Hiding In Canada's Lowlands Is A German-Inspired Scenic City With Famed Festivals And Markets

If your ideal trip to Canada involves planning around a festival, you might expect to celebrate Canada Day in Kincardine, with fireworks and beach fun on Lake Huron. Or, you could head to Québec City for one of the best destinations to celebrate Carnival. In Ontario, the city of Kitchener offers a surprising twist on the typical festival circuit: Every year it hosts the largest Oktoberfest in Canada. Around the end of September and early October, the city becomes a lively, beer-filled homage to its German heritage, blending European tradition with local pride in a festival that spans nearly three weeks.

Aside from its Oktoberfest celebrations, Kitchener is a delight to visit year-round. Together with its twin city Waterloo, it makes up the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Ontario. It's a city that's pleasant on the eyes, though, with Victorian gardens, sprawling parks, and a historic "Kissing Bridge" giving it a charming texture. Its home to one of Canada's oldest public markets, the Kitchener Market, which is as much a part of the city's culture as its Oktoberfest (and open year-round). Those more interested in blues than beer can plan around the Kitchener Blues Festival, another massive celebration held in Kitchener that puts on music performances over a weekend.

One of the essential activities to add to your fall bucket list is celebrating Oktoberfest in true Bavarian fashion. Luckily, you don't need to travel to Bavaria to experience a magnificent and simply huge Oktoberfest. Kitchener's Oktoberfest draws in over 700,000 people each year and is even considered the second-largest in the world after the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, according to the Government of Canada. The city has a history as a core hub of German immigrants and their descendants, and it was even once named Berlin. The first Kitchener Oktoberfest was put on by the Concordia Club, a local German restaurant, in 1969. Seeing its fun and appeal, the city expanded it into a community-wide event.

Oktoberfest is held each year for about two to three weeks around the pivot of September and October. The events take place across multiple Kitchener "Festhallen," which are its German-inspired venues. The main hub of Kitchener's Oktoberfest is its Willkommen Platz, where the city sets up a Bavarian-style village around the City Hall complete with a beer garden, food markets, and live music stage. Events across the festival include a polka-style dance competition, a children's fair, and special dinners backed by live musicians. The festival culminates in the spectacular Kitchener Thanksgiving Day parade, which is televised across Canada.

Visitors coming from other parts of Ontario can easily make a day trip to Kitchener's Oktoberfest with the LederGOsen Line — a special train line offered by Go Transit just for the festival. It begins at Toronto's Union Station, departing around noon and stopping at a few other Ontario towns before arriving at Kitchener. Those with a ticket can spend the day at the festival, then take the train back around 10 p.m.

If you aren't able to make Kitchener's Oktoberfest, it's still a city that offers plenty for visitors to do at other times of the year or in between clinking steins. The Kitchener Market is a highlight, with its origins dating back to the 1830s, when the area was settled by Mennonites. The market has a food hall on its upper floor (open Tuesday through Saturday), while the ground floor hosts the farmer's market every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Some other major events you can plan for in Kitchener throughout the year include the Kitchener Blues Festival, held in early August, and the Christkindl Market festival (also inspired by German tradition) in early December.

Meanwhile, set aside time to explore the city's parks and attractions. The Rockway Gardens form a beautiful Victorian-style landscape, with fountains, flower sales, and a gazebo. At the 250-acre Huron Natural Area, you can explore miles of trails and scenic lookout areas. In downtown, stop by THEMUSEUM, a five-level museum with unique, interactive art installations, and make sure to walk through the 1880s-built West Montrose Bridge, nicknamed the Kissing Bridge since travelers are known to steal a kiss under its shelter.

From Toronto, you can reach Kitchener in about 1.5 hours by way of Via Rail Canada. The train departs from Toronto's Union Station once per day. Alternatively, Kitchener is about an hour drive from the Toronto Pearson International Airport.