With the official start of fall quickly approaching, it’s time to start filling your calendar with all the fun fall activities to embrace in and around Toronto!
From pumpkin patches and harvest festivals to colourful hikes, Ontario is full of seasonal adventures, but one super unique experience stands out from the rest: wading through a pool of floating cranberries.
Just over two hours north of Toronto, Muskoka Lakes Farm & Wineryin Bala offers visitors the chance to take part in its famous cranberry plunge, a one-of-a-kind fall activity that runs every weekend during harvest season.
Guests will slip into chest waders and step into a knee-to-hip-deep sea of floating cranberries, experiencing what it would be like to be a cranberry grower.
The 27-acre farm is the perfect place to do it, as the Johnston family has been growing cranberries in Bala since 1950. Each fall, thousands of cranberries are harvested right there on site, and guests can explore the farm, learn about the cranberry harvest process, and take part in a variety of seasonal activities from late September through October.
Don’t forget your camera, as this is one of the most Instagrammable fall activities in Ontario!
Beyond the plunge, visitors can enjoy wagon rides through the farm, guided harvest tours, wine tastings, and hiking trails surrounded by Muskoka’s brilliant fall foliage. After exploring, cozy up by the fire with a cup of apple cider or a mug of hot mulled wine from the onsite cafe or food truck.
Before heading home, stop by the onsite shop to pick up local wines, preserves, and frozen cranberry treats – perfect souvenirs to bring a taste of Muskoka back with you.
The cranberry plunge is open this year from September 27 through October 26, priced at $20 per person. Participants must be taller than 4′ 6″, and the experience can already be pre-booked online. Peak times and weekend dates will book up quickly, so be sure to reserve early if you plan to go this year!