As a local resident of the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada, I am privileged to experience the wonderful options this region has to offer at every time of year; today, however, I am going to focus on Autumn; or Fall as most residents will refer to this season.
While there are benefits to visiting Niagara in each season, Autumn is my favourite time of year to live here; I believe that if I put myself in the shoes of a traveller I will gain some degree of agreement.
So without further ado, let me present to you my list of “5 reasons you should consider visiting the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada in Autumn”:
1. The beautiful weather
I am a big fan of summer season; I enjoy boating, swimming pools and going to the beach on a hot summer day. Did you happen to notice a common thread? They all involve water; being on, by or in the water is what I enjoy in the heat of summer and quite frankly it can be uncomfortable to explore all of the activities that Niagara has to offer in the heat of our Southern Ontario summer. Over the past decade or more our summers have been increasingly hot and very humid; we commonly see humidity factors of close to 40C, and on days like that I just want to stay inside where the air is conditioned and comfortable.
In Autumn, however, we enjoy very comfortable weather. Late September through to late October it is not unusual to experience temperatures in the high teens to mid twenties, pair that with very little humidity and it becomes a more enjoyable experience.
2. The colours of Autumn
There is no denying the brilliance of Mother Nature’s Art in many countries; and Niagara, Canada is certainly not an exception to the rule. The colours of Autumn in Niagara can be absolutely breathtaking; there are many places you can view its beauty, whether you love to hike, go sightseeing, visit wineries or many tourist attractions, you will be surrounded by hues of red, yellow, orange and brown in so many lovely shades!
3. It is grape harvest time
Do you like wine? If the answer is yes, you must visit Niagara no matter what the season. Niagara houses over 100 wonderful wineries to explore and world class, award winning wines to taste. What I love about September to October, however, is that it is Harvest Time! In Niagara, Harvest is a big deal, as a matter of fact we have a festival devoted to it, Grape and Wine Festival is one that many locals look forward to year after year.
The pandemic unfortunately put a dampener on this year’s festival, as it did most festivals; but hopefully when it is behind us we can get back to celebrating properly. In non-pandemic years there are many activities planned over a 2 week span. As a matter of fact this is the largest wine festival in Canada! Most grape and wine festival activities are located at historic Montebello Park, which is located in downtown St. Catharines. For those of you who are not familiar, this city is about 15 minutes outside of Niagara Falls and/or Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Examples of festival activities are parades, outdoor concerts, wine tasting booths, and several wineries participate in our “Discovery Pass” event; a food and wine pairing experience.
Speaking of winery tours, there are several companies that you may book a tour with so that you can explore our wineries in style without having to worry about just how much “tasting” you have done.
4. It is less crowded
Once the Labour Day holiday has come and gone in Niagara, we begin to see a few less people gathering; children have returned to school and teachers have returned to work contributing to smaller crowds compared to the prime Summer vacation months of June, July and August. If you want to be able to get that perfect view of the Falls without other people in your way, I suggest you take advantage of travelling in the Fall; most especially later in October when the temperatures drop and less people are venturing outside.
5. Better prices and availability
There are many choices of where to stay in Niagara Falls or Niagara-on-the-Lake and the surrounding area, however, when you book your stay in the shoulder season of Autumn there will most likely be better availability and more “bang for your buck”! If you are a luxury traveller like I am, you can upgrade to a better category of room or stay in a more luxurious hotel for less money than it would have cost you in July; and lets face it, we all like saving money right?
Attraction prices may be slightly less expensive; and even if they are not, you are more likely to find availability for your “must do” activities.
In conclusion, I hope I have given you reason to consider your vacation to our beautiful region in Autumn. As a local travel agent specializing in custom itineraries of Niagara and am ambassador of Niagara Falls, Canada, I do hope to welcome you to enjoy it personally in future. For now, stay safe and well.
