One of our favourite times of the year is autumn; and autumn in Niagara Region has proven to be especially enjoyable, given the brilliant foliage in all its splendor.
It’s the perfect time to break out the old hiking boots and hit the Friendship Trail, now that the temperature is so much more comfortable. There’s no end to the exciting things one can do in Niagara this time of year, given that the area boasts countless fruit orchards and an amazing 88 wineries.
Exciting things to-do
Niagara Grape & Wine Festival
Normally held in the last two weeks of September, we love to participate in the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival. This event offers a wonderful slate of activities, including The Grape Growers’ Annual Celebrity luncheon, two weeks of activities at Montebello Park, as well as tastings and parades. It’s an amazing outing! But a word of warning: there is such a thing as tasting too much wine.
Craft Distilleries
While on the subject of alcoholic comestibles, we recently discovered that the Region also has a number of craft distilleries, where artisanal Whiskeys, Gins and Vodkas are produced. We were pleasantly surprised by the purity and taste on offer.
Apples
This is also the time of year that apples are harvested and our family really loves the fresh, juicy honeycrisp apples fresh off the tree. We’re also really partial to MacIntosh apples, as they make the best pies. It’s one of our family traditions.
Ridgeway Fall Celebrations
We also find the Ridgeway Fall celebrations a lot of fun in that they’re ongoing right up until winter and the events are so numerous, they’re sometimes hard to keep up with. One of our favourite events is the Ridgeway Fall market held every Saturday at Hartwell Park in downtown Ridgeway. Who would have thought that our local market could have such an amazing selection of arts, crafts, fresh baked goods and fresh-picked farm produce? We’re especially fond of their $5.00 breakfast, which caps any Saturday morning outing.
Restaurant Week in Ridgeway
What’s more, Restaurant Week in Ridgeway usually runs from November 9-18 and the local restaurants pull out all the stops to outdo each other. Among our favourites are 335 On The Ridge, The Trailside Bar and Grill, The Kitchen as well as the quaintly named Brimstone Brewing Company, a purveyor of outstanding locally crafted beer.
Shaw Festival Theatre
The Shaw Festival Theatre has been a big draw for us no matter what the season. We recently caught an exciting performance of Grand Hotel and we’re hoping to see The Hound of the Baskervilles before the end of the season.Whether it’s Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter, we find that life in Niagara Region offers a plethora of wonderful opportunities to enjoy the better things in life.