If you think London slows down once summer ends, the last few weeks say otherwise. In the latest two episodes of London Right Now, I covered the best things to do in London this October — and three stories that say a lot about where this city is headed: a rocket testing facility at the airport, a Canadian-first heart transplant at LHSC, and some very big plans for White Oaks Mall.
Here's the rundown, with both episodes embedded below if you'd rather watch.
Part 1: The Best Things to Do in London, Ontario This October
1. Pumpkins After Dark — Storybook Gardens (October 2–31)
Thousands of hand-carved pumpkins, illuminated displays, live carving, seasonal food and drinks, and an outdoor trail through Storybook Gardens. New this year: a Beehive Maze and a haunted asylum trailer for ages 13+. It works for a family night, a date night or a night out with friends — and you don't have to drive to Toronto for it.
2. Forest City Film Festival (October 15–25)
Now in its 11th year, the festival brings screenings, filmmaker Q&As and events to venues around the city, including Wolf Performance Hall, Imagine Cinemas and The Highland. Expect independent films, local and regional filmmakers, and international work. Events like this are what make a city feel like a city — not just somewhere you sleep and commute from.
3. Return to the Abandoned Village — Fanshawe Pioneer Village (select dates, October 16–31)
Not for little kids. This is a 14+ horror experience where five buildings at Fanshawe Pioneer Village become haunted environments, complete with scare actors, jump scares and flashing lights.
More October highlights
- October 6 — Bring Me The Horizon, Canada Life Place
- October 11 — Warm and Fuzzy Fest featuring Joel Plaskett, London Beer Garden
- October 14 — Jimmy Carr, Canada Life Place
- Starting October 20 — Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Grand Theatre (running into early November). Yes, the plot involves a realtor taking on Dracula as a client. I hope he signed the buyer representation agreement.
- October 23–24 — Oktoberfest at the German Canadian Club, plus a family Oktoberfest on the Saturday afternoon
- October 29–November 1 — The Rocky Horror Show, Wolf Performance Hall
There was too much to fit into one video, so I put together a free 2-page London October Events Guide with dates, venues and links to official sources. No signup, no email, no nonsense.
Download the free October Events Guide
Part 2: Three Stories Shaping London's Future
London is getting into the rocket business
Canada Rocket Company has announced a $30 million rocket testing facility at London International Airport, called the Jeremy Hansen Rocket Test Facility. To be clear, it isn't a launch pad — it's a roughly 12,000 sq. ft. facility where engineers will test and validate critical rocket systems being developed in Ontario.
The initial investment is expected to create at least 40 new jobs over the next 18 months. The bigger picture: the broader vehicle development program is projected to support around 1,000 jobs and more than $1 billion in additional investment over the next decade. London's economy has long leaned on healthcare, insurance, education and manufacturing. Apparently we can add rockets to the list.
A Canadian first at London Health Sciences Centre
A team at LHSC performed a heart transplant using the TransMedics Organ Care System — nicknamed "heart in a box." Instead of transporting a donor heart in cold storage, the system keeps it warm, beating and supplied with oxygenated blood outside the body.
That matters for two reasons: the medical team can assess how the heart is functioning before the transplant, and potential transport time can extend to as much as 12 hours, so donor hearts can travel much further than before. The patient, Raj Mittal, received the transplant in February. According to LHSC, he was up and moving in intensive care the next day and was discharged later that month.
It's a good reminder of how much serious medical work happens right here in London.
White Oaks Mall is planning something much bigger
If you haven't been following White Oaks Mall, you should be. The owner's redevelopment plans include a high-end hotel, sports and entertainment facilities, full-service restaurants, and more national retailers and services. Leasing material shows a two-storey space of about 80,000 sq. ft. per floor still available — roughly 160,000 sq. ft. if a single concept took the whole thing.
FootLab, a soccer-focused sports and entertainment concept, is coming this winter, which signals the direction: not just shopping, but more reasons to spend time there. White Oaks already has more than 140 stores and services and draws over 6 million visitors a year, so this isn't about saving a struggling mall. It looks like a plan to turn the property into a larger mixed-use destination — retail, food, entertainment, hotel and residential.
What This Means If You Live Here (or Are Thinking About It)
Put these stories side by side and a picture forms: a city with a full cultural calendar, a hospital doing nationally significant work, new high-skill employers arriving at the airport, and a major south-end property being reimagined as a destination. Those are the things that shape where people want to live and how neighbourhoods change over time — the south end around White Oaks and the area near the airport are both worth watching.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best things to do in London, Ontario in October 2026?
Top picks include Pumpkins After Dark at Storybook Gardens (Oct 2–31), the Forest City Film Festival (Oct 15–25), and Return to the Abandoned Village at Fanshawe Pioneer Village (select dates Oct 16–31). There are also concerts at Canada Life Place, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at the Grand Theatre, Oktoberfest at the German Canadian Club, and The Rocky Horror Show at Wolf Performance Hall.
What is being built at London International Airport?
Canada Rocket Company announced the $30 million Jeremy Hansen Rocket Test Facility, which will test and validate rocket systems developed in Ontario. It's expected to create at least 40 jobs in the first 18 months.
What is "heart in a box"?
It's the nickname for the TransMedics Organ Care System, which keeps a donor heart warm and beating outside the body. LHSC used it for a Canadian-first heart transplant.
What's happening with White Oaks Mall?
Redevelopment plans include a hotel, sports and entertainment facilities, full-service restaurants, more national retailers, and residential growth. FootLab, a soccer-focused entertainment concept, is opening this winter.
Know about a great London event I missed? Leave it in the comments on YouTube — smaller local events especially. That's what London Right Now is meant to become: all of us sharing what makes this a great place to live.
And if you're thinking about buying, selling or making London home, I'd be glad to help.
Craig Powell, REALTOR®
London Castles | LPT Realty
226-235-8625 | LondonCastles.ca
