As the spooky season approaches one organisation in the island is dedicating an event wholly to Hop-Tu-Naa.

Students, graduates and technology enthusiasts from across the island are being invited to take part in Isle of Man Code Club’s ‘Hop-Tu-Naa Hack Day’.

Taking place on Saturday, October 31, the free event will take place at Code Club from 9am to 8pm.

It aims to bring together people aged 13 and over for a full day (and some) of ‘creativity, experimentation and technology’.

This event is something new for Code Club and it is being held as part of Hacktoberfest 2026, which is an international celebration of open-source software and the people who contribute to it. It has been sponsored by island technology solutions provider Continent 8.

Participants will have around seven hours to work individually or in teams to turn an idea into a working project, such as a website, mobile application or artificial intelligence experiment.

The event will have a Hop-tu-Naa theme, giving participants the chance to incorporate the traditional Manx celebration into their creations.

There will also be a particular focus on open-source artificial intelligence, with prizes planned around the use of open-source AI technologies.

A hack day, sometimes known as a mini hackathon, brings people together for a set period to develop an idea into something they can demonstrate by the end of the event.

Despite the name, ‘hacking’ in this context does not involve breaking into computers or systems. Instead, participants are encouraged to experiment, solve problems and learn by doing.

Adam Drummond, event lead for the Hack Day, said the event was designed to be accessible to people with different levels of experience.

‘I'm incredibly excited to bring Hacktoberfest to the Isle of Man, our event is designed to be accessible to everyone.

‘We are encouraging anyone aged 13 or over with an interest in technology, creativity, or problem-solving to take part.

‘Experienced developers and other technology professionals are equally welcome to bring their knowledge and work alongside students and other newcomers.’

Justin Cosnett, chief product officer at Continent 8, said the company was pleased to support the event.

He said: ‘Hacktoberfest embodies what I love about the Isle of Man - a community that comes together, shares knowledge and builds for the future, I'm delighted that Continent 8 Technologies can support the Code Club and help encourage the island’s next generation of technology talent.’

Rather than following a traditional classroom-style coding course, the Hack Day will give participants the freedom to decide what they want to create and how they want to create it.

Code Club will also provide access to additional hardware for projects where available.

The organisers hope the event will bring together the island’s technology community while giving younger participants the opportunity to work alongside university graduates and experienced professionals.

Code Club is a Manx educational charity which aims to help people of all ages develop digital skills, share knowledge and learn how to make use of emerging technology.

The organisation won the Award for Education and Learning Initiative of the Year at the 2025 Awards for Excellence.

Registration for the Hack Day is now open through the Code Club website.