The Date Almanac
A spring day around Bala
A sugar bush, Bala Falls, and a local market
Open the day with a sugar bush at Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery, then Bala Falls a few minutes on, and finish at the Bala market. 3 stops, none more than 5 km apart, all around Bala.
- 1
Pick the patch · Bala.
Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery
The oldest cranberry farm in Ontario and the only one anywhere with its own winery. A guided tour walks you through the marsh and into a tasting, and during harvest you can pull on waders and wade into the flooded bog.
- 2
Shop and refuel · Bala
Bala Farmers' Market
A summer market in Jaspen Park where Muskoka farmers and artisans set up with produce and handmade goods. Expect Ontario berries, peaches, and beans alongside crafts, an easy stroll on a cottage-country morning.
- 3
See the falls
Bala Falls
Where Lake Muskoka spills into the Moon River, a set of falls that defines the town of Bala. A footbridge crosses over them and the rocks at the base make a fair picnic perch, though some of the flow runs through the power station.
Before you go
- Confirm Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery is open and in season the day you go; what is ready shifts week to week.
- The rock above Bala Falls gets slick and the edges are often unfenced, so wear grippy shoes and keep children close.
- The Bala 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.