Cape Breton Island 
Nova Scotia is a magical place where it is easy to escape the huge buildings of the cities into a world of beautiful, vibrant colours. When fall comes, there are many things for visitors to do around Nova Scotia.
Valley Ghost Walks
No matter if you are looking to pick your own fruits and veggies, visit corn mazes, or go on hikes, there is definitely something for you to do.
Listed below are some ideas things that you can do this fall in Nova Scotia.
I. Events & Festivals
Festivals, Fairs and Harvest Themed Events to Attend This Fall in Nova Scotia – 2023
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Hike NS Fall Guided Hike Series
Explore the amazing forest and trails across Nova Scotia with Hike Nova Scotia and the 30 host organizations. The Hike NS Fall Guide Hike Series is made up of 58 hikes, which are led by locals. Most of the hikes are free, but some have pre-registration requirements.
Details
Valley Ghost Talks
Join Jerome the GraveKeeper for a tour of the Valley and its dark past. Valley Ghost Talks are stationary, sit-down, outside, 1.75-hour, family-friendly, historical productions with Jerome the Gravekeeper and his ghostly friends. The talks are a spooky way of learning about the history of the area. To reduce the chills, make sure to bundle up as the Valley Ghost Talks takes place rain or shine. The 2023 Ghost Walks, Ghost Talks, & Ghostly Virtual Productions will rotate between: Wolfville, Kentville, Halls Harbour, and Windsor, as well as Virtual Livestreams from a number of locations.
Details
Various dates, until Halloween
HOPSCOTCH
The East Coast’s Signature Hip Hop Festival is here again with 4 days of entertainment and over 50 artists.
Details
September 21 -24, 2023
1770 Barrington Street, Halifax
Prismatic Arts Festival
The Prismatic Arts Festival is a national, multidisciplinary arts festival that showcases and celebrates innovative work by Indigenous artists and artists of colour from across Canada. Enjoy vibrant, boundary-pushing new works in theatre, dance, music, film, visual arts, media arts, and spoken word this fall in Halifax.
Details
September 29 – October 8, 2023
Varies (free and ticketed)
Parrsboro Film Festival
Enjoy three days of short film competitions, speakers and film viewing at Parrsboro.
Details
September 29 – October 1, 2023
44 King Street, Parrsboro
The Deep Roots Music Festival
Wolfville is full of music during The Deep Roots Music Festival. This year, the festival takes place over 3 days.
Details
September 22 – 24, 2023
Wolfville
Halifax Oyster Festival
Nova Scotia Forest Festival
Dress in your best plain and head to the woods for an exciting a day at the Nova Scotia Forest Festival. Connect with Nova Scotia’s forest and the people who make their livelihoods in the them. Enjoy a day of fun activities in the crisp fall air.
Details
September 30, 2023
5435 Clam Harbour Road, Lake Charlotte
Halifax Oyster Festival
This two-day festival celebrates all things oysters, and Halifax Oyster Festival has the largest raw bar in Canada. Along with oysters, the festival also celebrates the local wines, ciders, spirits, and craft beers that are produced in Nova Scotia. Various Nova Scotian oyster farmers and chefs will be on-site to teach you about oysters and how to cook and eat them. There will be shucking demos and contests on the main stage, live music & DJs for dancing with Pearl.
Details
November 2023
Halifax waterfront
Kentville Pumpkin People Festival
If you visit Kentville in October, you will see over 300 pumpkin people and dozens of displays set up all around the town. Who knows what kind of crazy antics that you will see these gourd-headed guys getting up to! To make sure you don’t miss a display, make sure to download the Pumpkin Person Map.
Details
October 7 – 29, 2023
Kentville
Celtic Colours International Festival
Celtic Colours International Festival is a unique celebration of Cape Breton’s living traditional culture. The nine-day festival is packed with hundreds of activities and events across Cape Breton (mostly online this year). Celtic Colours has grown to be one of Canada’s premiere musical events and cultural highlights, which continues to grow with each passing year.
Details
October 6 – 14, 2023
Various locations, Cape Breton Island
Devour! The Food Film Fest
Devour! The Food Film Fest is the largest culinary film festival in the world. Gather your ‘Foodie’ friends and celebrate together at the festival with great local wines and scrumptious food. Wolfville has been called Canada’s Secret Foodie Destination’ by The Hollywood Reporter, since it is surrounded by many wineries, farmers and other producers. There are over 90 events that make up this popular festival.
Details
October 23-29, 2023
Wolfville
Nocturne: Art at Night Festival
Nocturne: Art at Night is a must-see event. Each October, this popular festival brings art and energy to the streets of Halifax/K’jipuktuk. It is an independent, free, contemporary art festival in that showcases contemporary and celebrates the visual arts scene in Mi’kma’ki/Nova Scotia.
Details
October 12 – 15, 2023
Halifax
Hal-con
If you are geek, nerd or love sci-fi, horror, comics or pop culture, then you need to make your way to Hal-con this October. It is a weekend filled with great panels, vendors, and you can meet some of your favorite stars at this Halifax convention.
Details
October 27 – 29, 2023
Halifax
Christmas in the Country
Returning for the fourth year, you can get a jump on your Christmas shopping. Make sure you dress warmly because most of the vendors are outside. There will also be a local photographer doing photos with Santa, live music, and a food truck on-site.
Details
November 4, 2023
1582 Black Rock Rd, Waterville
Fall Fun Weekends at Dempsey Corner Orchards
During the fall, Dempsey Corner Orchards is the place to be for u-pick apples, pears, peaches, blueberries and other farm fresh fruit and vegetables. Depending on weekend, there could be fun harvest activities going along with their U-pick. Check out their Facebook page to find out whats happening at the orchard.
Details
2717 Highway 221, Aylesford
RiverBreeze Fear Farm
RiverBreeze Fear Farm
When night falls on the RiverBreeze Farm, the ghouls and monsters come alive. Find your way through the farm to make it out alive before what goes bump in the night gets you. Are you brave enough to enter the four haunted houses and two mazes at the fear farm?
Details
Friday & Saturday nights in October 2023
660 Onslow Road, Truro
Shag Harbour UFO Expo
The Shag Harbour UFO EXPO is an annual event that brings UFO experts and eyewitnesses together to share their observations and the latest theories and research about unidentified flying objects.
Details
September 29 – October 1, 2023
Yarmouth
Nature Guardians: Naturalization Garden And Squirrel Studies
Enjoy some squirrel themed nature journaling, wherein you understand squirel behaviour. By the end of this tween focused event, you will get to undertand: What factors might affect how likely a squirrel is to take food from our hand, can we tell the difference between individual squirrels based on behaviour or looks, and how do chipmunks compare to squirrels when assessing “friendliness?”
Details
November 25, 2023
Dartmouth
Apple Pie Sale
The Annual Apple Pie Sale is back at the Le Village. Skip the hard work of baking your own pie for the holidays or just snacking on with this fundraiser.
Details
November 6, 2023
91 Old Church Road, Lower West Pubnico
$10 each
See Some of Nova Scotia’s Largest Vegetables
Fall is just not fall without pumpkins of all sizes and Howard Dill’s Pumpkin Farm grows some of Nova Scotia’s largest. Make sure to bring a camera since there are lots of photo opportunities around the farm.
Details
September & October | Daily | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
400 College Road, Windsor
Halifax Citadel Ghost Tour
The Halifax Citadel and the city has a long, dark past that is full of things that cannot be explained. The Halifax Citadel Ghost Tour takes you to the areas in the city that are claimed to be haunted. The tours are offered on on select dates and times in summer and fall.
Details
Nova Scotia Music Week
Over the course of four days, this event showcases artists, music enthusiasts, and industry professionals who come together from Nova Scotia and beyond, crafting an exceptional musical experience.
Details
November 2 – 5, 2023
Yarmouth
Valley Harvest Marathon
Celebrating its 31st year, the Valley Harvest Marathon is a cherished Thanksgiving weekend tradition in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. This event beautifully captures the spirit of the region, known as the agricultural hub, apple capital, and winery haven of Atlantic Canada.
Details
October 7 – 8, 2023
Town of Wolfville
Acadia Christmas Craft Expo
The Acadia Craft Expo is the longest running Christmas Craft Fair in Nova Scotia and has become an established tradition for generations of makers, crafters and the public.
Details
November 17 – 19, 2023
550 Main Street, Wolfville
Halloween and Fall Project Workshop
Make your own Halloween and Fall decor at Urban Rustic DIY Studio. They just got new fall designs for you to make and customize. They also offer private workshops, so why not plan a fun family day and make amazing fall memories.
Details
October 13, 2023
Urban Rustic DIY Studio, 534 Sackville Drive, Lower Sackville
Antigonish Jazz Festival
Enjoy three days of music across the Town of Antigonish showcasing musical talents of local, regional, and international artists and ensembles.
Details
November 16 – 18, 2023
Antigonish
Pictou Christmas Light-up
Join us in Pictou at Market Square for the annual Christmas Light-up event, marking the start of the holiday season. Enjoy a downtown parade, tree lighting, live nativity, Mrs. Claus’s stories, entertainment, hot chocolate, Santa’s visit, and treats!
Details
December 01, 2023
40 Water Street, Pictou
A Theatre Baddeck Christmas
Enjoy an evening of beautiful holiday music and heartwarming sketches, featuring Theatre Baddeck’s seasoned artists and local talent. Set in a cozy cabaret-style atmosphere, you can savor light refreshments at your table while immersing yourself in the festive spirit and singing along to traditional carols.
Details
December 7 – 10, 2023
24 Queen Street, Baddeck
Outdoor Activities
25 of the Best Places to See Brilliant Fall Colours in Nova Scotia
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25 Fall Activities and Getaways in Nova Scotia
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25 of the Best Fall Hikes in Nova Scotia
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24 Fall Day Trips From Halifax
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25 of the Best Waterfalls to Visit in Nova Scotia
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25 of the Best Hikes to Enjoy Fall in Halifax
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25 Fall Resort Getaways Nova Scotia
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Spooky Ghost Walks and Haunted Places to Visit in Nova Scotia
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Corn Mazes and Pumpkin Patches Near Halifax
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U-picks
U-Pick Apple Orchards: Places to Go Apple Picking in Nova Scotia
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Daniels U-Pick – Windsor
Daniels U-Pick has been open for over 40 years and is open until mid-November. They have U-pick apples, pears and plums. You can also buy pre-picked apples, plums, pears, squash, and pumpkins. There are also wagon rides and orchard tours for visitors to enjoy.
Rendell’s Farm – Point Aconi, Mill Creek
Rendell’s Farm is best known for their strawberry u-pick, but they grow more than just strawberries on their farm. They also grow pumpkins, and you can walk the pumpkin patch to find your perfect pumpkin. They also grow a giant pumpkin every year.
Vista Bella Farm Orchard and Apiary – Malagash
During September and October, you can pick your own apples at the Vista Bella Farm Orchard and Apiary. There are kid-friendly activities to keep them entertained at the farm. There is the cidery for adults to check out, and their store sells hard cider, honey, and seasonal vegetables.
Morse’s Farm Ltd. – Berwick
Located in Berwick, Morse’s Farm is a popular location for u-pick strawberries and pumpkins, along with fresh potatoes. From mid-September until Halloween, they offer a wide variety of pumpkins, squash, and gourds.
Boates Farm – Woodville
Boates Farm has been open since 1960. Today, they grow a variety of apples and pears. Boates uses as few chemicals inputs as possible, so you can trust your fruit is good for you. They also sell picked fruit, vinegar, and sweet cider.
Elderkin’s Farm Market and U-pick – Greenwich
Right outside of Wolfville is Elderkin’s Farm Market and U-pick. They offer u-pick apples, pears, strawberries, and pumpkins. You can buy pre-picked fruits and veggies at their store, along with Elderkin’s hard apple cider, fresh baked goods, and soft-serve ice cream.
Foote Family Farm – Woodville
On the North Mountain in Woodville is the lovely Foote Family Farm. They grow cherries, plums, pears, and apples. You can spend a day with the family picking your own apples, then after picking you can relax and enjoy a glass of freshly pressed apple cider.
Oakview Farm – Kingsport
Oakview Farm is a no-spray farm that offers u-pick fruits and vegetables, along with many varieties of flowers. You can check their Facebook page to see what fruits and vegetables are in season, along with the days and times when their U-picks are open.
Stonehenge Farm – Aylesford
During a visit to Stonehenge Farm, you can also pick a variety of apples.
Willowbank Upick Farm – Port Williams
Willowbank Upick Farm opens the second weekend in September and is open until the end of October. There are apples and pumpkins ready for you to pick. While you are there, be sure to go on the wagon rides and visit the petting zoo.
Terra Beata Cranberry Farm – Lunenburg
Located in Lunenburg, the Terra Beata Cranberry Farm allows you to pick your own cranberries or buy them. They also have gourmet cranberries preserves in the Bog Store. They are one of the largest cranberry farms in Nova Scotia.
Howard Dill Enterprises – Windsor
Howard Dill was the four-time World Champion pumpkin grower and on his farm you can see the huge pumpkins that they still grow there. The farm also has a pumpkin patch with regular sized pumpkins that they pick and display around the farm, so you can pick one to buy and take home.
My husband and I will be arriving in Nova Scotia on the evening of September 20 th 2023 and staying in Nova Scotia until September 26, 2023. Our goal is to visit sites in Nova Scotia until September 24th then visiting our granddaughter September 20 at St Exavier University. Would you please help us with what we will have time to do in Nova Scotia.