Nestled on the shores of Georgian Bay, about halfway between Owen Sound and Thornbury, is the town of Meaford. The municipality’s seal and motto reflect its heritage as a place teaming with beautiful apple orchards — and the eating the area does to! Dozens of pick-your-own farms, an annual scarecrow festival and a thriving farmers’ market help to make up Meaford’s unique vibe.
Our perfect weekend in Meaford involves a lot of lazing the afternoon sun, apple cider and ice cream. Who wouldn’t love a weekend like that?
1. Enroute into town, make sure to stop by The Barn Co-Op. It may look like an organic, local grocery on the outside, but step inside and you’ll quickly realize it’s a hub of activity. There are pop-up markets, yoga classes, drum circles, community gatherings and a cute little coffee shop serving some of the areas specialities. That’s where you’ll find cold glasses of Sapsucker, locally roasted coffee, Meredith’s elixirs and hand foraged wild tea shots meant to boost your immune system.
2. When you get into town, take some time to stroll the main strip on this historic town. There are you usual charming small town shops, some great coffee — but most importantly, there’s the Meaford Farmers’ Market open Fridays in the summer between 3pm and 7pm.
3. Come lunch, head down to Perogie Palace and order a couple dozen of there quirky flavoured perogies to go. We love the rueben ones dotted with smoked meat, cabbage and mustard grains — but the classic “Ruskie” with potato and cottage cheese are also great. They’re fried up crispy with bacon, onions and scallions. Bonus: they don’t skimp on the sour cream.
4. In the summer months, we walk our perogie haul down to the public beach and enjoy them in the gazebo over looking Georgian Bay. There’s a great little area for your kids or pups to play in the water down there too!
5. After an afternoon in the sunshine — and a nice long nap! — check out what’s shaking at Meaford Hall. Whether it’s a blues band, a documentary film festival or an art exhibit, they’ve got lots of great program year round. On July 12th, as example, Jeff Martin of The Tea Party is preforming.
6. Dinner means a trip to Andrew’s Roots. Local chef Andrew Barber plays with local ingredients while celebrating the region’s apple-centric heritage. They’re a proud member of The Apple Pie Trail, so come apple season — it’s all apples, all the time. We love the roasted sunchokes with cauliflower puree, frisee, hazelnuts, and a healthy dose of stinky gorgonzola.
7. Before leaving town, make sure to pop into Grandma Lambe’s, open daily, year round, for a pie. The orchard shop has been a favourite of locals, weekenders and tourists to the area for over 50 years. You won’t regret it.
Grey County is full of amazing tiny towns just like Meaford. You can find out more about them all, the Saints & Sinners Trail and other unique experiences in the area here. It’s also home to the award winning Apple Pie Trail! Find out more about The Apple Trail here.