Pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and other things to do in the Fraser Valley in October

October is a month of transition. Between the sultry days of summer and the cozy afternoons of winter, October brings a chance to rest, recharge, and simply enjoy the changing of the seasons.

In the Fraser Valley, this means a month focused on celebrating good food, good books, and good music. It’s also a month to get out into the farmland for which the valley is known to enjoy corn mazes and pumpkin patches.

Langley

This month, activities in Langley are centred on fresh ingredients, delicious drinks, and good food.

Cooking classes

All month long, Langley residents can dive into their cookbooks with a series of cooking courses at the Langley foodie company Well Seasoned. The classes are taught by one of two local chefs—Chef Deniz or Chef Sue—and focus on a different recipe each time.

From a tutorial on festival Thanksgiving desserts on Oct. 10 to a beef wellington masterclass on Oct. 28, the courses feature a variety of different cuisines and techniques. This month, there are two sourdough classes, as well as three different pasta courses.

Interested participants can get their tickets to individual classes online. Classes are from 6 to 9pm at Well Seasoned’s 64 Avenue location.

Fort Langley Cranberry Festival

Fort Langley’s long-running celebration of cranberries—and everything you can make with them—returns to the community on Saturday, Oct. 12. The Fort Langley Cranberry Festival was started in 1995 as a way to enjoy the bounty from the region’s cranberry harvest. The festival has continued to grow through the years, and has seen as many as 35,000 take part in the celebration.

This year, the festival will feature a community market, food trucks, and more. Past years saw the Fort Langley National Historic Site get into the spirit, offering a bucket full of cranberries and a pair of galoshes so visitors could get in and squish the berries.

People interested in participating as a vendor can still apply. Anyone wanting to visit the festival itself can head to Fort Langley on Saturday, Oct. 12.

Township 7 Grape Stomp

To make wine, you have to squish a few grapes—and Township 7 Winery in Langley thinks that’s more fun with friends. On Saturday, Oct. 19, teams of six to eight people can come to the winery to participate in a grape-stomping contest.

The day begins at noon and continues until 3pm with four separate heats. Teams will win prizes for the best heat, the best costumes, and the best team spirit. When participants aren’t smashing grapes, they can enjoy live music by Spike Sullivan and tasty snacks.

Tickets are available online. The event is outdoors and will happen rain or shine, so be sure to dress for the weather.

Abbotsford and Mission

In Abbotsford and Mission, residents can spend the month rocking out, laughing along, and celebrating with family.

Roktoberfest

Classic rock and classic German food—Rocktoberfest is coming to the Abbotsford Tradex on Saturday, Oct. 5. The night is a traditional Oktoberfest mixed with Metallica and AC/DC tribute bands.

Presented by Vancouver rock radio station CFOX, the festival will feature Metallica tribute band Master of Justice and Canadian AC/DC cover group Who Made Who. In addition to classic rock tunes, patrons can enjoy Bavarian food and adult beverages.

The festival is open to all ages, with kids 12 and under able to get in for free. Tickets are available online.

The Odd Couple

The Odd Couple is coming to Abbotsford—with a twist. The hit 1970s sitcom was first premiered as a play on Broadway in 1965, featuring the mismatched roommates Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison. Playwright Neil Simon revised his play for an all-female cast in 1985, and that woman-centric performance will be coming to Abbotsford at the end of October.

Featuring local performers through the Fraser Valley Stage, the play will open at the Abbotsford Arts Centre on Friday, Oct. 25. Shows continue on Saturday, Oct. 26, Sunday, Oct. 27, Thursday, Oct. 31, and into early November.

Tickets are available online. Discounted prices for students and seniors are available.

Family Fun for Diwali

Diwali, the annual festival of lights originating in India, is happening from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 this year. But celebrations for the festival are happening throughout the month of October across the Lower Mainland.

There are a number of Diwali celebrations happening further west—in Coquitlam, Surrey, and Vancouver—but the Fraser Valley isn’t left out. The Clearbrook Library is hosting a family-fun day for Diwali on Saturday, Oct. 26, featuring fun crafts, colourful displays, and a Diwali-themed storytime at 2pm.

The Mission Punj-Aab Culture Club is also planning a Diwali celebration at the Clarke Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 24. That is a free community event starting at 5pm. Details for that celebration are available on the City of Mission website.

Eastern Fraser Valley

In Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison, and Hope, residents can enjoy a night of reading, a steampunk musical, and an exploration of heritage.

The Art of Reading

For many people, the perfect evening is a good book, a cozy blanket, and a hot drink. The Chilliwack Cultural Centre is inviting residents to give that perfect night a try with other book lovers at its The Art of Reading on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

The event will include a selection of couches with blankets, book chat tables, and a book craft station. The Book Man will provide a mystery book with each ticket, and Smoking Gun will be on hand with complimentary coffee.

Tickets are available online. Patrons can specify their genre of choice for the mystery book; books may be gently used.

Dolls of New Albion: A Steampunk Musical

Four generations. Nine performance dates. One expansive musical.

Dolls of New Albion is a steampunk-themed musical focusing on four generations of the McAlastair family. Featuring scientists, lovers, heroes, and rebels, the musical will be performed by Chilliwack’s Nine Lives Musical Theatre Society. Opening night takes place on Friday, Oct. 11 at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre, with performances nearly every day until Oct. 20.

Tickets are available online. Evening performances begin at 7pm; matinees begin at 2pm.

Heritage Discovery Day and Home Tour

History lovers can explore the heritage of downtown Chilliwack through a series of tours on Saturday, Oct. 5. Heritage Chilliwack is hosting guided tours of homes in the city, a tour of the Chilliwack Museum’s Archives, and a tour of the Atchelitz Threshermen’s Museum.

The home tour is self-guided and ticket holders can choose which stops to visit and in which order. Each home will have an era-appropriate car in the driveway. Other tours will have a tour guide associated with them.

Tickets are available online, and guidebooks can be picked up at the Royal Hotel on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 10pm. Children six and under are not allowed on the tour; each paid adult can bring one child between the ages of 7 and 18 with them.

Fall festivities

Across the Fraser Valley, residents can celebrate the season of crunchy leaves and warm drinks with two classic autumn activities: corn mazes and pumpkin patches.

Corn mazes

In Chilliwack, Greendale Acres is perhaps the best-known corn maze, creating a different design in its corn each year. This year, the corn maze features country artist Luke Bryan playing in its 10-acre field.

In Abbotsford, Maan Farms has was it calls the ‘scariest corn maze in Canada.’ The Kept Slaughterhouse maze is inspired by Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and features the tallest rows of corn the farm has ever grown. (The farm also features an enchanted corn maze, for people not interested in the fright night.)

Chilliwack’s Petey’s Pumpkin Patch is also offering a frightening corn maze, with its Reapers Haunted Attraction. The maze has been described as “good old-fashioned, scary fun” and is only open in the evenings.

In Langley, Eagle Acres has a fright-free corn maze, which is only open until Oct. 14. The maze features a design celebrating the farm’s 25th anniversary.

Pumpkin patches

Many of the corn mazes in the Fraser Valley also include pumpkin-picking opportunities, including Greendale Acres, Maan Farms, Petey’s Pumpkin Patch, and Eagle Acres. (Although Eagle Acres’ corn maze closes on Oct. 14, the pumpkin patch is open until Halloween.)

Elsewhere, Aldor Acres in Langley offers a long-standing pumpkin patch geared towards family fun. Visitors can take a hayride to pick their pumpkin from a far field, or gather a pre-picked pumpkin throughout the farm.