On the Peninsula, October 31 is just one date in a closing sequence that started on Thanksgiving weekend and runs into November. The Saturday market at the Saanich Fairgrounds has already packed up. The farm-to-table grill beside Michell's serves its last plates on October 25. Silver Rill's maze in its centennial year runs "until late October," with no fixed final day. Bickford's field on Wallace Drive stays open through Halloween. Ocean View Estates keeps its maze going to November 1. And Michell's market, which anchors the whole stretch, doesn't close for the season at all.
Plan by the dates below and you'll get to every stop. Wait until Halloween week and some of these gates will already be shut.
| Stop | Address | Last day listed for 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Peninsula Country Market | Saanich Fairgrounds, 1528 Stelly's Cross Rd. | October 10 |
| Harvest Rd. | 2451 Island View Rd. | October 25 |
| Silver Rill Corn maze | 7117 Central Saanich Rd. | "Late October," no exact date |
| Island View Farm Harvest Wednesdays | 7081 Central Saanich Rd. | Through October |
| Bickford Farms pumpkin field | 7969 Wallace Dr. | October 31 |
| Saanichton Corn Maze at Ocean View Estates | 7979 Central Saanich Rd. | November 1 |
| Michell's Farm market | 2451 Island View Rd. | Open seven days a week, into winter |
Already gone: Saturday mornings at the Fairgrounds
The first gate to close was the Peninsula Country Market. Its own 2026 calendar ran June 6 through October 10, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Island View Farm's events page listed its stall at the market "every Saturday until October 11th," a day off from the market's own schedule. Either way, the Saturday market has finished for the year.
Island View Farm still has a midweek option. Its Harvest Wednesdays run from 4 to 7 p.m. through October at 7081 Central Saanich Rd., with field produce, flowers, eggs, farm-made products and discounts. One caveat: the Flavour Trails listing gives a summer-only window for this event. The farm's own page is the more current source, but it's worth checking before you drive over on a Wednesday afternoon.
October 25: last plates at Harvest Rd.
Next to close is the food. Harvest Rd. sits beside Michell's market at 2451 Island View Rd. and opens Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its website says the last day of the 2026 season is October 25.
The timing matters because of what's next door. Victoria Buzz's October 9 roundup says Michell's U-pick pumpkin patch runs all October long, and it suggests the grill as the place to refuel after picking. Michell's lists the patch as open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. After October 25, the patch keeps going for about another week, but the grill beside it doesn't. The last October weekend with both still running is October 24 and 25.
Late October, no posted date: Silver Rill's centennial maze
The maze with the most behind it this year also has the least certain closing date.
CTV News reported in July that the Fox family founded Silver Rill Corn in 1926, and that it started out as a dairy. Owner Clayton Fox told CTV:
"We are basically celebrating the generations before and making it this far within the family. My great-grandpa and grandma were the original creators of the name Silver Rill."
The corn came later. In the same CTV story, Stanley Fox began trying sweet corn in the 1960s, and a 1966 Victoria Daily Times article called him the Corn King. Seaside Magazine describes Silver Rill as a fourth-generation family farm marking its 100th anniversary in 2026 with 100 days of free corn giveaways.
The maze turns that history into the route. According to the Flavour Trails listing, this year's maze covers four acres with corn 16 feet tall, and its theme celebrates 100 years of Silver Rill farming. Somewhere inside, a "100" is cut into the corn, where you'll find three past generations of Silver Rill farmers. A Golden Cob is also hidden somewhere in the maze. No published rules or prize for the Golden Cob turned up, so treat it as a find rather than a contest.
The maze page on Silver Rill's own site lists daily hours of 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. "until Late October," with admission at $6 for ages three and up and free entry for children two and under. Harvest Rd., Bickford and Ocean View have each posted an exact final day. Silver Rill hasn't. For a maze built around a once-in-a-century anniversary, the safer plan is the next open afternoon, not the last weekend of the month.
Getting there from the highway is also easier this fall than it has been in recent years. CHEK News reported that the Keating Cross Road Overpass was officially complete on August 12, 2026, with the construction signs and equipment cleared. The overpass opened to traffic in July 2025. Before it, northbound drivers on the Pat Bay Highway had to cross two lanes of oncoming traffic to turn left onto Keating Cross Road. The province puts traffic through the Keating area at about 52,000 vehicles a day.
October 31: Bickford's field on Wallace Drive
Bickford Farms runs right up to Halloween. The FAQ on its own website lists the pumpkin field at 7969 Wallace Dr. as open from 8:30 a.m. until sunset through October 31, and it takes cash or credit cards through an online portal. The farm stand sits beside the road, and the field entrance has signs.
Parts of Bickford's site still say the patch is "opening soon." Victoria Buzz's October 9 roundup settles it: the patch has opened for the season and runs every day from dawn until dusk. That piece also calls Bickford one of the most scenic patches on its list, with displays built for photos. Bickford also allows photographers to book the field for client sessions, which can make for busier afternoons.
November 1: Ocean View Estates closes the season
The last maze open is on Central Saanich Road. The Saanichton Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch at Ocean View Estates, 7979 Central Saanich Rd., opened October 3. The way in is the first gravel entrance before the house. Its ticket page lists the event as running October 3, 2026 to November 1, 2026, and the remaining entries are sold as timed tickets. The farm's homepage says advance tickets aren't required.
Prices from the farm's FAQ:
- Adults 13 and over: $11.25
- Children 4 to 12: $9.10
- Family pass for two adults and two children: $34.90
- Children under 3: free
- Pumpkins: extra
The same FAQ lists hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with an October 3 to November 1 span, though that page doesn't print a year. The homepage describes the patch and maze as running on weekends through October, and it includes a themed Pumpkin House. Ocean View has hosted Fright Nights in past years. The only status notice on its site says they were cancelled for 2025, and no 2026 schedule has been posted. Unless the farm's social channels announce dates, the after-dark version isn't a sure thing this year.
After every maze closes: Michell's keeps going
When November starts and the last gate on Central Saanich Road closes, Michell's market is still open. The farm lists the market as open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The off-season stock is listed on the farm's site. Pasture-raised beef is sold fresh and frozen year-round, frozen berries carry through the winter, and the shelves hold bakery items, soup mixes, vinegars, dairy, eggs, cheeses and honey. The farm's seasonal produce list includes apples, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, kale, leeks, parsnips and squash, though it doesn't promise which of those will be on hand once pumpkin season ends.
The Fairgrounds come back in December. A Touch of Salt Spring has scheduled its 2026 Christmas Craft Show at Saanich Fairgrounds, 1528 Stellys Cross Rd., for December 4 to 6. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and the organizer says more than 200 crafters and artisans will be there. No 2026 date has been posted yet for the Saanichton Village Association's community Christmas event, which was held on December 6 last year.
So the season ends at Michell's market in November, and the Fairgrounds reopen for the craft show on the first Friday of December.
At Coastal Living Collective, we spend a lot of time on the Peninsula, and we know these few weeks between the last maze and the first craft show well. If you're a Saanichton owner who has started wondering what your place on these farm roads might be worth, we're glad to talk it through over a coffee, whether that's before the Silver Rill maze closes or after. What's Your Property Worth?
