Ontario Summer Fun Newsletter – Things to do in Ontario

Things to do & Places to stay in Ontario

OCTOBER 4, 2018

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What are YOU going to do this weekend?

Halloween and Harvest in Ontario

When October rolls around, 2 things start to appear…freshly picked pumpkins (and apples) and Halloween stuff. It is a fun month, that usually offers pretty good stretches of weather, lots of harvest foods and some scary goblins thrown in for good measure. Below are some places to enjoy October.

Pumpkins & Mazes

Two fun things to do in October are picking (and carving) a pumpkin and getting lost in a corn maze. Applewood Farm & Winery (Stouffville) specializes in Apples & pumpkins. They also have a Corn Maze, Animal yard & more. Great Lakes Farms, Port Stanley is all about Fall! PYO apples, pumpkins, plus fresh baking and a corn-maze. Kustermans Family Fun & Berry Farm, Mount Brydges also has PYO pumpkins as well as farm fall fun like a corn maze and fall festival. Cooper’s CSA Farm & Maze, Zephyr not only has pumpkins but also a 10 acre corn maze! Ouimet Farms Adventure, Vankleek Hill has a giant Corn Maze as well as a pumpkin patch.

Spooky Stuff

While it isn’t fun to be scared during the year, somehow, it is kindof cool to get terrified around Halloween. Go figure! Canada’s Wonderland Halloween Haunt is bigger, better & more terrifying this year, with horrifying mazes, scare zones, live shows + 700 monsters prowling the Park. Fort Fright at Fort Henry Oct 12 - 31, Kingston calls itself Ontario's scariest haunted house and has attractions, scare scenes, scare actors & technology to make sure you are terrified! Haunted Fort Night at Fort William Historical Park in Thunder Bay offers spooky tours of the dark Fort. Encounter strange tales, ghostly characters, shocking surprises & Things That Go Bump in the Night.

Events

There are loads of events going on all month long. Visit the Summer Fun Guide Event page and calendar for lots of ideas but here are just a few: Garden Square Brampton has FREE entertainment year-round, like The Great Pumpkin Party, and more! Blue Mountain Resort transforms Blue into The Haunted Hill, Oct 24-26, when ghosts and goblins run through Enchanted Forests, Haunted Putting Courses and Hikes on Haunted Hill. Rounds Ranch, Elmvale has a Pumpkin Mania Festival, Weekends til October 28, with wagon rides, pumpkin-themed games, corn mazes, farm animals; guests visit the pumpkin patch and pick their own pumpkin to take home.

Other Fun Things to Do

Halloween themed happenings are another way to enjoy the season. How about taking a Halloween train ride? Dress up in your costume for a fun and spooky train ride such as the one by Waterloo Central Railway, St Jacob; the best costume gets to ride with the engineer. On York Durham Heritage Railway, Uxbridge, Halloween Trains offer dressed up kids a goodie bag after a ride through the Uxbridge-Stouffville corridor. Monster Month in Elora has 31 days /nights of Halloween fun including a Monster March and Tim Murton's Twilight Zoo.

Featured Events

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest

October 5- 3, 2018
Kitchener Waterloo (SW Ontario)

Canada's Greatest Bavarian Festival offers something for everyone with 11 exciting Festhallen and over 40 Family & Cultural Events. The festival celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year and events include a Fashion Show, Golf Experience, Bodybuilding Event, Car Show, Harvest Festival, Treasure Hunt and Gala Ball among others.

Bala Cranberry Festival

October 12 - Oct 14, 2018
Town of Bala, near Port Carling in Central Ontario

This festival has evolved into more than just a celebration of delicious cranberries! In addition to locally made, mouth-watering delicacies, the festival is full of fun activities, live entertainment across 2 main stages, a juried art show, rides, games, a petting zoo, contests and tons of fun for all ages. Check out the unique artisans, vendors, music & food and tour the famous Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh.

Ball’s Falls Thanksgiving Festival

Oct 5-8, 2018
3292 Sixth Ave, Lincoln (Niagara Region)

Now in its 44th year, this festival has become an annual tradition for Niagara area families. With over 150 juried artisans, lots of great food vendors, live entertainment, craft beer, local wine, a Farmers’ Market and fun kids’ activities, there is something for everyone. And it all happens in Niagara’s most popular conservation area. Happy Thanksgiving!

Featured casino: Great Blue Heron Casino

The Great Blue Heron is 1 hour northeast of Toronto, in Port Perry, so the excitement is never far away! New table games area has 60 table games including 19 baccarat tables with 15 featuring squeeze baccarat. Try out their NEW progressive table games, jackpot keeps climbing until won! Plus, 535 exciting slot machines! Great dining options including the award-winning Waters Edge Buffet. Open 24/7. Great Blue Heron Casino…Good times are for sharing!

ONLY IN ONTARIO

Rouge National Urban Park
Did you know that Canada's first "national park" in a city and the largest urban park in North America is located in Toronto? The park is home to amazing biodiversity, a working farm, Carolinian ecosystems, one of the region’s largest marshes, beautiful, unspoiled beaches, incredible hiking trails, and history dating back over 10,000 years. Sign up for a Guided Hike or simply stroll around the space on your own (or with your dog). Open 365 days a year.

Print Edition

We've started working on the 2019 edition of Summer Fun Guide but if you are looking for a 2018 edition, email info@summerfunguide.ca to have one mailed to you. View a digital version of the print edition online here: https://www.summerfunguide.ca/print-edition.html.

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