My mom’s birthday was coming up. I’ve always found her hard to buy for, so my go-to in that situation is to gift an experience. I’d been so busy with work all summer, I wasn’t seeing much of my mom, so I thought a weekend away would be a perfect birthday/catch-up two-in-one. Southern Ontario has no shortage of interesting locales for a getaway, so it was hard to choose a destination. After debating several of them, we decided on St. Jacobs. It’s a beautiful little village situated smack dab in the middle of Southern Ontario, making it super handy for daytripping or a short roadtrip weekend away, no matter which direction you’re coming from.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Girls’ Weekend

An added enticement for us was the “Girls’ Weekend” St. Jacobs was offering in September. It was the first one, and judging by the success of the weekend, I suspect it will be an annual event. We took a leisurely drive early Friday afternoon, stopping for a fancy coffee break along the way.

We arrived in Kitchener, the larger city just south of the village where I had booked a hotel. Although our hotel was nice and the beds were extremely comfortable, I wish I had known how far Kitchener was from St Jacobs. The drive was only 15-20 mins, but we did it several times and there was a ton of construction, which caused some delays. Beware if you’re ever booking for St. Jacobs on a hotel booking site, that if it say the hotel is in the village, it’s best to double check for yourself on a map!

Crowne-Plaza Hotel, Kitchener

The opening night of the Girls’ Weekend started with a fashion show. I didn’t have high hopes for it, but both Mom and I really enjoyed it. The crowd was full of energetic, friendly women, the models were varied ages and sizes and were knowledgeable about what they were wearing. The clothing covered all sorts of styles so all age-groups were represented. I ended up picking up a few pieces I saw in the fashion show the next day in the village. If we hadn’t run out of time shopping, I likely would have bought more!

St. Jacobs’ Farmer’s Market

The next morning, we went straight to the farmers’ market that St. Jacobs is famous for. In fact, this market is Canada’s largest year-round farmer’s market. It was jam packed. There was a Mennonite horse auction going on, which was fascinating for a city girl to watch.

The vendor building burned down at the end of summer in 2013, and this new one opened this summer. The aisles are larger and there is more space, as well as some additional seating, not that it feels like it today. It’s elbow-to-elbow, but people are moving along in a friendly fashion, considerate of their neighbours. You’ll find everything from fresh meats, cheese, baked goods, and produce to flea market wares, plants, garden decorations and books. The market is open Thursdays and Saturdays year-round and on Tuesdays in the summer. There is lots of parking, but you may have to drive around to find it. It took us some time today and we ended up parking in back near a group of horses.

We headed inside the main building to scout out some breakfast. We decided on a strawberry/rhubarb square with coffee. Fruit + oatmeal = breakfast in my book. I also bought some pie dough from the same vendor for $1.50/packet. Great deal for homemade dough. It was really good, too. More biscuity than I usually make, but rolled thinly it was excellent.

Once our sugar rush kicked in, we wandered the market. I bought baskets and tubs of veggies and fruits to supplement my less-than-stellar home-grown crop. For $20 I got a basket of cucumbers to make dill pickles, a huge bag of cubanelle peppers, a peck of San Marzano tomatoes, a gallon of jalapenos, an English cucumber, a quart of freshly picked strawberries, a bag of baby potatoes, and some fresh garlic. Such a bargain, and the produce was fresh. My mom bought some baked goods she said were delicious.

We watched a bit more of the horse auction, then crossed the street to the 30+ store outlet mall. To celebrate the Girls’ Weekend, there were sales everywhere. I found a cute, ridiculously comfy pair of Grasshopper shoes for a great deal—and got 20% off! We exhausted that mall, then took a breather. We had a cold drink and sit down to plan the rest of our day.

Downtown St. Jacobs

We hadn’t hit the King St. downtown strip of St. Jacobs yet. It’s my favourite part of the village. The shops are independently owned, no chain stores, and they are full of unique and beautiful things. My mom had never been to St. Jacobs before so I really wanted her to see that area. We tried on some clothes and did some more shopping before Mom threw up her hands in surrender. Okay, time to eat. If you have a chance to visit St. Jacobs’ downtown area, take it. It may not be a large area, but the shops display thoughtful, interesting items, whether it be for the home, the body, the kids, or the belly. You can find something to suit you on the little strip.

We ended up at Jacob’s Grill for dinner. I’m not going to lie, we chose it mainly because we got a voucher for a free dessert at the fashion show the night before. The restaurant was packed. Service was warm and friendly, the pizza we shared were ample, fresh and tasty. The Caesar salad was outstanding, but I can’t pinpoint why it was over-the-top good. And the dessert… mmm. We had a chocolate mousse cheesecake concoction. I almost didn’t want to share, but seeing as it was Mom’s birthday, I guess I didn’t have much choice.

It was a great weekend away, and I wouldn’t hesitate recommending it for a girl’s trip, couple’s trip, or mom and daughter trip. You can find something to do no matter your taste. To top it all off, we had the most amazing lightshow on the way home. SW Ontario sunsets sure are stunning.