July, 2020
Welcome to my now hometown – London, Ontario. I have been in London since 2001 and love the Forest City, located in southwestern Ontario and home to the University of Western Ontario. Similar to London, England we feature a Covent Garden Market, a Piccadilly Street and numerous parks, green spaces and trees along the Thames River.
If you are in town – here are some of my favourite things to do.
Victoria Park – Here you will find an 18-acre park located in the heart of downtown. Known to host numerous annual events and you might just be in luck depending on the time of year you visit. We have the International Food Festival, Sunfest, Ribfest, and the Country Folk Fest to name a few. During these festivals, you will find food trucks, local artisans, shopping, beer tents and music – a great way to spend the afternoon. If you happen to be here in the winter, you will find Victoria Park is a magical winter wonderland filled with glistening lights and a skating rink!
Theatre – We have the Grand Theatre located downtown which always has a series of plays and events to partake in with professional actors and actresses. During June, you also have the London Fringe Theatre Festival which is dedicated to the production and prosperity of independent artists.
Craft Breweries – We have our fair share of craft breweries here scattered across the city. Of course, we are also home to Labatt’s brewery of which you can still book a tour if interested in the brewing process. My heart is with the local brew masters – if you want to know my favourites check out my blog on Craft Breweries. Most breweries have a wide selection of blondes, sours and bitter IPAs, some have happy hour food or full menus, any board game you wish and some with live music.
Covent Garden Market – A local market located downtown across from the Budweiser Gardens. Here you will find vendors selling fruit, vegetables, meat, and cheeses. In addition, you can also find restaurants, bakeries, local artisans, flowers and chocolate! There is truly everything you could want under one roof! You know me – I recommend popping in here grabbing a few of your favourite things and heading to either Victoria or Springbank Park for a picnic. During the summer months, you will find a farmers’ market located outside in front of the main market with local farmers’ produce and goods. A truly great way to support local!
Thames Valley Trails – Enjoy either a bike ride or a long walk on a paved trail that passes through various greenspaces including Gibbons Park, Harris Park, and Springbank Park.
Boler Mountain – Commonly referred to as the Boler Bump – here you can snowboard or ski in the winter months. It won’t be anything like the Canadian Rockies though! Boler also hosts a Treetop Adventure Park with courses for all levels from juniors to advanced. Looking for a fun filled yet challenging afternoon with rope courses, swings, nets and ziplines all within the heart of the Forest City? Look no further!
Fanshawe Pioneer Village – An open-air museum that sits on approximately 45 acres of land that tells a story of rural communities from London and surrounding area from 1820 to 1920. Here you will find buildings some of which are original and some replicas, over 25,000 artefacts and staff dressed in costumes to show the historical re-enactments of what life was like in a time gone by.
Day Trips – London is a central spot for a lot of great day trips! Some of favourite spots include Grand Bend, Bayfield, Port Stanley, St. Jacobs and Stratford! If you want the deets on the best day trips take a look at my blog about it!
