Festivals in
Barrie and Orillia, Ontario
 

October | November | December |
2012: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September |

Celebrate the Fall Season with the Thanksgiving Harvest Festival and the return of the popular Arts & Crafts Show and Sale. Harvest activities and displays, the history of corn, Native foods, and more! The quality Arts & Crafts Show features outstanding artisans offering a diverse range of craft and food items. Admission to the show is included in the price of regular admission to the historic site. For more informaton please call (705) 526-7838 or visit www.saintmarieamongthehurons.on.ca.

A weekend of fabulous live jazz at Orillia & area restaurants & hotels, free shuttle bus service Friday & Saturday evenings, 329-0001 or 325-2366

Feel the adventure as climbers scale rock faces, kayakers plunge into whitewater rivers, skiers fly off cliffs & trekkers disappear into remote places in these inspiring mountain culture & extreme sports films! Presented by National Geographic, The North Face & Parks Canada in conjunction with Sojourns, 7:00 pm.

Visit: www.banffmountainfestivals.ca/tour

February 2 - 5
February Blues Festival
Location: Various Venues, Barrie
(705) 739-9444; www.barriejazzbluesfest.com

Shake off cabin fever at the annual February Blues Festival featuring Blues and Jazz music performed by some of Canada's most brilliant artists.

Show Time: Various Times (Please visit website for a full schedule)
Admission: Free

Cool family fun for all ages! Shivers ice castle, snow sculptures, helicopter rides, horse & sleigh rides, petting zoo, Leacock kids tent, youth & adult dances, Sunday polar bear dip & more!

One of Canada's largest registered fishing derbies! Great cash & product prizes, adult & children's categories, Special OPP Kids Day April 30th! Just fish to win!!

It's a Victoria Day Weekend Festivity and it is the Downtown Barrie and waterfront community event not to be missed! Our 5th year's line-up is guaranteed to include Live Bands from a variety of genres, including Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Soul, Latin, Flamenco, Big Band, Rockabilly and some good old fashioned Rock n' Roll. For the youngsters and the young at heart, Enbridge will sponsor our Family Stage. For your added entertainment, we also offer FREE Outdoor Entertainment, Street Buskers, a Midway with Rides, Face-Painting, a Host of Street Vendors, Fresh Food, Treats, Contests and a Fireworks Display at Dusk (on Sunday). The Barrie Waterfront Festival - it's a super way to enjoy a Canadian holiday, a terrific Barrie tradition, and a great way to have fun with the whole family!

Website: http://barriewaterfront.ca

Exciting live blues at various restaurants, pubs & outdoor main stage! Downtown Orillia & Couchiching Beach Park, 325-4283 (Main stage at park Saturday & Sunday)

'A' Television Presents The KOOL FM Barrie Jazz And Blues Festival for Twelve Days in June. An eclectic mix of Jazz and Blues music is performed by some of the best Canadian Artists in over 30 nightclubs, bistros, cafes, bars, libraries and public facilities throughout the City of Barrie and Region. Almost all concerts and shows are free and open to the public. There is plenty of parking for many of the activities, and Barrie can be reached via GO Buses and Trains, and Highways 400 and 11. For more information visit www.barriejazzbluesfest.com.

"The message of a cleaner, healthier and longer lasting Earth is best carried through the diversity of music, art, and cultural expression. Clean air, clean water, conservation, healthy lifestyle. Learn, share, celebrate".

June TBA
Aboriginal Festival

Join Sainte-Marie's staff and share a tribute to Canada's First Nations with special on-site activities, Aboriginal music, and displays.

Contact: (705) 526-7838
Link: www.saintemarieamongthehurons.on.ca

The annual Barrie New Music Fest is a four day live music festival scheduled for July 14 - 17, in support of development of independent musicians in our region. The NMF 2011 will feature over 110 independent live touring artists/bands performing a series of concerts/showcases with 12-15 live music venues.

North America's longest running folk festival features an incredible weekend of music! Emporium, artisan's village, folkplay area for kids, food, beer tent & more. Tudhope Park, on the shores of Lake Couchiching, 705-329-2333.

Join the celebrations! Ceilidh at Orillia Legion Friday & Sunday. Parade Downtown at Noon, pipe & drum competitions, entertainment & vendors at Couchiching Beach Park Saturday. Buy a button & support the Festival! 325-8442

Ontario's largest summer literary event! Over 25 award-winning authors & emerging writers featuring fiction, poetry & non-fiction. Readings, dinners & special events!

Barrie Council 1626 Knights of Columbus and Barrie Hill Farms are co-hosting their 9th Blueberry Pancake Festival to raise funds for the new Simcoe-Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre, as part of the opening of the blueberry picking season at Barrie Hill Farms. Meal includes pancakes, sausages, coffee or juice. Cost $7.50 per adult, $5.00 per child under 10.

For more information call 728-1641.
Website: http:// www.barriehillfarms.com

The Annual Ribfest and Craft Beer Show is set for another tasty weekend. A great line up of Rib Teams and Craft Brewers will surely temp your taste buds.

Midway, vendors, games of chance, great fun for the whole family!

One of North America's largest outdoor arts and crafts festivals including an antique show, food, and entertainment. For more information visit www.kempenfest.com or call (705)739-4216.

Great fun for all ages! Boat show, cottage & outdoor products, variety of vendors, water ski shows, musical entertainment, beer garden & more! Hilarious Cardboard Boat Race Sunday at Noon! Port of Orillia & Couchiching Beach Park, 326-4424 or 1-888-326-4424 (Fri: Noon - 9:00 pm / Sat: 9:00 am - 9:00 pm / Sun: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm)

The activities will extend throughout downtown Barrie on the second day, when the costume parade will wind its way through downtown streets, along Lakeshore Drive to Centennial Park, the location of the main stage. There will also be smaller events at various downtown locations, leading up to the festival, including a Caribbean Dinner and Dance Cruise on the Serendipity Princess.

Downtown Barrie will come alive with this colorful display of costumes and parades as the masqueraders dance to pulsating Caribbean rhythms along the parade route. The magnificently colorful costumes coupled with the sounds of Caribbean music will present a spectacle that is sure to amaze.

Although the costume parade will be a major part of the attraction for the event, equally impressive is the line up of reggae, calypso, steel pan and soca musicians who will be performing on the main stage.

Website: www.caribfest.ca
Email: info@caribfest.ca
Tel: 705-792-6952 or 705-790-4878

Enjoy dragon boat racing, cultural and commercial exhibits, participate in children's activities and much more.

Cars & parts as far as the eye can see! Collectibles, classics, hard to find parts, Sunday car auction, live entertainment, Burl's Creek Family Park, Oro-Medonte 8th Line, 487-3663

Events for all ages, including large midway, kid's corner, demolition derby, tractor pulls, horse pulls, livestock shows & more! ODAS Park, Fairgrounds Road, 325-0353

A jam-packed festival celebrating the world's greatest band! Beatle tribute artists & bands Downtown & in venues throughout Orillia, celebrity interviews, Beatles museum, Beatles marketplace, Downtown Orillia, 1-866-329-5959

Midway, demo derby, truck & tractor pulls, horse & pony shows, antique power show & tool display, school fair, amateur talent show & more! Oro-Medonte Fairgrounds, 7th Line & 15/16 Sideroad, Hawkestone, 487-1753

Organization: Kempenfelt Rotary and Hospice Simcoe
Contact: Krista LaRiviere
Email: barriebeaverfestival@gmail.com
Website: www.barriebeaverfestival.com

The Annual Great Canadian Beaver Race & Festival is a celebration of being Canadian with an emphasis on the iconic beaver. Check out our website for more information - www.barriebeaverfestival.com.

The City of Barrie and The Township of Springwater have partnered to present the NINE MILE PORTAGE HERITAGE FESTIVAL. The Nine Mile Portage, once an ancient native trail and a transportation route for soldiers during the War of 1812, grew into the community known as Barrie. Fort Willow has been developed at its terminus in Springwater - a spot where natives and soldiers once set-up camp to rest along the long journey from Kempenfelt Bay to the Nottawasaga River and Georgian Bay. This event celebrates the significance of the historic route in the development of our two communities and to the history of Canada. Festivities include a hike along the trail, as well as the opportunity to see period re-enactors at Heritage Park and Fort Willow. An amazing spectacle that will take you back in time!

Parade on Friday, midway, demo derby, pony pull, stock tractor/ATV pulls, working antique machinery, continuous entertainment, & more! Coldwater Fairgrounds & Arena, 835-3740 or 686-3322

This annual festival is a celebration of being Canadian with an emphasis on the iconic beaver. Come out and take part in this family event which will consist of a Beaver Race & Beaver Lane  along with entertainment all weekend long.

Beaver Lane will take place from 10am - 4pm. You will witness a display of exhibitors, artisans and vendors that are all representative of the beaver, being Canadian and both. This event will also feature Canadian Mounties, road hockey with NHLers, a Beaver Tail vendor and more.

Bring the whole family to this Canadian celebration and watch the Beaver Race too! It's Free for the whole family.

A parade of colourful dragon boats & friendly, competitive atmosphere create a fun & exciting racing event! Cultural exhibits & children's activities, proceeds to The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area, Couchiching Beach Park, 325-4903 or 259-1163 (Registration: 7:30 am / Opening Ceremonies: 9:00 am)