B.C. fall festivals: From wine to art to head-banging rams
Credit to Author: Dave Pottinger| Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2019 22:33:03 +0000
Fall has arrived, ushering in a number of seasonal festivals and events worth travelling for around the province. Celebrate the harvest with food and drink indulgences, wonder at B.C.’s spectacular wildlife, explore our cultural landscape, and more.
Oct. 3-13, 2019
CedarCreek Estate Winery is one of many wineries participating in the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival.
Experience British Columbia’s largest wine region during the autumn harvest season at the 39th annual Fall Okanagan Wine Festival. Partake in a few of the 80 wine-filled events, including tastings, live music, food pairings and sommelier battles. Book early to avoid disappointment; these events often sell out.
https://www.thewinefestivals.com/events/festival/3/Fall_Festival
Oct. 18-20 | 25-27, 2019
The Dark Sky event in Manning Park offers some of the best stargazing around.
Embrace your inner Carl Sagan at Manning Park Resort’s second annual Dark Sky Astronomy Weekend.
With limited light pollution, B.C.’s Cascade Mountains provide the ideal setting for events ranging from astrophotography workshops and Apollo landing moon talks to yoga under the stars.
Try out telescopes at designated locations around the vast mountainous terrain, learn skills, gather with like-minded people, and stargaze in the dark skies of the new moon phase.
https://manningpark.com/manning-park-dark-sky/
Oct. 18-20, 2019
Discover the artistic spirit of the Sunshine Coast during the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl. From Langdale to Earls Cove, more than 400 artists open their studios, galleries and homes to the public.
Pick up a map and keep your eye out for the purple banners as you explore these almost-secret venues strewn through the rainforest communities. Nature is also a part of the spectacle on the Sunshine Coast in October, with fall colours and salmon-bearing streams.
www.art-bc.com/events/sunshine-coast/art-walks/sunshine-coast-art-crawl/
Oct. 26-27, 2019
Barkerville
Experience Barkerville in its most fitting season during Ghostly Hallowe’en. B.C.’s largest historic site (a real Cariboo gold rush town circa 1862) lends itself quite easily to the Halloween spirit, especially after the summer crowds have disappeared along its dusty streets and the 125 heritage buildings become eerily quiet.
Test your fate with a walk through Barkerville’s haunted house, go trick-or-treating up Front Street at some of the local merchants, and warm up around the Halloween bonfire. See Barkerville at a time of year few have experienced.
http://www.barkerville.ca/halloween/
Nov. 1-3, 2019
Rams clash at the annual Headbanger Festival in Radium Hot Springs.
No, this isn’t a metal festival, though it may be just as intense! The annual Headbanger Festival in Radium Hot Springs proudly celebrates the dramatic rutting season of the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheepâ —wildlife that inhabit B.C.’s Rocky Mountains, whose daily presence in Radium have been delighting locals and visitors alike for decades.
Participate in interactive and educational workshops, unique presentations and a whole lot of fun.
https://www.radiumhotsprings.com/listing/headbanger-festival/
Nov. 1-30, 2019
The launch party for Eat. Stay. Play. takes place November 1.
Make Cowichan your cozy fall getaway this November for Eat. Stay. Play. and discover the culinary richness of a Vancouver Island region that James Barber once deemed “Canada’s Provence.”
Embrace Cowichan’s harvest with long-table dinners, winemaker brunches, chefs’ tasting menus and exclusive hotel packages. Autumn is the perfect time to explore this fertile landscape dotted with farms, cideries, wineries, breweries, distilleries and small seaside towns.
https://www.tourismcowichan.com/eat-stay-play/
Nov. 7-17, 2019
CRUSH Grand Tasting, is dedicated to showcasing wineries from B.C. and beyond.
Whistler throws one of the largest celebrations of food and drink in Western Canada every fall. Cornucopia is an 11-day marathon of libations, dining and celebrating in the mountains come early November.
Mountain culture meets unique culinary experiences with signature events like House Party: Best of B.C., where top B.C. food, wine, spirits, and beer are up for grabs. The festival’s flagship event, Crush Grand Tasting, brings together wines from B.C. and afar for an event sure to impress any wine aficionado.
https://whistlercornucopia.com/
Nov. 16-17, 2019
Celebrate the beauty and biodiversity of the Fraser Valley at the 24th annual Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival. Discover the rich ecosystem of the Harrison River estuary, a tributary of the Fraser and salmon stronghold that becomes the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world every fall.
Go on an eagle-viewing boat tour or a self-guided nature walk, discover local heritage at Kilby Historic Site, and mingle with fellow birding enthusiasts.