Find your flavour in Durham Region

Canadians live for the changing seasons; and the sights, smells and flavours that come with each new chapter. From the smell of the first snowfall on a crisp winter night to spring’s earthy goodness in the garden as you discover fresh and tangy garlic. Or perhaps you relish in the smell of smoky barbecue in the summer breeze. And although we love all of the seasons, it’s the smell of the changing leaves and fresh baked cinnamon apple pie that we welcome the most.

To celebrate the fall season, we’re counting down to Durham Region’s Gates Open: Find Your Flavour event, taking place on October 1 and 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come out and explore Durham’s natural resources, cultural heritage and diverse offerings with a self-guided weekend tour of on-farm experiences. Learn about farm life, watch farm demonstrations and take part in family friendly activities. Sip and savour your way across Durham with farm fresh products and treats like crisp local cider, sharp fresh cheeses and sweet honey.

Confirmed host farms include:

• Banjo Cider – See how apples become cider with a pressing demonstration and tour.
• Bragg Farms – Take a tractor ride out to the fields to pick your own potatoes and race to the finish line in a potato sack race.
• Gallery on the Farm – See a demonstration of organic beef cattle rotating pastures while you check out the equipment used for bailing hay.
• Nature's Bounty Farm – Stroll the orchard picking apples and sipping cider, visit their pumpkin patch or see their friendly sheep.
• Ocala Winery – Learn the history of the farm and the process used to make fruit wines. Wine tasting is also available.
• Sargent Family Dairy – Take a selfie with a cow and then enjoy Single Farm Reserve bottled milk, pasture butter and fresh cheese curds.
• Tindall Farm & Market – Visit a family owned and operated produce farm and bakery and purchase a pumpkin hand-painted on-site by a local artist.
• Two Blokes Cider – Stop by for a guided tour of the orchard full of English and French cider apples, and tour the cidery where juice is fermented, aged, packaged and sold as delicious apple cider.
• Villa Vida Loca Market – Enjoy a guided tour of the bee farm (apiary) and eco gardens and learn about honey bees with a demonstration of honey harvest and extraction.
• Wool 4 Ewe Fibre Mill – Experience the processing of fibre from start to finish. Needle felting is also available.

Admission to Gates Open is free. For a full list of on-farm activities visit GatesOpen.ca and preplan your on-farm adventure!

Looking for a place to stay while you’re exploring? Check out the Plan a rural overnight sojourn in Durham Region blog for a list of boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, and even glamping locations.

Want to take the road less travelled and cycle your way between stops? Download our cycling map to plan your route and explore Durham Region on two wheels.

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Looking for more on-farm and fall season experiences?

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Learn more at DurhamTourism.ca.