25 things to do in La Petite-Nation this fall
A Notre-Dame de Paris organist in Montebello, a square dance in Saint-Sixte, punk in Ripon and a hundred watercolours on Thanksgiving. Our list for October and November.
La Petite Nation: things to do, places to eat and events in La Petite-Nation
This week in La Petite-Nation
Culture
Jean-Yves Guindon Fall Exhibition
Saint-André-AvellinOctober 9–11, 2026About a hundred original watercolours, plus prints and cards, in the painter's gallery and outdoor pavilions. 14th edition in 2026, rain…
Community
Disco Skate
Saint-André-AvellinOctober 10, 2026Skating to music at the arena, costumes welcome. A Saturday-night outing that works for teens and parents alike.
Market
The One-of-a-Kind Experience
PapineauvilleOctober 10, 2026A market of 50-plus culture-minded vendors (makers, artists, authors, musicians) with workshops all day for kids and adults. Free entry.
Festival
Pumpkin Ball
RiponOctober 10–11, 2026Ripon's harvest party: family activities around the village and a special market at the Place du Marché.
Community
Boileau Western Méchoui Supper
BoileauOctober 10, 2026A western-themed méchoui (spit-roast) supper, posted on the municipality's citizen portal.
Culture
Traditional Dance Evenings
Saint-SixteOctober 16, 2026Live musicians and a caller, and the figures get explained on the spot. No experience needed. Capped at 70 people, so book online.
25 things to do in La Petite-Nation this fall
A Notre-Dame de Paris organist in Montebello, a square dance in Saint-Sixte, punk in Ripon and a hundred watercolours on Thanksgiving. Our list for October and November.
An easy 86 km three-wheeler loop through La Petite-Nation
Routes 323, 315, 321 and 148, nothing else. An 86 km loop for Spyders and trikes, with stops right on the route, gelato, lunch on a terrace and the 75th meridian.
The best motorcycle loop in La Petite-Nation, 155 km from Montebello to Duhamel
Route 321 up to Duhamel, then the 315, the 317 and the 148 back. A loop of about 155 km with four places to fill up, maple-smoked barbecue and ice cream to finish.
Day trips
Our perfect summer day in La Petite-Nation, from market to beach
Ripon's Saturday market, a Chénéville picnic, a lifeguarded beach on Lac Simon, mini-golf, the lookout at golden hour and soft serve to finish the day.
A day in La Petite-Nation with kids, never more than 20 minutes in the car
Parc Oméga's elk, build-your-own ice cream, a giant sundial, a waterfall that's free for kids and sculptures that move. Never more than 20 minutes in the car between stops.
An easy 86 km three-wheeler loop through La Petite-Nation
Routes 323, 315, 321 and 148, nothing else. An 86 km loop for Spyders and trikes, with stops right on the route, gelato, lunch on a terrace and the 75th meridian.
Our road-bike day in La Petite-Nation, 82 km from Thurso to Saint-André-Avellin
Route 148 along the Ottawa River to Montebello, a detour up Route 321 for lunch in Saint-André-Avellin, and ice cream back in Thurso. 82 km, or 52 if your legs say no.
Outdoors
Winter in La Petite-Nation, from cross-country skis to snowmobiles
Free ski trails behind the high school, 40 km groomed by volunteers for $15, hundreds of kilometres of snowmobile and ATV trail. Your winter guide, club by club.
The 12 best hikes in La Petite-Nation
A lookout tower on Mont Grand-Pic, 400-year-old trees, a cable raft across the Preston River. Our 12 favourite trails, from easy family loops to the Sentier national.
The five golf courses of La Petite-Nation
A 1929 Stanley Thompson cut through old forest, an 18-hole course built without blasting a single rock, a 9-hole club running since 1963. The five golf courses of La Petite-Nation.
The La Petite-Nation campground guide
Over 370 sites behind a 2 km beach, 22 no-hookup sites in the woods, yurts on the Ottawa River. Every campground in La Petite-Nation, sorted by the kind of trip you want.
Food & drink
Bakeries and pastry shops of La Petite-Nation, village by village
Croissants in a grey wooden house, bread baked to order next to a stone-ground mill, pies until the end of October. Our tour of the region's ovens.
La Petite-Nation restaurants worth the drive, town by town
A seasonal menu in Chénéville, maple-smoked brisket in Duhamel, a poutine with a secret sauce in Fassett. Our restaurants, from the Ottawa River up to the Lièvre.
Butchers, charcuterie and game processing in La Petite-Nation
Tourtière in Chénéville, woolly pigs in Montebello, the hunters' butcher in Lochaber. Where to buy your meat and get your deer processed this fall.
Breweries, wineries and cideries in La Petite-Nation
Natural wine from a south-facing slope in Ripon, wild-apple cider in Chénéville, a brewery in an old bank in Montebello. What to drink around here.
Culture & music
Where to see live music and shows in La Petite-Nation
A pub with a real stage, a 357-seat hall where comedians test new material, punk in Ripon, a square dance and a singer every Friday. Our go-to spots for a night out.
Churches, presbyteries and old villages, La Petite-Nation's heritage
A replica Irish shrine in Mayo, Scottish churches in Lochaber, a century-old Casavant organ in Montebello and presbyteries turned into cafés. La Petite-Nation, steeple by steeple.
Manoir-Papineau and Louis-Joseph Papineau's legacy in La Petite-Nation
A four-towered manor, a chapel where eleven family members rest, a mill village in Plaisance and a grandson who became Papineauville's first mayor. Following the Papineaus.
Hunting & fishing
Ice fishing in La Petite-Nation, where you can and where you can't
No, you can't drill Lac Simon in January. The four lakes where trout stays open all winter, Duhamel's turnkey package and the rules to know before you pack the auger.
Hunting in La Petite-Nation in 2026, the dates and rules to keep in your pocket
Zone 10 East or West, bow or rifle, where to register your animal and who'll cut it. The 2026 rundown for moose, deer, bear and turkey in La Petite-Nation.
Outfitters and the Papineau-Labelle reserve, a practical guide
Over 760 lakes in the reserve, 26 at Chevreuil Blanc, 65-plus at Kenauk. Who offers what, how you get in, and the rules that change the moment you pass the gate.
Where to fish in La Petite-Nation, lake by lake
55 cm lake trout, walleye until March, lakes that close all winter. What to know before you cast in fishing zone 10, plus the lakes and ramps worth your gas.
Community
Lake associations, the volunteers keeping our water clear
Kayak sentinels on Lac Gagnon, water samples on Lac des Plages, an old guard on Viceroy since 1973. Who watches over our lakes, and how cottagers can pitch in.
FADOQ, Fermières and golden age clubs, the real social life of La Petite-Nation
Military whist on Tuesdays, weaving on Monday mornings, bingo at $1.25 a card. The seniors' clubs, Fermières circles and social groups starting up again this fall, village by village.
Volunteering in La Petite-Nation, the groups that need a hand
Food banks, meals on wheels, friendly visits, lake sentinels, Christmas markets. Where to give two hours a week in La Petite-Nation, and who to call.
Staying active as an adult in La Petite-Nation, from curling to pickleball
Drop-in pickleball at the Dôme, curling in Thurso, badminton in Chénéville, Tuesday walks in Ripon. The clubs and schedules for adults who want to get moving this fall.
Directory
From the garage to the B&B, what’s around here.
Guides
The 25 towns
Boileau10 listings
Bowman19 listings
Chénéville48 listings
Duhamel41 listings
Fassett11 listings
Lac-des-Plages21 listingsLac-Simon41 listingsLochaber8 listings
Lochaber-Partie-Ouest8 listings
Mayo5 listingsMontebello59 listings
Montpellier22 listings
Mulgrave-et-Derry13 listings
Namur23 listings
Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours5 listings
Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix14 listings
Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette13 listings
Papineauville68 listings
Plaisance15 listings
Ripon52 listings
Saint-André-Avellin66 listings
Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk17 listings
Saint-Sixte9 listings
Thurso47 listings
Val-des-Bois47 listingsMap
The La Petite-Nation map
See what’s around the cottage: restaurants, trails, boat launches, corner stores.
See on the mapAsk