🦫 From concerts to beer tents: fall’s hitting in the Townships

Hey there, Townshippers

This week feels like fall really showing off: crisp air, golden leaves, and a calendar full of music, markets, and outdoor moments. Whether you're heading up the mountain for Oktoberfest or catching a show downtown, there’s something for every taste and pace. It’s the kind of weekend that makes you glad you live here, so grab your crew, your coziest sweater, and maybe an extra cider for the road.

Let’s get you set up. 👇

When you walk into Le Shortcut Barbershop on Queen Street in Lennoxville, the first thing you notice isn’t just the clean fades or the sound of clippers, it’s the vibe. Black walls, sharp neon glow, music, and a PS5 waiting by the couches give the shop a modern, street-culture energy that feels more like a hangout than an errand.

Behind it all is Mathieu Daoudi, a 19-year-old entrepreneur whose journey from bedroom haircuts to business owner started with a pair of scissors and a few YouTube videos. Daoudi (or @mr.dahood_cutz on Instagram) began cutting hair at fifteen after watching online tutorials and quickly discovered a passion for it.

That passion followed him when he moved to the Townships to study at Champlain College Lennoxville, and he decided to offer cheap, at-home cuts for classmates on his Instagram page. What began as a fun side-gig turned into something much bigger. Within a year, Daoudi was working as a full-fledged barber at Le Shortcut. “I felt like what I was learning at the shop was giving me a real sense of purpose, something I had never felt at school,” he says. The more he worked, the clearer his future became. Eventually, he made a decision few teenagers would dare—he dropped out of college to cut hair full-time.

In April 2025, an opportunity arose for him to take over the shop—and at just eighteen, he became a co-owner. Since then, Daoudi has worked to make Le Shortcut a growing business with loyal regulars and a steady crowd, expanding services from precision fades and beard care to hot towel and VIP treatments. The shop also recently added an esthetician offering women’s services like lashes, nails, and brows.

A year and a half in, Daoudi’s focus is as sharp as his fades. “If entrepreneurship taught me one thing,” he says, “it’s to go for it.”

We’re wishing continued passion and enthusiasm to the young entrepreneur, and success to Le Shortcut. The shop is open Monday through Saturday at 92 Queen Street, Lennoxville. You can book a cut or follow their latest looks by visiting Le Shortcut Linktree 👉 linktr.ee/leshortcutbarbershop

🍺 Oktoberfest at Bromont — Oct. 11–13 — Bromont, montagne d’expériences: Three days of alpine gemütlichkeit: tasting paddles from local microbreweries and cideries, Bavarian-ish bites, gondola views, and live sets from Quebec crowd-pleasers. Expect families by day and stein-clinking squads by evening. Bring ID, a designated driver plan, and something warm for sunset rides. If the forecast flips, music moves under cover and the party rolls on. Prost! Details 👉 bromontmontagne.com

🚐 La Virée gourmande des Comptonales — Oct. 11–12 (Harvest Market Oct. 13) — Multiple stops, Compton: The Townships’ tastiest road trip returns: hop shuttle buses between farms and orchards, meeting 50+ producers serving clever, hyper-local bites. One stop might be aged cheddar and apple butter; the next, charcuterie, cider, and crisp views over rolling fields. It’s family-friendly, super local, and deliciously unpretentious. Details 👉 comptonales.com

🎶 Jason Bajada — Oct. 10, 8 PM — Centre culturel de l’Université de Sherbrooke: Montreal singer-songwriter Jason Bajada brings luminous folk-pop (with a bluesy wink) to an intimate room—perfect for sweater-weather melodies and quietly devastating hooks. Expect poetic lyrics, warm arrangements, and the kind of pin-drop moments you brag about hearing live. Seats are assigned, so grab a pair and make it a date night before leaf-hunting all weekend. Details 👉 ovation.ca

🍁 La Flambée des couleurs — Oct. 10–13 — Mont-Orford, Orford: Chairlift rides to sweeping lake-and-peak views, live music in the base area, food trucks, and that perfect “thermos of cocoa” vibe—this is the Townships’ fall blockbuster. Families can split the day between gentle trails and playground inflatables while leaf-peepers chase the best overlooks. Pro tip: buy lift tickets online to lock your time slot; they do sell out on sunny days. Details 👉 montorford.com

🎻 Celtic Harmonies International Festival — Oct. 9–12 — Knowlton (Lac-Brome) + nearby: Nine days of reels, jigs, ballads, and toe-tapping sessions wrap up this week, with evening concerts and daytime workshops led by artists from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, the Maritimes, and Québec. Pick your vibe: intimate pub-style sessions, masterclasses for budding fiddlers, or big, goosebump-y finales where bodhrán meets bagpipe. Details 👉 easterntownships.com

🌳 Parc Victoria master plan adopted: Sherbrooke approved a new multi-year blueprint for Parc Victoria that lays out future upgrades like a central gathering space and better walking connections across the site. The plan is meant to guide phased investments and design work over the next few years. No immediate closures were announced, but residents can expect clearer wayfinding and more all-season uses as projects roll out. Source 👉 Réseau Information Municipale Sherbrooke

🧑‍🎓 Magog launches a Youth Participatory Budget: The City unveiled its “Stratégie jeunesse concertée” and opened a call for projects from Magog residents aged 12–21. There’s a total envelope of $20,000, with up to $10,000 per project, for ideas that support mobility, shared leadership, participation, and social life. Proposals must be doable in 2026 and submitted by December 1, 2025. Details and the submission portal are on the City’s site. Source 👉 Ville de Magog

🚶‍♂️Sherbrooke Marks “Pedestrian Month”: The City is running a weeklong campaign to promote safe walking habits this fall, focusing on visibility, crosswalk awareness, and road sharing as daylight hours shorten. Public reminders are being shared for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. Schools and high-foot-traffic neighbourhoods are receiving special attention to improve safety at intersections. If you’re walking or driving after sunset, slow down and make yourself visible.  Source 👉 City of Sherbrooke

🏒 Local Hockey Player Makes Pro Debut: Stoke native Jacob Dion has signed a professional tryout with the Laval Rocket and will start the season with the club. He comes off a strong U Sports stint at Moncton and earned his shot after Rocket camp. The Rocket begin on the road vs. the Manitoba Moose this Friday and Sunday in Winnipeg, with the home opener at Place Bell on Friday, Oct 17 against defending Calder Cup champs Abbotsford Canucks. Source 👉 Laval Rocket

📘 Sherbrooke nurse turns to comics to explain Parkinson’s care: At the CIUSSS de l’Estrie–CHUS, clinical nurse Caroline Cayer created a four-page comic that walks patients through advanced treatment options when pills stop working—deep brain stimulation and two pump therapies (intestinal gel and subcutaneous). The goal is to make tough choices clearer for patients and families before clinic visits. Source 👉 Journal la VIEtrine

Looking for style, convenience, and a little green view to go with your morning coffee? This bright 2-bedroom condo in Sherbrooke’s sought-after Jacques-Cartier district blends all three. Inside, an open living area connects a sleek granite-topped kitchen to a cozy lounge anchored by a gas fireplace. The large covered balcony overlooks a peaceful, tree-lined setting, extending your living space through three seasons.

You’ll find thoughtful extras throughout: a modern bathroom, spacious bedrooms, and both indoor and outdoor parking. With walking trails, services, and cafés just minutes away, it’s an easy-living setup in one of Sherbrooke’s best-located neighbourhoods.

👉 View the full listing here

The leaves are turning, the air’s crisp, and weekends are feeling extra good lately.
So tell us — what’s your perfect Townships Saturday look like?

Fill in the Blanks 👇

“My perfect Saturday in the Townships starts with ______, and ends with ______.”

We’ll feature a few of your answers next week!

That’s a wrap on another week in the Townships, and honestly, what a time to live here. Between the small businesses doing big things, the fall views hitting their stride, and the steady hum of community energy, it’s hard not to feel lucky.

If something in this issue made you pause, plan, or just smile a bit about where you are, that’s the goal. We’re all about the small stuff that makes this place special.

Until next week, take care and make the most of it. ✌️

- The Eastern Townships Now team 🦫