Hey friends! I feel like fall is the new summer in the sense that it is the busiest time of year. There are a bunch of wicked events taking One of my favourite annual fall events is the Petawawa Ramble. This isn’t just one day of events, but a series of events under the Ramble umbrella. I love how the whole Town of Petawawa really gets into it and every year it seems to expand.
If you are not familiar with the Petawawa Ramble - it is a celebration of autumn in the Town of Petawawa. The Petawawa Ramble is a full sensory experience where participants get to truly immerse themselves in all things autumn! Ummm YES PLEASE! Let’s be honest, autumn is by far the best season. No bugs, the changing leaves, perfect temperatures - what’s not to love?!
The Petawawa Ramble has a series of events that make the most of this wonderful season. There is something for everyone at the Petawawa Ramble. This post was created in collaboration with the Town of Petawawa. Without further delay, grab your pumpkin spice and let’s talk about all of the events that are taking place during the Petawawa Ramble!
Pumpkin Folk
The Pumpkin Folk displays are a self-guided tour that, in my opinion, is the keystone of the Petawawa Ramble. Community groups, businesses and residents create displays that are comprised of creating characters with pumpkin heads. I love the creativity that goes into these displays. Some of the pumpkin folk displays can be pretty darn funny and many have interactive elements so you can place yourself in the display.
On the website for the Town of Petawawa is a map of all of the businesses and community groups that are participating in the pumpkin folk displays. This is sure to be a most excellent time for the whole family! You can walk the whole route or even just part of it - it is self-guided so it is completely up to you what the length looks like. It is such an awesome opportunity to soak in the fall while seeing all the displays.
Petawawa Ramble Scavenger Hunt
While you’re out enjoying all the pumpkin folk, why not use it as an opportunity to participate in the Ramble scavenger hunt? The scavenger hunt is a modern take on an old favourite. There are several different categories where you take a prescribed number of photos. Once you have your photos, you send them to the Town through the use of WeTransfer. Winners will be announced during the last week of October. For more information on the Petawawa Ramble Scavenger Hunt, please check the website information page here.
Residential Harvest Display Contest
Another fun part of the Petawawa Ramble is the residential harvest display contest. Participation in the harvest display contest is open to all residents who live within the geographic boundaries of the Town of Petawawa. It is free to enter the contest and the judging period is from October 6 - 11, 2022. The winners will be announced on October 14th - the first day of the Petawawa Ramble.
Pints & Gourds - October 14, 2022
A staple of the Petawawa Ramble is the Pints & Gourds event. This year it is taking place at the Civic Centre Hall on October 14 from 6:00 pm to 1:00 am. There are several musical performances that are scheduled for that night - Yan-Nick Michaud; Long Range Hustle; and I, The Mountain. Included in the price of each ticket are four drinks (one from each of the drink vendors: Doghouse Brewing Co, KIN Vinyards, Farmgate Cider, and O’Kenny’s Spirits) and two sample meals provided by Madameek and Gokumi Sushi & Steak Bar. Additional beverages can be purchased onsite.
I am so very excited about this event! Unfortunately, I missed out on attending last year, so I bought our tickets for this year’s event as soon as they went on sale! I can think of a better way of commencing my Petawawa Ramble experience than with some live music and some local food & beverages on a Friday night! Don’t mind if I do! I am excited that this year it is inside the Civic Centre since fall weather can be pretty darn unpredictable and chilly! Hopefully, I will also see you there at Pints & Gourds. For more information and to purchase your ticket, please refer to the website here.
Ultimate Werewolf - October 14, 2022
If you are looking for something that will challenge your brain, then the Ultimate Werewolf might just be for you! Players will roam the Petawawa Heritage Village, look for clues, and interrogate other players to figure out who the werewolves are. Players vote for who they think are the werewolves and attempt to outfox the werewolves. Included in this event is dinner, admission to the Petawawa Heritage Village, participation in the main game, and access to the board game area.
This event is only open to people who are aged 19 and above. Tickets are on sale now and there are only 44 tickets available - so if you want to participate, don’t delay in getting your ticket. This event has sold out every year, so do not wait until the last minute if you want to play! If I wasn’t attending Pints & Gourds that night, I would be all over this event! For more information and to purchase your ticket, check out the Town of Petawawa’s website here.
Harvest Portrait Walk - October 15
Have you been looking to get some family photos done, but trying to schedule a session has proved fruitless? Well, you’re in luck. There are three local photographers that are hosting photo sessions at the Petawawa Terrace Park and Mount Molson Dairy Bar. This event is able to occur as a result of the generous sponsorship of Mount Molson Dairy Bar. This event will take place on Saturday, October 15 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Should Mother Nature decide not to cooperate, the rain date is Sunday, October 16.
The photographers who are participating in this event are Wheat and Waves Photography, Danielle De Angelis Photography, and Precious Memories Photography. Photographers will email the soft copies of the photos to you, super easy! This event is free, but they are accepting donations to KidSport. For those who are unfamiliar with KidSport, they provide grants between $250 -$500 to assist with sports registration fees and the cost of equipment for everyone aged 18 and under. What an excellent opportunity to explore the fall colours while getting some beautiful photos taken by some talented local photographers. Can you say “sign me up?” I sure can! For more information about this event and the photographers that are participating, check out the Town of Petawawa event page here.
Petawawa Container Market - October 15 & 16
The Petawawa Ramble marks the final weekend of the year for the Petawawa Container Market. This final weekend sees the Container Market have vendors and food trucks! The Petawawa Container Market is an excellent opportunity to discover local makers, artisans and small businesses. If you have more questions about the Petawawa Container Market, have a gander at this blog post that I wrote when the Container Market first launched two years ago. Check out that blog post here.
CNL Children’s Harvest Activities - October 16
Taking place at the Petawawa Container Market is the CNL Children’s Harvest Activities. These activities are taking place on October 16th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. There will be inflatable bouncy castles and various games. These games and inflatables are from Ry-J’s Climbing Adventures. This is sure to be a fun time for kids, while adults can explore the various vendors at the Container Market. For more information on this event, check out the Town of Petawawa’s event page here.
Festive Ramble Events
There are so many other events that are taking place during the Petawawa Ramble. Notably, there is a pig roast taking place on the Saturday of Ramble weekend at Hyska’s YIG from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Algonquin Sewing Centre is hosting a craft event where people can make a fabric pumpkin on October 14 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Ramble weekend also has The Shed gracing patrons with end-of-season specials. There are seriously so many activities taking place during the Petawawa Ramble weekend. I love seeing businesses embrace this magical time and really lean in with their own take on it. Be sure to check out the full schedule of the Petawawa Ramble weekend that outlines all of the various events that are taking place. You can find that schedule here.
Great article, I love Autumn! Pints & Gourds sounds right up my street ????
You and me both, friend!