12 wine festivals, harvest celebrations, and food-and-wine events — with dates, tickets, and travel tips.
Festivals worth planning a trip around.
Western Canada's largest wine celebration transforms the Okanagan Valley into a 10-day tasting extravaganza. Over 170 events across 100+ wineries include vineyard dinners, grape stomps, barrel tastings, and the famous Burrowing Owl concert. The harvest-season timing means freshly crushed juice is flowing alongside finished wines.
View festival detailsCanada's most organic wine valley — 80% of Similkameen producers farm organically or biodynamically — celebrates its harvest with an autumn cellar door weekend. Small family-owned wineries like Clos du Soleil, Orofino, and Eau Vivre open their doors to visitors who want a less commercial alternative to the Okanagan. The dramatic canyon landscape of the Similkameen River adds a rugged character.
View festival detailsThe Niagara Peninsula's black-tie celebration of Canadian wine excellence, held at the White Oaks Conference Resort. Over 30 VQA wineries present their flagship wines alongside dishes from the region's top chefs. Proceeds support Brock University's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, making it both prestigious and purposeful.
View festival detailsThe world's largest celebration of icewine takes place across Niagara-on-the-Lake's wineries each January. Outdoor tastings in the frosty vineyard air, icewine-paired gourmet dinners, and the signature Icewine Gala draw enthusiasts from around the globe. Twenty Dollar Tasting Passes grant access to dozens of participating wineries.
View festival detailsOne of the largest and most prestigious wine festivals in North America, running since 1979. Over 160 wineries from 15+ countries pour at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The week-long programme includes themed tastings, winemaker dinners, and educational seminars. Each year features a different spotlight region from around the world.
View festival detailsAll 12 festivals organised by month.
Fête des Vendanges — Eastern Townships (Québec)
L'Orpailleur near Dunham is the oldest and most established Québec winery — their Vidal blanc ice cider is a revelation, technically cidre de glace but similar to icewine. October foliage in the Townships is stunning; book accommodation in Knowlton or Sutton.
Skip the main tasting events and book barrel-tasting experiences directly with Mission Hill and Tinhorn Creek during harvest week—you'll taste pre-release 2024 wines alongside working vintners. The Burrowing Owl vineyard concert sells out weeks ahead, so book immediately upon opening.
Target the barrel-tasting events at Tantalus and Forbidden Fruit to taste unreleased vintage Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before official release; spring's cooler temperatures also make the vineyard picnics genuinely comfortable, unlike fall's tourist crush.
This is the best time to visit Okanagan wineries without crowds — many offer private barrel tasting appointments usually unavailable in summer. Big White Ski Resort events combine ski passes with winery dinners at valley prices.
Similkameen Valley Wine Festival
Clos du Soleil is one of Canada's top Bordeaux-blend producers — their Capella and Signature are hard to find outside BC. The Similkameen is a 90-minute drive from Kelowna through one of BC's most dramatic river canyon landscapes.
Arrive early to access Stratus and Peller's reserve pours before the seated dinner crowds thin the premium stations; this event's support of Brock's oenology program means direct access to research on cool-climate Riesling and Cabernet Franc optimization you won't find elsewhere in North America.