There's a stretch of the year up here that I look forward to more than almost any other and it's right now. The Bay cools off, the leaves on the mountain turn every shade of red and gold and the whole region slows down just enough to actually enjoy it. If you've got a family and you want a weekend that isn't screens and errands, Georgian Bay in the fall delivers. Here's where I'm taking my own son this season, and where I'd point you too.
Apple Picking on the Apple Pie Trail
This region grows some of the best apples in Ontario, and there's a real trail built around it. The Apple Pie Trail runs 36 stops from Collingwood to Meaford, winding up, down and around Blue Mountain through Craigleith, Thornbury, Clarksburg, Heathcote and Ravenna. Grab a bag, pick your own, and work your way down the trail for cider, a fresh pie, and a few stops that'll wear the kids out in the best way :)
A few favourites worth building your route around:
Blue Mountain Berry Co., Thornbury — U-pick and we-pick, a family farm running over 70 years
Grey & Gold Cider, Clarksburg — farm-based cidery on a six-acre orchard, don't miss the Wildflower dry cider
Spy Cider House & Distillery, Clarksburg — cider tastings alongside a cheese and charcuterie plate
Georgian Hills Vineyards & Ardiel Cider House, Clarksburg — cool climate wines plus traditional dry cider pressed from heritage apples
Beaver Valley Orchard and Cidery — watch the cider-making process in a converted barn
Blackbird Pie Co., Heathcote — the pie stop, a Northern Spy pie is the local classic
Grandma Lambe's, Meaford — a country market running over 50 years, homemade pie and scooped ice cream under the apple trees
Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery, between Meaford and Owen Sound, a good spot to close out the day
Fall Fairs Across Grey and Simcoe County
There's nothing that says fall in this region quite like a county fair. Livestock shows, tractor pulls, pie contests, a midway for the kids, this is small town Ontario at its best, and most of these fairs have been running for well over a century.
Grey County
Beaver Valley Fall Fair, Thornbury
Rocklyn Fall Fair
Markdale Fall Fair
Owen Sound Fall Fair, Victoria Park
visitgrey.ca
Simcoe County
Elmvale Fall Fair, right on Thanksgiving weekend most years, running since 1860
Coldwater Fall Fair
Great Northern Exhibition, Stayner
Barrie Fair
experience.simcoe.ca
Check exact dates each year before you plan around one, they shift slightly season to season, but the fall fair season generally runs late August through Thanksgiving weekend.
Best Spots for Fall Photos in Georgian Bay
If you want the shot that actually captures why we live here, a few spots never miss. Scenic Caves and the lookout at the top of Blue Mountain give you the whole Escarpment lit up in colour with the Bay behind it. The Georgian Trail through Collingwood and Thornbury is an easy, flat walk for a family with younger kids and still delivers. Craigleith Provincial Park along the shoreline is a quieter option if you want the water in the frame. And if you're downtown, Thornbury's main street with the harbour behind it is about as classic a fall backdrop as this region has to offer.
Thanksgiving Weekend
This is the weekend I plan my whole month around. Get out on the trail in the morning, hit a fair or an orchard in the afternoon, and be home for a table full of family by dinner. That's the whole idea behind living up here, less time getting to the good stuff, more time actually in it.
However you spend it this year, I hope it's a good one. And if you're thinking about making this region home instead of just visiting it, I'd love to talk.
~Nate
