In the autumn in Stratford, our festivals and events take a swerve over to real back-to-basics outdoor fun. That’s all part of taking our place in a thriving agricultural community—fall brings corn to its full height, pumpkins to maturity, apples to full ripeness—and the fact that a hay ride with apple cider appeals to the kid in everyone.
  • McCully’s Hill Farm, a working farm first settled by the McCully family in 1847, is a going concern, particularly in the fall, when every weekend has a different theme for celebrating: Common Ground (it’s all about the food) September 23, scarecrow-making and auction, arts and crafts, family farm tours, the children’s Halloween party and the most fun of all, The Great Pumpkin Toss. For a toonie you get to guess how far a pumpkin will fly when hurled from the pumpkin catapault—one gets tossed every 15 minutes, with a prize to the closest guesser every time, and all the money going to local kids’ charities.
     
  • Birtch Farms & Estate Winery—oh yes! Now we’re talking fun!—has family fun every weekend from September 10, with make-your-own scarecrows, hayride tours of the apple orchards and some 15 varieties of the fruit (including some finds such as Jons and Jersey Macs, Ginger Gold and Golden Russet), as well as award-winning fruit wines and the winery’s own “ice style” wines.
     
  • Ontario Maze, located outside Newton, is a 45-acre corn maze that would do Stephen King proud, particularly on Flashlight Fridays when the maze is open after dark and you better buy the good batteries, because you bring your own flashlight. By the time you’re seeing this, you’ve missed the special Singles’ Night—better luck next year. During the day, visit the Straw Museum, play minigolf, stop by the gift shop and have a picnic.

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