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5 fall food festivals in Canada: a list

Sample our best wine/apples/seafood/root veggies while rubbing elbows with the locals.

by Heather Greenwood Davis 27 September 2010

In the spring, all minds might turn to flowers; but in the fall, the focus is on food. Canada’s glowing landscape shifts to produce some of the body fillers we’ll covet in the months to come: top-class wines, delicious seafood and meats, plus root veggies perfect for soups and cold nights in front of a fireplace. And when the hard work of the harvest is done? We party.
Here are five fall festivals that celebrate the bounty and don’t skimp on the fun:
1. Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival: Charlottetown, PEI
September: “The biggest kitchen party in Atlantic Canada,” this festival celebrates all things fish on PEI. From seafood chowder and oyster-shucking contests to a chance to sip the “Best Caesar in Town,” locals on the friendly island welcome visitors with open arms and a standing invitation to dance it off late into the night.
2. Taste! A Celebration of Regional Cuisine: Prince Edward County, ON
September: The area has quickly become synonymous with tasty local produce, and at this annual one-day celebration, farmers and chefs come together to create unique dishes that make mouths water. This year they’ve added a week of programming (everything from cooking classes to wine tours) so you can test your own skills when you return home.
3. Okanagan Fall Wine Festival: Okanagan Valley, BC
October: When you have more than 60 wineries in your hills and valleys, you know the wine will flow when it’s time for a post-harvest celebration. Ten days of live music, tastings, seminars and ticketed dinners (some of which include a free taxi back to your hotel) bring hundreds to Kelowna and the neighbouring towns each fall.
4. Oktoberfest: Kitchener-Waterloo, ON
October: It’s been 42 years and they are still rolling out the barrels. The deep German roots in this area guarantee that there’ll be polka music and bratwursts; the support of beer drinkers near and far keep it lively. It’s the perfect salute to the end of summer. Save time to take in the annual parade, fashion show and grand gala ball—and don’t miss the keg-tapping opening ceremonies that get things started.
5. Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival: Calgary & Edmonton, AB
October: This celebration of local restaurant kitchens and area wines is so good, they take it on the road. Sip, savour and nibble on goodies from across the region. This year guests also have the chance to sample Wine Access International Value Wine Awards 2010 winners.
videos
P.E.I's Famous Oysters, Salutation Cove
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C65ol-JdaQ
P.E.I.'s Famous Shellfish: Digging for Dinner in Central Bedeque
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhjHn8v3DHo
Prince Edward County: A Growing Wine Region
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFx5TjSlleM

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Usage guidelines

We welcome you to use these story ideas as inspiration for your own stories about Canada. The CTC owns all rights worldwide. (Our images are also royalty-free and available for editorial print, broadcast and electronic use.) If you choose to reproduce these texts for editorial use only, please include the author's byline and "courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission." If you cut, edit or modify the text in any way, please include this note: "The text has been modified from the original." Thank you.

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Prince Edward Island, Credit - Mandatory Tourism PEI/John Sylvester - Background Image