Fall Gardens Day September 12 - Taste-test the Original 100-Mile Diet

Visitors are invited to experience some real flavours of fall, right from the Loucks Farm garden at Upper Canada Village, during the historic attraction’s “Fall Gardens Day” on Saturday, September 12. One of the Village’s “Flavours of Autumn” series of fall events, Fall Gardens Day will also give visitors the opportunity to enjoy and learn about the Village gardens at harvest time, through a guided afternoon garden tour.

When the average North American in 2009 sits down to eat, each ingredient has often traveled hundreds of kilometers from farm to plate. Not so in the 1860s. Most fresh fruits and vegetables were grown in the family’s own garden and orchard.

Upper Canada Village gardeners invite visitors to experience the diversity of tastes produced by 19th century plant varieties at the Loucks Farm garden from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. People will discover an explosion of flavours by sampling sorel, chard, Nasturtium petals, red pear and calabash tomatoes, carrots, beat tops, winter onions, pencil pod beans and broccoli, as well as a multitude of herbs such as basil, dill and sage.

In the afternoon, visitors are invited to join a Garden Tour led by a Village horticultural interpreter through a selection of the gardens on site (tour starts in front of Cook’s Tavern at 1:00 p.m.). The tour will focus on late-blooming annuals and perennials, as well as on heirloom vegetables.

This heritage event reflects the St. Lawrence Parks Commission's continuing efforts to celebrate Canadian heritage as it strives to engage, enrich, entertain, and educate visitors. Heritage events are an excellent way for guests to be immersed into life of a bygone time and are popular with a wide range of tourists and residents alike.

The workshops and guided tours offered during the Fall Gardens Day event are included in the regular admission to Upper Canada Village for the day. Visitors wishing to extend their visit to both days on the weekend may purchase a special 2-day pass at the gate for only $20 per adult/senior, $10 per student/youth and $5 per child. More festivities are in store at Upper Canada Village as part of its “Flavours of Autumn” series of fall events, and the two-day pass will also be offered at these times: the “Fall Fair” on September 19 & 20, the “Quilt Show” on September 26 & 27, and “Fall at the Farm”, taking place from September 30 to October 4, and Thanksgiving Weekend on October 10 & 11.