Spooky, seasonal and smashable: 5 things to do in Vancouver this weekend

A file photo shows Vancouver's skyline before the sun fully sets. (CTV/ Pete Cline)

The second full weekend of October is an opportunity to get in the seasonal spirit, whether that spirit is spooky or autumnal. Here are five things to do in Vancouver this weekend.

BECOME A GHOST HUNTER

The team behind Vancouver Mysteries will debut its new Halloween-season mystery game in downtown Vancouver Friday night. 

Every night from Oct. 13 through Halloween, the game – called "Ghost Patrol" – will see participants take on the role of paranormal investigators secretly protecting the city by investigating four hauntings around the downtown area.

"This is not a scary ghost tour or historical walking tour – it's an outdoor mystery game," the company's website reads.

Teams of two to six players, ages 12 and up, will compete for the game's high score, solving challenges and deciphering clues. Costumes are encouraged and prizes will be awarded.

Vancouver Mysteries charges $35 per person for its outdoor mystery games.

FALL FOOD FEST

For a self-guided seasonal celebration of a different sort, consider the Vancouver Fall Food Festival, which begins Friday and runs through Nov. 12.

More than 30 restaurants across Metro Vancouver are participating in the event, offering limited-time festival dishes as well as their regular menus.

Diners are encouraged to participate by completing social media "missions" and collecting stickers in a festival passport. Prize draws will be held at the end of the month-long festival, and completed missions and passports equate to entries in the draws.

More information, as well as a list and map of participating businesses, can be found on the event's website.

SMASH ART TO SUPPORT THE ARTS

The Vancouver Mural Festival is hosting a "smash arcade" on Friday at The Cobalt Cabaret on Main Street. 

"What is a Smash Arcade?" the event listing asks.

"Imagine a mix between a rage room and a carnival where you get tickets to play different smash activities. There will be various breakable items, painted by artists, that you can demolish – all in the name of art."

Tickets start at $15 and proceeds go to the VMF Emerging Artist Fund, which supports first-time mural artists.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and continues with a dance party until 2 a.m., though the art smashing is scheduled to finish by 8:30 p.m.

APPLE FESTIVAL AT UBC

A less destructive fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at UBC's Botanical Garden, where the 32nd annual Apple Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Tickets for the apple tasting tent are sold out, but $10 general admission tickets are still available for purchase through the UBC website. 

The event offers bagged apples and other food items for sale, as well as craft vendors, activities for kids and adults, entertainment and admission to the garden. Forty-three varieties of apple trees are also available for purchase.

OUTSIDER ARTS FESTIVAL

Head to the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre in Yaletown this weekend for a free festival that aims to showcase work from artists "outside of mainstream art institutions."

The Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival began Thursday and runs from noon to 8 p.m. daily through Monday, as well as from noon to 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Both visual and performing artists are participating in the event, which features a variety of scheduled workshops and performances in addition to the standing displays.

A schedule for the festival can be found on its website.