Things to Do This Fall in Nova Scotia – Events, Activities & Festivals

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.

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 for things that you can do this fall in Nova Scotia.

Note: Check fire ban updates and travel advisories before travelling, and adhere to the restrictions in place.

I. Events & Festivals

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.
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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 2025 Ghost Walks & Ghost Talks will rotate between: Wolfville, Kentville, Windsor, Halls Harbour, Landscape Grand Pré View Park, & more.
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Various dates, November 20, 2025

Magnetic World Music Festival

Join us for Magnetic World, an interstellar EDM and Hip Hop experience at Citadel Hill. With a world-class lineup, prepare for a cosmic journey through sound.
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September 26 – 28, 2025

Garrison Grounds, Halifax

East Coast Ukrainian Festival

The East Coast Ukrainian Festival 2025, themed “Moving Forward,”will celebrate contemporary and future-oriented Ukraine as well as traditional roots.
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September 28, 2025

Steele Wheels Motor Museum, 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.
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September 26 – October 5, 2025

Varies (free and ticketed)

Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival

Mahone Bay is once again filling its streets with hundreds of quirky scarecrows, from pop culture icons like Forrest Gump and Taylor Swift to classics such as Waldo and Cruella de Vil. Take a stroll through town and encounter puffins curling with pumpkins, mermaids at the Aquatic Garden, or larger-than-life characters perched in shop windows.
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September 26 to October 13, 2025

Varies (free and ticketed)

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.
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October 3 – 5, 2025

Yarmouth

Parrsboro Film Festival

Enjoy three days of short film competitions, speakers and film viewing at the 14th annual Parrsboro Film Festival.
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October 3 – 5, 2025

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.
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September 26 – 28, 2025

Wolfville

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. The festival highlights how Nova Scotians connect to forests through livelihood, housing, recreation, food, and heritage. The event concludes with the Golden Axe-throwing Tournament, where local businesses compete for the top spot.
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October 4, 2025

5435 Clam Harbour Road, Lake Charlotte

South Shore Oktoberfest

Get ready for an unforgettable night of music, celebration, and East Coast energy at the South Shore Oktoberfest Concert! Hear Canada’s most iconic hip-hop artists — Classified! Don’t miss this lively Oktoberfest celebration in the scenic town of Lunenburg!
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September 26, 2025

68 Bluenose Drive, Lunenburg

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 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.
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October 4 – 26, 2025

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.
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October 10-18, 2025

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.
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October 20-26, 2025

Wolfville

Nocturne 2025: Ground

Nocturne: Ground 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.
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October 16-19, 2025

Halifax

Hal-con

If you are a 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, and vendors, and you can meet some of your favorite stars at this Halifax convention.
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November 7 – 9, 2025

Halifax Convention Center, 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.
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November 1, 2025

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.
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2717 Highway 221, Aylesford

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?
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Friday & Saturday nights from October 4, 2025

660 Onslow Road, Truro

Millcove’s Kitchen Party

Celebrate all things East Coast featuring live music from George Street Band, traditional eats, and a dancefloor full of stompin’ feet. Whether you’re from the Rock or just love the vibe, this is the place to be. Don your plaid, grab a pint, and come ready to party like you’re in a St. John’s basement in 1983. Details

October 25, 2025

Mill Cove Brew Pub, 961 Bedford Highway, Bedford

Dumpling Fest Halifax

Experience different restaurants and tastes that may include Chinese soup dumplings, Filipino lumpia, Japanese gyoza, Korean mandu, Nepalese momos, and more. The evening tasting extravaganza is on Wednesday, November 26, from 5:30 pm until 9:30 pm.
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November 26, 2025

Halifax

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.
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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 select dates and times in summer and fall.
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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.
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October 23-26, 2025

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.
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October 11 & 12, 2025

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.
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November 21 – 23, 2025

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.
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Various dates

Urban Rustic DIY Studio, 534 Sackville Drive, Lower Sackville

Antigonish Jazz Festival

Enjoy three days of music across the Town of Antigonish showcasing the musical talents of local, regional, and international artists and ensembles.
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November 13 – 15, 2025

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.
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2025 dates TBA; November 29, 2024

40 Water Street, Pictou

Sherbrooke Village Old Fashioned Christmas

Sherbrooke Village’s Old Fashioned Christmas is a festive celebration for the whole family. Enjoy a lit Christmas tree, fireworks, Santa, craft sales, parades, entertainment, and more! The village will be beautifully illuminated by 65,000 lights each evening from 6 to 10 pm, continuing until January 6th.
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November 28 – 30, 2025

Sherbrooke, Eastern Shore

Outdoor Activities

U-picks

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 a 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 chemical 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 cranberry 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.