Festival Guide

You can also check out our music listings here

Anything missing or wrong? Please email blueshamilton@gmail.com

2025

January

• November 16-January 5:Winter Festival of Lights (some live music) @ Niagara Falls (Until Jan 5)
• November 23-January 5, Let it Glow - A Celebration of Light (with some Live Music) @ St. Catharines & Port Dalhousie
• December 5-January 5: Winter Wonders (Live Music Tent) (Burlington)
• January 10: Artcrawl @ James Street North (Hamilton)
• January 10-26: Niagara Icewine Festival
• January 31-February 2: Hillside Inside (Guelph)

February

• February 1-17: Hamilton Winterfest
• January 31-February 2: Hillside Inside (Guelph)
• February 13-18: Frost Bites (Hamilton)
• February 7-8: I Heart Beer & Taco Festival @ Convention Centre (Hamilton)
• February 14: Artcrawl @ James Street North (Hamilton)
• February 17-March 10: Taste of Oakville (some live music)
• February 25: Soupfest @ Convention Centre (Hamilton)

March

• February 17-March 10: Taste of Oakville (some live music)
• March 7-8: Food & Drink Fest  (Hamilton)
• Artcrawl (Hamilton)
• Winter Beer Festival @ Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Centre (Burlington)
• I Heart Beer & Taco Festival @ Bingemans Convention Centre (Kitchener) $?
• Irish Life Festival (Kitchener)
• I Heart Beer & Taco Festival @ Niagara Convention Centre (Niagara Falls)

April

• Eat and Drink Norfolk @ Norfolk County Fairgrounds (Simcoe)
• KW Wine & Food Show @ Kitchener Memorial Auditorium $?
• SCHTICKY FEST - Rural Roots Music Festival @ Rural Roots Brewing Company (Elmira) $5
• Artcrawl @ James St. North (Hamilton)
• Hamilton Music Festival
• GritLIT: Readers & Writers Festival (Hamilton)
• Elvis Festival @ Greg Frewin Theatre (Niagara Falls)
• Gainfest (Guelph)
• I Heart Beer & Taco Festival @ Sleeman Centre (Guelph)
• Doors Open Guelph

May

• ArtsEverywhere Festival (Guelph)
• Artcrawl @ James Street N (Hamilton)
• Why Not Wine, Wine Tasting Festival (Hamilton)
• Pelham Art Festival (Some Live Music)
• Sew Hungry @ Ottawa St (Hamilton)
• Binbrook Ribfest @ Binbrook Fairgrounds $2/Kids Free
• Concession Street Sidewalk Sounds (Hamilton)
• Niagara Children's Festival
• Hohner Avenue Porch Party (Kitchener)
• No Man's Land Alternative Music Fest @ Downtown St. Catharines $?
• Palette x Palate (some live music) @ Downtown Kitchener
• Open Streets Hamilton
• Open Ears Festival (Kitchener/Waterloo)
• Niagara Regional Exhibition (Welland)
• Handmade Market (some Live Music) @ 13th Street Winery (St. Catharines) $8.50
• Meadows Music Festival @ Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex (Fergus) $?

June

• Greek Food Festival (Kitchener)
• The Little Kitchener-Waterloo Flamenco Fest $?
• Open Ears Festival (Kitchener)
• Niagara Regional Exhibition (Welland)
• Handmade Market (some Live Music) @ 13th Street Winery (St. Catharines) 
• Crown Point Community Music Crawl (Hamilton)
• Battle of Stoney Creek Re-Enactment (Some Live Music) @ Battlefield House Museum & Park National Historic Site (Stoney Creek)
• Downtown Milton Summer Fest 
• Spring Festival @ First Unitarian Church (Hamilton)
• Policaro Group presents 6th Annual Downtown Guelph Exotic Car Show (Big Brothers Big Sisters Fundraiser) @ Prince Adventures
• Hamilton Arts Week
• Mudcat Festival (Dunnville)
• Handmade Market (some Live Music) (Niagara Falls)
• Multicultural Festival @ Riverside Park (Guelph)
• Norfolk Night Market (Some Live Music)- Summer Edition @ Norfolk County Fairgrounds $5
• Concession Streetfest (Hamilton)
• Georgetown Highland Games @ Georgetown Fair Grounds
• Rock N Rescue Benefit Concert ft Country Legends Show, Rick Taylor Band, Marty Allen, Maeve & the Mystics, Spencer Mackenzie, the Cynics, more @ Crystal Ridge Community Centre (Crystal Beach) $10 adv/$15 door
• ONTARIO CRAFT GIN FESTIVAL (some live music) @ Elora Centre for the Arts $19 adv/$22 door
• Grand Porch Party (Waterloo)
• Sound of Music Festival @ Spencer Smith Park & Downtown Burlington 
• In the Soil Arts Festival (St. Catharines) 
• Artcrawl (Hamilton)
• Taste of Philippines Food and MUSIC Festival @ Gage Park (Hamilton)
• Niagara Falls Ribfest @ Rapidsview Park
• Cambridge Celebration of the Arts @ City Hall
• Grand River Black Music Festival @ Kitchener Library
• Norfolk County Fairgrounds Festival $?
• Ancaster Heritage Days
• Victorian Strawberry Social (with some live music) @ Cottonwood Mansion (Selkirk)
• Sundays Unlocked @ Locke Street (Hamilton)
• Oakville Film Festival 
• Something Else! Festival of Creative Music (Hamilton) 
• FrancoFEST @ Gage Park (Hamilton) 
• Concession Street Sidewalk Sounds (Hamilton)
• Artsfest @ Westdale (Hamilton)
• Oakville Family Ribfest @ Sheridan College, Trafalgar Road 
• Boots 'n Benchlands @ Niagara Region
• The Grimsby Cheesecake X Food Truck Fest (with some live music) @ West Niagara Fairgrounds (Grassie) $5
• Strawberry Fair @ Milton Fairgrounds
• Art on the Street (Guelph)
• Holi Festival of Colour @ St. Paul Street (St. Catharines) FREE
• KW Multicultural Festival (Kitchener) 
• Open Streets Hamilton
• Boris Brott Music Festival 
• Niagara Jazz Festival
• Flamborough Paint Challenge with Live Music @ Joe Sam's Park (Waterdown)
• Oh Canada Ribfest @ Memorial Park (Waterdown) 
• The Stoney Creek Rib and Beer Festival @ Eastgate Square (Hamilton) $2 /Kids under 5 FREE
• It's Your Festival @ Gage Park (Hamilton) 
• Knighton Real Estate Presents Party in the Park @ Lake Point Park (Stoney Creek)
• Lakeside Long Weekend @ Lakeside Park (St. Catharines)
• Rock N Blues on the Battlefield @ Sullivan Park (Thorold)
• Grimsby Cheesecake Fest @ West Niagara Fairgrounds $5

July 

• Oh Canada Ribfest @ Memorial Park (Waterdown) 
• It's Your Festival @ Gage Park (Hamilton) 
• Rock N Blues on the Battlefield @ Sullivan Park (Thorold)
• Burlington Canada Day Celebrations @ Spencer Smith Park
• Oakville Canada Day Celebrations @ Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park
• Brantford Canada Day Celebrations @ Lion's Park
• Cambridge Canada Day Celebration @ Riverside Park
• Kitchener Canada Day Celebrations
• Brantford International Villages Festival
• Grimsby Ribfest @ West Niagara Agricultural Centre $5
• Georgetown Ribfest @ Trafalgar Sports Park $2
• Artcrawl @ James Street North (Hamilton)
• Because Beer Festival @ Pier 4 Park (Hamilton) $?
• Hamilton Food Truck Festival (with live music) @ Gage Park FREE
• Cruising on King @ King St bw Water & Frederick Sts (Kitchener)
• Kultrún World Music Festival @ Waterloo Park (St. Jacobs)
• Hamilton AfroJazz FEST @ Bayfront Park (Hamilton) FREE
• Welland Floatfest
• Pelham Summerfest @ Downtown Fonthill
• Hamilton Mountain Ribfest @ Limeridge Mall $2
• Dances at the Bay @ Bayfront Park (Hamilton)
• Concession Street Sidewalk Sounds (Hamilton)
• Burlington Food Truck Festival @ Downtown Waterfront
• CrewFest Music Festival @ Lion's Park (Brantford) $?
• Hillside Festival @ Guelph Lake Island (Guelph)
• Cambridge Scottish Festival@ Churchill Park
• Kitchener Ribfest & Craft Beer Show @ Victoria Park
• Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival
• Norfolk Pro Rodeo @ Timmermans Ranch (Simcoe) $?
• Sundays Unlocked @ Locke Street (Hamilton)
• The Little Kitchener-Waterloo Flamenco Fest $?
• Boris Brott Music Festival 
• Hamilton Fringe Festival
• Lions Carnival @ Lion's Park (St. David's)
• Mackenzie Creek Music Festival @ 72 King St. N (Oakland) $?
• Oakville Latino Festival @ Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park
• Milton Rib & Beer Fest @ Community Sports Park $2
• CHUB Fest @ Warehouse (St. Catharines) $?
• The Egyptian Festival @ St. George and St. Mercurius Coptic Orthodox Church (St. Catharines)
• Grand River Pow Wow @ Ohsweken Speedway
• Wayback Festival @ City Hall, Carl Zehr Square (Kitchener)
• Davids & DeLaat Downtown Block Party @ Downtown St. Catharines
• Party in the Park @ Rockmosa Community Centre (Rockwood)
• Festival of Friends @ Gage Park (Hamilton)
• St. Catharines Ribfest @ Montebello Park
• Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival (Port Colbourne) 
• Simcoe Friendship Festival @ Wellington Park
• Halton Black History Awareness Freedom Celebration Festival @ Spender Smith Park (Burlington)
• Pirate Festival (Guelph)
• Dunnville Fair
• Art in Park @ Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park (Oakville)
• The Past is Present Heritage Festival (some live music) @ NOTL Museum (Niagara-on-the-Lake)
• Hamilton Ribfest @ Gage Park

August

• The Little Kitchener-Waterloo Flamenco Fest $?
• Guelph Fringe Festival
• Fergus Scottish Festival
• Kitchener Blues Festival
• Artcrawl (Hamilton, Upper James)
• ArtsWest @ Westdale Village (Hamilton)
• Downtown St. Catharines Busker Festival
• Brantford Ribfest @ Brantford Civic Centre
•  South Coast Jazz (Brantford/Port Dover)
• Cambridge Ribfest & Craft Beer Show @ Riverside Park 
• 4EVRFEST @ Bridgeworks  (Hamilton)
• Doors Open Burlington
• Jazz on the Plaza @ Burlington Performing Arts Centre
• Niagara Sunflower Festival for Ukrainian Relief @ London Born Wine Co (Lincoln) $20
• African Caribbean Food & Music Festival (Welland)
• Cops N' Rodders Car Show (with some live music) @ Bayfront Park (Hamilton)
• Hamilton Greek Fest @ Panagia Greek Church
• Hamilton Latino Festival @ Gage Park
• Concession Street Sidewalk Sounds (Hamilton)
• Dundas Cactus Festival
• Paris Drinks Fest @ Two Rivers Stadium $?
• Jarvis Fest @ Lion's Park
• Norwich TNT Pull @ 365701 Evergreen St $?
• Port Dover Summer Festival
• Boots in the Creek Country Music Festival @ Downtown Stoney Creek
• Riverfest @ Bissell Park (Elora) $?
• African Women Acting Festival @ Riverbrink Art Museum (Queenston) $25 online/$35 door
• Kidstock @ Pier 8 (Hamilton)
• Hamilton Pyrofest @ Ancaster Fairgrounds $?
• Strummerfest (In memory of Joe Strummer) @ Waterloo Public Square (Waterloo)
• HipFest @ Harmony Square (Brantford)
• Sundays Unlocked @ Locke Street (Hamilton)
• Boris Brott Music Festival 
• Mega Worlds Fan Festival @ Port Dalhousie
• Living Rock presents Arts of August (some live music) @ Gasworks (Hamilton) FREE
• Waterloo Busker Carnival
• Winona Peach Festival @ Winona Park
• The Rock'n Roll'n Classics Car Show @ Dowtown Georgetown
• Niagara Irish Festival @ Firemen's Park (Niagara Falls)
• Jalopy Jam Up @ Rockton Fairgrounds $?
• Guelph Ribfest @ Riverside Park 
• Three Fires Homecoming Pow Wow and Traditional Gathering @ 2789 Mississauga Road (Hagersville)
• AFROJAZZ FEST @ Milton Community Sports Park 
• Worship in the Wild with some live music @ Safari Niagara (Stevensville) FREE with park admission
• Escapecoast Music Festival @ Milton Fairgrounds
• Canada's Largest Ribfest @ Spencer Smith Park (Burlington) $2
• Niagara Greek Festival @ St. Katharine Greek Orthodox Church (St. Catharines)

September

• Canada's Largest Ribfest @ Spencer Smith Park (Burlington) $2
• Niagara Greek Festival @ St. Katharine Greek Orthodox Church (St. Catharines)
• Stupercrawl @Landsdale Fairground (Hamilton)
• Labour Day Parade and Picnic @ Bayfront Park (Hamilton)
• Cambridge Fall Fair @ Dickson Park $?
• Arthur Fall Fair
• Georgetown Fall Fair $?
•  Kerrfest @ Westwood Park (Oakville) FREE
• The West Niagara Fair (Grassie, ON)
• Welly Cask Fest @ Wellington Brewery (Guelph) $?
• Concession Street Cornfest (Hamilton)
• Afro-CariBrant Festival @ Lions Park (Paris)
• Chord Spinner Presents Barbershop Fest @ Gale Presbyterian Church (Elmira) FREE
• Birdtown Jamboree @ Homegrown Hideaway (Port Dover) $?
• Wellesley Township Fall Fair
• Binbrook Fall Fair $?
• Supercrawl @ James Street (Hamilton) 
• Claridge Street Party with music by the Killin' Time Band @ Claridge Rd (Burlington Beach)
• Guelph Jazz Festival $?
• Fergus Fall Fair $?
• Belmont Village Bestival (Kitchener)
• Head for the Hills Craft Beer Festival (Georgetown) $?
• Niagara Falls Night of Art @ 5943 Sylvia Pl (Niagara Falls) FREE
• Ancaster Fair
• Fest2Fall @ Gaslight District Square (Cambridge) $?
• Concession Street Sidewalk Sounds (Hamilton)
• Paris Night Market (Fall Edition) $?
• Grand River Arts Festival @ Glenhyrst Art Gallery (Brantford) $?
• Hope in the Street (Guelph)
• Enchanta Forest @ CW Sportsplex Campgrounds (Fergus)
• Telling Tales Festival @ Royal Botanical Gardens (Burlington)
• Oakville Fall Celtic Festival @ Toronto Rock Athletic Centre (Halton County)
• The Bronte Block Party @ Bronte Rd bw Marine Dr & Ontario St (Oakville)
• St. George Apple Fest
• Harvest Pioneer Day (Lincoln)
• Biketoberfest @ Welland County Motorcycle Club
• Schneider Creek Porch Party (Kitchener)
• Sundays Unlocked @ Locke Street (Hamilton)
• Appleby Street Festival (Burlington)
• art+music+food Festival @ Art Gallery of Hamilton
• Culture Days (Across Canada): Burlington / Oakville / Milton / St. Catharines / Centre Wellington
• Niagara Grape & Wine Festival
• Caledonia Fair @ Caledonia Fairgrounds $?
• Milton Fall Fair @ Milton Fairgrounds $?
• Oktoberfest (Kitchener)
• Ottawa Street Sidewalk Sale/Craft Crawl (Hamilton)
• Apple Fest @ Stoney Creek Legion
• Fall Harvest Festival @ Bronte Creek Provincial Park (Oakville)
• The Crossing Community Heritage Day @ Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen (Lions Valley Park) (Oakville)
• Taste Real Fall Rural Romp (Wellington Region)
• Beerstock (Port Dover) $38.42

October

• Roseneath Fair (Norfolk)
• Flamborogh Chili Fest @ West Avenue Cider House
• Cicada Music Festival @ Henley Island (St. Catharines)
• Nurturing our Roots Pow Wow @ Meridian Centre (St. Catharines)
• Welland Foodfest @ Merritt Island
• Oktoberfest Block Party @ Oktoberfest Platz (Kitchener) $20
• OctDoverFest @ Lions Community Centre (Port Dover)
• art+music+food Festival @ Art Gallery of Hamilton
• Culture Days (Across Canada): Burlington / Oakville / Milton / St. Catharines / Centre Wellington
• Norfolk Country Fair
• Rockton World's Fair
• Artcrawl (Hamilton)
• Balls Fall's Thanksgiving Festival
• Erin Fall Fair
• Oktoberfest (Kitchener)
• Waterford Pumpkinfest
• Grimsby Chili & Cheese Fest @West Niagara Fairgrounds $5
• Arts Dundas Weekend

November

• Hamilton Day
• Artcrawl @ James Street North (Hamilton)
• Winter Festival of Lights (some live music) @ Niagara Falls (Until Jan 5)
• Free NOTL Jazz Crawl @ Niagara on the Lake
• Let it Glow - A Celebration of Light (with some Live Music) @ St. Catharines & Port Dalhousie
• Westdale Winter Wander (Hamilton)
• Handmade Market (some Live Music) (Niagara Falls)

December

• Handmade Market (some Live Music) (Niagara Falls)
• Winter Festival of Lights (some live music) @ Niagara Falls (Until Jan 5)
• Let it Glow - A Celebration of Light (with some Live Music) @ St. Catharines & Port Dalhousie
• Winter Wonders (Live Music Tent) @ Royal Botanical Gardens (Burlington)
• Boris Brott Music Festival
• Winter Solstice Festival @ Corktown Park (Hamilton)