Take the family to these fall festivals and farm tours!

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Looking for a family-friendly fall road trip from Ottawa that will keep the kids amused? Autumn is a great time for a family outing—after all, the bugs and humidity of the summer are long gone. Here are a few ideas.

Cover photo courtesy of Goat Ridge Farm.

Farm tours and animal attractions

Some of these outings will give your family the chance to get up close and personal with animals of all sorts, from the familiar (cows, sheep) to the exotic (alpacas, wolves). Others will offer the opportunity to pick fruits and vegetables, enjoy a hayride, and more.

Central

• Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Ottawa: Throughout October, families can enjoy craft time, kid-friendly movies, a Spooky Barn, cooking classes and more. And year-round, kids can visit cows, pigs, chickens, horses, goats, sheep and alpacas.

West

• The Log Farm, Nepean: At this Greenbelt farm, kids can feed the animals, pick pumpkins, explore a corn maze, go for a wagon ride, check out the kids’ barn, discover fairy tales along the Enchanted Forest trail and more. Snacks are available for purchase.
• Maple Hill Urban Farm, Nepean: Another farm in the Greenbelt, Maple Hill has a corn maze, offers alpaca tours, and sells pumpkins, corn and other produce.
• Saunders Farm, Munster: On Ottawa’s western edge, this big attraction organizes PumpkinFest for young families (with hayrides, ziplines, puppet shows, street theatres and gentle Halloween attractions) and FrightFest (haunted attractions) for older kids and adults. You can also nosh on pizza, pretzels, cider and more, and check out the farm shop.
• Serendipity Farm and Sanctuary, Lanark: At this llama and alpaca sanctuary, all visits are by appointment; you can book a llama walk or a private tour.
• Hugli’s Blueberry Ranch, Pembroke: A corn maze, pedal cars, wagon rides, puppet shows, pig races and the ever-popular pumpkin cannon are among the many attractions at this farm. The canteen and the market come in handy when you’ve worked up an appetite.
• Forest Cove Alpacas, Chalk River: You can drop in (Tuesday through Saturday) to see the alpacas and take a self-guided tour, or book a guided tour and other experiences—such as alpaca trekking and alpaca feeding.

East

• Alpacas’ City, Limoges: Open by appointment only, this farm lets you visit with and learn about alpacas.
• Cannamore Orchard, Crysler: Until Thanksgiving weekend, you can enjoy Family Fun Weekends with a cow train, pedal cars, a covered wagon and other fun. Apple picking is done for the season, but pumpkin picking started in late September. And throughout October, Acres of Terror is scary for kids of all ages (the daytime version is suitable for younger kids, while the nighttime version is scarier).
• Avonmore Berry Farm, Avonmore: Until mid-October, pick pumpkins, enjoy weekend wagon rides, and let your kids loose in the children’s play areas, complete with slides, swings, sandboxes and a hay mow.
• Ouimet Farms Adventure, Vankleek Hill: The fun includes pedal carts, a corn maze, a giant jumping pillow, a pick-your-own pumpkin patch and more.

South

• Saunders Country Critter Zoo and Sanctuary, Oxford Station: This site cares for a huge range of unwanted animals and animals with special needs. Their “animal ambassadors” include one or more wallabies, pheasants, lynx, monkeys, marmosets, macaws, tortoises and many more.
• Milkhouse Farm and Dairy, Smiths Falls: On Saturday, October 19, and Saturday, October 26, the farm is offering free tours. Kids can meet sheep and a llama, and learn about farm operations.
• Little Foot Alpacas, Spencerville: Walk with alpacas, learn how to harness them and more on small-group experiences for two to six people. The farm also has a large rental apartment for overnight stays.
• Goat Ridge Farm, Seeley’s Bay: In fall, you can book a goat walk with one of the farm’s adorable Nubian goats.
• Hidden Meadows Alpacas, Seeley’s Bay: Contact them in advance for a farm tour and alpaca visit.
• Berry Homestead Farm, Lyndhurst: At this small farm north of Gananoque, you can book a time to visit with donkeys.
• Beraka Farm, Gananoque: The farm shop at this organic, family-run farm is open Wednesday through Saturday, and you can request a farm tour when you drop by.

Outaouais

• Verger Croque-Pomme, Lochaber-Partie-Ouest (Thurso): This farm organizes kids’ activities and games on weekends, and there’s an educational beehive, too. Apples, pears, pumpkins and squash are available.
• Parc Oméga, Montebello: This drive-through wildlife park also offers opportunities to stay overnight to observe wolves and other free-roaming wild animals.

Festivals and events

Of course, you don’t have to have kids in tow to enjoy these events. But organizers have made sure to include diversions such as face-painting, magicians, bouncy castles or other amusements at these gatherings.

• Saturday, October 12 (Thanksgiving weekend): Fall for Merrickville, Heritage Stables, Merrickville
• Sunday, October 13: Harvest Festival, Watson’s Mill, Manotick
• October 12 to 14: Festival des Couleurs, Rigaud
• October 17 to 20: Petawawa Ramble, Petawawa

Have I overlooked your favourite family-friendly fall festival or farm tour? Let me know!

Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.

As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.