Only in Niagara, Canada... Autumn Adventure Edition
10 Made-In-Canada Autumn Experiences
If you need a reminder of just how unique Niagara, Canada is to visit at any time of year, our original Only In Niagara, Canada and Only In Niagara, Canada …Kids Edition articles are a great place to start. But for families specifically seeking the kind of one-of-a-kind adventures that can only be found in Niagara during the autumn, read on!
True North Niagara Autumn Adventure #1:
Attend a 50-year-old Thanksgiving Festival
A turkey dinner with all the trimmings isn’t the only tradition to enjoy on Thanksgiving weekend. The Ball’s Falls Thanksgiving Festival, is a time-honoured Thanksgiving weekend tradition for families across Ontario. This picture-perfect fall festival offers something for everyone, including a beautiful waterfall, lovingly maintained historical buildings, a marketplace filled with talented craftspeople, birds of prey demonstrations, craft beverages, and delicious food.
With its rich natural landscape, many trails and lovely waterfalls, the Ball’s Falls Conservation Area in Lincoln, Ontario is popular with locals and tourists alike. Home to the Ball’s waterfalls, the conservation…
True North Niagara Autumn Adventure #2:
Soar like a bird from the shores of Lake Ontario to the edge of Lake Erie
Experience Ontario’s first-ever flying theatre experience in Niagara Falls! Niagara Takes Flight is a cutting-edge new attraction that combines storytelling, motion, stunning aerial vistas, music and special effects into an immersive 30-minute experience that takes guests on a flight over the Niagara River corridor across ancient rock formations, historic battle sites, and breathtaking scenery. The addition of wind, mist, and scent effects makes the flight feel even more lifelike for riders.
Niagara’s newest, must-see attraction offers an immersive, awe-inspiring journey through the Niagara River corridor, showcasing views like never before. Visitors will soar over 56 kilometres of stunning parkland and…
True North Niagara Autumn Adventure #3:
Take trick-or-treating to the next level
Leave knocking on doors in your neighbourhood for October 31st! A pre-Halloween trip to Niagara allows your kids to get into the Halloween spirit a little early by trick-or-treating in some very cool locales! Safari Niagara’s Boo at the Zoo is a spooky, fun-filled event with over 100 local vendors handing out treats, as well as costume contests, Halloween-themed activities, pumpkin painting, seasonal photo ops and more! Fort Erie Race Track’s Track-o-Lantern is a free event where kids in costumes can collect candy at festive stations around the track, enjoy horse-themed games, and snap photos with spooky decorations.
Safari Niagara is a 150-acre playground for more than a thousand native and exotic mammals, reptiles, and birds. Located just ten minutes from Niagara Falls, Safari Niagara offers interactive educational shows and…
The “Fort” is widely held to be one of North America's most beautiful, and a paragon of racing tradition since 1897. Fort Erie Racetrack has been a special place for the horse racing community, and its unique…
True North Niagara Autumn Adventure #4:
Family-friendly shows at the Shaw Festival
Catch one of the Shaw Festival’s incredible productions with the kids and check their schedule for fun family workshops and behind-the-scenes activities.
Creating unforgettable theatrical experiences inspired by Bernard Shaw. The Shaw Festival … the perfect intermission from life! Nestled in the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lake, just a short lovely drive down the…
True North Niagara Autumn Adventure #5:
Brave North America’s most interactive horror festival
Families with older children who can’t get enough horror movies won’t want to miss Frightmare In The Falls at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre. The event features more than 50,000 square feet of all things horror, including memorabilia, panels, celebrities, movies, autographs, displays, movie cars, cosplay, special effects props, and much more!
Niagara Falls Convention Centre is one of the region’s premier venues for large-scale business events, offering a modern and highly adaptable space designed for conferences, trade shows, and corporate conventions…
True North Niagara Autumn Adventure #6:
Experience the magic of a maple sugar bush as the leaves change colour
For a sweet fall experience on Saturdays and Sundays through October, visit White Meadows Farm for their Discover Maple Sugar Bush Tour. This amazing autumn adventure includes a tractor-pulled wagon ride through the heart of the forest, a stroll through the sugar bush, a maple syrup tasting, and time to relax under the mighty maples and enjoy a tasty treat.
Nothing is more iconic to Canada than Maple Syrup. Come to the farm to find out how it’s made. Our winter tour, Sugar Bush Trek, happens on weekends in March. Our summer tour, Discover Maple, happens most Friday &…
True North Niagara Autumn Adventure #7:
Explore the Niagara Escarpment on an autumn hike
Set out on a hike with a real sense of history as the Niagara Escarpment shows off the radiance of its fall wardrobe! Woodend Conservation Area offers sweeping vistas of Lake Ontario and steep Escarpment slopes that are believed to have served as army observation points during the War of 1812. The forest here is composed mainly of hardwood trees, offering amazing fall colours in scattered Carolinian species, like Black Cherry, Black Oak and Sugar Maple.
With sweeping vistas of Lake Ontario and the escarpment slopes, Woodend is considered to have been an observation point during the War of 1812 for both armies. Woodend’s location was at the center of the action…
True North Niagara Autumn Adventure #8:
Hear real stories of the Underground Railroad’s brave passengers
As a terminus of the Underground Railroad, Niagara is home to rich Black history, including Fort Erie’s Freedom Park and St. Catharines’ Salem Chapel, which Harriet Tubman once attended. Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Voice of Freedom Park is an experiential art installation designed to engage, educate, and challenge visitors about Black history in Canada. The audio walking tour that is available for download is an excellent tool for families eager to explore Niagara-on-the-Lake’s significant Black history sites in a more interactive way.
Built in 1855, Salem Chapel was the vital centre for the abolitionist and civil rights movement, providing shelter and guidance for freedom seekers escaping slavery in the United States. Harriet Tubman – the…
The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has set aside a significant site in the heart of the Old Town to understand, celebrate, and honour its Black history. Voices of Freedom is an experiential art installation designed to…
True North Niagara Autumn Adventure #9:
Step into the sparkle of Canada’s largest free outdoor lights festival
Each year, as the late autumn days begin to get darker, the Winter Festival of Lights lights up the night with three million lights displayed in breathtaking installations across Niagara Falls. Take in the larger-than-life displays, twinkling lights, and nightly “Sparkling Winter Lights” Falls Illumination, showcasing the sub-zero splendour of winter in the north. And what better way to warm chilly fingers on a brisk fall night than strolling your way to a series of decadent hot chocolate stops?
Enjoy Canada’s foremost illumination festival in Niagara Falls as we capture the magic of the winter season! The Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights is presented by Niagara Falls Tourism The Niagara Falls Winter…
True North Niagara Autumn Adventure #10:
Take a candlelit tour of a historically haunted War of 1812 barracks
Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Fort George has earned the reputation of being one of Ontario’s most haunted places. The bloody battles and deaths that took place here during the War of 1812 have led to hundreds of reports of paranormal activity, like sightings of soldiers, family members, and spirits. Hear the ghostly accounts of the many spine-tingling encounters that have occurred in this War of 1812 landmark on Ghost tours offered on Sunday evenings through September, and Halloween tours that are available on select dates in October.
There is no such thing as ghosts, right? Maybe, and maybe not. Take a tour for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Fort George is regarded as one of the most haunted spots in Canada. Its history makes the…
Adventure In Niagara
Surprise your family with some only-in-Niagara autumn fun, enjoying the region’s attractions, historic sites, and events. Be sure to check out @visit_niagara on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for additional trip inspiration and to learn about upcoming events. Then, scroll through suggestions for local accommodations and restaurants to round out your trip to Niagara.
