Cinema

If just watching a scary movie isn’t enough of a thrill, you can now immerse yourself in one. Haunted Cinema, running from Oct. 26 to 31 at Ontario Place, is a live drive-in experience, where characters from some of your favourite spooky films come to life outside your car. Each night, “Goosebumps” will be screened at 6:30 p.m., and “Scream” at 10 p.m.

Truck or Treat Food Truck Festival

On Oct. 30 and 31, the Truck or Treat Food Truck Festival — at Variety Village on Danforth Avenue — features food, drinks, live music, crafts, kids’ costume contests and other treats. A minimum donation of $5 is requested, which supports Variety Ontario’s programming for people with disabilities. Don’t forget your costume.

Fort York After Dark: Lantern Tours

One of Toronto’s most historic spaces is also its spookiest. The lantern tours at Fort York include tales of a haunted lighthouse, the bloody Battle of York and other eerie goings-on. Visit the website to register for the 90-minute tour.

Pulse Topology

A mysterious art installation at the Bentway may just steal your heart. Pulse Topology, on until the end of the month, features 3,000 lights that create a landscape of upside down mountains and valleys suspended from the interior of the space. Using touchless biometric technology, the lights react in real-time to the pulse of visitors’ heartbeats. To book tickets, visit the website.