October is here, which means it’s time for Hacktoberfest, the annual celebration of Open Source contributions hosted by DigitalOcean and friends. The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is proud to be once again a community partner of Hacktoberfest this year, helping to amplify participation and welcome new contributors to the Open Source movement.
Why Hacktoberfest matters to OSI
The OSI exists to ensure that Open Source software, and the communities that build it, continue to thrive. Our mission is to educate, advocate, and build bridges around Open Source values and practices. Hacktoberfest aligns with this mission in several key ways:
Lowering barriers to entry. Hacktoberfest provides a friendly, structured way for people to make their first contributions to Open Source, turning curiosity into meaningful participation.
Strengthening community. By connecting maintainers and contributors, Hacktoberfest fosters collaboration across borders and projects, reflecting the global nature of Open Source.
Sustaining the ecosystem. Every pull request and contribution, whether it’s code, documentation, or community support, helps maintain the vitality of Open Source projects that millions rely on.
How you can join in
Participating in Hacktoberfest is simple:
Register on the Hacktoberfest website.
Contribute to Open Source projects by opening pull requests in October. Contributions don’t have to be code, they can also be documentation, translations, or other valuable improvements.
Celebrate your progress alongside a global community of Open Source enthusiasts at multiple events.
Join OSI in celebrating Open Source
As a steward of the Open Source Definition and the certifier of Open Source licenses, OSI is deeply committed to making Open Source accessible and sustainable. Hacktoberfest is a perfect opportunity to put those values into practice, welcome new contributors, and give back to the projects that power our digital world.
We invite you to join us this Hacktoberfest, whether you’re a seasoned developer or a newcomer curious about Open Source. Together, we can keep the Open Source movement strong, inclusive, and vibrant.
Source: opensource.org