- 226-348-4177
- [email protected]
- 1315 Lawrence Ave E,unit 406, M3A 3R3, North York, Ontario
Thanksgiving weekend in Toronto is four days long and dinner takes about three hours of it.
The rest of the time — Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday, and the quiet stretch of Thanksgiving Monday before or after the meal — is some of the best leisure time the city offers all year. The fall colours are at their peak. The air has that particular October crispness that makes walking actually enjoyable. And the city is noticeably quieter than a regular weekend, which makes everything from museums to restaurant patios more relaxed.
This guide covers 15 genuinely good things to do in Toronto over Thanksgiving weekend 2026, organised so you can mix and match them into a full four-day plan. Some are free. Some cost a little. All of them are worth your time.
Thanksgiving weekend 2026 runs from Saturday, October 10 to Monday, October 13.
Most of the activities on this list are walk-in or require minimal advance planning. One exception: creative workshop sessions at ZuoZuo Studio book out quickly for Thanksgiving weekend, particularly the Friday and Saturday evening slots. If you are planning to include a workshop in your weekend — fluid bear painting, rug tufting, or ring making — book it before you plan anything else.
Details are at the end of this guide.
📍 1315 Lawrence Ave E, Unit 406, North York 💰 From $59 per person ⏱ 2 to 3 hours 🍷 BYOB friendly | Groups of 2 to 20
Thanksgiving weekend has a particular creative energy to it — the instinct to make something, to slow down, to do something with your hands that is not scrolling. ZuoZuo Studio is the best place in Toronto to act on that instinct.
Three workshops are available throughout the long weekend:
Fluid Bear Painting — pour autumn colours over a resin bear and take home a one-of-a-kind glossy keepsake. Burnt orange, deep burgundy, forest green, and warm gold are the palettes that come through most naturally in October sessions. No two bears ever look the same. From $59 per person.
Rug Tufting — design and build your own custom rug or wall hanging using an electric tufting gun. Autumn palettes and Thanksgiving-themed designs — maple leaves, warm geometric patterns, harvest colour blocks — are particularly popular this time of year. The finished piece is backed and ready to hang or lay on your floor the same day. From $59 per person.
Fluid Ring Making — paint and hammer a sterling silver ring into a wearable piece of art. An October ring in autumn colours is one of the more unusual Thanksgiving keepsakes you can make in Toronto. From $89 per person.
All sessions are BYOB-friendly for adults, which makes them natural Thanksgiving weekend date nights and friend group activities. Book in advance — Thanksgiving weekend sessions fill up.
Book at: zuozuostudio.ca | Thursday to Sunday, 12pm to 8pm
📍 1873 Bloor St W, Toronto 💰 Free ⏱ 1 to 3 hours depending on route 🚇 TTC — High Park Station
High Park in the second week of October is Toronto at its most beautiful. The sugar maples, oaks, and cherry trees across the park’s 161 hectares produce a range of colour — deep crimson, bright orange, golden yellow, and the rusty brown of late-turning oaks — that rivals anything you will see in the Muskoka region without the four-hour drive.
The main trail loop through the park takes about 45 minutes at a relaxed pace. The Grenadier Pond path along the western edge is the most scenic route in autumn, with the reflections of orange and red canopy in the water on calm mornings. The hillside above the pond is where the maple colour concentrates most dramatically.
Go early on Saturday or Sunday morning to get the park before the crowds arrive. By 11am on a sunny October weekend the main paths are busy. By 8am it is quiet, cool, and genuinely spectacular.
📍 Downsview Park, 35 Carl Hall Rd, Toronto 💰 Tickets required — check pumpkinfest.ca for 2026 pricing ⏱ Full day activity
PumpkinFest Toronto returns to Downsview Park for Thanksgiving weekend 2026 and is one of the city’s most well-established autumn events. Across the long weekend the festival runs midway rides and inflatables, tractor-pulled hayrides, live entertainment, pumpkin-themed food, and a farmers market with local produce.
This is the most family-focused event on this list — it is genuinely designed for children and families — but the hayrides and the market have broad appeal. If you are doing Thanksgiving with family that includes kids under 12, this is an easy Saturday or Sunday full-day plan that removes the need to figure out activities for the weekend.
Book tickets in advance through the PumpkinFest website.
Within 45 minutes of the city 💰 Varies by farm — typically $15 to $25 per person plus the cost of apples ⏱ Half to full day
The farms within an hour of Toronto are at their absolute best during Thanksgiving weekend. Apple orchards in the Caledon Hills, the Niagara Escarpment, and the Holland Marsh area are all producing late-season varieties through early October.
Several farms north and west of the city offer the full autumn experience alongside apple picking: corn mazes, wagon rides, farm stands with fresh cider and pastries, pumpkin patches, and goat petting. Chudleigh’s Apple Farm in Milton (45 minutes west), Downey’s Farm in Brampton (40 minutes), and Andrews’ Scenic Acres in Halton Hills (45 minutes) are all well-reviewed options within driving distance.
If you are doing a dinner that includes a homemade apple pie, picking your own apples the day before turns the dessert into part of the Thanksgiving experience rather than an afterthought.
📍 Sheppard Avenue E at Port Union Rd, Scarborough 💰 Free ⏱ 1.5 to 4 hours depending on trail 🚌 TTC accessible
Rouge National Urban Park is Canada’s first national urban park and one of Toronto’s most under-utilised natural areas. The park’s 79 square kilometres of river valley, meadow, and forest produce exceptional fall colour through mid-October, and the trails are significantly less crowded than High Park because most Torontonians forget it exists.
The Glen Rouge Campground loop trail (4.5km) and the Mast Trail (3.2km circular) are both excellent for a Thanksgiving morning walk with autumn colour throughout. The Orchard Trail in the northern section of the park follows a historic apple orchard — particularly appropriate for Thanksgiving weekend.
The park has free parking on-site and TTC bus access from Sheppard-Yonge Station.
📍 2000 Meadowvale Rd, Scarborough ⭐ 4.5/5 Google 💰 Adults from $26.99 | Children from $17.99 ⏱ Full day 📅 Open daily including Thanksgiving Monday, 9:30am to 7pm
The Toronto Zoo is open through the entire Thanksgiving long weekend including Monday, October 13. With nearly 3,000 animals across 10 kilometres of walking trails and five tropical indoor pavilions, this is one of the more satisfying full-day plans on this list.
October is a particularly good time to visit because the outdoor animals are at their most active in the cooler temperatures. The African Savanna section and the Canadian Domain are worth prioritising. The indoor pavilions provide natural warming stops throughout the day.
Book tickets online to avoid queues at the gate.
📍 550 Bayview Ave, Toronto 💰 Free admission ⏱ 1 to 2 hours 📅 Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12
The Evergreen Brick Works Farmers Market is one of Toronto’s most beautiful market settings year-round — a reclaimed industrial brick works complex surrounded by the Don Valley ravine — and in mid-October it is exceptional. The market runs Saturday and Sunday mornings and features local produce vendors, fresh cider, baked goods, artisan makers, and prepared food stalls.
For a Thanksgiving weekend visit this is a natural morning activity — pick up fresh produce, squash, apples, and late-season vegetables for the dinner, grab a coffee and a pastry, and walk the Brickworks trail along the pond before the afternoon fills up.
📍 1 Canada’s Wonderland Dr, Vaughan 💰 Included with park admission (check canadaswonderland.com for 2026 pricing) ⏱ Full day and evening 📅 Running weekends through October
Canada’s Wonderland runs its annual Halloween Haunt event through October, which means Thanksgiving weekend falls right in the middle of it. The park combines regular rides with haunted mazes, live shows, scare zones, and themed food and drinks from dusk onwards.
For adults and teens who want a high-energy, themed Thanksgiving weekend activity, this is one of the more entertaining options within 45 minutes of the city. The combination of rides and haunted attractions makes it a full-day plan rather than a two-hour activity.
Book tickets well in advance as Thanksgiving weekend is one of the park’s busiest dates of the year.
📍 Various locations across Toronto 💰 Free (Saturday and Sunday) ⏱ 1 to 2 hours per site 📅 Open Saturday October 11 and Sunday October 12, 11am to 5pm
Toronto’s network of City-run History Museums — Fort York National Historic Site, Spadina Museum, Gibson House, Mackenzie House, and others — are open on Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend with free admission and special programming. Monday, October 13 most are closed.
Fort York is the most substantive of the group — a preserved 1812-era military fort in the middle of the city with live demonstrations, period artifacts, and genuinely interesting exhibits about Toronto’s founding. Spadina Museum is an Edwardian mansion in the Annex that offers a completely different kind of Toronto history. Both are worth 90 minutes to two hours.
📍 100 Queens Park, Toronto ⭐ 4.5/5 Google 💰 Adults from $23 | Open Thanksgiving Monday ⏱ 2 to 4 hours 🚇 TTC — Museum Station
The ROM is one of Canada’s great museums and a reliable Thanksgiving Monday plan when the weather is unreliable and most outdoor options have closed. The museum is open regular hours throughout the long weekend including Monday.
The galleries worth prioritising for a Thanksgiving weekend visit: the Canadian Galleries (permanent collection, newly renovated), the Bat Cave (genuinely thrilling, especially for younger visitors), the Dinosaur Gallery, and whatever special exhibition is running. The ROM’s café is a good lunch stop before or after.
📍 Kew Gardens, 2075 Queen St E, The Beaches 💰 Free admission ⏱ 1 to 2 hours 📅 Saturday, October 11
The Kew Gardens market in The Beaches runs on Thanksgiving Saturday and features handmade jewellery, ceramics, skincare products, local art, and vintage finds. The setting — a beautiful Victorian park a few blocks from Lake Ontario in one of Toronto’s most pleasant neighbourhoods — makes browsing the market a natural complement to a walk along the Beaches boardwalk.
This is a low-effort, high-pleasure morning or early afternoon activity that works particularly well as a couple’s or friends outing before a late lunch in The Beaches.
📍 1090 Don Mills Rd, North York 💰 Free admission ⏱ 1 to 2 hours 📅 Saturday October 12 and Sunday October 13, noon to 6pm
The Toronto Sunday Market hosts a Thanksgiving edition at CF Shops at Don Mills over the long weekend featuring local makers selling original art, handmade jewellery, ceramics, accessories, and home goods. If you are looking for a meaningful Thanksgiving gift for the host of your dinner — something more personal than a bottle of wine — an artisan market like this is a productive way to spend 90 minutes on Saturday afternoon.
📍 Access from Yonge and St. Clair or Bayview and Moore 💰 Free ⏱ 1 to 2 hours
The Moore Park Ravine and the connected trail system through the Don Valley is Toronto at its most secretly beautiful. The loop from the Brickworks south through the ravine and back up through Moore Park covers some of the best autumn colour in the city in a walk that most Torontonians have never done.
The trail is paved for most of its length, accessible for most fitness levels, and connects naturally to the Evergreen Brickworks for a coffee or snack stop. This is a genuine local gem that visitors almost never find and residents rarely remember exists.
💰 Varies — gas/GO train plus admission to any attractions ⏱ Full day — approximately 90 minutes each way from Toronto
The Niagara gorge in mid-October is surrounded by fall colour that transforms the standard tourist experience into something genuinely memorable. The high water levels from autumn rain and the contrast of the falls against orange and red foliage makes this one of the better times of year to make the trip.
GO Transit runs service to Niagara Falls with connections from Union Station. The journey takes approximately two hours and avoids the weekend QEW traffic that makes driving frustrating.
Niagara-on-the-Lake — about 20 minutes from the Falls — is worth adding to the trip for lunch or a winery visit. The town’s historic main street and the surrounding vineyard landscape in October are beautiful.
📍 Various start locations — check local running events for 2026 registration 💰 Registration fee varies ⏱ 5km or 10km options 📅 Monday, October 13
Toronto’s Turkey Trot runs on Thanksgiving Monday are a tradition that earns its place here simply because of how well it works — a costumed fun run on Monday morning, often with prizes for best costume, gives you the physical activity that justifies the dinner later that day. Several organise across the city in different neighbourhoods.
Check local running clubs and community groups for 2026 registration details as routes and organisers vary year to year.
Here is how to combine the best of this list into a coherent four-day plan:
Evening: Book a ZuoZuo Studio workshop for Friday evening — fluid bear painting, rug tufting, or ring making. It is the perfect way to kick off the long weekend. BYOB, 2 to 3 hours, North York. Sessions start from $59. Book at zuozuostudio.ca.
Morning: High Park fall walk or Rouge National Urban Park hike. Go early for the best colour and before the crowds arrive.
Mid-morning: Evergreen Brick Works Farmers Market — pick up produce for Sunday’s dinner, grab coffee and a pastry.
Afternoon: Kew Gardens Art Market in The Beaches if you want a relaxed browse. Or PumpkinFest at Downsview Park if you have kids.
Evening: Dinner out in The Beaches, Leslieville, or Queen West.
Morning: Sleep in. Brunch in your neighbourhood.
Afternoon: Royal Ontario Museum or Toronto History Museums for a couple of hours. Alternatively, drive to an apple farm for picking and bring home your own fruit for the dinner.
Evening: The Thanksgiving dinner itself.
Morning: Turkey Trot fun run if you are feeling energetic. Or a long ravine walk through Moore Park and the Don Valley trail.
Afternoon: Fort York or Spadina Museum if they are open. Both are free on weekend days.
Evening: Leftovers, movies, and the quiet satisfaction of a well-spent long weekend.
Open:
Closed:
Thanksgiving Day in Canada falls on Monday, October 13, 2026. The long weekend runs from Saturday, October 11 through Monday, October 13.
Make your Thanksgiving weekend memorable with something you created with your own hands. ZuoZuo Studio offers fluid bear painting, rug tufting, and ring making workshops in North York — all BYOB-friendly, beginner-friendly, and designed for groups of 2 to 20.
Address: 1315 Lawrence Ave E, Unit 406, North York, Toronto Hours: Thursday to Sunday, 12pm to 8pm Phone: (226) 348-4177 Sessions from: $59 per person — all materials included BYOB: Yes Rating: 4.9/5 Google — 1,200+ reviews
Thanksgiving weekend sessions book out fast. Reserve your spot at zuozuostudio.ca.
1315 Lawrence Ave E,unit 406, M3A 3R3, North York, Ontario
zuozuostudio.ca — 2025 All Right Reserved | Designed by Bridgeweb.ca