5 Canada Day celebrations to check out in Ontario

The Canada Day long weekend is upon us! Time to celebrate with sun, beer, family, and fireworks (not necessarily all together). And you can be sure you won’t be celebrating alone. To figure out where you should be this weekend, we’ve compiled a list of five spectacular Canada Day festivals worth checking out in Ontario’s cottage country.

Minden Hills – July 1

Located in Haliburton County, kick off Canada Day in Minden Hills by bringing your kids to the children’s fishing derby. Starting at 8 a.m., anyone 15 years or younger may participate. But if you’re looking for something a little more fast paced, head to the Gull River and enter a homemade raft in the Crazy River Raft Race. There will also be interactive animal demonstrations, live music, and, of course, fireworks.

Honey Harbour – June 30

Indulge your inner bibliophile at Honey Harbour’s Canada Day festival in Muskoka. Running from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the community’s local library puts on a giant book sale. Starting at 10 a.m., the rest of the festival kicks off, featuring tons of vendors, and the foot-tapping music of Dylan Locke, performing from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

If that doesn’t satisfy your patriotic party needs, head to nearby Baysville or Walkers Point Marina for more festival fun—as well as firework displays.

Manitoulin Island – June 30 and July 1

Spend Canada Day searching through Canadian knick-knacks at South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island. Starting at 8 a.m. on June 30, the community of South Baymouth hosts a giant yard sale. There will also be a bake sale, silent auction, and parade. Show up on July 1 around 10 p.m. to watch the fireworks.

Or spend your Sunday in nearby Tehkummah participating in the community’s annual lumberjack games. Try your hand at log sawing, axe throwing, nail driving, and more. The event is free and open to all ages.

Orillia – June 30 and July 1

Beer garden—need we say more? But if you’re looking to get into the patriotic spirit without the help of “spirits”, head to Orillia’s Cannon Stage around 3 p.m. on July 1 for a performance of Orillia’s Got Talent. Who knows, maybe Burt Cummings will even make an appearance after he wraps up a concert at nearby Casino Rama on June 30.

Parry Sound – July 1

You might want to grab a seat for this next festival because starting at 1 p.m. at Parry Sound’s Charles W. Stockey Centre and carrying on into the evening is a non-stop line up of live musical performances. There will also be food trucks and a comprehensive Kids’ Zone, including inflatables, face-painting, balloon artists, and games. And don’t worry, there’s a firework display here, too.