When fall brings us back to the warmth 🍂
Fall, around here, is the season of harvests, colors, and outdoor activities! But as the days get shorter and the weather cools down, we also enjoy the little pleasures indoors.
Stepping into a café on a gray day, treating yourself to an evening at a show, or discovering a talent you never even knew you had… There’s no shortage of opportunities to enjoy the season from the warmth of your home in the Haut-Richelieu region!
Besides, between you and me, cool days are sometimes the best excuse to slow down a little.
☕ Sometimes happiness fits in a cup
There’s something particularly satisfying about walking into a café when the wind starts to pick up outside. You take off your coat, settle in, and, for a few moments, there’s no rush.
We meet up with a friend, get the gang together, or enjoy some family time. Over a good cup of coffee or hot chocolate, we chat, laugh, catch up on the latest news, and—before we know it—order a second cup. Because at the end of the day, no matter what we’re drinking, it’s really just a great excuse to spend time together!
Around here, there’s no shortage of great spots to enjoy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. It’s hard to name them all, but we’ll share a few with you!
At Treize Chocolats, chocolate is serious business. Pascal, the chocolatier, crafts his creations using cocoa beans that he processes himself. Suffice it to say, you’ll never look at hot chocolate the same way again!
Coffee lovers will also find what they're looking for at Bean et Bonheur, where their artisanal roasting has won awards at several competitions, including most recently at the 2026 Global Coffee Awards. It’s enough to make you want to take the time to savor every sip!
Over in Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville, the Café à la tasse welcomes visitors to a historic home with a distinctly local charm. Whether you choose coffee or hot chocolate from the many options available, all you have to do is settle in and enjoy the moment together!
🧀🍎 Little treats that taste like fall
When temperatures drop, we start craving warm, comforting meals. Whether it’s for a family dinner, a meal with friends, or a night out at a restaurant, any occasion is a good excuse to gather around a good meal.
Here, apples are part of our DNA! So it’s only natural that we love to extend the joy of the harvest, even after picking season is over. At the Denis Charbonneau Crêperie and Bistro, you’ll find the flavors of the orchard in Breton-inspired crêpes—both sweet and savory—that showcase apples from the Charbonneau orchard. To top it all off, a glass of fresh homemade apple juice is a must! Unless, of course, you want to take the Breton experience a step further… Why not ask if they can serve you a bowl of cider? 😉
Fall is also about those evenings when you just don’t feel like going out again. You make a delicious fondue or raclette, gather everyone around the table, and take the time to savor the moment. The meal drags on, as do the conversations, and you find yourself thinking, “We should do this more often!”
For this occasion, you can try the artisanal cheeses from Missiskain Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, or from Fritz Kaiserin Noyan. It’s a great way to add a little local flair to these comforting meals.
Since we’re putting local flavors on the menu, we might as well go all the way to dessert! A fondue made with artisanal chocolates from Foucade Chocolat or Treize Chocolats—now that’s a great way to end the evening!
🎭 Nights that get us pumped
Fall also marks the return of live performances! After the summer break, the schedules are back in full swing, and we can once again enjoy booking tickets to see our favorite artists or discover new talent.
There’s something nice about having a night out at a show on the calendar. Whether as a couple, with friends, or with family, we look forward to having a good laugh, singing along, or simply taking a break from our daily routines for one evening.
Sometimes we take the opportunity to meet up at a restaurant before the show, or even treat ourselves to a dinner-and-show package to make the fun last longer. Once the show is over, the conversations continue on the way home. We share our impressions, talk about our favorite moments, and marvel once again at the artists’ talent. Sometimes we’re so on cloud nine that we wish the evening would last just a little longer!
Here, the SPEC du Haut-Richelieu brings the region’s performing arts scene to life with a program that blends comedy, music, theater, dance, and storytelling. From the Théâtre des Deux Rives to the Cabaret-Théâtre du Vieux-Saint-Jean, including the 164 Comédie Club and the Jacques-Landry Hall at the Venise-en-Québec Cultural Center, there’s plenty to fill a few lovely fall evenings.
For an experience that's a little out of the ordinary, there's also La Cargaison, where Saint-Jean-l’Évangéliste Cathedral serves as the backdrop for immersive performances. Imagine the music, the lighting effects, and the sheer grandeur of the venue. It’s the kind of place where you take a few seconds to look around before the show even begins.
On December 10, Guylaine Tanguay will be performing her country songs there. It’s sure to warm up the atmosphere as winter approaches!
🖼️ A little outing to explore the arts
Sometimes, a lovely fall outing is simply about taking the time to surround yourself with art while staying nice and warm. You discover new works, share your favorites, and enjoy a break from the daily routine. You don’t have to overcomplicate things to have a wonderful afternoon!
There’s no shortage of places to experience the arts right here in our area! Here are three of them where fall also marks the return of cultural activities.
In Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, the Domaine Trinity welcomes us to a charming historic setting, featuring a former Anglican church and rectory that have been transformed into cultural venues. Exhibitions, immersive experiences, talks, and meet-and-greets with artists: there are plenty of ways to satisfy your curiosity here!
In Sabrevois, the Sabrevois Arts Center, housed in a former church, offers comedy nights, among other events. It’s a rather unique setting to have a good laugh and enjoy a wonderful evening in good company!
On Valentine's Day, the Carrefour Culturel showcases local artists with exhibitions that change with the seasons. Painting, photography, and other forms of visual art offer visitors the chance to make new discoveries.
🎨 The cold won't stop our creativity!
When fall makes us want to spend more time indoors, why not take the opportunity to add a little creativity to our outings?
Sometimes we show up feeling a little hesitant, especially when trying an activity for the first time. But then we get into it! We learn new techniques, share tips, and laugh at our little mistakes. Before we know it, we’re having a great time—and we might even discover a talent we didn’t know we had!
At Gypsie Bohème, we explore a wide range of worlds through workshops that combine creativity, artisanal craftsmanship, and well-being. At MC-Création, we have fun with visual arts, DIY projects, and creating decorative items.
Want to get your hands dirty with clay? La Girelle and Majeli invite us to discover the art of pottery, while the Haut-Richelieu Museum offers a variety of creative and decorative activities involving ceramics. It’s the perfect way to let your imagination run wild while discovering a craft deeply rooted in our region’s history!
A sweet tooth can also inspire our creations! At Treize Chocolats, workshops let you discover the art of artisanal chocolate-making while crafting and decorating your own chocolate creations. It’s the perfect way to combine the joy of creating with the joy of tasting!
Whether with family, friends, or just to treat yourself to some “me time,” these workshops are, above all, a wonderful opportunity to share some laughs and leave with great memories. As for the results… they might not be museum-worthy, but at least we’ll have given it a try! 😉
🍂 The joy of letting yourself go with the flow
There are some fall days when you just feel like going out without making too many plans. You throw on a coat, go for a walk, and let whatever catches your eye lead the way. A pretty store window, a shop you’d never noticed before, a little find you hadn’t planned on bringing home…
That’s also part of the joy of strolling: taking your time, popping into a place out of curiosity, and enjoying the day without having to keep an eye on the clock.
In the Old Saint-Jean, our historic neighborhood with its period buildings, you’ll find all the joy of spontaneous strolls. You stroll down Rue Richelieu, window-shop, and step inside a store that catches your eye. Inside, you’ll delight in discovering artisan creations, gift ideas, or little treasures you weren’t even looking for. We exchange a few words with the shopkeepers, take the time to look around, and sometimes leave with a new favorite!
When the wind picks up or the rain starts to fall, we appreciate these little breaks indoors even more. We wander from one shop to the next, staying nice and warm while we browse at our own pace.
Whether you're with your partner, friends, or family, it's a wonderful way to enjoy an autumn afternoon without any complicated plans. Sometimes, the simplest outings are the ones that do us the most good!
🍂 Fall has its own little joys indoors, too!
After all, fall isn't just about the colors of the trees and walks in the fresh air. It's also about the joy of getting together with others, discovering something new, or simply taking some time for yourself.
So, the next time the sky is gray or the wind picks up, don’t let a lack of ideas keep you at home! In the Haut-Richelieu region, there are a thousand and one ways to enjoy the season—even from the warmth of your home.
Now it's your turn to enjoy the little joys of fall in the Haut-Richelieu region! 🍂
