10 Things to Do in Toronto in November

Toronto is a city you can't miss during your stay in Canada, it's the capital of Ontario and offers great things to do for the whole family. In November, autumn begins to bid farewell to the city and the weather is quite chilly, with temperatures ranging from 2° to 9°. There are art events and it's the perfect opportunity to watch the salmon migration, or walk the local streets surrounded by Santa's world.

In this month you can take advantage of the best things to do in Toronto, as there is a wide range of entertainment on offer. For example, you can't miss the pumpkin patch parades and pumpkin patches to say goodbye to the Halloween season, as well as the catrina parades to honour the Day of the Dead. You can also take advantage of Black Friday deals, participate in a marathon or attend a chocolate festival.

The Pumpkin Parade, or Pumpkin Parades, is an annual event that usually takes place every November 1st to bid farewell to the Halloween season. It takes place in the city's best parks, with the main attraction being the tours of the giant pumpkin displays. You can also bring a candle and your own pumpkin to help organise the parade.

Other activities include the smashing of pumpkins at the end of the day, which are then left in compost bins. Prizes are also awarded for the best pumpkin of the night. On the official website you can find the schedules, as well as the parks that participate each year. This is definitely a great option if you are looking for things to do in Toronto with kids.

Algonquin Park is another place where you can find pumpkin shows, as well as an enchanted forest. It's a wilderness area away from the hustle and bustle of the city with waterfalls, green spaces, canoe rides and activities for any time of the year. Another option is to buy tickets to the Legoland Discovery Centre in Toronto, which hosts monster parties, Halloween-themed LEGO creations, trick-or-treating and more.

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition that honours the memory of loved ones who have departed this plane. The event takes place on the 1st and 2nd of November every year, as due to the proximity of Mexico and Canada this celebration was adopted in Toronto. There are different activities in the city to commemorate this day, some of them organised by Latin American communities. For example, you can't miss:

• The Catrina Parade in Toronto: it is a caravan through the city that brings together the best of Mexican culture, where people wear typical costumes, and there are even competitions to choose the best catrina. The catrina is a figure from the Aztec culture Mictecacihuatl, considered the goddess of death. She is distinguished by bridal veils, Mexican hats and exotic make-up.
• The Day of the Dead Festival: it takes place between October and November, in different parts of the city. It offers different activities such as Aztec dances, altars, Mexican handicraft workshops, drum circles, live traditional music and funeral processions.
• The Ghost Hunt: Between October and November there are events that merge Halloween with the Day of the Dead, you can take advantage of some of the best ghost tours in Toronto and venture on a terrifying quest to have fun and explore the world beyond.
• The Day of the Dead Marathon is a fun run of approximately 9 kilometres, which is inspired by the nine levels of the Mictlan. It has cultural activities such as altar building, typical food and more.
• Altars: for the Day of the Dead, altars are organised, a cultural display consisting of offerings for loved ones such as food, flowers, candles and objects that were of daily use to the person. They are held all over the city, as ancient legends say that portals to the afterlife are opened and spirits roam the earth for a couple of hours.

If you enjoy feeling the wind against your face, you definitely can't miss the Hamilton Marathon Road2Hope. It's a Canadian marathon that takes place in Toronto in early November. Without a doubt, it's a fun plan for the whole family, ideal if you're looking for things to do in Toronto with kids.

You can run or jog, plus there are 5km and 10km family routes, as well as 1km children's routes. There's also a 22k half marathon and the 23k full marathon. Some races are free, but others have an entry fee. Usually the race takes place near the harbours, so you can get a quick glimpse of Toronto' s cruises and get a taste of the experience.

Black Friday is an iconic retail event held in the United States, Canada and other countries around the world. It is festive shopping that takes place in the last days of November, with special and limited offers. Note that some people prefer to shop online to avoid the queues in physical shops. Cyber Monday, on the other hand, takes place on the Monday after Black Friday, the main difference being that it focuses exclusively on online technology shopping.

In the United States, the dates of Black Friday and Cyber Monday are governed by Thanksgiving, i.e. they take place just one day after the Thanksgiving meal. In Canada, on the other hand, holiday shopping coincides with the US, as Thanksgiving or Jour de l **'**Action de Grâc is an atypical thanksgiving celebration that is part of the best things to do in Toronto in October.

In addition to holiday shopping, I recommend you take advantage of this day and get out and about in the streets, shopping malls and outlet shops. You can make a personalised itinerary for a tour of Toronto and get to know the main areas. For example, take a stroll down Bloor Street in Yorkville, where you will find the most important luxury shops; or get lost in Eaton Centre: a Canadian shopping mall with hundreds of shops.

The holiday season in Toronto starts early, as Canadians like to enjoy the festivities from November to January. As such, the Cavalcade of Lights is considered the official start of things to do at Christmas in Toronto. It is an annual event that lights up the city' s Christmas tree, which has been held in Nathan Phillips Square since 1967.

The square is lit up with more than half a million lights, plus there are ice skating rinks, live music, cultural performances, free skating parties every Saturday and more. If you're looking for things to do in Toronto at night, you can take a night tour of the city to see the lights switch on at the end of November.

If you love chocolate and food tastings, you can't miss the Toronto Chocolate Festival. A festival that stars Canadian events between October and November, it offers some of the best food tours in Toronto, as well as some of the best chocolate tastings in the city:

• The Chocolate Ball: it is a luxury ball where chocolate is the protagonist, with different themes each year. The event brings together smells and tastes, with savoury and sweet offerings for those who enjoy eating chocolate.
• Chocolate Making Classes, if you want to learn how to prepare the best chocolate-based dishes, don't miss the classes with professionals. The duration and price of each class varies, and they also revolve around different types of chocolate.
• Chocolate Afternoon Tea: on weekends you can take advantage of the chocolate teaafternoons at the best hotels in Toronto.

From September to November, the salmon migration takes place in Toronto, as temperatures below 18°C create ideal conditions for thousands of salmon to swim up the Ontario River. It's a beautiful natural spectacle, ideal for the whole family. From cruises in Toronto, you can watch the fish travel to the same spot where they were born and then lay their eggs. Some of them jump out of the water, so you can capture unforgettable pictures.

I recommend heading to the Don River, a river located twenty minutes from downtown Toronto. This is where the most fish are concentrated, so if you plan to be in Toronto for at least 3 days you can't miss this plan. Other places where you can witness salmon jumping in the frontrow include the Humber River, Exploits River and Knight's Inlet. Outside of the city, you can also witness the spectacle at North York, Don Valley River or Evergreen Brickworks.

The Toronto Father Christmas Parade is an event that takes place in Toronto on the third Sunday in November. The first parade was held in 1905 and is one of the oldest in the world, making it a Canadian tradition that brings thousands of people together to welcome the Christmas spirit.

It's a route through the streets of Toronto where you'll see themed floats, local bands, and seasonal characters such as elves, reindeer, Mrs. Claus and Santa. It's definitely the perfect way to get ready for what to do in Toronto in December. The parade usually runs from Christie Pits Park to St. Lawrence Market.

Other parades not to be missed in November is the Brampton Father Christmas Parade, which takes place at a location forty minutes from downtown Toronto. It features antique floats and a Christmas ritual of collecting letters to Santa from children and adults.

If you enjoy art and fashion, you can't miss Fashion Art Toronto in November. This is a cultural event that has been running since 2005 and offers a multi-sensory showcase with fashion shows, art exhibitions, live music and lectures with national and international designers. There are activities during several days in November, when the autumn edition takes place.

The differentiating factor of this event is that it showcases designer collaborations with artists from other sectors. It includes performing arts, visual arts, music and multimedia events. It is ideal for touring Toronto in search of art and culture, as there are more than 50 fashion shows in at least 25 locations. Talks and workshops are also organised for all audiences, some events are free while others require admission or an invitation.

Pumpkins are the symbol of autumn, so in November you can't miss the opportunity to visit a pumpkin patch in Toronto. This is the ideal month, as it's a great way to say goodbye to Halloween. The most interesting thing is the recreational activities that take place, which vary depending on the site you choose.

This is a North American tradition that is ideal for Canada. In the orchards you'll find corn mazes, as well as animal stables and wagon rides. Without a doubt, it is one of the best things to do in Toronto and I recommend you stop by:

• Merry Farms: if you plan to stay at least 2 days in Toronto, you will be able to taste seasonal dishes at this famous farm. It also offers more than 30 activities, including corn mazes, playgrounds, roller coasters, obstacle courses, tractor rides, wagon rides and pumpkin picking.
• Cooper's CSA Farm and Maze: the perfect place if you're looking for things to do in Toronto with kids, it features corn mazes, pumpkin picking and nighttime mazes.
• Strom's Farm & Bakery is a quirky orchard with a bakery, where you can try pumpkin-based desserts. It also has a straw maze, as well as a display of over a thousand pumpkins of all sizes, flavours and colours.
• Brook Farms is a Canadian farm, famous for its beautiful pumpkins in autumn. They have other fruit crops, as well as maple syrup making stations. The approximate cost of admission is 15 euros.