Fall Fun in Burlington, Ontario

As we head into September and beyond, children are back to school and the days grow cooler but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still be having fun!  Burlington is nestled along the Niagara Escarpment where the fall colours offer the perfect backdrop to many outdoor activities and events.  If you need some ideas and inspiration keep reading as we explore fall in Burlington/Halton.

With the extremely hot temperatures this summer, many apple farmers’ were concerned about their crops but that doesn’t mean you can’t get farm fresh apples at our local farmers’ markets, on-farm markets or if you fancy, you can visit one of the many pick your own farms located in the region.  For my family a trip to the apple orchards is a yearly tradition.  We scout for the best trees/fruit and then fill our bags with delicious juicy apples.  Even young children can join in the fun, last year my one-year old had a blast grabbing low hanging fruit and of course there is always the satisfaction of getting to bite into something you picked yourself.  For a complete list of farms and markets visit Halton Region, Simple Local webpage.

There is no better time to get outdoor than the fall, the leaves begin to change and you don’t have to worry about heat alerts.  With miles (kilometers just sounds odd doesn’t it) of hiking and biking trails both in urban and rural areas there is something for every level of outdoor enthusiast.  The parks of Conservation Halton offer ample opportunities to explore nature with trails at all six parks, rock-climbing at Rattlesnake Point and for families with kids consider Crawford Lake with its 15^th century reconstructed Iroquoian Village or Mountsberg’s Raptor Centre.  The weekends of Oct 6-8 and 13-14 Conservation Halton parks celebrate the landscapes and colours of the Niagara Escarpment with a wide range of activities at their Fall into Nature event. 

Another great location for hitting the trails is Bronte Creek Provincial Park located on the border of Burlington.  If you are an angler you can fish in Bronte Creek for Bass, Perch and more.  Kids will enjoy the children’s playbarn for climbing, jumping and having fun followed by a visit with the barnyard animals.  If you are still keen to camp, Bronte Creek’s camping season runs to October 22 and for a spookacular experience join them on October 20th for Camper Halloween.

The trails of the Royal Botanical Gardens are a nature lover’s paradise.  Bird watchers can find over 250 species across the season and for those with a more floral inclination, the September wildflowers are in bloom.  If you would prefer a guided walk join the RBG for Back to Nature walks every Sunday until the end of the year.  Of course we would be remise if we didn’t mention Zimsculpt, a collection of hand-carved sculptures created by artists from Zimbabwe nestled in the gardens.  Read all about it here.

One of the annual rites of nature is the salmon spawning in Bronte Creek at Lowville Park.  It’s hard to believe that these Chinook salmon migrate upstream in our own backyard, it’s something really cool to see and the park is lovely for a walk/hike and picnic.   Check out this YouTube video with underwater footage following the salmon run in Lake Ontario tributaries, then head out to see it in person.

If you are looking to get out in the country and do some early holiday shopping consider a visit to the Fall Farm Craft Show at Country Heritage Park running Sept 15/16.  There will be hundreds of juried vendors and with a $6 admission price it’s a bargain for those looking for a unique gift or something special for themselves.

For families there is no better way to spend a day on the farm then heading to Springridge Farm for their annual Harvest Festival.  The festival runs weekends from September  22 until October 28 and includes lots of great activities, wagon rides, access to the fun farm yard and so much more.  To get all the details visit their website.  Foodies, get excited as Springridge presents celebrity chef and author Michael Smith on Saturday September 22 for an author meet and greet and book signing.  I can tell you, I’ve been to these events at Springridge and they are awesome!  Plus, they are free to attend you just need to RSVP before it fills up.

Whatever your passion or curiosity, indulge it during Culture Days, Canada’s annual country-wide celebration of arts and culture running September 28 to September 30.  In Burlington the major cultural groups have come together to promote a number of cultural activities including:

• ZimSculpt at RBG on Friday Sept. 28
• Human Library at Central Library on Saturday Sept. 29 where you can “borrow” a living book for 30 minutes.  This is one of the most intriguing ideas I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to try this.
• Tottering Biped at Burlington Art Centre on Saturday Sept. 29 co-hosts the “Procession of the Species”, a community-arts based Earth Day celebration that focuses on community unity, environmental education and cultural exchange
• Applefest Fall Fair at Ireland House on Sunday Sept. 30.  An old-fashioned country fair right in the city, including activities, entertainment, and more.
• Culture Days at The Burlington Performing Arts centre on Sunday Sept. 30 complete with tours, activities and of course performing arts.
• War of 1812-14 Commemoration at Tourism Burlington all weekend
• Burlington Art Centre Exhibits and Demonstrations all weekend

Of course there are always new events popping up and we have lots of other great ideas for those wondering what to see and do in Burlington.  Drop by our visitor centre daily from 9am-4pm or visit us online any time.

Now get that sweater and start exploring!