Community Spirit for a Windy September Weekend | September 26–27

Some September weekends seem made for flexible plans. This one is expected to bring plenty of cloud, a brisk coastal wind and the possibility of rain, with temperatures near 17°C on Saturday and 18°C on Sunday.

It may not be a beach-blanket weekend, but it offers something equally lovely: a community gathering with a purpose, a warm morning at the market, local stories waiting indoors and one final opportunity to see Yarmouth’s coastline from above.

Make waves together in Yarmouth

Autism Nova Scotia’s South West Chapter is holding Walk YOUR Way 2026: Waves of Action on Saturday, September 26, from 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

The gathering begins at the Mariners Centre Anthony Pavilion, 45 Jody Shelley Drive. Participants can walk, roll, wheel or run, with virtual participation also available.

Funds raised through the South West event remain in the region, supporting family services, recreation and social programs, employment services, summer camp and community outreach.

With wind and possible rain in the forecast, check the event page for any last-minute instructions before leaving.

See the event details and register

It is always heartening to see our community come together in a way that creates meaningful support for local individuals and families.

Warm up at the community market

The Yarmouth Farmers’ Community Market is open Saturday from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at 15 Hawthorne Street.

Inside, you will find a changing selection of freshly harvested vegetables, meat, seafood, baking, preserves, prepared dishes, jewellery, photography and handmade crafts. Admission is free, with purchases priced by individual vendors.

The indoor setting also makes the market an easy choice if Saturday morning turns damp.

Plan your market visit

A grey Saturday feels a little brighter when it begins with local food, handmade finds and familiar faces.

Spend a rainy afternoon with Yarmouth’s stories

If the rain settles in, head to the Yarmouth County Museum & Archives at 22 Collins Street. The museum is open Saturday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and closed Sunday.

Its collection includes more than 20,000 objects documenting life in Yarmouth County, along with one of Canada’s largest collections of ship portraits. The building has an elevator, accessible washroom, rest areas and a sensory station.

Children under 12 accompanied by an adult are admitted free. Other admission prices are not clearly displayed on the current visitor page, so call 902-742-5539 if cost will affect your plans.

Check museum hours and visitor information

Sometimes the best way to appreciate where we live is to spend an afternoon discovering the stories that shaped it.

Take one final climb at Cape Forchu

Sunday, September 27, is the scheduled closing day for Cape Forchu’s 2026 Climb the Light season.

The complete 30-minute experience includes local history and 77 spiral steps to the top. It costs $25 per person or $12 for children under 12. The shorter Quick Climb costs $15 per person or $7.50 per child.

Climbers must be at least 48 inches tall, wear shoes with backs and complete a waiver. Groups are limited to six people, and advance reservations are recommended.

Wind and rain could affect operations, so check availability immediately before making the drive. If conditions prevent a climb, save the lighthouse grounds and Leif Erikson Trail for a calmer day.

Check availability and book a lighthouse climb

The final climb of the season feels like a fitting way to say goodbye to September—looking out over the coastline that makes this corner of Nova Scotia feel like home.

Not every coastal weekend arrives with blue skies. Some bring raincoats, warm market conversations and an excuse to step inside a place we have driven past many times. However the weather unfolds, I hope you find a little community warmth somewhere close to home.

One Last Climb & A Little Local Colour | September 19–20

There is a particular kind of beauty to a sunny September weekend in Yarmouth County. The air is cooler, the roads feel quieter and familiar coastal places somehow look a little different beneath that early-autumn light.

Saturday is expected to be sunny and breezy with a high near 15°C. Sunday should be warmer at about 17°C, with sunshine giving way to a few clouds. Bring a warm layer for the shoreline, then choose between local food, remarkable art and a couple of memorable places waiting at the end of a side road.

Begin with something local

The Yarmouth Farmers’ Community Market is open Saturday from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at 15 Hawthorne Street in downtown Yarmouth.

Inside, you will find freshly harvested vegetables, meat, seafood, baked goods, preserves, prepared food, photography, jewellery and handmade crafts. Admission is free, with purchases priced by the individual vendors.

Plan your market visit

A Saturday morning at the market is one of those simple local routines that makes a community feel like home.

See Maud Lewis’s work before it leaves Yarmouth

This is the final weekend for Maud Comes Home at Land’s End Arts & Culture Centre, 340 Main Street.

The exhibition brings approximately 80 original, privately owned Maud Lewis paintings together in the community where she was born and spent half her life. Many of these works had never travelled to her hometown before this exhibition.

The gallery is open from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with the exhibition closing September 20. A general admission price is not published, so confirm with the gallery before attending.

Maud Comes Home exhibition details

There is something especially meaningful about seeing Maud’s joyful Nova Scotia scenes here in the place where her story began.

See the coastline from the top of Cape Forchu

With Cape Forchu’s 2026 climbing season ending September 27, this is one of the final weekends to climb the lighthouse before the tours finish for the year.

The full 30-minute experience includes local history and 77 spiral steps to the top. It costs $25 per adult or $12 for children under 12. The shorter Quick Climb costs $15 per adult or $7.50 per child.

Climbers must be at least 48 inches tall, wear shoes with backs and complete a waiver. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

If climbing is not for you, the lighthouse grounds and Leif Erikson Trail still offer a beautiful coastal outing.

Check availability and book a climb

We see Cape Forchu from the road so often, but the view from the top is a wonderful reminder of just how much coastline surrounds our community.

Follow the road to Sandford’s tiny drawbridge

For a quieter Sunday drive, make your way to Sandford Wharf at 47 Sandford Wharf Road.

The small wooden drawbridge was built to connect the two sides of the wharf system, allowing fishermen and visitors to cross without returning to the road. Today, it holds the charming distinction of being described by the regional tourism authority as the smallest drawbridge in the world.

There is no admission listed. This is best treated as a short scenic stop rather than a full-day destination. Remember that Sandford remains a working wharf, so park thoughtfully and give fishing crews plenty of room.

Learn about the Sandford Drawbridge

Some of Yarmouth County’s most memorable landmarks are the little ones tucked at the end of a road—places we might easily miss if we never slowed down.

However you spend the weekend, I hope you find time for something simple: a market conversation, a colourful painting, a lighthouse view or a quiet moment beside a working wharf. These are the little pieces of coastal life that make this place feel like home.

A Little Colour for a Grey September Weekend | September 4–6

The first weekend of September may be arriving with fog, wind and a few showers, but that does not mean we need to stay home. In fact, this feels like one of those weekends when Yarmouth County’s quieter pleasures really shine—local art, familiar faces at the market, live music and a short trail explored between the raindrops.

The forecast currently calls for a cloudy Friday near 19°C, a windy Saturday with occasional showers near 18°C, and a cooler, windy Sunday around 15°C. Pack a light raincoat, wear sensible shoes and leave a little room for the weather to change your plans.

See the Bluenose II in Yarmouth - Update: Canceled due to weather conditions 

Friday brings an especially fitting beginning to the weekend as the Bluenose II visits the Yarmouth waterfront. Open decks are planned from 3–7 p.m., as tides allow, with the mobile exhibit available from 2–7 p.m. Touring the deck is free, and reservations are not required. Since marine conditions can affect the schedule, it is wise to check for updates before heading down. There are few sights that feel more Nova Scotian than a tall schooner arriving in a working coastal town.

Bluenose II’s official schedule⁠

Spend Saturday morning at the market

The Yarmouth Farmers’ Community Market is open Saturday from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at 15 Hawthorne Street. Inside, you will find a changing selection of produce, seafood, baked goods, preserves, prepared food and locally handmade items. Admission is free, making it an easy place to browse, enjoy something tasty and catch up with familiar faces. A Saturday market is about more than what comes home in the bag. Often, the conversations along the way are the best part.

Yarmouth Farmers’ Community Market details⁠

Discover Maud Lewis close to home

For the strongest rainy-day choice, visit Maud Comes Home at the Land’s End Arts & Culture Centre, 340 Main Street in Yarmouth. The exhibition brings together approximately 80 original, privately owned Maud Lewis works. Many of these paintings have rarely—or never—been displayed in the place where Maud was born and spent half her life. The gallery is open from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. throughout the weekend, and the exhibition continues until September 20.

The event page does not publish a general admission price, so check with the gallery before attending.

Maud Comes Home exhibition information⁠

Maud found joy and colour in everyday Nova Scotia scenes—a lovely reminder to notice what is beautiful in our own surroundings.

Welcome fall with live music at Castle Lake

One Meter Up performs at Castle Lake Campground, 83 Comeaus Hill Road in Arcadia, on Saturday evening. The regional event listing confirms the September 5 performance but does not publish an admission price or complete schedule. Contact the campground before leaving to confirm the start time, cost and whether weather will affect the event.

Castle Lake event information⁠

Take a short walk at Tkipok Trail

If the rain pauses, follow the side road to the Tkipok Trail at Arcadia School, 10177 Highway 3. This free one-kilometre loop takes approximately 15 minutes and travels through mixed forest and across a marsh boardwalk. Two look-offs with benches offer a place to pause and take in the surroundings. Waterproof footwear is the sensible choice after a wet week.

Tkipok Trail details⁠

Not every adventure needs to fill the entire day. Sometimes a little-known trail and fifteen quiet minutes outdoors are enough.

Grey skies have their own place in coastal life. They give us an excuse to linger over something warm, step inside a gallery we have been meaning to visit or appreciate how beautiful the harbour can look when the fog settles in. However you spend it, I hope you find something close to home that makes the weekend feel special.