Fall has brought a wave of new places to Durham Region. There's a long-awaited restaurant in Ajax, a new café on Kingston Road in Pickering, a new grocery store and a brewery restaurant in Whitby, and a brand-new boardwalk at one of the area's favourite conservation areas.
Here's a quick roundup of what's opened recently, plus community events coming up between now and the end of November. Details come from each business's or organizer's own website, or from local news, as of October 19. Plans can change, so check the link before you head out.
Recently opened
Olive Garden, Durham Centre, Ajax
Olive Garden opened at 130 Kingston Rd. E. in the Durham Centre plaza on Monday, October 12, Thanksgiving Monday (insauga; All About Durham). According to insauga, it's the chain's first location in Durham Region in about a quarter-century, and the third Ontario restaurant to open in its return to the province, after Vaughan Mills in June and Ottawa's Westboro neighbourhood in August.
If you're planning a visit: during the launch, the restaurant has been seating guests first-come, first-served, with no reservations. Online ordering wasn't available yet, so pickup orders are by phone (Ajax Voice). Check the restaurant's location page for current hours and details.
Craves Bites & Cafe, Kingston Road, Pickering
Craves Bites & Cafe has a new location at 619 Kingston Rd. in Pickering, according to its website, which describes it as a dessert café. Its other location is at 2171 Lawrence Ave. E. in Scarborough (Craves Bites & Cafe). A local event listing promoted a soft opening at the Pickering café on Friday, October 9 (Mato event listing). The menu is posted on the café's website.
Food Basics, Rossland Road West, Whitby
Food Basics opened its first Whitby store on October 8 at 915 Rossland Rd. W. Metro, which owns the banner, says the 32,000-square-foot store is the chain's 160th in Ontario and employs about 100 people. Metro also says the store is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and offers online grocery ordering (Metro news release, Oct 8, 2026).
For households in west Whitby, that's another everyday grocery option close to home.
Town Brewery restaurant, downtown Whitby
Whitby's Town Brewery has opened a new restaurant on the main floor of 244 Brock St. S. in downtown Whitby. The brewery describes it as a fully accessible space serving "modern comfort food with international beerhall fare," with a dining room set among the brewing tanks. It encourages reservations for groups of up to eight (Town Brewery). The brewery announced the newly opened Brock St. location on its social channels in early October.
New boardwalk and wetlands at Lynde Shores Conservation Area, Whitby
This one is free and outdoors. On October 3, Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) and Ducks Unlimited Canada celebrated a new wetland complex at Lynde Shores Conservation Area, 623 Halls Rd. S., Whitby. It includes three new wetlands, a 30-metre boardwalk, and a lookout platform with an interpretive sign (CLOCA).
The project is part of CLOCA's Lynde Shores Restoration and Resilience Plan, which aims to improve the health and connectivity of the coastal wetlands along Lake Ontario (Ducks Unlimited Canada). A late-fall walk is a good way to see it.
Things to do: Halloween to the end of November
Ajax Creative Arts, "Rooted In Art 60 Years Together" · Fri, Oct 23 to Sun, Oct 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artwork from more than 20 local artists, with artist demonstrations, a kids' art table and a tea room, celebrating the group's 60th year (Town of Ajax events calendar).
Pickering Fall Fling · Sat, Oct 24, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Millennium Square The second Saturday of the City of Pickering's Fall Fling includes a kids' Halloween costume contest at 1 p.m., trick-or-treating through Millennium Square and Nautical Village, miniature train rides, face painting, live music and an artisan market (City of Pickering).
Hallowe'en Fest at Pickering Museum Village · Sat, Oct 24 and Sun, Oct 25 Halloween-themed games, activities, crafts and treats for all ages. For grown-ups, the museum also runs lantern-lit Pickering Ghost Walks on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in October and a Victorian Gothic Tea on Oct 31 (Pickering Museum Village).
Downtown Whitby Trick or Treat · Sat, Oct 31, noon to 3 p.m., free Trick-or-treating at participating downtown businesses, a Halloween scavenger hunt, a photo booth, balloon twisting, character meet-and-greets and a guest appearance by the Toronto Ghostbusters. The Downtown Whitby BIA says the event map and details will be announced (Downtown Whitby BIA).
8th Annual Downtown Whitby Christmas Market · Fri, Nov 13, 4 to 9 p.m., and Sat, Nov 14, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Celebration Square (405 Dundas St. W.), free Live entertainment, magic, free maple taffy on snow, kids' crafts, trolley rides, visits with Santa and the Grinch, and local vendors (Downtown Whitby BIA).
Ajax "Santa's Spectacle of Lights" parade · Sat, Nov 28, 6 to 7:30 p.m. The parade starts at Bayly St. and Mackenzie Ave., runs east on Bayly and north on Harwood Ave. S., and ends at Ajax Town Hall with a tree lighting and an after-party. Expect road closures in the area that evening, and note that parking at Town Hall is limited (Town of Ajax).
Storybook Christmas at Pickering Museum Village · Nov 28 and 29 (and Dec 5 and 6) A family holiday program that follows Teddy on a holiday adventure around the historic village (Pickering Museum Village).
Why this matters if you live here, or want to
New places and well-run community events are part of what makes a neighbourhood feel like home. They're also some of the first things people ask about when they're thinking about moving to an area. If you're comparing Ajax, Pickering, Whitby or another Durham community, spending a weekend at the local markets, trails and main streets is one of the best ways to get a feel for it.
Know a new spot I should feature?
If a new business has opened near you, or there's a local event coming up, send me a message or email me at [email protected] and I may include it in a future roundup. And if you're wondering what your home is worth in today's market, ask me for a free Home Value Report. It's my opinion of value based on recent nearby sales, not an appraisal, and there's no obligation.
Andrew Persaud, Sales Representative, REVEL Realty Inc., Brokerage
#200B – 1032 Brock Street S, Whitby, ON L1N 4L8
📞 m 416.220.7045 | o 905.357.1700
✉️ [email protected]
🌐 https://homesbyandrew.ca/
Business and event details are taken from each business's or organizer's website, or from the news sources linked, as of October 19, 2026, and may change. Listings are for community information only and aren't endorsements or reviews. No business or organizer has paid for or reviewed this post. A Home Value Report is an opinion of value, not an appraisal. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract with a brokerage.
Sources (checked October 19, 2026)
- insauga, "Iconic Italian restaurant franchise returns to this Ontario town" (Oct 14, 2026): https://www.insauga.com/iconic-italian-restaurant-franchise-returns-to-this-ontario-town/
- All About Durham, "Ajax Olive Garden Opens at Durham Centre": https://allaboutdurham.com/ajax-olive-garden-opens-durham-centre-2026/
- Ajax Voice, "Olive Garden now open in Ajax at Durham Centre" (Oct 13, 2026): https://ajaxvoice.ca/news/olive-garden-now-open-in-ajax-at-durham-centre
- Craves Bites & Cafe (official website): https://cravesbites.com/
- Mato event listing, "Cravs Bite & Cafe Soft Opening" (Oct 9, 2026): https://ma.to/event/cravs-bite-cafe-soft-opening-09-oct-2026
- Metro Inc., "Food Basics Opens First Store in Whitby" (Oct 8, 2026): https://corpo.metro.ca/en/media/newsroom/2026/food-basics-whitby-20261008.html
- Town Brewery, "Town Brewery – Brock St.": https://townbrewery.ca/pages/town-brewery-brock-st
- CLOCA, "Community Wetland Opening" (Oct 3, 2026): https://www.cloca.com/event-details/community-wetland-opening
- Ducks Unlimited Canada, news release (Sept 15, 2026): https://www.ducks.ca/news/provincial/ontario/central-lake-ontario-conservation-authority-and-ducks-unlimited-canada-restore-over-10-hectares-of-coastal-wetlands-and-secure-future-funding/
- Town of Ajax, Events calendar (Ajax Creative Arts show): https://ajax.ca/events-calendar/
- Town of Ajax, "Santa's Spectacle of Lights": https://ajax.ca/event/santas-spectacle-of-lights-town-of-ajax-santa-claus-parade/
- City of Pickering, "Fall Fling": https://www.pickering.ca/parks-recreation-culture/festivals-and-events/fall-fling/
- Pickering Museum Village, "Programs & Events": https://www.pickeringmuseumvillage.ca/what-s-on/programs-events/
- Downtown Whitby BIA, "Downtown Whitby Events": https://whitbybia.org/bia-events/
