Hacktoberfest 2025: Contribute to Open Source!
October means Hacktoberfest—the global celebration of open source. Organized by DigitalOcean and partners, this event encourages developers to contribute to projects they use and support. (VanLUG thanks our Event Sponsor, Z-Space Vancouver! Co-working spaces where Art and Technology meet. Follow them here.)
Open source thrives on collaboration. In 2024, Hacktoberfest saw nearly 90,000 people participated and in 2023, there was 118,469 accepted pull requests on GitHub. Participation helps you sharpen skills, connect with peers, and strengthen the tools you rely on.
👉 Register for Hacktoberfest 2025
Why Join Hacktoberfest?
Developers gain multiple benefits from contributing:
• Improve coding skills outside your daily work.
• Learn new tools, workflows, or languages.
• Collaborate with global developers.
• Support software that powers your projects.
• Strengthen your portfolio—public contributions on GitHub demonstrate your expertise to potential employers.
Recruiters often review GitHub profiles to assess a candidate’s coding style, collaboration skills, and real-world impact.
How Hacktoberfest Boosts Your Career
Participating in Hacktoberfest provides tangible proof of your skills and initiative:
- Visible contributions: Public repositories showcase your ability to write clean, functional code and work with others.
- Networking opportunities: Engaging with maintainers and contributors can lead to referrals, mentorship, or job offers.
- Demonstrated expertise: Contributing to popular projects signals your familiarity with industry tools and best practices.
- Portfolio growth: Each merged pull request adds to your body of work, making your profile stand out to recruiters.
Many companies value open-source experience—it reflects adaptability, teamwork, and a proactive mindset.
Getting Started with Open Source
New to contributing? Hacktoberfest is the perfect entry point. Many projects offer beginner-friendly resources:
• Hacktoberfest Beginner’s Guide
• 2025 Contribution Rules and Rewards
• 5 Things for your First Time Contributing
• Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Contribution Anxiety
Choosing a Project
Start with projects you already use. Hacktoberfest projects opt in, so maintainers welcome new contributors.
How to find projects — Here’s some suggestions:
• Search #hacktoberfest on GitHub or Gitlab.
• Find a project from the website.
• Choose from the VanLUG List of projects for HacktoberFest.
• Check your project dependencies for participation.
Imagine: in 2021, over 74,000 (!) repositories joined—today, you’ll surely find a match for your skills.
Support Open Source Financially
Hacktoberfest 2025 emphasizes financial support for maintainers. Many maintainers volunteer their time with limited resources. Consider donating via:
• GitHub Sponsors
• OpenCollective
Even small contributions help, especially for smaller projects.
Events and Community
Hacktoberfest is more than code. Join virtual events worldwide:
• Explore Hacktoberfest Events
• Virtual and in-person Meetups
• Live Streams on Discord and / or YouTube
Connect with developers globally in this online-first celebration.
Quality Contributions Matter
Hacktoberfest values meaningful contributions. Before submitting:
• Review the participation rules.
• Add real value—avoid spammy pull requests.
• Respect maintainers’ time.
Most maintainers are volunteers. Thoughtful contributions—code, docs, or issue triage—make a bigger impact.
For Project Maintainers
Hacktoberfest supports maintainers who keep projects running:
• Add the #hacktoberfest topic to your repo.
• Register for rewards when your project accepts valid PRs.
• Label issues with “hacktoberfest” for contributors.
• Include a CONTRIBUTING.md file with clear guidelines.
• Define well-scoped, self-contained issues.
• Adopt a code of conduct for inclusivity.
• Review PRs promptly—merge valid ones or label them “hacktoberfest-accepted”.
• Reject spam or invalid contributions with “spam” or “invalid” labels.
Low- and Non-Code Contributions
Open source needs more than code. Contribute with your professional skills:
Low-Code Contributions:
• Technical documentation
• User experience testing
• Tutorials or blog posts
• Case studies
Non-Code Contributions:
• Writing and editing
• Translation
• Event organization
• Social media and blog posts
• Video production and graphic design
Note: Submit low- or non-code contributions via PR/MR. Maintainers may track these contributions separately.
Final Thoughts
Hacktoberfest is now more than an annual event. Hacktoberfest is a reminder of how open source grows through collaboration. Whether you code, document, organize, or donate, your contributions matter. Make a difference, and help your career grow further through thoughtful participation. VanLUG will host an in-person 4 hour event on October 11. Check our Events Page for details.
👉 Register now and start contributing!
See you in the repositories.
