Whether you’re visiting Penticton for the first time or a local looking for fun autumn activities, this guide rounds up the best things to do this fall in Penticton.
From scenic viewpoints and hiking trails to winery events and corn mazes, there are plenty of ways to soak up the beauty and fun of the season.
The following activities have all been tried and tested by us as Penticton locals, with the exception of the seasonal tours (we’re DIY people at heart). I hope this post will help you discover all of Penticton’s fall glory.
Watch the salmon run
Penticton is home to two types of salmon – kokanee and sockeye. There are a few different places to see the salmon spawn in the fall.
Most of the kokanee salmon swim up Penticton Creek and Ellis Creek to spawn in mid September onwards, with the peak typically towards the end of the month.
The sockeye salmon have a much longer journey and arrive from the Pacific Ocean in October and then make their way up the Okanagan River Channel.
In 2025, a new fish passage was built around the dam at the top of the channel to allow the salmon to reach Okanagan Lake for the first time in more than 100 years.
Enjoy spooky activities and tours
Explore the spooky side of Penticton with the following seasonal activities.
Grape Savvy, operators of the Naramata Bench trolley, usually run themed tours in late October. In 2025, they are operating a Spellbound Soirée tour with stops at three wineries. They also have a Boos & Brews hop-on-hop-off brewery service on Halloween night itself.
Three Sisters Winery has a Trick or Treat Pairing with five ‘wickedly good’ wines served with with a ‘devilishly delicious’ treats.
Tempest Theatre usually has a spooky themed production in October. This year, it is called ‘Theatre is Dead’ and is described as part wine tasting, part haunting, a combination of a celebration and a séance.
Princess Margaret Secondary School has a haunted house, operating on 25th October only. Proceeds go towards the Maggie Leadership Class. There is a family friendly afternoon session and a scarier session in the evening.
The Speedway Spooktacular at Penticton Speedway takes place 26th October and includes Hornets, Street Stocks and the Hit-to-Pass Pumpkin Smash.
In Naramata, there is a spooky themed mall set up at a local motel. The wineries of the Aikins Loop have launched the Great Pumpkin Loop, ‘a week-long celebration of Halloween spirit, community creativity, and fine wine.’
Down in Okanagan Falls, the Apple Bin location has a corn maze. It is open late on weekend evenings – bring a flashlight!
See the colours change along the lakefront
While Penticton may not have any alpine larch trees or red maples, there are plenty of beautiful colour changing trees to see in fall!
My top pick for places to go has to be the Okanagan Lake waterfront, specifically the promenade between the SS Sicamous and the Peach and then Lakeside Resort to the Japanese Garden.
Thinking of the Japanese Garden, there are some wonderful colours to be seen there too, made even prettier by the pond reflections. Nearby Marina Way Park is also worth a look – there is one large tree there that becomes bright red in mid October.
Bike or hike the KVR Trail
With cooler temperatures, fall is the perfect time to go hiking and biking in Penticton. One of the most accessible trails in the area is the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) Trail that runs through the city.
My favourite section of the KVR Trail starts at the end of Vancouver Place and travels 2.5km (one way) to the McCulloch Trestle. Along the way, enjoy spectacular lake and city views. There’s even a vantage point of the Penticton sign.
Around the 2km mark, the trail passes through the middle of several vineyards. There are a couple of small hills here, the only ones on this mostly flat, wide gravel path. For a longer adventure, continue beyond the wooden railway bridge to Abandoned Rail Brewing, another 600m along the KVR Trail.
For a more challenging hike or bike experience, head to the Campbell Mountain, Three Blind Mice or Skaha Bluffs trail networks. For specific local hikes, I really like G-Spot in the Wiltse area, Giant’s Head in Summerland and Peach Cliff near Okanagan Falls.
Check out the views from Munson Mountain
Visiting Munson Mountain is always a good idea at any time of year. The short hike to the summit of this 496m extinct volcano (home of the Penticton sign) is short but exceptionally rewarding, with spectacular city, lake and valley views all the way along.
Fall is particularly wonderful time to climb to the top of Munson as you can spot trees and vineyards changing colour. The walk to the top is 1km return from the parking area. For those who don’t want to go all the way, there is a wheelchair accessible viewpoint.
Browse the Farmers’ Market
The Penticton Farmers’ Market runs downtown on Saturdays from April to the end of October. In terms of produce, mid September to early October is a great time to go.
While most of the soft fruits have gone, the vegetables and hard fruits are plentiful, alongside crafts and other locally produced items (wine, beer, spirits). The market is a lot less busy at this time of year.
It is our Saturday morning tradition to take part in the 8am parkrun (5km) along the lakefront and then visit the Farmers’ Market afterwards. The Market starts at 8.30am and runs until 1pm.
Visit wineries and breweries
It’s still possible to tour Penticton’s wineries in fall! Most wineries are open, though a few will start to have reduced hours after the Labour Day weekend in early September.
Harvest usually happens between mid September and early October, sometimes later depending on the weather. This means that the vines are fit to bursting with grapes in early fall – perfect for photos! Later into the fall, the vines will start to change colour.
The only downside of visiting wineries in autumn is the reduced amount of stock. The local wineries usually have fairly small production (500 to 5,000 cases is very typical) so can sell out of certain varietals before fall arrives.
Not into wineries? Penticton has seven breweries to explore, all with seasonal brews on offer throughout fall.
Go rock climbing
Just 15 minutes drive from downtown Penticton, Skaha Bluffs feature 66 crags and over 1000 different routes.
September and October are some of the most popular months to go rock climbing in Penticton. The weather is usually cool and dry. Some weekends can be a bit busy, with weekdays being the best time to go.
If you need climbing gear, head to Eskala Mountain Sports. Open Monday to Saturday, this locally owned outdoor store has everything you need for a day at the Bluffs.
Visit Keremeos to amazing pumpkin displays
This suggestion may not be in Penticton itself, but I had to include it since it’s one of my all time favourite things to do in fall! Keremeos is a village in the Similkameen Valley, about 45 minutes drive from Penticton. A very productive fruit growing area, Keremeos has a huge number of fruit stands.
In mid September, the fruit stands become filled with dozens of varieties of pumpkin and squash. Many of the fruit stand owners create impressive displays, perfect for photos and picking out that perfect pumpkin.
We always make a trip to Keremeos in fall to buy at least 15lb of pumpkins and squash for the winter ahead. Prices start around 70 cents a pound and most of the varieties last for months when stored at room temperature.
While in Keremeos, consider checking out the Grist Mill (usually open on weekends in September) and some of the local wineries. For more inspiration, check out this things to do in Keremeos post.
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