Posts Tagged With: Explore Local

Fall Festivals- the perfect local outings!

Posted on October 24, 2025 by crystalburney

I love fall. The colourful leaves and beautiful fall foliage. Apple picking, pumpkins and all things pumpkin spice and of course Halloween, my favourite holiday.

I also love a fall outing, especially on a beautiful sunny day. 

Autumn is so beautiful in Canada and there are no shortage of fun fall outings all across the country.

This year, we went to a few local ones.

Pingle’s Harvest Festival is always a favourite.

Located at Pingle’s Farm, this festival has no shortage of activities. A giant corn maze, wagon rides, a fun kid zone, animals, live music, a variety of tasty fall treats and of course apple picking! 

Depending on the time of your visit pumpkins, berries, sunflowers and more are also available to pick.

Harvest Festival runs from early September until the end of October with different events and activities depending on the day. To enjoy the full offering, plan to visit on a weekend.

Prices vary depending on the day and month and by booking online in advance you receive a discount.

Pingle’s is located at 805 Taunton Rd, Hampton, ON

The market and bakery are open year round Monday – Friday: 10am – 6pm & Saturday & Sunday: 9am – 7pm

This year, we also went to the Fall Festival at Sandhill Nursery. This is a free event running September 13th to October 26th, 2025

Here, you can wander through the autumn displays filled with fall foliage and pumpkins and enjoy the live music and beautiful artwork along with fun activities for the whole family. Enjoy tasty seasonal treats from The Rusty Rake Café and find all the pumpkins, squash, fall mums and more you’ll need to decorate your home for the season!

Located at 1686 Aspdin Road, Huntsville. Open daily. Monday-Friday: 7am – 6pm, Saturday: 8am – 5pm & Sunday: 9am – 5pm

Admission is free with donations to Hospice Huntsville greatly appreciated.

With so many great local fall festival options, getting out and enjoying one is the perfect way to spend a beautiful autumn day!

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Deadly Grounds

Posted on October 26, 2021 by crystalburney

With my favourite holiday just around the corner, today I decided to check out a spot that combines two of my favourite things- Halloween & Coffee!

Deadly Grounds Cafe, located in Courtice, ON was the perfect spot to grab a coffee on this grey, rainy day in October.

The cafe features horror themed drinks & baked goods, as well as over 30 coffee and tea options with names like Haunted House, Camp Blood, Never Sleep Again, Tropical Terror and Witches Brew.

  • Banana Skull, Sin-o-man skill & Camp Crystal Lake Latte

In the cafe, there are a variety of specialty lattes including Camp Crystal Lake, Myers Macchiato and White Zombie, as well a snacks including “Sin-o-man skulls.”

There’s retro video games and artwork and decor from all your favourite horror movies found throughout the cafe, including a few large animatronic characters.

The “Odditorium” is filled with creepy masks and retro horror merch and even a secret room…which not going to lie, made when jump when I saw what was hidden inside! (You’ll have to go check it out for yourself!)

Today, I enjoyed a Camp Crystal Lake latte and a Sin-o-man skull- both of which were delicious!

If you’re looking to get in the Halloween spirit…or just looking to get your daily coffee fix with a side of horror, this is definitely the place to be!

https://www.deadlygroundscoffee.ca/cafe

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Caravan getaway in the swaying cedars

Posted on August 20, 2021 by crystalburney

I can easily spend hours going down a rabbit hole on Airbnb looking at listings and planning ‘someday trips.’ One of my favourite features on this site is being able to select ‘Unique Stays,’ which includes listings for treehouses, tiny houses, yurts, castles, lighthouses, houseboats, and more. While searching under this for getaways close to home, I stumbled upon an option to stay in “An Authentic Romani Caravan in Swaying Cedars.” The title immediately grabbed my attention and the colourful photos of the caravan quickly made this a place I definitely wanted to check out.

The caravan is located on an 18-acre farm near Orono, Ontario. We were greeted by the couple who owns the property and got checked into our stay.

The colourful caravan is located amongst the cedar trees with a screened-in parlour next door. A fire pit is situated between the two and an outhouse with a chemical toilet is located nearby. There’s no electricity, but the caravan does have solar power for lights and an indoor washbasin.

The space was magical—so quiet and peaceful, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the forest of cedar trees. It was almost like stepping back in time as we sipped our coffee and read, enjoying the quiet.

In the evening, we made a fire and roasted marshmallows, which were set up by the owners for us to enjoy.

The stay comes with a delicious breakfast served on the back porch of the farmhouse. There are also trails cut around the property to wander, an orchard, gardens, a pet cemetery, and a pond with turtles to explore.

Definitely a perfect spot for a romantic little getaway!

Want to check it out yourself? You can find the Airbnb listing here

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Sunny Sunflower Strolls

Posted on August 16, 2021 by crystalburney

Sunflower farms seem to be popping up all over the place lately and I am here for it! As a sucker for a giant sunflower patch (especially if it has fun photo stations), I recently checked another local one off my list.


The Sunflower Experience at Pingle’s Farm Market near Oshawa has over 100,000 blooms in their 6.5-acre sunflower field!

Here, you’ll find classic yellow sunflowers, but also giants over 10 feet tall, small dwarf teddies, beautiful red and yellow-hued ‘Ring of Fire’ sunflowers, crimson-coloured ones, and some so dark they almost look black!

Trails are cut throughout the sunflowers and there are 12 photo stops along the way, including a swing!

They also have a stand in the middle of the field with clippers, mason jars, and buckets. Your entrance ticket comes with one pick-your-own sunflower, but you can pay for more here as you pick up your clippers to go hunting for the perfect sunflowers to bring home.


When you’re ready for a break, you can head up to the food and entertainment area where you’ll find tasty treats like chicken and waffles and top off your day with a delicious jumbo macaron ice cream sandwich (it’s delicious…seriously don’t miss this!) while listening to live music.

Such a sunny way to spend a beautiful summer day!

For more info and to book tickets check out Pingle’s Farm Market

The Sunflower Experience only runs for select dates in August. However the farm has a variety of events going on year round.

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