British Columbia’s vibrant fall season is packed with unique festivals that offer something for everyone, from wine lovers to art enthusiasts and foodies. Whether you’re sipping world-class wine in the Okanagan, exploring the local art scene along the Sunshine Coast, or indulging in gourmet experiences in Whistler, here are 3 fall festivals in BC that will blow you away.
Credit Okanagan Fall Wine FestivalOkanagan Fall Wine Festival
Location: Penticton
Date: October 18 – 19 & 26 – 27, 2024.
History
The Okanagan Wine Festival (Hosted by the Okanagan Wine Festival Society) began in 1980, right around the time the wine industry began in British Columbia. Playing a big part in growing that industry the OWFS now puts on over 100 wine related events a year. The OWFS is also responsible for the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards, the largest and most prestigious wine award in BC.
About the Festival
The Okanagan valley is home to over 100 wineries and has slowly become the heart of the BC wine industry, which has taken off in recent years. The wine industry brings in $2.8-billion dollars annually and is generating $476 million dollars in tourism related economic impact.
Needless to say we love wine in BC, and if you’re a wine enthusiast there is no better fall festival than the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival. Presented by Okanagan Wine Festivals.
In the past the event has featured taste and sip events where you guessed it, you can taste the best wines that BC has to offer. It is a great festival to meet fellow wine enthusiasts, and if you’re looking to get involved in the industry there is no better place to meet BC’s best. Later in the festival, the top 50 wines in BC will be ranked and you will have a chance to try most of them.
Credit Sunshine Coast TourismSunshine Coast Art Crawl
Location: Along the Sunshine Coast Highway from Langdale to Earls Cove
Date: October 18 – 20th
History
You may have noticed that the sunshine coast is sprawling with homegrown art, but did you know that the Sunshine Coast has one of the highest artist per capita populations in all of Canada? The Sunshine Coast Art Crawl is put on every year by the CCA (Coast Cultural Alliance), which is a non-profit organisation run by volunteers that was established in 1998. Their goal is “To encourage and participate in the development of employment and business opportunities for the arts, cultural and heritage sectors on the Sunshine Coast.”.
About the Festival
The Sunshine Coast Art Crawl is a free flowing display of captivating local art taking place in the gorgeous Sunshine Coast. The crawl is not held in one venue, but rather spreads across the sunshine coast from Langdale to Earls Cove. You decide how you want to experience the crawl, last year’s art crawl featured 188 venues and over 260 artists! Needless to say, there is something for everyone to enjoy at their own pace.
With so many options it is pretty clear you won’t be able to check out all the venues, so The CCA recommends planning your route based on convenience, theme or event and going from there. You can find digital brochures on the CCA website, brochures will also be available all around the coast at venues, help centres & other locations
Venues will have different themes and styles of art, and there will also be reception parties on the first night of the festival. Again all the venues will be listed on the CCA website, due to the remoteness of the Coast and the amount of venues we would recommend spending doing an overnight trip.
Take your time and make sure to stop by The 101 Brewhouse to grab a bite to eat and something to drink. The Sunshine Coast Art Crawl is not only a lively fall activity, it is also a great way to support local artists.
Credit Gibbons WhistlerWhistler Cornucopia
Location: Whistler
Date: November 7 – 17, 2024
About The Festival
There is a-lot to sink your teeth into at Cornucopia (yes that is the best I could come up with). The festival is broken up into 4 categories: Signature Events, Drink Seminars, Culinary Stage Series, and Bar and Restaurant Events. Over 11 days, there will be 70+ events for you to indulge in. Some of the standouts from last year’s festival include:
Murder Mystery Dinner at Bearfoot Bistro where you dress up in 80’s prom attire, get enthralled in a Murder Mystery while you’re enjoying a four course meal at the Bearfoot Bistro.
Taste of Indigenous Worlds if you have ever been curious about Indigenous cuisine, then Taste of Indigenous Worlds is perfect for you, plenty of sampling booths for you to get a better taste of the Indigenous World.
Laugh Out Live described by the Whistler Tourism website as “Think Saturday Night Live meets Whose Line Is It Anyway?, meets The Price Is Right, meets your granny’s 70’s collection. “ This one needs no more explanations.
Again this is just a taste of last year’s events, with so many to choose from your bound to find something that tickles your taste buds.
Check out our other articles for things to do in BC this fall, including Three Plants For Fall Foraging and Fall into Birding
