Fall colours cycling
Peterborough, Ont.
This Saturday, veteran cycling guide David Swales will lead a fall colours cycling tour. After spending several years abroad with renowned travel company Butterfield & Robinson, Mr. Swales has recently returned home to develop local getaways. The 60-kilometre fall colours route unfolds along flat bike paths and rolling farmland, and offers a combination of natural features and historic highlights. Starting from downtown Peterborough, the tour takes riders north along the Otonabee River, past the Trent University campus and the historic Trent Canal, to the villages of Lakefield and Warsaw. Participants then enjoy a picnic lunch on the shore of Indian River, with good chances of seeing soaring osprey and great blue heron.
Cost: $99, including use of a high-end Devinci hybrid bike, helmet, souvenir water bottle, picnic lunch, and services of a professional guide.
When: Saturday, Oct. 5 and Saturday, Oct. 12, from 9:30 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Where: The tour starts and ends in Peterborough, about 1½ hours northeast of Toronto.
How: For more information, call (416) 599-8747 or visit http://www.weekendtrips.com.
Bruce Trail Day
Ontario
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the opening of the Bruce Trail, the oldest and longest marked hiking trail in Canada. For the occasion, a celebration is in the works. The Bruce Trail Association has named this Sunday "Bruce Trail Day," and has invited the public to participate in introductory, guided interpretive hikes on the trail. Volunteers have been scouting out the 800-kilometre public footpath and have selected nine prime spots to view the spectacular fall colours. Hikers will be treated to the best of the Niagara Escarpment including valleys, cliffs, marshes and streams -- all set against the beautiful fall foliage. Events are taking place on the Trail near Ferndale, Owen Sound, Meaford, Collingwood, Mono Centre, Mono Mills, Georgetown, Burlington and Queenston.
Cost: Hikes are free. The Bruce Trail Association accepts donations toward land stewardship and the purchase of Niagara Escarpment Trail properties.
When: Sunday, Oct. 6. Times vary by location.
Where: Nine locations along the Bruce Trail, from the Bruce Peninsula to Niagara Falls.
How: For complete details, call (800) 665-4453 or visit http://www.brucetrail.org.
Tecumseh Arts Festival
Toronto
This weekend, Toronto's aboriginal community is inviting everyone to help launch the third annual Tecumseh Arts Festival, which honours Tecumseh, a warrior, patriot and visionary leader of the Shawnee who played a key role in the War of 1812.
Beginning on Saturday with a teepee raising, the event will feature a host of sights and sounds. Visitors will be treated to the spectacle of traditional dancers and native drums, and the humour and wisdom of age-old legends told by storytellers Duke Redbird and Ron Cook. An exhibition will feature traditional and contemporary artworks by artists including Carolyn Cote and Tom Hill.
Cost: Admission for adults is $5, $3.25 for seniors and students, and $3 for children 12 and under.
When: The festival runs until Tuesday, Nov. 5, but opening weekend festivities take place on Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday,
Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Historic Fort York, 100 Garrison Rd., Toronto.
How: For more information, call (416) 392-6907 or visit http://www.city.toronto.on.ca.
Francesco Contini is the general manager of weekendtrips.com
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