With half-term just around the corner, there’s still time to plan a getaway in Toronto this autumn.
Witness the seasons change as a canopy of colours brighten up the city parks, sample some seasonal eats at one of the newly endorsed Michelin restaurants, sip craft brews and cocktails inspired by seasonal ingredients, and enjoy some frightful Halloween festivities across the city.
Autumn Getaway in Toronto – Escape the Ghost Ship
Due to popular demand, Pirate Life is bringing back Escape the Ghost Ship until 31 October, 2022, to host an escape game that is held on a pirate ship sailing around the Toronto Harbour. The game blends together immersive theatre, escape room puzzles, and a boat tour for a unique escape room experience.
Autumn Getaway in Toronto – New this year! Zombie Apocalypse by Legends of Horror
Housed in an abandoned facility near Casa Loma is the city’s newest zombie-themed haunted house, Zombie Apocalypse by Legends of Horror. Here, fictional pharmaceutical company, Biolux, is keen to provide a remedy for ageing and disease. Live actors reveal secrets in the labs, and mad scientists lead gruesome experiments during this 45-minute experience. Before departing, explore spaces where humanity struggles in a battle against the zombie apocalypse.
Runs from 13 October to 2 November, 2022.
Visitors can also immerse themselves in the Legends of Horror, with a one-hour immersive theatrical experience on the grounds of Casa Loma. Audiences roam the two-kilometre trail through the castle’s tunnels and dark spaces, open to the public for the very first time.
Runs from 30 September to 31 October, 2022.
Autumn Getaway in Toronto – A downtown pumpkin patch
No need to escape the city to visit the pumpkin patch, stop by FallNLeaves TO pop up food and wine festivities in downtown Toronto, on the corners of Bathurst and Richmond. Returning for the third year, expect wine tasting, pumpkin bowling, live music and of course pumpkin decorating. And in the event of cool weather, warm up with a bowl of soup – served in a seasonal pumpkin or squash! Runs from 30 September through the end of October with themed weekends.
Autumn Getaway in Toronto – A football game of a different kind
Cheer on Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts this autumn alongside throngs of spectators and fans in the lead-up to the Grey Cup (Canadian equivalent to the SuperBowl).
Pack a blanket and prepare for an experience that goes beyond just the football game played on a grassy pitch. Tailgate parties, a marching band, chilli cheese foot-long hotdogs and craft beers round out the experience
Autumn Getaway in Toronto – Obsessed: How Shoes Became Objects of Desire
OBSESSED: How Shoes Became Objects of Desire at the Bata Shoe Museum guides visitors through the story of how we have become a society obsessed with shoes. Featuring some of the most extraordinary objects in our collection, this exhibition traces how industrialization drove shoe consumption, transforming shoe designers into celebrities and shoes into high value collectables. Opens 19 October, 2022
Autumn Getaway in Toronto – Mean Girls
Direct from Broadway, Mean Girls hits the stage of the Princess of Wales theatre from 25 October to 27 November, 2022. The hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey, and producer/proud Torontonian Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live), Mean Girls makes a stop in Toronto on its North American tour.
Autumn Getaway in Toronto – Shop for your autumn wardrobe
Pack an extra suitcase for your return to take advantage of Canadian dollar prices while shopping for your autumn wardrobe.
A mix of well-known Canadian brands – Lululemon and MAC – and independent boutiques line the eclectic Queen West district (along with restaurants including Michelin-recommended Ration: Beverley when hunger strikes). Hunt for vintage finds in the vibrant Kensington Market at notable shops including vintage mecca Exile, and Space Vintage (and while popping into small restaurants serving mouth-watering cuisine from around the world).
Head to Bloor-Yorkville, Toronto’s go-to fashion destination, where shopping ranges from Chanel and Balenciaga, Free People, and even WDLT117 featuring up-and-coming designers.
Autumn Getaway in Toronto – Warm up inside the Royal Ontario Museum
Drop by the Royal Ontario Museum for the Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature exhibit exploring the links between the magical creatures of the wizarding world and the remarkable animals in our natural world, encouraging a greater connection to our planet and empowering us all to be advocates for its care. Visitors will be awed by the powerful combination of science, nature, and imagination as they explore fantastic beasts in all their forms and learn how these animals inspired some of the world’s most incredible stories and folklore. Open until January 2, 2023.
