The Date Almanac
A fall day around Leamington
Pick-your-own pumpkins and a corn maze, Wheatley Provincial Park, and a local market
Open the day with pick-your-own pumpkins and a corn maze at Thiessen Orchards, then Wheatley Provincial Park a few minutes on, and finish at the Leamington market. 4 stops, none more than 10 km apart, all around Leamington.
- 1
Pick the patch · Leamington
Thiessen Orchards
A Leamington orchard for picking your own apples and pumpkins, with sunflower rows, a corn maze, and a rustic barn full of straw and slides for the kids. The on-site kitchen turns out cider, pie, and apple fritters.
- 2
Shop and refuel · Leamington
Leamington Farmers' Market
A year-round market in the big gold building on the Leamington Fairgrounds, stocking fresh meat and fish alongside the expected fruit, vegetables, baked goods and flowers. Fitting for a town that calls itself the tomato capital.
- 3
Walk it off
Wheatley Provincial Park
Carolinian forest, marshes, and creeks meet a Lake Erie beach near the western tip of the lake, putting it on a major migration corridor. Bring binoculars in spring and fall and paddle the heron-filled creeks.
- 4
A local landmark · Kingsville
Colasanti's Tropical Gardens
Acres of greenhouses growing cacti, orchids and tropical plants you can walk for free, wrapped around an indoor mini-golf course, arcade, petting zoo with goats and exotic birds, and a diner known for broasted chicken and cinnamon donuts.
Before you go
- Confirm Thiessen Orchards is open and in season the day you go; what is ready shifts week to week.
- Bring water and bug spray for the walk at Wheatley Provincial Park; the footing is easy but shaded and buggy in summer.
- The Leamington market runs limited days and hours, so check its schedule before you build the day around it, and bring cash.
A free day out from the Home Almanac. Every stop is a verified place; days change with the season, so print it the week you go. Data (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, openstreetmap.org/copyright.