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Dates: 🗓 October 1 – October 31
Type: 🌟 Beginner Friendly • Global • Annual

Hacktoberfest is an annual, month-long event celebrating open-source software. It encourages developers of all skill levels—from complete beginners to seasoned contributors—to engage with the open-source community.

Participants can contribute to various projects, fix bugs, improve documentation, add features, and more. In return, they get a chance to earn cool swag, t-shirts, or digital rewards, while supporting the community and learning real-world software practices.

🎯 Why Participate?​

  • ✅ Beginner Friendly: Great for first-time contributors.
  • 🌍 Global Event: Thousands of developers around the world take part.
  • 🏆 Rewards & Recognition: Earn swag or digital rewards.
  • 🤝 Networking: Collaborate with developers, maintainers, and organizations.
  • 📈 Skill Building: Improve Git, GitHub, and open-source contribution skills.

🚀 How to Get Started​

  1. Register on the official Hacktoberfest website: Hacktoberfest
  2. Find Projects: Look for repositories with the label hacktoberfest on GitHub or GitLab.
  3. Make Contributions: Fix bugs, add documentation, or build new features.
  4. Submit Pull Requests: Quality PRs count towards completion.
  5. Complete 4 PRs: Successfully merge at least four pull requests during October.

📌 Key Guidelines​

  • PRs should be meaningful (not spammy).
  • Follow each project's contribution guidelines.
  • Contributions can be code, documentation, or even design fixes.
  • Be respectful and collaborate with maintainers.

🔗 Useful Links​

tip

Start early in October to have ample time for contributions and to address any feedback from maintainers.

🏁 Conclusion​

Hacktoberfest is not just about swag—it’s about building a habit of contributing to open source, improving your skills, and joining a global developer community. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, this is your chance to make an impact in open source.