There’s no denying it. Summer is a great time to travel. The sun is (usually) out, festivals abound, and almost all of the attractions are open! There are the crowds though, and just about everywhere you go is a crowd or a line-up. Here at Coastal Inns we are strong proponents of traveling in the late summer, or early autumn, especially once the kids have gone back to school. If you can go against the flow and hit the road in September in The Maritimes you’ll be rewarded with more lobster, fewer lines, and just as much beauty as the summer months provide.
If you’ve never traveled in the fall before, you may be wondering what there is it do when you’re out at the time. Luckily, we’ve got some feet on the ground and have some GREAT ideas for you.
Halifax/Dartmouth
As The Maritimes most cosmopolitan city (for the time being… we’re looking at you Saint John) Halifax, and the HRM in general, always has a lot going on. If you’re an art and music fan, late October is going to be your ideal time.
Nocturne, Halifax’s annual “Art at Night” celebration is being curated by Tori Fleming. What exactly is Nocturne? From their website: Art at Night is a fall festival that brings art and energy to the streets of K’jipuktuk/Halifax between 6 p.m. and midnight. The completely free annual event showcases and celebrates the visual arts scene in Mi’kma’ki/Nova Scotia.”
Nocturne: Halifax NS, October 19th, 2019. https://nocturnehalifax.ca/
If you’re coming through a couple of weeks later, the almighty Halifax Pop Explosion is making its 17th appearance through Halifax with amazing, exciting talent from The Maritimes and beyond.
Sackville/Moncton
Sackville and Moncton are 20 minutes apart, and share a lot of commonalities, but are also, like most siblings, quite different. September and October offer a new look at some old favourites.
The Sackville Waterfowl Park in the fall offers you one last chance to say goodbye to our migratory birds before they head south for the winter. With the leaves changing, and the days a little cooler, autumn gives you a comfortable time to enjoy nature.
Moncton’s Magnetic Hill Zoo is easily Moncton’s most visited tourist destination. While the summer is their peak season, visiting in the fall allows for an opportunity to see the animals more active, as the weather is cooler for them. Swing by in September or October before they close for the winter and see your favourite animals in action!
Antigonish
Unlike our other locations, Antigonish actually tends to really pick up in September due to St F.X. University. On September 13th, join the town as they celebrate local art with the 9th annual Antigonight Art After Dark. Art projects are positioned around downtown venues including parks, closed-off sections of Main Street, and the public library where visitors have easy access to the exhibits.
Digby
Autumn on the Digby Basin is gorgeous. Take the beauty of a fishing village, add in the enormous tides of the world-renowned Bay of Fundy, and you’ve got a recipe for… whale watching? Yes. Whale watching. While normally a summer activity, many operators stay open until mid-October, so take a drive up the north shore and see if you can’t spot some whales.
As you can see, there’s a lot still to do throughout The Maritimes well into the fall. If you want to avoid the crowds, come see what we’ve got for you now. Don’t forget, weekdays are less busy than weekends, so you can have even more time to yourself by visiting us on business days!
