Fall is the busiest time of year on Niagara's farms. Grapes are coming off the vines, orchards are full of apples and farm stands are stacked with squash and pumpkins. This year's harvest came after a summer that tested growers.

A wet summer in wine country

Two big storms soaked Niagara-on-the-Lake in quick succession. About six inches of rain fell over July 27th and 28th, and more than four inches more came on August 2nd. Some vineyards flooded.

By mid-September the mood had brightened. Growers told Niagara Now that the crop looked promising, with good sugar levels, and that dry, sunny weather was helping. One winery owner even suggested it could be the best harvest in a decade. Picking started with Pinot Gris and red hybrid grapes. Thicker-skinned varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Vidal and Chardonnay, tend to handle a wet season best.

Last year's crop is in the bottle

The 2025 vintage is worth looking out for as it reaches shelves. A hot, dry summer meant a smaller crop, down sharply in some vineyards, but small berries with concentrated flavour and crisp acidity. Brock University's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute called it a case of quality over quantity, and winemakers have compared it with some of Niagara's best recent years.

Icewine comes last

The final grapes of the year won't be picked until winter. Under VQA Ontario's rules, Icewine is made from grapes that freeze naturally on the vine, and they're harvested only once the temperature drops below −8°C, often in the middle of the night. The frozen grapes give only a little very sweet juice, which is why Icewine is precious, and why Niagara celebrates it with the Niagara Icewine Festival every January.

Pick your own, and shop the markets

The harvest isn't only for wineries. Through October, farm markets and orchards across Niagara sell apples, pears, squash and pumpkins, and some let you pick your own. Hours change as the season winds down, so check before you drive out.

The farmers' markets are still going too. The Port Colborne Farmers' Market runs on Fridays until October 30th, and the Welland Farmers' Market runs every Saturday, all year.

Sharing the harvest

Some of Niagara's harvest goes straight to neighbours who need it. Start Me Up Niagara's From Our Garden program grows vegetables on a two-acre garden on land donated by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, and harvests more fruit and produce elsewhere on the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre's property. In 2024 the From Our Garden program shared about 42,000 pounds of fresh food with 17 food banks and community agencies across the region, at no cost to them.

This weekend

The season's big celebration is the Ball's Falls Thanksgiving Festival in Lincoln, from October 9th to 12th. Read our guide to the 52nd Ball's Falls Thanksgiving Festival.