October is the month Niagara gets to show off. The escarpment turns, the pumpkin farms open their gates, and the whole region develops a sudden and enthusiastic interest in being frightened.
It is also the fullest month of the year. Thanksgiving Monday falls on the 12th, the Shaw closes out its season in the first eleven days, and the Halloween calendar runs right through to the 31st.
We cannot fit all of it onto one page. Here is what we would make time for.
Halloween, and the dark side of the prettiest streets in Ontario
Frightmare in the Falls
October 23rd to 25th · Niagara Falls Convention Centre, 6815 Stanley Avenue, Niagara Falls
Canada’s biggest celebration of horror, three days of it, in a building that spends the rest of the year hosting trade shows. Guests, vendors, screenings, and a great many people who have put serious effort into their costumes. Tickets and guest list.
Ghost Walks in Niagara-on-the-Lake
Through Halloween · Departs from 127 Queen Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake
The Olde Angel Inn, the courthouse, the Prince of Wales. The stories land better after dark, and the walk is short enough that nobody in your group starts complaining about their feet. Dates and booking.
A day out with the family
Boo at the Zoo
October 3rd and 4th, then the 9th, 10th and 11th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. · Safari Niagara, 2821 Stevensville Road, Stevensville
Trick-or-treating with more than a hundred vendors handing out sweets, costume competitions through the late morning, and the run of the park. Children twelve and under in costume are $5, adults are $19.95, and members go free. Last entry is 4 p.m. Safari Niagara is closed on Thanksgiving Monday, so Sunday the 11th is the last day of it. Tickets and costume competition times.
Warner Ranch and Pumpkin Farm
Daily until October 31st, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. · 7705 Schisler Road, Welland
Getting in costs nothing. The corn maze is $3, hayrides are $4, pony rides are $6, and there are unicorn rides, which we have decided not to explain here. Tractor hayrides run on weekdays through October. Plan a visit.
Howell Family Pumpkin Farm
Through October · Fonthill, Pelham
A working family farm with a pumpkin patch, and a Niagara autumn fixture for years. Check their own pages for this season’s hours before you set off. Howell Family Farms.
Thanksgiving weekend
Thanksgiving Monday is the 12th, and the good tables around it go early. These are the ones with a view attached.
Thanksgiving dinner at Table Rock House
October 7th to 9th · Table Rock Centre, Niagara Falls
Three courses, $60 before tax and service, with the Horseshoe out the window. There is an à la carte menu as well. Reserve.
Thanksgiving brunch at Queenston Heights
Sunday October 11th · Queenston Heights Restaurant, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Two seatings, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. $65 for adults and $32.50 for children twelve and under, with a $25 deposit per guest to hold the table, credited against the bill on the day. Reserve.
Thanksgiving brunch at Legends on the Niagara
Sunday October 11th · Legends on the Niagara, Niagara Falls
One seating at 11:30 a.m., same pricing and the same $25 deposit per guest. Reserve.
The falls, lit
Every night · Niagara Falls
The falls are lit every night of the year, and in October they come on earlier: 6:15 p.m. until 2 a.m. up to the 15th, then 6 p.m. for the rest of the month. Dark sooner means you can take it in after dinner rather than instead of dinner. Illumination schedule.
Outdoors, while the colour lasts
Ball’s Falls Thanksgiving Festival
October 9th to 12th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. · Ball’s Falls Conservation Area, 3292 Sixth Avenue, Lincoln
More than 150 craft and artisan vendors, local farmers, craft drinks, live music, historical demonstrations and guided nature hikes, across the whole of the long weekend. On-site parking is limited and not guaranteed, so go early or work out how you are getting there first. Tickets and parking.
Niagara Falls Marathon
Sunday October 25th · Niagara Falls
Sold out, every distance, which leaves the rest of us the better job. Find a corner of the course, make some noise, and go for breakfast afterwards. Race weekend and the route.
Fly over the colour
All season · Niagara Helicopters, Niagara Falls
Nine minutes in the air, and the only way to see the gorge, the whirlpool and the escarpment turning all at once. It is the thing people wish they had booked once they are home. See Niagara Helicopters.
Tour the wineries without driving
All season · Winery Guys Tours, across the region
Private and shared routes across the region, year round, and by their own count six straight years as Niagara’s top winery tour. October is the right month for it, and nobody has to volunteer to be the driver. See Winery Guys Tours.
Theatre, music and culture
The Shaw Festival closes its season
October 3rd to 11th · Niagara-on-the-Lake
This is the last call, and it is a short one. Funny Girl, Heartbreak House and Ohio State Murders all finish on the 3rd. Amadeus on the 4th, Sleuth on the 9th, Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense on the 10th, and One for the Pot on the 11th. After that the theatres go quiet until the holiday shows. Remaining performances.
OLG Stage
Through October · OLG Stage, Niagara Falls
Twisted Sister, Ricky Martin and Wheel of Fortune Live, which is not a sentence we expected to write this month. Fallsview Boulevard is right there for dinner first. What is on.
Light of Day Night of Music
Saturday November 7th · Meridian Centre, 1 David S. Howes Way, St. Catharines
Not until November, but this is the month to get seats. Tim Hicks headlines, with Steven Page, the Miss Emily Band, Stephen Stanley and Noelectric, the Evan Rotella Band, Astrid Young, Samantha Ava, Gravely James and York Street Thought Process, plus a special performance from the Light of Day Foundation’s Joe D’Urso. Proceeds support Niagara Health’s Walker Family Cancer Centre, the Light of Day Foundation and Hotel Dieu Shaver. Bringing a group? Ten tickets are $800 and twenty are $1,500, fees included, and the twenty comes with two meet and greet passes. Tickets and the full line-up.
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