It’s no secret – every year Canada blushes from head to toe.

One of the top grape-growing regions in North America has gained international acclaim for its vinos, so it makes sense to celebrate all things wine during each important stage: harvest, the new vintage production and icewine season. Winery tours and galas featuring Niagara cuisine highlight the wines, the area and the season.

What makes this music festival unique is that it’s not just centralized in one community but takes place over the entire island, plus it all happens during peak fall foliage season. Workshops, visual arts exhibitions and concerts have been held in community centres, local fire halls, and parishes for generations, keeping the Celtic spirit alive with each dance step and each musical note.

This festival sets the standard for what classic theatre in North America should be.

Get the wetsuits ready—the surfers are ready to make a serious splash. The O’Neill Coldwater Classic Series surf tour barrels into Tofino, BC on Saturday (Oct. 9).

Pemberton, BC, is just one train stop beyond Whistler, but the two are leagues apart in sensibility. Pemberton’s the place Whistlerites move to when they grow up.

The nip in the air is your first hint. Winter? Yup, she’s a-coming. But before the snow falls and the heavy coats come out is the season that Canada does better than anyone out there. Leaves changing colour and warm breezy days ease us out of the scorching days of summer and give us a treat for the eyes. So of course we’ve got unique ways to savour it.

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.

It’s no wonder Canadians love autumn. The bugs are gone, the heat and humidity have evaporated along with the summer crowds, the forests are turning red and gold before your eyes, farmers’ markets are bursting with produce. 

Here’s how to make the most of the season outdoors in Canada:

When summer turns to fall in Canada, rural folks turn to fall suppers. It’s a time to celebrate the harvest; though most of us no longer spend long days bringing in the crops, we still like to give thanks for autumn’s bounty. (Canadian Thanksgiving falls on Oct. 11 this year.)