Field Notes: Your Guide to Autumn Events

Gear up for spooky season

A lonely farmhouse, abandoned by its owners. A rural town, rocked by rumours of ghosts. An urban transplant from Richmond Hill who dealt with his own fair share of things that go bump in the night. All of these are woven together in Christopher Dodd’s book, Unseen Thing: The Mulmur Hills Poltergeist, which takes a closer look at the local tale of the Dobson Spook Farm of 1930, along with other hauntings. 

“I’ve always been interested in ghostly folklore, but I was never a true believer – more of a healthy skeptic with an open mind,” says Dodd, a science teacher who bought a property in the area in 2014 only to find out he was in fact descended from Mulmur Irish pioneer farmers. “The strange events at our Richmond Hill home made me realize that unusual things can happen to ordinary people … things that aren’t always easily explained.” 

While on the topic of ghosts – don’t be alarmed by the sight of hundreds of witches wandering the streets of Erin on October 23 – it’s the annual Witches Walk, a fundraiser for the Headwaters Health Care Foundation. Enjoy a spooky stroll on Erin’s Main Street with Halloween décor, shopping and live entertainment. Don’t forget your broomstick.

Get crafty

Keep little hands busy with fun arts and crafts at the Museum of Dufferin, including Pumpkin Patch activities on September 23 and Turkey Time Thanksgiving-themed crafts and sensory play on October 7. Anyone over 16 can try their hand at making fall garlands on October 2 and 3, and polymer clay autumn earrings on October 22. 

Interested in making your own zine for creative freedom and self-expression? Join the BZS Zine-making workshop with artist and illustrator Malachi Watson-Narcisse at the Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives on September 24, with the theme “What does this land mean to you?”

Then on November 21 try your hand at the Japanese art of kumihimo at PAMA. It’s a technique that involves interlacing strands of thread or cord on a stand to create colourful braids. Led by Brampton Library and Brampton Arts Organization’s 2026 Artist in Residence, Shiemara Hogarth, participants will learn the fundamentals of the craft while creating their own handmade piece.

Hitting the stage

Starting at 13, self-described “AspieComic,” actor, author and TEDx speaker Michael McCreary has built a career around finding humour in his neurodivergent life. The Hockley Valley native presents his acclaimed show, Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic, based on his 2019 book of the same name, at the Orangeville Town Hall Opera House on September 20. The event is hosted by the Dufferin Arts Council. Visit their website for tickets. Fun fact: McCreary was recognized as one of In The Hills’ 25 Under 25 recipients in 2018. 

What are the chances that two small-town Canadian kids would both end up on Broadway playing the role of Frankie Valli, the iconic falsetto frontman for The Four Seasons, in the smash hit Jersey Boys? Jeff Madden and Adrian Marchuk bring their incredible story to Theatre Orangeville from September 25 to 27 in How We Got to Jersey: A Tale of Two Frankies, where they sing all the favourites, including “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man” and “Sherry.”

Then in October catch Theatre Orangeville’s production of Love Is for Poor People | Or You Can Do Nothing, two witty one-act plays that tell very different, but delightfully offbeat stories. In the first, a glamorous woman reflects on her life from the perspective of her younger self. And in the second, a chance remark at the dentist sends a young man on an unexpected path. This double bill runs from October 15 to November 1. 

Famous U.K. historian and thriller author Ben Macintyre sits down with journalist Michelle Shephard on the Town Hall Opera House stage October 4 to discuss his new non-fiction book, Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War’s Most Extraordinary Spy. Tickets available at BookLore or the Opera House box office.

In tune for fall

Intimate village halls set the stage for big talent during Clearview Township’s Small Halls Festival. This year’s event features Séan McCann of Newfoundland’s Great Big Sea at the Creemore Station on the Green on September 18, plus film screenings, a professional hypnotist, whisky tastings and dinner theatre at various venues. Visit the Small Halls Festival website for schedules and tickets.

Enjoy timeless classics such as “Sundown,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” and other beloved Gordon Lightfoot hits when Gord’s Gold takes the stage at Orangeville’s Town Hall Opera House on September 18. This tribute band faithfully recreates the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter’s warm folk-rock sound and unforgettable storytelling. For tickets, visit gordsgoldlive.com

Get out for the day

The spirit of the season will fill Erin’s Main Street during Hometown Harvest on September 26, with local vendors, sidewalk sales, musicians and buskers, plus fun and games for the whole family.

Fall fairs are also gearing up, including the Shelburne District Fair from September 18 to 20, the Bolton Fall Fair from September 25 to 27 and the Erin Fall Fair from October 9 to 12. 

The Splitrock Narrows Nature Reserve in Mono gets busy for Bruce Trail Day on October 4 with music, barbecue and children’s activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit dufferinbrucetrailclub.org for info. Also on October 4, the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club will have music, crafts and family-friendly hikes from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. See caledonbrucetrail.ca.

For horse lovers

If you work with horses and feel traditional approaches don’t always deliver, discover new equine health innovations at the Evolution in Whole-Horse Soundness Conference from October 2 to 5 at the Orangeville Agricultural Centre. This event explores the connections between hoof health, movement and nutrition, offering tools and strategies to help support healthier, stronger horses. Read more and find tickets at the Canadian Equine Hoof Care Association website.

A retro telethon for a good cause

Streams Community Hub celebrates its 10th anniversary October 6 and will be raising funds for youth arts programming with The Good Old Fashioned Telethon. This live event on Rogers tv Dufferin-Caledon and YouTube features performances, entertainment and campaigns for their ongoing One of 1,000 donor program, which asks donors to give just $10 a month. Watch for the grand prize, a trip to St. Lucia. 

Find those hidden gems

The hunt is on at Antiques & Vintage: Orangeville, a one-day extravaganza arriving at the Orangeville Fairgrounds on October 3. Watch for vintage furniture and décor, collectibles and unexpected treasures from yesteryear.

Salamanders are back in Belfountain 

After a brief hiatus, the Belfountain Salamander Festival is back on the calendar with a full day of family fun at the Belfountain Village Church on October 3. The long-running community event is in recognition of the endangered Jefferson salamander that lives in Belfountain’s lush forests. If you’re interested in volunteering, visit belfountain.ca.

Jump into the dating pool

Single and ready to mingle? Ditch the apps and make real connections with weekly speed dating on “matchmaker Mondays” at the Lightcaster Taphouse + Eatery in Orangeville. “I think what makes it different from an app is that you know within a few minutes if there’s a spark,” says owner Melanie Horton, who runs the new brew pub with her husband, Brad. “You can actually hear someone’s laugh, see their personality, and have a real conversation instead of trying to judge someone from a few photos and a bio.” The speed dating is age specific, including the 25–39 crowd, 40–54, and 55 plus, and the host uses connection cards to see if there’s a mutual match.