5 activities to make your autumn a success

Beat your record

Walked 150,000 steps last month? Strap on your smartwatch and conquer the trails. There’s no better time for hiking than October, especially in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. The spectacle of colors is grandiose, and there’s no risk of extreme sweating (which can be a tad embarrassing when you meet a colleague at the summit).

So head for Parc national du Lac-Témiscouata, Parc national du Bic, the SEBKA trails, Canyon des Portes de l’Enfer or Parc côtier Kiskotuk, and blow your personal stats out of the water.

Make your own cans

Never sealed a Mason jar? No problem! It’s never too late to start making your own homemade ketchup or pickled beets. Before their kiosks close for the winter, visit the public markets to raid the last of the fresh fruit and vegetables.

The Rimouski, Rivière-du-Loup, Basques and Saint-Pascal markets will be open for a few more weeks. Not only will you have tasty condiments in your pantry, you’ll also have gifts to give at Christmas. (No, your sweet pickles might not beat those of Aunt Annette right away, but they will.)

Burn up the stage

It’s time to realize your secret dream of performing on stage. Step on your pride and register for the Concours national de la plus grande menterie de Trois-Pistoles, held as part of the Rendez-vous des Grandes gueules (October 6 to 13).

In front of an audience, you’ll have to tell a story inspired by a news item or a personal anecdote. As Fred Pellerin or Ève Côté for a night, you’ll experience an adrenalin rush. You never know!

Learn to identify mushrooms

Even if you missed the  Festival des champignons forestiers du Kamouraska in September, you can still catch up on your mycological knowledge. A little paradise for cap plants, the region offers a variety of experiences to demystify these strange organisms.

Interpretation trails in the forests of Saint-Onésime-d’Ixworth and Saint-Bruno-de-Kamouraska, as well as at Ferme Fibres et Cie in Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska, reveal what oyster mushrooms and chanterelles are hiding under their hoods. Pick-your-own is possible at certain sites. Send us a photo of your risotto!

Sign your first work of art

Rivière-du-Loup’s renovated and enlarged Françoise-Bédard library is offering a host of activities in its autumn program to reveal your creative genius. Even if that genius is well hidden, you can still encourage it to overcome its shyness.

Between watercolor classes, digital creation and literary workshops, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to creating your first work of art. More interested in knitting? A group meets every month at the Rimouski library to play with needles and share stories