Cozy up to fall at these family-friendly farms near Toronto, where pumpkin picking, apple orchards and fun fall activities are in season now!

Sweater weather, you say? Bring it on! Embrace pumpkin-spiced everything with fall activities like apple picking and pumpkin patch visits in and around Toronto. Enjoy Ontario harvest flavours, from just-crushed apple cider to still-warm pumpkin pie, at these family-friendly farms with the best apple orchards near Toronto.

But don’t dawdle: the harvest may stretch from early September to late October, but your favourite varieties could be in harvest for only a few weeks, so strike while the picking’s ripe! 

This is the season to wander pumpkin patches, stroll apple groves and savour this stunning season until the last leaf (or apple!) falls. Here are the top Toronto farms and orchards for every type of pumpkin-spice aficionado!

Best for Family Fun: Downey’s Farm Market

Apple picking and pumpkin patches are just the beginning at Downey’s Farm. This is fall’s ultimate playground, where kids can conquer an eight-acre corn maze, race pedal carts, feed friendly farm animals and bounce along on wagon rides… and that’s only scratching the surface!

From mid-September onwards, the farm bursts into action with its legendary PumpkinFest (September 20–October 31, 2025), transforming into a photogenic fall wonderland. Think 30+ attractions, daily live shows featuring magicians and circus acts, and nonstop autumn excitement for the whole family!

Located in: Caledon, Ontario

Approx. driving time from downtown Toronto*: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Know before you go: No pets allowed. Purchase tickets online in advance (fees vary by attraction).

Accessibility: Stroller and wheelchair-friendly. Service dogs are welcome. Access 2 card accepted. Read full accessibility details here.

Find out more: downeysfarm.com

Best for Day Dates: Andrews Scenic Acres

There may be a chill in the air, but there’s romance on the horizon at Andrews Scenic Acres, a 165-acre gem tucked into the Niagara Escarpment. After filling your basket (and social media feed) with farm-fresh apples, pumpkins, gourds—and even late-season raspberries—wander hand-in-hand along the winding farm trails. 

Pause to pick a bouquet from the dahlia fields, snap a photo in the sunflowers and swoon over a tasting of small-batch fruit wines paired with butter tarts baked fresh on-site daily. 

Now, that’s a date to savour with a sweet ending!  

Located in: Milton, Ontario

Approx. driving time from downtown Toronto*: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Know before you go: There’s lots of family fun, too! Leashed pups are welcome in some areas. Purchase tickets upon arrival (tickets from $10, kids under age 5 are free). 

Accessibility: Some uneven terrain. Free admission for support persons. Service dogs are welcome. Read full accessibility details here.

Find out more: andrewsscenicacres.com

Best for Besties’ Day Out: Chudleigh’s Entertainment Farm

For many Ontarians, Chudleigh’s is a family tradition. It’s the farm you visit for apple picking, pumpkin hunting and outdoorsy family photos to boot!

Whether you fuel up post-harvest at the Windmill Restaurant (word has it their smash burger rivals their pies), stop in at the Silo Bar (beer, wine and hard cider, oh my!) or enjoy a coffee and warm apple blossom from The Blossom Cafe (a must—this pastry is what they’re known for, after all!), you’ll leave with a bushel of apples and a belly full of comfort food. 

Check out their lineup of live music playing throughout September, too (there’s even a Tragically Hip cover band on the roster).

Located in: Halton Hills, Ontario

Approx. driving time from downtown Toronto*: 1 hour

Know before you go: No walk-ins; purchase tickets in advance for a three-hour visit (tickets from $15.50, kids under age 3 are free). Leashed dogs are welcome in some areas. 

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible with some uneven terrain. Discounted admission for support persons. Service dogs are welcome. Read full accessibility details here. 

Find out more: chudleighs.com 

Best for Foodies: Pingles Farm Market

While kids dive into Harvest Festival fun—petting barnyard animals, navigating the giant corn maze and conquering the straw pyramid—epicureans can indulge in elaborate Pingles creations (think classic fair foods, but make it a quaint country farm version). 

Beyond the orchard’s 14 apple varieties (plus pears and pumpkins), the on-site market brims with local bounty: farm-fresh produce, small-batch baked goods and pies in every flavour imaginable. Don’t miss the locally butchered meats—and save big if you order in advance.

Looking to fill your social media with fall-tastic photos? Don’t sleep on the sunflower field and bubble barn!

Located in: Hampton, Ontario

Approx. driving time from downtown Toronto*: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Know before you go: Pre-book your tickets (general admission tickets are $14.48), arrive within the hour slot and stay as long as you like. Bringing your dog? They’ll need a pup ticket ($11.37), too. 

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible parking. Seating provided in the market. Staff can provide assistance entering the market and rooms. Read full accessibility details here.

Find out more: pinglesfarmmarket.com 

Best for Transit-Takers: Carl Laidlaw Orchards 

Just 10 minutes from Mount Pleasant GO Station, Carl Laidlaw Orchards’ bucolic Brampton groves stretch across 100 acres, offering 20 varieties of apples and three kinds of pears. 

This is the place to tap into simplicity and tradition: meet the farm animals (look, don’t touch), climb hay bales, take a wagon ride, roast hot dogs and corn, and stroll along the scenic Credit River. Time your visit right, and you may even catch the annual salmon run, usually peaking in early October—it’s apple picking with a side of wildlife viewing!

BONUS: the orchard has a roving photographer and provides digital images of your visit free of charge.

Located in: Brampton, Ontario

Approx. driving time from downtown Toronto*: 1 hour

Know before you go: Walk-in only, no reservations (tickets start at $9, babies free). Leashed dogs are welcome. 

Accessibility: Service dogs welcome. Phone ahead with accessibility questions (905-456-2095).

Find out more: carllaidlaworchards.ca 

Best for Mini Thrill Seekers: Brooks Farms

This is where fall fun borders on wild-rumpus time! Brooks is more than an orchard: it’s an adventure park wrapped in fall charm. Beyond apple picking and pumpkin patching, you’ll find zip lines, giant slides, a pirate ship, and an entire Playland that keeps kids (and their adults) busy for hours. 

Their annual Fall Fun Festival (now through October 26, 2025) ups the ante with wagon rides, train tours and an epic corn maze. But the pièce de playful résistance is in the competitions that happen twice daily: the raucous pig race and the family pumpkin cannon contest. 

Located in: Mount Albert, Ontario

Approx. driving time from downtown Toronto*: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Know before you go: No pets allowed. Purchase admission in advance or upon entry (tickets start at $19.99, babies are free).

Accessibility: Service dogs welcome. Wheelchair-friendly with some uneven terrain. Email ahead with accessibility questions (mackenzie@brooksfarms.com).

Find out more: brooksfarms.com 

Best for a Slice of Serenity: Albion Orchards 

Skirt the fall frenzy and connect with the simple beauty of your surroundings at Albion Orchards. With its quiet and relaxed setting, this is the place to skip the crowds and soak in autumn’s simple pleasures. 

Meander through orchards brimming with 12 apple varieties, and pause in the sprawling pumpkin patch, where the orange globes give off an otherworldly glow at dusk. 

Feeling too relaxed to do the picking yourself? Visit the old-fashioned Country Store to get your fix, and while you’re there, stock up on fresh-baked pies, orchard-fresh apple treats, pure honey harvested on-site and other local treasures!

Located in: Caledon, Ontario 

Approx. driving time from downtown Toronto*: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Know before you go: No tickets or reservations needed, leave your pups at home, and bring cash (cards are accepted in store, and cash is preferred everywhere else).  

Accessibility: Grass and fine gravel are wheelchair-friendly. Farm shop entrance has a step; staff can provide assistance if needed. Email ahead with accessibility questions (office@albionorchards.com).

Find out more: albionorchards.com

* All approximate driving times are mapped from downtown Toronto’s Union Station. Travel times will vary by day, time, and traffic conditions.

Top fall activities in Toronto

Are you eager to experience a classic Canadian harvest experience without having to leave city limits? Try these family-friendly fall activities—they’re all just a hop, skip and jump from downtown.

 

Best TTC-accessible farm: The Halloween Boo Barn at Riverdale Farm

Let’s talk about the Halloween Boo Barn at Riverdale Farm (October 25 - 26). Think: pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, face painting and a super-spooky haunted barn. Of course, plenty of farm animals are always on site at this working farm in the heart of the city. 

 

Best local (not) corn maze: William Meany Maze at Toronto Island

Okay, it’s not corn, but Centre Island’s William Meany Maze is well worth navigating anyway. This historic maze can confuse the best of the puzzle solvers, with 1,500 square feet of tricky turns and 1,200 black cedars, some towering more than seven feet tall. 

Best Ontario harvest foods: Toronto farmers' markets

Craving the best of the Ontario harvest, minus the drive and elbow grease of picking produce yourself? Head to St. Lawrence Market Saturdays, The Leslieville Farmers’ Market, Evergreen Brickworks Farmers’ Market or the Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers’ Market. Expect a cornucopia of apples, pears, squash, pumpkins, root vegetables and cabbage in addition to homestyle preserves, local meats and more. 


Best family-friendly fall festival:  The Fall Festival at The Village at Black Creek

The Fall Festival at The Village at Black Creek lets kids tap into the days of yore, participating in old-fashioned fall traditions, like butter-churning, quilting and candle dipping. But it’s not all “work”—kids can judge the season’s finest harvest, taste traditional fall treats, get hands-on with apples and dance to folk music, too.  

 

—This story has been updated with new details since it was first published in September 2023.