You're not a true Quebecker unless you've done 5 of these 10 fall activities
Sure, your first language may be Franglais, your blood composed of equal parts brown sauce and maple syrup, and your Spotify playlist largely Celine Dion deep cuts, but can you even call yourself a true Quebecker if you haven't done the following fall activities?
From admiring colourful foliage to picking apples and pumpkins to warming your heart and eating your weight in poutine, autumn in La Belle Province is full of endless fun and memorable experiences.
How many fun fall activities have you done? There's still plenty of season left to get your fall on, so grab your favourite cozy sweater and lace up your hiking boots, and get on out there. By the end of the autumn season, if you can check off five of these 10 fall activities, congratulations and félicitations! — you are officially a true Quebecker.
Picked your own apples in Montérégie
Address: Montérégie, QC
Why You Need To Go: What's that line from Good Will Hunting? "Do you like apples? Well, Montérégie has the largest acreage of apple orchards in Quebec.... "How do you like them apples?"
Whether you like apples or just love a fun fall day outdoors, a trip to one of Montérégie's abundant orchards for an afternoon of apple picking is a must-do this time of year.
You can't go wrong with any of the region's orchards, but there's a reason why Rougemont is dubbed the Apple Capital of Quebec, boasting over 500,000 apples trees and popular orchards like Vignoble Coteau Rougemont and Potager Mont-Rouge Halte Gourmande. Another popular spot is La Ferme Quinn, just outside of Montreal, where, along with apples, you can pick-your-own squash and pumpkins and meet-and-greet adorable goats, pigs, cows, and horses in the animal barn.
Cheered for the home team at an Alouettes game
Address: 475, av. des Pins O., Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: Before the province collectively turns its attention to the Habs, be sure to catch an Alouettes game and, to put it mildly, root for a team that's had a bit more playoff success in recent years, with their last Grey Cup win in 2023.
While an evening on your couch in front of your TV and a plate of nachos is nice, there's really nothing like watching a football game live in the crisp autumn air amongst the roar of fans and the stunning backdrop of Parc du Mont-Royal. And how fitting is it that the Als' last home game of the season is on Thanksgiving this year?
Went hiking in the Laurentians
Address: Laurentides, QC
Why You Need To Go: Although the province is full of scenic hiking trails that offer breathtaking views and an adrenaline rush year-round, there's something special about hiking through the Laurentians come autumn.
From challenging hikes on towering mountains to beginner-friendly trails through vibrant fall foliage, along cascading rivers and waterfalls, the region has something for everyone. Popular and scenic hiking spots in the area include Parc national du Mont-Tremblant, Parc Régional de Val-David-Val-Morin, and Mont Kaaikop.
Got tipsy on cider in the Eastern Townships
Address: Eastern Townships, QC
Why You Need To Go: Fall is both apple season and grape harvest season in Quebec, making now more than ever the perfect time to make an impassioned plea to your favourite designated driver to take you on a tour of the best vineyards, wineries, and cider houses the Eastern Townships have to offer. With over 31 active vineyards and more than a dozen cider houses, not to mention the breathtaking scenery of the surrounding Appalachian Mountains glowing with fall foliage.
Went whale watching in Tadoussac
Address: Tadoussac, QC
Why You Need To Go: Considered one of the most beautiful places in all of Quebec, Tadoussac is famous for its breathtaking natural scenery and active marine life. But the number one reason Quebeckers and tourists alike flock to this charming maritime village is for the whales. The Saint Lawrence waters along the town's coast are brimming with beluga, minke, humpback, fin, and blue whales just waiting for the perfect Instagram-worthy photo op. While whale-watching season runs from May to October, the whales are most active and numerous during the autumn months, as they prepare for their migrations south for winter and for you to snap that perfect shot. And rest assured, if you visit Tadoussac in the fall, you'll have — for lack of a better pun — a whale of a time.
Got frightened at La Ronde
Address: 22, ch. Macdonald, Île Sainte-Hélène, Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: If there's anything scarier than the steep drop from La Ronde's Goliath coaster, it's La Ronde during Fright Fest.
Every weekend in October, La Ronde transforms from amusement park into one giant outdoor haunted house complete with terrifying fear zones and horrifying creatures lurking in the shadows, threatening to give you nightmares well into the winter. If you haven't experienced Fright Fest, are you a true Quebecker or just a true scaredy cat?
Mourned the Expos at your local sports bar
Address: Varies
Why You Need To Go: Maybe you're old enough to remember Blue Monday (when the Expos failed to reach the 1981 World Series after a heartbreaking loss to the Dodgers) or maybe you weren't even born when the Expos played their last game at Olympic Stadium in 2004, but for all Quebec baseball fans, you have one thing in common: missing the Expos and what could have been. This feeling is especially intense this time of year as nostalgic 'Spos fans are forced to watch Canada's other ball team battle it out with the Red Sox and Yankees for a spot in the postseason. It ain't just a Blue Monday, it's a Blue October.
Admired the fall foliage in a national park
Address: Varies
Why You Need To Go: The glowing golds, the vibrant crimsons, and the sunny yellows of Quebec's fall foliage more than make up for any end-of-summer blues (or end of Expos' Blue Mondays). The colourful autumn landscape is spectacular throughout the province, but it's somehow just a little more beautiful in Quebec's lush national parks. The options feel endless, but some standouts include Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier outside of Quebec City, Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay, and Gaspé Peninsula's Parc National de la Gaspésie.
Warmed up with a poutine at a casse-croûte
Address: Varies
Why You Need To Go: Widely considered the unofficial national dish of La Belle Province (and we mean both Quebec and the fast-food chain), poutine is the ultimate comfort food, as delicious as it is emblematic of our region. Although some argue that poutine is best eaten at 3 a.m. after a night of drinking and regrettable life choices — there's nothing quite like that first bite of hot brown sauce, squeaky cheese curds, and crisp fries on a cool autumn day in an old-timey casse-croûte.
Spent the day in a pumpkin patch at Citrouilleville
Address: 60, av. 69e, Saint-Zotique, QC
Why You Need To Go: Citrouilleville isn't your ordinary pumpkin patch; it's a full-blown, enchanting pumpkin village complete with a saloon, church, and general store, all magically constructed out of pumpkins. With an impressive corn maze, bouncy castle, and pumpkins galore, it's a fall fairytale come to life.
Think Cinderella, but then flip it on its pumpkin head. As the story goes, if Cinderella wasn't home by midnight, the magic spell would end and her horse-drawn carriage would turn into a pumpkin. But at Citrouilleville, the magic is the pumpkins, and if you haven't visited by the end of fall, you may turn from true Quebecker into Quebec poser.
The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
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Parc Omega.
A female elk surrounded by fall foliage.