👋 Hey Foothills friends!
Halloween week is here 🎃 — and the Foothills are alive with ghost tours, costume parties, and community happenings from Okotoks to High River and Diamond Valley.
✨ In Today’s Edition
🏫 FSD strike continues
🏛️ Council updates & road closures
👻 Spooky events for kids and grown-ups alike
📰 News
🏫 Foothills School Division Labour Dispute
The strike between FSD and the Alberta Teachers’ Association continues this week, with families turning to local day camps and libraries for childcare support.
🏛️ Council Meetings & Closures
Foothills County Council holds its organizational and regular meetings Wed Oct 29 @ 9 a.m. (foothillscountyab.ca).
Diamond Valley’s new council is sworn in the same day.
Okotoks residents should watch for pathway and lane closures along Cimarron, 32nd Street, and Robinson Drive this week.
🌟 Community Spotlight
🤘 Hike of the Headbangers — Sheep River Valley
(2.5 hour Family-Friendly Hike - ages +5) Trade your headphones for hiking boots and meet the original headbangers — the mighty bighorn sheep! Join The Path Less Taken on a guided 6.4 km hike along the Foran Grade Trail to witness rams in rutting season and soak up jaw-dropping views of cliffs, peaks, and the Sheep River. The family-friendly trek runs Nov 1 and includes snacks, hiking poles, and expert interpretation from ACMG guide Leith Monaghan. Register here or learn more at pathlesstaken.ca.
✍️ High River Writers’ Ink — Monthly Meetup
A welcoming writers’ group (ages 16+, all genres) with on-the-spot prompts, learning, and inspiration. Meets last Thursday monthly, 6:30–8:00 p.m. at High River United Church (123 McLeod Tr SW); next meeting Oct 30. No fee—please bring $2 toward room rent; to join the email list: [email protected].
🎉 Events Calendar (Oct 27 – 31)
🗓 Monday Oct 27
Parents’ Coffee & Playgroup ☕ (Sheep River Library) – Free coffee and playtime for caregivers and toddlers, 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Espresso Yourself 💬 (Okotoks Library) – Morning drop-in social for conversation and connection, 10:15 a.m.
Board Games Night 🎲 (Okotoks Library) – Unplug and play from 6–8 p.m.; bring a friend or join a table.
🗓 Tuesday Oct 28
Sit & Knit 🧶 (Okotoks Library) – Bring your project or start a new one in this friendly crafting circle, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Teen Knit & Crochet 🎓 (Okotoks Library) – Learn yarn skills after school, 4–5:30 p.m.
Ghost Tour 👻 (Okotoks Museum & Archives) – Explore Okotoks’ haunted history on this guided evening walk, 6:30–9 p.m.
Filmmaker Meet-Up 🎥 (Kenko Sushi, Okotoks) – Swap ideas and connect with local creatives over supper, 7–9 p.m.
🗓 Wednesday Oct 29
Up in the Attic 🧸 (Okotoks Museum & Archives) – Every other Wednesday, join an Early Childhood Educator for themed preschool playtime filled with songs, stories, and creative games. Perfect for ages 1–4; next session Oct 29, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. at the Okotoks Museum.
Mini Monster Mash 🧸 (Okotoks Rec Centre) – Ages 1–6 can enjoy Halloween crafts and gym play from 10 a.m.
Karaoke Night 🎤 (Sally’s Bar & Grill, High River) – Sing your heart out in High River’s mid-week karaoke tradition, 8 p.m.
Ghost Tour 👻 (Okotoks Museum & Archives) – Another chance to hear Okotoks’ spookiest stories, 6:30–9 p.m.
🗓 Thursday Oct 30
Afternoons for Adults 🧩 (High River Library) – Enjoy games and conversation with locals, 2 p.m.
Ladies Night 💃 (Sally’s Bar & Grill, High River) – Cocktails, music and mid-week fun for the ladies.
Ghost Tour 👻 (Okotoks Museum) – Final spooky stroll before Halloween, 6:30–9 p.m.
🗓 Friday Oct 31 – Halloween 🎃
Preschool Story Time 📖 (High River Library) – Little ghosts and goblins enjoy Halloween stories at 10:30 a.m.
Baby Rhyme Time 🎶 (High River Library) – Songs and rhymes for babies and caregivers, 11:30 a.m.
Live Music: Earl Morgan 🎸 (Hub Town Brewing) – Roots-rock and craft beer pair perfectly from 7 p.m.
Legion Halloween Party 🍻 (High River Legion) – Dinner and dance from 5:30 p.m.; costumes welcome.
InCahoots Halloween Party 🎧 (Okotoks) – DJ, costume prizes and spooky specials from 10 p.m.
Train of Terror 🚂 (Just east of Foothills, Mossleigh) – All aboard if you dare! This adults-only (18+) haunted railway experience combines indoor and outdoor mazes, fright-filled freight cars, live horror entertainment, and a Halloween party with food and drinks at the end. Departs Oct 31 at 6:30 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. (approx. 2 hrs). Tickets from $89.99.
Paranormal Investigation 👻 (Twin Cities Hotel, Longview) – Spend Halloween night exploring one of Alberta’s most haunted small-town inns with Ghost Hunt Alberta. Built in 1938, the Twin Cities Hotel has a long history of eerie happenings — from phantom footsteps to distant singing. The guided investigation runs 8 p.m.–1 a.m., with overnight stays available for the brave. Costumes welcome, and spooky festivities continue all weekend.
☀️ Weather Snapshot
A mild week with sun and cloud (9–13 °C early week, up to 15 °C Thursday) before a cool 8 °C Halloween night — perfect for trick-or-treating layers and capes!
💬 What Locals Are Talking About
Parents vs. the Strike: Creative solutions from art camps to library drop-ins are keeping kids busy this week.
Neighbourhood Haunts: Crystal Ridge and Downey (Okotoks) are battling for the title of spookiest street — worth a drive!
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