Your ultimate guide to fall fun in Toronto and the GTA

It’s time to say so long to the sweltering days of summer and hello to fall’s golden leaves, strolls through Brickworks Trail and warming seasonal drinks from Balzac’s Coffee. To help you enjoy everything this season has to offer, we’ve curated a list of fun fall activities happening in Toronto and around the GTA.

From art exhibits to food festivals and outdoor adventures, with this guide in hand, every day can be as fun as jumping into a pile of freshly raked leaves (without the mess, of course).

Sing along at a concert 

SZA | October 4 | Scotiabank Arena  – Dance the night away with friends by your side as SZA performs her top hits.

Drake | October 6 & 7 | Scotiabank Arena  – What could be better than spending a night as Drake serenades you with his top hits? It's bound to be extra special, as he takes the stage in his hometown.

Bob Dylan | October 26 & 27 | Massey Hall – Sing along or get up and dance to timeless Bob Dylan hits at the Toronto stop of his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour.

Bruce Springsteen | November 14 & 16 | Scotiabank Arena – Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see “The Boss” perform his classic hits live on his first North American tour since 2016.

Go to a CFL game  

In terms of fall faves, cheering on your local football team is right up there with pumpkin spice lattes. The crisp autumn air, fans bundled up in team colours and high-stakes games make for an unforgettable experience. Whether you're a football fanatic or just looking for a fun outing with friends, make sure you’re decked out in blue and white to show your Argonauts pride (or yellow and black if you’re a Hamilton Tiger-Cats fan!). View the full schedule here.  

Attend a food festival 

Oktoberfest | October 6 & 7 | Garrison Common at Fort York – Celebrate Bavarian style at Toronto’s favourite fall food festival featuring traditional food and beer at communal tables directly from Germany. Free glass steins for the first 500 attendees! 
Hops & Harvest Festival | October 13-15 | Milton – Embrace the harvest season against the beautiful backdrop of the Niagara Escarpment while enjoying local food, craft drinks and marketplace vendors.
Street Eats Market Mac & Cheese Festival | September 29-October 1 (CN Tower) | October 28 & 29 (Mississauga) | November 3-5 (North York) – Nothing says autumn like a gooey and rich bowl of mac & cheese. Sample different takes on this cool-weather classic as 12 chefs compete for the title of Mac & Cheese Festival champion.

Catch a laugh 

Just for Laughs Comedy Tour | November 10 | Massey Hall – You’re guaranteed to have a good old-fashioned Canadian chuckle with host Roy Wood Jr. (The Daily Show) and an incredible line-up of hilarious comedians, including Lebanese Canadian comedian Malik Elassal, Critics Choice Award nominee Joyelle Nicole Johnson and Just for Laughs Festival favourite Arthur Simeon.
The Second City’s Improv Brunch | Sundays at 1 p.m. | The Second City Mainstage – Enjoy food, mimosas and all-you-can-stomach laughter as The Second City performs a totally improvised comedy show.
Adam Sandler | November 7 | Scotiabank Arena – If you’re a fan of 50 First Dates, Click, The Wedding Singer or any other classic Sandler film, you won’t want to miss seeing this comedy and film legend bring his unique brand of humour and song to the stage once again.

Meet your favourite author 

Claudia Dey: Daughter | October 3 | Toronto Reference Library – Hear Claudia Dey, Toronto-based author of the Goop Book Club Pick Heartbreaker discuss her latest novel, Daughter, an obsessive, blazing examination of the forces that drive us to become, to create and to break. 
Never Whistle at Night: Indigenous Dark Fiction | October 11 | Online – Ready for frights and delights? At this event, bestselling authors Mona Susan Power, Richard Van Camp, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden join author and editor Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. to discuss their shiver-inducing tales from a bold new collection of Indigenous dark fiction that dares ask the question: "Are you ready to be un-settled?” 
Waubgeshig Rice: Moon of the Turning Leaves | October 18 | Toronto Reference Library – Join bestselling author, Waubgeshig Rice, as he discusses the themes of survival, resilience, Indigenous identity and rebirth that appear in his hotly anticipated new novel, Moon of the Turning Leaves, which returns readers to the world first explored in his breakout bestseller, Moon of the Crusted Snow.
In Conversation with Chris Hadfield | Indigo Bay and Bloor | October 25 – Join acclaimed astronaut Chris Hadfield as he signs copies of his novel, The Defector. The story follows the hunt for a shadowy Soviet defector and brings a nerve-shredding rush of aerial combat, as told by one of the world's top fighter pilots.

Enjoy an art exhibit

Her Blood Spoke: Joscelyn Gardner, Kara Springer, Alberta Whittle | Until Oct 29, 2023 | AGO – View 16 artworks by three artists of Barbadian descent. Their works reflect on contemporary and historical experiences with Black maternal health and bodily autonomy.

Sandra Meigs: Sublime Rage | Until November 19 | McMichael Canadian Art Collection – Venture into the wilderness when viewing these works from leading contemporary Canadian artist Sandra Meigs, whose pieces take inspiration from the wilds of Ontario.
Special Event: Journey Through the Wilderness with Dominik Modlinski | November 26 | McMichael Canadian Art Collection – Join artist Dominik Modlinski as he shares the stories behind his paintings and creative process that follows in the traditions of countless Canadian historical artists who have been inspired by the wilderness.

The Wedge Collection: Dancing in the Light | Until Feb 4, 2024 | Museum of Contemporary Art – Get inspired at an exhibit that features the work of over 40 artists, including Oreka James, Carrie Mae Weems, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. Each piece examines portraiture across a variety of mediums as a way of entering a more nuanced consideration of contemporary Black life.

Delight in a theatre performance

Heroes of the Fourth Turning | October 3-22 | Crow’s Theatre – Don’t miss this Winner of the 2020 Obie Award for Playwriting and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play. Set on a chilly night in middle America, the story is a daring look at a country at war with itself.
To Kill a Mockingbird | November 21-27 | CAA Theatre – See this timeless classic reimagined for the stage. Storming onto Broadway in late 2018, Aaron Sorkin's acclaimed adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird wowed Broadway's critics, earning itself nine 2019 Tony Award nominations.
SIX | Until December 17 | Royal Alexandra Theatre – Enjoy the musical that’s making waves as the best show since Hamilton. Follow along as Henry VIII's six wives step out from the big man's shadow to take their turn in the spotlight in an epically good new musical that celebrates girl power—from the 16th Century to today.

Spend time outdoors 

Ball’s Falls Thanksgiving Festival | October 6-9 – Take a scenic drive to Ball’s Falls for the 49^th edition of this seasonal Niagara staple. The festival features 150+ unique craft and artisan vendors, delicious foods, craft beverages and wines, local farmers, live music, children’s entertainment, historical demonstrations, heritage tours and guided nature hikes along the colourful forested trails.
PumpkinFest | September 23-October 31 | Downey’s Farm – Get into the harvest spirit at a festival that features fall family classics like wagon rides, duck races, a boo barn, farm animals and an eight-acre corn maze. 
Take a fall hike through Happy Valley Forest | King, ON – Embrace the crisp fall weather when you hike through the fields, creeks and valleys of Happy Valley Forest. See if you can spot rare species of birds such as the Hooded Warbler and Red-Shouldered Hawk.
Take in the fall foliage at Scarborough Bluffs – The Scarborough Bluffs are the perfect place to take in the startling beauty of fall. On your hike, you’ll be inspired by the picturesque deep red and bright golden leaves set against the blue waters of Lake Ontario.

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