Many of us are aware of the one single great reason to visit Taber, Alberta: for the best corn in Canada. The area produces amazing corn and other fresh produce because of one other reason you should visit: huge amounts of sunshine! The town sits on the banks of the Old Man River which provides a beautiful contrast to the seemingly endless farmlands surrounding Taber.
When you visit Taber in late summer or early fall, you can celebrate the corn, the sunshine, and the natural surroundings with the community through events like Cornfest or the Pheasant Festival, or by exploring on your own. The natural areas around Taber provide plenty of room for camping, boating, watersports, hiking, biking, or paddling, with a few Provincial Park areas nearby.
Located approximately 3 hours from Calgary, 75 minutes from Medicine Hat, and 40 minutes from Lethbridge, Taber makes for a great fall or summer day trip for the whole family.
1. Taber Cornfest
Celebrate this local crop with the town of Taber through their annual Cornfest. This family-friendly event includes a midway with fair rides and fair food, live music and entertainment, which is kicked off by a fun run. The Cornfest schedule is live and official, with more details on the smaller events like local barbecues, opening ceremonies, breakfasts, beer gardens, and the contests to run over the weekend.
- 2023 Dates: August 24 to 26, 2023
2. Pheasant Festival
This annual event centres around a large pheasant hunt. However, the Taber Pheasant Festival has a lot more to offer for those who don’t hunt! Enjoy a Game to Gourmet Culinary event, a sausage-making evening, a Scotch night, a banquet, silent auction, and more. Come celebrate an important tradition, local conservation efforts, and community.
- 2023 Dates: October 21–28, 2023
3. Farmers’ Market
The Taber Farmers’ Market is part of the Cornfest celebrations but will be open beyond Cornfest. The remaining dates for the Market include every Thursday 4pm to 7pm until September 14th. Shop rows of vendors for fresh produce, high quality meats, handmade beauty products, home décor, sweets, and other goodies.
If you can make it to the area before the end of the month, you can also peek at what the Vauxhall Farmers’ Market. Vauxhall is only 25-minute drive north of Taber on Highway AB-36.
- Taber Farmers’ Market: Confederation Park, Taber
- Vauxhall Farmers’ Market: 417 4 St. N, Vauxhall
4. Riverfront Park
Taber is a short walk or a drive south of the Old Man River, with their municipal park on the river’s southern banks. Here you can fit in plenty of outdoor recreation before the colder weather hits: paddle the river, soak up the sun on the shores, take a dip, or enjoy an entire day at the park and make use of their firepits, washrooms, and tables.
5. Molnar’s Pumpkin Festival
During September, Molnar’s offers a fresh variety of homegrown vegetables which can be bought from the farm. This is a perfect opportunity to stock up your Taber corn for the fall. And come October, Molnar’s celebrates fall with a month-long Pumpkin festival. Head to their Barnwell farm to snap festive photos, pick your pumpkin, and learn a bit about growing corn and pumpkins over the summer.
- Fruit and Vegetable sales: September
- Pumpkin Festival: October
6. Water Sports – Travers Reservoir
To get a more natural experience in the Taber area, the Travers Reservoir Provincial Recreational Area can offer fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, and first-come-first-served camping until October 11th. If you want more of a late-summer destination, the Little Bow PP on the west end of the Reservoir is home to a beach, swimming area, and food stand open until early September. Little Bow has camping too, which must be reserved online, and which is open until October 12th. No matter where you park or rest your head for the night, the large Reservoir provides plenty of space for all sorts of boating and water sports, with launches all around the shores.
7. Camping
The sunny weather and crisp fall that the Taber area offer allows southern Alberta camping trips to continue a bit longer into the fall season. Both the Travers Reservoir PRA and Little Bow PP are open for campers into mid-October. But if you’d rather be closer to town, there are several within town limits.
- Travers Reservoir PRA
- Little Bow PP
- Taber Municipal Park (until October 31st)
- Taber RV Park
- Taber Trout Pond Campground (until October 31st)
- Ken MacDonald Memorial Sports Complex (until October 31st)
8. Coulee Trail System
The extensive path network west of town has three parking areas along the Old Man River and a selection of different difficulty levels for all kinds of hikers and bikers. It is an exceptional mountain biking area as well, with volunteer-maintained bike trails containing jumps and boardwalks. A good family hiking or biking option is the Trout Pond Loop, where you chance spotting waterfowl and wildlife. For a quick riverside walk, the Riverside Express can provide excellent exercise and excellent views.
9. Main Street Dining
The main highway running through Taber provides your general fast food selection, but off the main drag are a number of highly rated and positively raved about restaurants you will need to try. The Rancho Viejo provides Mexican flair to your meal, and the Wok & Roll is considered the best Chinese food in town. If you’re in search of a menu with a broader selection, especially for children, Ricardo’s Restaurant (Italian Mexican fusion) is a family favourite in town.
10. Warming Coffees and Chilled Drinks
Whether Taber gets a warm or chilly fall, the local vendors in town include cafes and drink shops that can cover you for either. What is better than a tall glass of lemonade on a hotter day? The Dancing Lemons, a local family-owned food truck, will be at both the Taber Farmers’ Market and Cornfest with their refreshing lemonades to try. For more cold treats, try the Purple Cow on 51st Street; you won’t miss it as the bright purple food truck! For a wide selection of comfort food and cozy drinks, hit up Pasquale’s Pizza Café, which serves coffee, specialty coffee drinks, tea, cappuccino, hot chocolate, and more.