Things To Do This Week in North York: October 16–22, 2026
We researched four picks for this week and confirmed each one for October 16 – 22, 2026 against the organizer's or venue's listing. Runway Reels screens free movies on the YZD taxiway in Downsview on Friday and Saturday, October 16–17, the same weekend Harry Potter: Visions of Magic opens next door. The Toronto Botanical Garden has its plein air art show's final weekend plus the Toronto Bonsai Society's fall exhibition, Black Creek runs Saturday workshops and nightly ghost walks, and the Aga Khan Museum is free on Wednesday, October 21.
Quick answer: Free Runway Reels movies play the YZD taxiway, 10 Hanover Road, on Friday and Saturday, October 16–17 (register first; pre-show 6:30 PM). The Toronto Botanical Garden's free art show closes Sunday, October 18, and the Aga Khan Museum is free Wednesday, October 21, 4–8 PM.
This weekend at a glance
We checked every date, time and price on this page against the organizer's or venue's listing on October 16, 2026. Runway Reels, parkrun, the garden art show and Free Wednesday at the Aga Khan Museum cost nothing; the Black Creek workshops and ghost walks, Harry Potter: Visions of Magic and the bonsai show are ticketed.
| Event | When | Venue | Cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMO Free Wednesday at the Aga Khan Museum | Sat–Sun Oct 17–18, Wed Oct 21 | Aga Khan Museum | Free Wed 4–8 PM (workshops ticketed) | Families and culture fans |
| Essence of the Garden: Plein Air Art Exhibition and Sale | Daily to Oct 18 | Toronto Botanical Garden | Free | Art lovers and fall-colour walks |
| Downsview parkrun | Sat Oct 17, 9 AM; movies Fri–Sat at sunset | Downsview Park and YZD | Free (register first) | Runners, families and movie nights |
| Heritage workshops at Black Creek Pioneer Village | Workshops Sat Oct 17; ghost walks nightly Oct 16–20 | Black Creek Pioneer Village | Ticketed (ghost walk from $26.99) | Families, hands-on learners and older kids |
This Week's Picks — Ranked
Ranked by how much they reward a North York resident specifically: local first, then free, then scale. Every entry below lists its own address, hours and cost.
Islamic Heritage Month workshops, pop-up performances and Free Wednesday at the Aga Khan Museum
Aga Khan Museum, 77 Wynford Drive, North York
Arts Free In North YorkFor Islamic Heritage Month, the museum runs hands-on workshops this weekend: Tazhib (Saturday, October 17, 1 PM) and Candle Holder Mosaic (Sunday, October 18, 1 PM), plus the evening performance Ishq Ke Saat Muqaam on Friday and Saturday, October 16–17, at 8 PM. Workshops and the performance are ticketed; check prices on the museum's site. TD Pop-Up Performances play the museum's Atrium on Saturday and Sunday, October 17–18, at 12, 1 and 3 PM. Admission is free on BMO Free Wednesdays, 4–8 PM, with pop-ups at 5, 6 and 7 PM — the next one is Wednesday, October 21.
Museum programs
Essence of the Garden: plein air art show and sale, final weekend
Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, North York
Arts Free In North YorkLocal artists painted the garden's landscapes, florals and seasonal light en plein air — outdoors, on the spot — and the results hang in a free exhibition and sale open daily 10:30 AM–4:30 PM until it closes Sunday, October 18. Inside, the free Toronto Gone Wild: Ravines exhibit keeps the same hours. The same weekend, Saturday and Sunday, October 17–18, 11 AM–5 PM, the Toronto Bonsai Society holds its Fall Exhibition & Sale on site — tickets on Eventbrite or at the door, children under 12 free, and the sales area is free for everyone. Pair it with a walk through Edwards Gardens next door while the leaves turn.
Garden events
Downsview parkrun, free runway movies and Harry Potter at YZD
Downsview Park, 70 Canuck Avenue, North York
Fitness All ages FreeA free, timed 5K run, jog or walk every Saturday at 9 AM, open to all ages and abilities — a volunteer tail walker means nobody finishes last. It's free, but register once online before your first run to get a barcode.
After dark, Runway Reels turns the YZD taxiway into a free drive-in or walk-in cinema: Barbie on Friday, October 16 and A Minecraft Movie on Saturday, October 17. A live pre-show starts at 6:30 PM and the film rolls at sunset. It's free, but you must register to reserve a spot; walk in at 10 Hanover Road and bring your own chair. Register for Runway Reels.
Also at YZD this week: Harry Potter: Visions of Magic opens Friday, October 16 at 30 Hanover Road. Tickets start at $28 plus taxes and fees, and children under 3 don't need one. Last entry is 7 PM Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and 8 PM Friday to Sunday; Tuesday hours aren't listed. Tickets and hours.
Register for parkrun
Heritage workshops and nightly ghost walks at Black Creek Pioneer Village
Black Creek Pioneer Village, 1000 Murray Ross Parkway, North York
Family Ticketed In North YorkThree 19th-century craft workshops run Saturday, October 17: Cookies & Cookie Cutters and a Print Apprenticeship at 10 AM, and Natural Dyeing with Wool at 12 PM. Check prices and book on Black Creek's site.
After dark, Ghosts of the Village, a 75-minute haunted walk through the village, runs nightly Friday, October 16 to Tuesday, October 20. Tickets are $34.99 for adults and $26.99 for youth 14 and under, fees included plus tax, with $5 off Monday to Wednesday; the operator says it isn't recommended for young children. Book a ghost walk. Planning ahead? Halloween at the Village runs October 24, 25 and 31, 11 AM–4 PM (adults $27.45 + HST, kids 4–14 $22.50 + HST, 3 and under free).
Black Creek workshopsComing Up Next
This weekend page fills the gap between the bigger seasonal moments. 2 on the horizon worth planning for now:
North York Diwali Festival
Mel Lastman Square's Diwali celebration — dates, times and what to expect.
Halloween in North York
Haunted events, pumpkin patches and the best trick-or-treat streets.
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FAQ
What is happening in North York this week, October 16–22, 2026?
Runway Reels screens free movies on the YZD taxiway, 10 Hanover Road, on Friday and Saturday, October 16–17, and Harry Potter: Visions of Magic opens October 16 at 30 Hanover Road. On Saturday, October 17, Downsview parkrun's free 5K starts at 9 AM, Black Creek Pioneer Village runs heritage craft workshops, and Gibson House Museum holds its 175th anniversary celebration from 11 AM to 3:30 PM. The Toronto Botanical Garden has its free plein air art show (to October 18) and the Toronto Bonsai Society's fall exhibition (October 17–18), and the Aga Khan Museum is free Wednesday, October 21, 4–8 PM.
What is Runway Reels at YZD and is it free?
Runway Reels is a free drive-in and walk-in movie series on the taxiway at YZD in Downsview. This weekend it shows Barbie on Friday, October 16 and A Minecraft Movie on Saturday, October 17, with a live pre-show at 6:30 PM and the film at sunset. Admission is free, but you must register in advance at yzd.ca. Walk-ins enter at 10 Hanover Road; bring your own chair.
When does Harry Potter: Visions of Magic open in Toronto?
It opens Friday, October 16, 2026 at YZD (The Hangar District), 30 Hanover Road in North York. Tickets start at $28 plus taxes and fees, and children under 3 don't need one. Last entry is 7 PM Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and 8 PM Friday to Sunday; Tuesday hours aren't listed.
Is the Aga Khan Museum free this week?
Admission is free on Wednesday, October 21, from 4 to 8 PM under the museum's BMO Free Wednesdays program, with TD Pop-Up Performances at 5, 6 and 7 PM. More pop-ups play the Atrium on Saturday and Sunday, October 17–18, at 12, 1 and 3 PM. Islamic Heritage Month workshops that weekend and the Ishq Ke Saat Muqaam performance (October 16–17, 8 PM) are ticketed.
When is the Toronto Bonsai Society fall show?
The Toronto Bonsai Society's 2026 Fall Exhibition & Sale is Saturday and Sunday, October 17–18, 11 AM to 5 PM, at the Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence Avenue East. Tickets are sold on Eventbrite and at the door; children under 12 are free, and the sales area is free for everyone.
Are there ghost walks at Black Creek Pioneer Village this week?
Yes. Ghosts of the Village, a 75-minute haunted walk, runs nightly from Friday, October 16 to Tuesday, October 20 at 1000 Murray Ross Parkway. Tickets are $34.99 for adults and $26.99 for youth 14 and under, fees included plus tax, with $5 off Monday to Wednesday. Halloween at the Village daytime events follow on October 24, 25 and 31.
What's free to do in North York this week?
Runway Reels movies at YZD (Friday and Saturday, October 16–17; register first), Downsview parkrun's free 5K (Saturday, October 17, 9 AM — register once online), the Essence of the Garden plein air art show at the Toronto Botanical Garden (daily 10:30 AM–4:30 PM to October 18), and the Aga Khan Museum's BMO Free Wednesday admission (Wednesday, October 21, 4–8 PM).