From Canada’s largest wine festival to pick-your-own pumpkin farms and dining on the freshest farm to table fare, fall is a time to celebrate harvest across Ontario. Plan your fall escape to Niagara Benchlands, Northumberland County, or Prince Edward County to experience the height of autumn goodness in the province!
- Grape & Wine Harvest Harvest + Fall Events in Niagara Benchlands
- Pick-Your-Own in Northumberland County
- Farm to Table Fare in The County
Grape & Wine Harvest and Fall Events in the Niagara Benchlands
Located along the shores of Lake Ontario, the Niagara Benchlands is one of Ontario’s premier wine destinations and encapsulates the communities of Beamsville, Campden, Jordan, Jordan Station, Rockway, Tintern, Prudhommes, Vineland and Vineland Station.
Its position along the escarpment and the water makes it a beautiful back drop for fall colours and provides a unique terroir that shows up on menus across the destination and within each sip of every award-winning wine.
Enjoy Grape Harvest at Benchlands Wineries
Late August to early October is harvest season for grape growers and also happens to be one of our favourite times of year to visit wineries and vineyards in Niagara Benchlands. Sip and savour the best of the region and get a taste of terroir in each glass!
Wander the vineyard on a beautiful fall day or take a tour of the production to see what happens with the grapes once they’re harvested. Here are a few can’t-miss wineries in the region!
Vineland Estates Winery
Where: 3620 Moyer Rd, Vineland, ON (View Map)
Vineland Estates Winery is a can’t-miss in The Bench for its sweeping views from the vineyard, widely celebrated wines and a Feast On® certified restaurant known as one of the world’s best vineyard restaurants.
We recommend booking one of their many experiences that range everything from tastings in their 1877 wooden cathedral log barn to opportunities to stroll the vineyard with your pooch.
This fall, we’re excited to try the Flair for Franc Wine Tour & Tasting with the winemaker where you’ll get a chance to enjoy a guided walk through the vineyard, learn about his passion for Cabernet Francs and then do a tasting of Vineland Estate’s wines that are Franc-inspired! Did we mention that these iconic vineyards are also Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario Certified?
Be sure to book your experiences in advance!
Afterwards, grab a seat in the restaurant and be dazzled by Executive Chef George Ward’s menu of locally inspired ingredients sourced from the bounty of the Niagara Benchlands. If the day is nice, grab a seat on the patio overlooking the vineyard as you savour dishes like duck leg confit and saffron spaghetti.
The Good Earth Food & Wine Co.
Where: 4556 Lincoln Ave, Beamsville, ON (View Map)
This down to earth winery and vineyard is non-pretentious and so delicious. Grab a glass of their wine in the tasting room (we love the 2022 Aria Sparkling Rosé) and wander the vineyard as you take in autumn in the Niagara Benchlands. The entire property is licensed to accommodate just that!
Next, grab lunch in their on-site bistro and be delighted by modern flavours made with high-quality ingredients, some of which were foraged from their own property. With a menu that changes with the seasons, you’re sure to get that freshness in every bite.
Megalomaniac Wines
Where: 3930 Cherry Ave, Vineland, ON (View Map)
One of Niagara’s largest wineries, Megalomaniac Wines is damn impressive as you drive up to it. Located high up on the bench overlooking the prolific Niagara Escarpment, this winery has sweeping views of Niagara’s Wine Country and iconic Lake Ontario shoreline. Fall foliage will envelop them all come autumn (we recommend visiting early-mid-October) and the views are stunning.
Book a guided tasting, shop for what you liked best on-site and grab lunch in their on-site restaurant where you’ll find their wines sprinkled throughout the menu in vinaigrettes, jellies and more.
Black Bank Hill Winery
Where: 4247 Sann Rd, Beamsville, ON (View Map)
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Just over a year old, this winery is fairly new on the scene but is already making waves and racking up some impressive awards including Platinum at this year’s National Wine Awards for their 2020 Cabernet Franc!
Book a tasting in advance and you’ll be walked through their laid-back list of wines. Check out their 2021 Syrah, 2023 Runaway Chardonnay or that aforementioned award-winning Cab-Franc.
Fall Events
There’s nothing like a Niagara Benchlands event in the fall. Surrounded by gorgeous vineyards, conservation land and delicious eats, you really can’t go wrong. Here are two we’re particularly excited for this season:
Niagara Grape and Wine Festival
Canada’s largest wine festival, the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival is a celebration of harvest season in all its glory. Book tickets in advance and enjoy the celebrations all September long.
Discovery Pass
On September 6-8, 13-15 and 20-22, Niagara Grape and Wine Festival Discover Pass Holders get access to 6 food and wine pairing experiences at any 6 of the wineries participating in the event. Sip and savour pairings made by heavy hitters like Featherstone or Red Stone Winery or discovered some other great spots like 180 Estate Winery, Alvento Winery and Sustainable Winegrowing Certified Vineland Estate Winery. Find a list of participating wineries here.
Montebello Wine & Culinary Village
On September 22-22 and 27-29, Montebello Park in St. Catharine’s comes to life with great food and wines to celebrate the harvest! With over 50 hours of live music and dozens of food vendors infusing wine into their culinary offerings, it’s an unforgettable day for wine enthusiasts and foodies alike! This year, Niagara College is hosting a food and drink marquee that celebrates female chefs and winemakers from across the region.
Also on-site, the Good Spirits Lounge will be serving up adult beverages that include (of course) wines from the region but also wine-infused cocktails. Want to kick things up even more? Book a VIP Cabana Experience or The Harvest Lounge where you’ll get a VIP VQA-stocked private bar, exclusive food vendors AND (possibly most importantly) VIP washrooms.
Ball’s Falls Conservation Thanksgiving Festival
A tradition in the Benchlands since 1974, the Balls Falls Conservation Area Thanksgiving Festival is a time to appreciate the harvest, take in the beautiful fall foliage and enjoy some tasty treats to boot. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, things are sure to be a little extra special.
Running October 11th-14th, come to the conservation to enjoy an on-site farmers market of vendors ranging everything from wines and honey to wool, fresh produce and more. Afterwards, visit the on-site craft beverage garden with local craft breweries like Newark Brewing and Bench Brewing or grab a delicious bite like fresh-popped kettle corn, ice cream and more!
Finally, wander the trails and delight in all that the fall bounty in the Benchlands has to offer.
CultivATE Taste Trail
Need a little help with planning a route through the Niagara Benchlands? In walks the CultivATE Taste Trail, a collection of farmers markets, garden centres, u-pick farms and even farm stays to help with your planning.
This planning tool will show you the best of local food in the region whether you’re grabbing fresh fruit and s’mores cookies from Red Barn, savoury creamy Jersey-milk cheese at Upper Canada Dairy or grabbing avocado toast with grown-on-site edible flowers at Watering Can Flower Market.
Pick-Your-Own in Northumberland County
Just an hour outside of the GTA, Northumberland County is the perfect spot for a little fall splendour as you delight in pick-your-own goodness, fun fall events and fresh eats galore. Whether you’re enjoying your fun along the shores of Lake Ontario or the Trent-Severn Waterway, there is so much beauty and deliciousness to revel in.
When it comes to pick-your-own fun this fall, Northumberland County is the place to be. With farms sprinkled all along their rural roads, there’s no better way to enjoy the season than with a fresh pumpkin, apple or other tasty treat that you harvested yourself! Read on for a few great spots.
Near Port Hope + Cobourg
Just 15 minutes apart, Port Hope and Cobourg offer up a nice little bundle of PYO-farms just a short drive from one another. We recommend visiting the farms to harvest your own goodness then heading into Port Hope to visit some great stops like Haute Goat and Dancing Bee Honey Equipment and the Bee Works Gift Shop! Here are three great PYO spots nearby.
Stapleton’s Farm Market
Where: 2708 Northumberland County Rd 28, Port Hope, ON(View Map)
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Stapleton’s Farm Market has been serving Northumberland County for over 30 years! All season long, Stapleton’s serves up fresh local produce grown on site and from neighbouring farms from rhubarb in May, peaches in July and August, right down to fresh wreaths for the holiday season. Give them a visit this fall and enjoy a scoop of Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream while you’re there!
Come mid-late September, visitors can enjoy the opening of the Pick-Your-Own pumpkin patch where you and the family can come out to pick the perfect pumpkin (try saying that five times fast). Also on deck are beautiful gourd arrangements for Thanksgiving, fancy pre-picked pumpkins, Ontario-grown apples and so much more!
Burnham Family Farm Market
Where: 7760 County Rd 2, Cobourg, ON (View Map)
Around since 1994, Burnham Family Farm Market has served up drool-worthy pies and squares from their fresh bakery, grown an abundance of fresh produce and welcomed families each fall.
Starting each September, families flock to the farm to kick off the fall season in a most delicious way: to pick-their-own apples and pumpkins. With over ten varieties of apples to choose from and a classic corn maze on site, it’s a great choice!
Near Colborne
Heading East along Lake Ontario, two more pick-your-own experiences stand out in the region.
Deleeuw Farm Market
Where: 11922 County Rd 2, Colborne, ON (View Map)
Get in the swing of the fall season at Deleeuw Orchards Farm Market. Serving up loads of seasonal goodies in their market plus over 60 varieties of apples grown on site, it’s a sure fire bet for getting you into the spirit.
Pieter’s Apple Yard
Where: 13516 County Rd 2 RR 4, Colborne, ON (View Map)
Enjoy a huge orchard and variety of pick-your-own apples at Pieter’s Apple Yard, just an hour from Toronto. With views of Lake Ontario right at the orchard and the ability to hand pick your own, it doesn’t get much fresher than this.
Before heading home, be sure to pop into their farm store to top up your pick with some pre-picks of other varieties or their farm pears.
Near Brighton
Cricklewood Farms
Where: 14953 County Rd 2, Brighton, ON (View Map)
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Cricklewood Farms is all about the fall goodness! With pick-your-own apples from August to November, raspberries from August until the first frost and pumpkins beginning in late September, we recommend coming a few times in the season to really take advantage of this farm’s bounty!
Also on site, you can enjoy a six-acre corn maze and a 1-acre mini maze for the adventurous person on a time crunch. Kids can also enjoy a playground and a straw mountain while they’re there.
Want to take a little more home with you than what you picked? No worries! While apples are all PYO, head into their farm store to shop a selection of local cheeses and preserves, fresh pressed cider, produce, snacks and more. Don’t forget your cooler!
Cheer Farms & Sunflower Fields
Where: 365 Main St, Brighton, ON (View Map)
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One-minute down the road from Cricklewood Farms, Cheer Farms is full of great vibes and fall fun! What started as an apple orchard in 1996 has now grown (pun intended) into a full fledge produce farm growing everything from peaches and corn to sunflowers and yes, apples.
You can opt to pick-your-own apples, snap a photo at their fall photo-op on the farm and of course shop the farm store for fresh produce, baked goods, preserves and more.
Enjoy a Fun Fall Event
Planning to make a trip out of your pick-your-own outing? We hope so! Northumberland County is home to some fantastic fall events that will help round out your plans so why not plan around one or two of them? Here are a few we’re pretty into.
Honey Harvest at the Dancing Bee
When: September 21, 2024
Where: Dancing Bee, 5029 County Rd 2, Port Hope, ON (View Map)
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Delight in the honey harvest and other fall goodness! Dancing Bee’s annual Honey Harvest Festival invites a large selection of vendors to the farm, face painting, pumpkin carving and bouncy castles for the kids and live entertainment. Foodies will love the honey and mead tastings done on site and those interested in bees can see some beekeeping demos.
Brighton Apple Fest
When: Thursday September 26, 2024- Sunday September 29, 2024
Where: Downtown Brighton
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A true celebration of all things apple, Brighton’s downtown core comes to life each year at Apple Fest. This year is their 50th anniversary so you can expect a few kicked up activities to be announced plus their standard artisan vendor market, live music and of course, more apples than you can shake a stick at that visitors have come to love each year.
Vintage Film Festival
When: October 18-20, 2024
Where: Port Hope Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen St, Port Hope, ON (View Map)
Have a film buff in the house? The Vintage Film Festival celebrates early film and this year their theme is Great Directors. Purchase a weekend pass and you can see thirteen films screening from Friday afternoon right through Sunday dinnertime. Just grab that popcorn and hunker down.
Small Town Fairs and Harvest Festivals
Is there anything better than a small town fall fair? Crisp air, midway rides, candy apples and cobs of corn abound. Check out these ones for our recommendations in Northumberland County:
- 172nd Annual Warkworth Fall Fair, September 6-8
- 148th Annual Roseneath Fair, October 4-6
- Downtown Coubourg Harvest Festival, October 5
Cultivate Festival
When: September 20-22 2024
Where: Haute Goat Farm, 1166 5th line, Newtonville, ON (View Map)
Cultivate Festival is a fall event each year that brings locals and visitors alike to the spirited Haute Goat Farm, just outside of Port Hope. Self-described as part giant picnic, part block party, part music festival, guests to the event can expect just that: great live music, epic eats and a whole lot of connection. Guests can camp the weekend away (book in advance), devour some great food and kick back in the height of fall.
With a great lineup of musicians this year ranging from the well-known Sloan and Tia Wood to Canadian heavy hitters like fiddler Natalie McMaster, it’s sure to be an epic weekend. Grab your tickets here.
Farm to Table Fare in The County
Prince Edward County, located on the eastern shores of Lake Ontario, is the perfect place to fall in love with food, drink, nature, art, and community all over again. Made up of a cluster of small hamlets and villages, their roots are deep in farming and agriculture, trade through their waterways, and unique natural features that have been welcoming visitors for almost 200 years.
Today, The County is home to a thriving ecosystem of farmers, winemakers, brewmasters, distillers, and chefs who are transforming the region’s best ingredients into a constellation of culinary delights. Fall is the perfect time to plan a trip to the County: farm-to-table fare highlights the very best of harvest season at stops across the area. Ready to plot your own itinerary? Read on!
To dine on seasonal ingredients at Feast On® Certified Stops
All of these stops are Feast On® certified, meaning that they’re committed to sourcing Ontario grown and raised ingredients.
The Waring House Cookery School
Where: 395 Sandy Hook Rd, Picton, ON (View Map)
The Waring House is an inn and conference centre just outside of Picton. The on-site restaurant, Amelia’s Garden, offers local and seasonal dining options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a classic afternoon tea service.
Don’t miss an opportunity to take a class at the Waring House Cookery School, where Executive Chef David Correa celebrates Prince Edward County’s bounty of local foods, including locally-sourced proteins and herbs and vegetables from the Inn’s own garden. Each class features a particular culinary subject, food type, region, ingredient, or theme, and they are suitable for all levels of cooking expertise.
Sand and Pearl Oyster Bar
Where: 1705 County Rd 12, Prince Edward, ON (View Map)
Sand and Pearl is a seasonal oyster bar and seafood joint in the heart of Prince Edward County. On the menu, you’ll find lavish seafood towers and champagne alongside cheeseburgers, fried pickerel and chips and cold beers from local breweries. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the laid-back County vibe on their two large patios, cozy indoor dining room and backyard campfire … and friendly dogs are welcome too! Pay them a visit before they close for the season in mid-October.
The Waring House and Sand and Pearl are both Rainbow Registered! This national accreditation is awarded to Canadian businesses that have implemented a stringent set of standards to ensure that their 2SLGBTQIA+ customers feel safe, welcomed, and accepted. For more information about the Rainbow Registered program, click here.
To quench your thirst
Parsons Brewing Company
Where: 876 County Rd 49, Picton, ON (View Map)
Parsons is a family-owned and operated craft brewery in the heart of Prince Edward County that also happens to be Feast On® certified. The brewery encompasses three 150-year-old heritage lumber buildings that were disassembled, moved and re-purposed as the brewery, bottle shop, and taproom.
Grab a pint or a flight of beers at the bar, then spend a sunny afternoon in the expansive beer garden, featuring alfresco dining with authentic cuisine, an unstructured playground for little ones, and a fledgling hop yard offers a laid-back communal environment. Don’t miss the pillowy house-baked focaccia, served warm with cultured butter and pickles – yum!
Closson Chase Vineyards
Where: 629 Closson Rd, Hillier, ON (View Map)
Closson Chase is a quality-driven winery that helped spearhead the birth of the Prince Edward County wine industry in the early 2000s. Winemaker Keith Tyers uses centuries-old techniques and sustainable practices to create world-class wines from the highest quality pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot gris grapes.
The estate is open daily for tasting flights, wines by-the-glass, and bottle purchases. From May to October, enjoy the on-site restaurant, Bantam Farmhouse. This Feast On® certified spot serves share plates, salads, sandwiches, and desserts accompanied by beautiful vineyard views. Vegans, rejoice: Closson Chase wines are certified by VegeCert, a third-party certification that verifies no animal by-products are used in the winemaking process.
Karlo Estates
Where: 561 Danforth Rd, Wellington, ON (View Map)
Karlo Estates is an award-winning winery in Wellington, ON. Guests can enjoy a wide selection of delicious wine tastings or wine by the glass inside the1805 post-and-beam barn. If you’re feeling snacky, a selection of delicious dairy-free cheese and plant-based charcuterie snacks is available.
Snack on the patio or walk the vineyard with wine in hand to visit one of North America’s largest dry stone bridges (one of the best selfie spots in the County!).
Decanter
Where: 260 Main St, Wellington, ON (View Map)
Decanter is a boutique and tasting bar in Wellington that features a unique selection of small batch and rare Ontario wines, craft beer, cider and mead, plus locally-sourced gifts, pantry fare, picnic supplies and gourmet snacks.
Stop by to explore and taste local products, learn about and compare wine varietals, and discover something new to take home. Keep an eye on their Instagram for upcoming food pop-up events in their beautiful space, which occupies a unit in one of Wellington’s original homes circa 1845.
To have an Instagram-worthy fall experience
Littlejohn Farm
Littlejohn Farm specializes in teaching people where their food comes from through wholesome, healthy, and sustainable cuisine. Their Feast On® certified food experiences start with high-quality ingredients that are grown and raised right on the property, with a goal of helping visitors connect with the local terroir. Celebrate the bounty of the season with their 2024 slate of events:
August 17th – Summer Harvest Experience
The Harvest Experience is designed to showcase the plethora of cuisine that is produced on the farm, with an emphasis on beautiful fresh vegetables!
September 21st – The Pinot Party
This event includes a tour of the property with garden snacks, live music, followed by a multicourse meal with wine pairings designed to showcase Canadian Pinot Noir. Guests are welcome to bring something special from their wine cellar.
October 19th – Progressive Aboriginal Cuisine in The County
Experience progressive Aboriginal Cuisine in the County with a menu by Chef Zach Keeshig, a pioneer in the Indigenous culinary space. Keeshig, who is the Head Chef and Owner of Nagaan, a pop-up restaurant at the Owen Sound Farmers Market, will be preparing a tasting menu inspired by local ingredients.
October 24th-November 17th – Countylicious
Prix Fixe menus abound during two weeks of culinary bliss in The County! Countylicious invites visitors and locals alike to savour and sip their way across a variety of special lunch and dinner menus at Prince Edward County Restaurants.
The County Picnic
Looking for an easy way to enjoy a perfect day out in the County? The County Picnic offers private and customizable guided tours where guests can enjoy the sights, learn about the history of the County, meet local friends and, most importantly, sample the goods!
Whether you’re looking for a pick-your-own blueberry orchard, wine samplings, an artisan cheese factory or a food truck, a honey producer or good old-fashioned donuts (our personal favourite), The County Picnic has the tour for you. Guided tours run weekly from May-October. Best of all, The County Picnic is a Feast On® certified business!
Enjoy Fall Fun in Ontario
Want to keep exploring this giant, delicious province? We got you. Check out these trip ideas.
