Field Notes for Autumn 2024

Trick or Treat

Halloween has escaped the confines of October 31. Ghouls just want to have fun at Haunted Rosemont at Rosemont General Store on weekends October 18 to 20, October 25 to 27, and on Halloween. In Orangeville, Boo on Broadway fills the street on October 19 and involves trick or treating, haunted shops and jack-o’-lanterns.

Bring your costumed four-legged friends to Solomon’s Howl-o-ween Parade at the Orangeville Lions Club Sports Park on October 20 to raise funds for Autism Dog Services. This event is being spearheaded by 11-year-old Solomon Vahey, who was able to get a support dog named Major last December after a five-year wait. “Getting a service dog is a long process and families have an average wait time of three years,” says Solomon’s mother, Vivian Petho. “Training each dog takes more than $20,000 and Autism Dog Services relies entirely on donations.” 

On October 26 grab a map for the free Storybook Scavenger Hunt at the Museum of Dufferin in Mulmur. The same day, kids can trick or treat at Grand Valley’s Masquerade on Main.

Dress up for the Bolton Rotary Haunted Hill Run/Walk on October 27 with proceeds going to local youth programs. And although available throughout the year, consider joining one of the Haunted Orangeville Walking Tours, guided evening walks through the shadows of the downtown’s most haunted places.

On Stage 

Just before the curtain goes up on its fall season, Theatre Orangeville invites supporters to join them on September 15 for an Afternoon Affair fundraiser with wine and food at Adamo Estate Winery in support of the I Love My Theatre Orangeville campaign. 

Then mark your calendar with the theatre’s fall offerings. In Vegas Nights, on from September 19 to 22, Derek Marshall channels the great Las Vegas crooners of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. 

Head to a Newfoundland fishing village where aging pals, Gordon and Archie, aim to reclaim their vigour with a magical elixir extracted from the show’s titular Tip of the Iceberg, from October 17 to November 3.

Farmyard Fun

The Dufferin Farm Tour offers visitors a chance to witness firsthand the daily rhythms of agricultural life with a self-guided tour around local farms. This year’s event is on September 28, and admission is a nonperishable food donation or cash for the local food banks. 

Pick of the Patch

Reap the rewards of the season with apple picking, pumpkin patches, corn mazes and towering sunflower fields. The annual Pumpkinfest at Downey’s Farm runs from September 21 to October 31 with wagon rides, a straw jump, duck races and a pedal cart track. Stock up on u-pick apples, pumpkins, gourds, squash and hazelnuts at Dixie Orchards. Pumpkins are available for picking at Albion Orchards – or grab a pie from their country store. Go apple picking any fall weekend at Spirit Tree Estate Cidery and stay to try their fresh cider. Catch the Rotary Club of Shelburne’s Pumpkinfest on October 12 at Natasha Peterson Memorial Park, with bouncy castles, train rides and face painting.

Gather for the Greenbelt

Start a bidding war at Gather, a fundraiser for the Greenbelt held at Hillsburgh’s Bela Farms on September 29, with fantastic food, a performance by Ken Whitely, a barn dance and a Greenbelt auction. “The 413 is very much a back door to development in the Greenbelt,” says promoter Sharon Sommerville. “These fundraisers help advocate to protect the land from attempted incursions.” 

The Beat Goes On

Brampton On Stage roars into the new season by presenting the third annual Flow Fest, Brampton’s International Drumming Festival, on September 21 at The Rose. Expect a “percussive party” packed with DJs, musical performances and the Flow Fest Percussion Ensemble.

Also at The Rose, Moksha by Third Space toasts classical and semi-classical music from the Indian subcontinent on October 4. And in Re-Imagined: A Theatre Concert, curator Darryn de Souza shares new arrangements of Broadway hits in the The Rose Studio on October 18. And the Clearview Small Halls Festival brings music to the Creemore area with Roger Harvey on September 26 and Danny Michel on September 28. For the full roster and information on venues visit smallhallsfestival.ca. 

Fair Game

The fall fair season kicks off with the 157th Shelburne Fair from September 13 to 15 with ice cream giveaways, food vendors and livestock shows. The Grand Valley Fall Fair runs from September 20 to 22. Food Truck Friday starts the festivities, followed by a weekend of pet shows, a Gaming RV, an “Escape Trailer” and “Farmer Olympics.” 

Don’t miss the Bolton Fall Fair, with pie-eating and potato-peeling contests, a rodeo and a demo derby from September 20 to 22. And Erin’s strong equine roots are on full display at the Erin Fall Fair from October 11 to 14, with horses and other livestock events, truck and tractor pulls, food vendors, carnival rides and live music. It’s not inconceivable to hit them all.

Editor’s note: The print version of this article incorrectly stated that the Bolton Truck and Tractor Pull is part of the Fall Fair event. The Truck and Tractor Pull is a separate event that takes place in June. This version has been updated.

More Music and Dance!

The fall festival calendar bursts with inspiration. Visitors to the Caledon Creative Arts Festival can enjoy acts that include The Rolling Coyotes, Irie Vibes and the Matthew & Richard Jazz Duo, on September 28 at the Caledon East Community Centre. And catch an African dance performance when Bolton’s Humber River Centre hosts Caledon CultureFest on October 5.

The Creemore Festival of the Arts takes place from October 4 to 6. Take a lesson in Punjabi folk dancing with well-known Yukon-based Bhangra booster Gurdeep Pandher on October 5 at the Creemore Legion. That evening, catch 2024 Juno songwriter of the year, Toronto-based Oji-Cree musician Aysanabee, in concert at St. John’s United Church in Creemore.

Books On The Go

Shelburne’s Foodland now hosts a mobile Shelburne Public Library kiosk so shoppers can borrow a book without making an extra trip.

In Conversation

Sassy Canadian journalist and author Elizabeth Renzetti will read from her new book, What She Said: Conversations About Equality, at the Museum of Dufferin on October 30.