Category: Collingwood Events

The Moonlight Market

by Collingwood InfoCollingwood business / Collingwood Events / Collingwood things to do

With all of the hype over the solar eclipse this week, many in Collingwood may have forgotten about an important event – the Moonlight Market. This once-a-year event happens in downtown Collingwood and is just as magical as the solar eclipse. This year Moonlight Market will celebrate its fifth year.

Our very successful Saturday morning farmer’s market holds a special event every September called Moonlight Market. In addition to the morning market from 8:30am until 1pm, the vendors will be open and ready for business on Saturday, September 2nd from 6pm to 10pm in their usual location, which is located in the municipal parking lot at the corner of Second and Pine Streets.

Have dinner at one of Collingwood’s great restaurants or buy dinner at the market, then shop the other vendors for all the best in produce, meat, baked goods, artisanal foods, crafts and artwork. The market employs the 100-mile market mantra and all of the produce is grown within 100 miles of Collingwood.

The market isn’t just about shopping either! There will be a number of entertainers for adults and kids. Jimmy and the Extractions, a local Collingwood band favourite will be there to play rock, alternative, and folk music. The Stilt Guys (who you may have seen at the Collingwood Elvis Festival) will be there as well, in glow-in-the-dark attire, to keep both adults and kids entertained.  

U-Pick Parties will have some balloon twisting and face painting for the kids (and the adults if you dare). There will be free (healthy!) treats from The Healthy Kids Community Challenge, an initiative that helps kids move, drink water and up their fruit and veggie intake with a number of great activities. If that isn’t enough, kids can play at the Imagination Playground, a block-based creative play system that kids love. The Mobile Active Play Trailer will also be there, offering free recreational activities for kids of all ages.

The regular market closes down after Thanksgiving weekend, so there isn’t much more time to enjoy this seasonal delight. Get out next weekend and check out the Moonlight Market, and revel in this time of harvest before the snow puts a damper on it!

 

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Keys to Collingwood

by Collingwood InfoCollingwood Events

As if Collingwood doesn’t have enough great events, The Keys to Collingwood Festival will again return to the delight of residents and visitors of the area. This one-of-a-kind event features 90 hours of performances on ten street pianos throughout Collingwood over the Civic Holiday long weekend. After the performances are complete, the pianos will remain on the streets for visitor use and enjoyment. What a treat for anyone in the area!

In celebration of Canada’s 150th, each piano will display iconic images from all of our provinces and territories. The music will pay tribute to all genres including gospel, rock, classical, blues and jazz.

Along with the performances all weekend, there will be a special evening farmer’s market on August 5th. In addition to their regular morning market every Saturday, the Market by Night will happen from 6pm until 10pm in its usual location (Pine and Second streets). Along with the regular vendors, there will be performances by The Suitors and The Mike McCarthy Band, plus balloon twisting, face painting, crafts and a magic show.

The locations of the pianos are:

·         Sol Kitchen

·         Espresso Post

·         Opposite Sheffer Court

·         Federal Building

·         Town Hall – this will feature the Monster Ground Foot Piano

·         Smarts Flowers

·         Scotiabank

·         The Tremont Cafe

The list of performers is large and you don’t want to miss out on the talent that will be playing Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

·         Xiaoyu Hu has been playing piano since she was seven years old and plays genres from classical to ragtime.

·         Billy Macpherson has been playing for 45 years and plays as BillyMac/One man Band. His music features influences from pop, rock, blues, and country.

·         Collingwood’s own Aaron Bell is the Arts Department Chair at Collingwood Collegiate Institute. He teaches the Instrumental Program there, which is Simcoe County’s largest award-winning band program.

·         Henry Cobb is a music student at Western University and has a passion for jazz and big band styles.

·         Christopher Tufaro is an award-winning performance artist and has performed at a number of large events, including the TD Jazz Festival.

·         Another Collingwood local, Nathan Stadig is also award-winning and is currently studying music at Wilfrid Laurier University. He has been playing since he was five years old and has travelled extensively performing and teaching music.

·         One not-to-miss performer is Joe Passion, a Jerry Lee Lewis tribute artist who has won various awards over his 35 years of performing.

·         Maureen Smith can play over 2000 songs in a number of genres.

·         Catherine Brown, Collingwood native and co-founder of the Collingwood Street Piano Project has been playing piano since early childhood.

·         Michael Danckert has been playing for over 25 years, featuring rock, folk, blues and jazz and he is also a vocalist.

·         Bruce Tournay has performed at a number of prestigious spots and has written the scores for two original musicals.

·         Robert Gasidlo has performed extensively through the Georgian Bay area, as well as internationally.

·         Keiko Yoden-Kuepfer immigrated to Collingwood from its sister city – Katano-ciy, Osaka, Japan – and it has been her home for over 10 years. She’s performed with many orchestras around the area and has won numerous awards.

·         Susan Connolly currently lives in Collingwood and plays music with the Georgian Bay Symphony Orchestra.

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Collingwood Elvis Festival

by Collingwood InfoCollingwood Events / Collingwood things to do

Officially Collingwood’s biggest event, the Collingwood Elvis Festival is known around the world. Happening this weekend (July 28th to 30th), visitors and residents are in for an epically-good time!

Among the many performers who will be taking the stage this weekend, there are a number of other great events happening. With a huge street party that goes into the wee hours, there are many vendors, a beer garden, storyteller chat, gospel, dining with tribute artists, street dancing, and you can even channel your inner Elvis.

The list of tribute artists and impersonators is huge and the competition to be crowned the best Elvis is fierce. You don’t want to miss the grand champion showcase, where the top 26 competitors will compete. The Grand Finals happen on Sunday. Both events happen at the Eddie Bush Memorial Arena on the Showcase Stage and require tickets that start at $20. There are a number of other shows happening at the arena, which also require tickets. Other venues that require tickets include the Royal Canadian Legion at 490 Ontario Street, the Leisure Time Centre at 100 Minnesota Street, and the Historic Gayety Theatre at 161 Hurontario Street.

The beer garden is located at 32 Simcoe Street and is for ages 19+. There will be many Elvis Tribute performances during the day, where you can sit and watch while having a cold and refreshing beverage. The special free performances happening throughout the weekend will be at the Centre Stage on Hurontario Street, with free entry for people of all ages and at the Blue Mountain Village Stage, at the mountain. You also don’t want to miss a free performance at midnight called Elvis at Midnight, happening at the McDonald’s Restaurant on First Street on Saturday.

If you want to dine with a tribute artist, there are specific dates and times when the artist will be at one of Collingwood’s many local restaurants. Make your reservation or head in early to get a seat.

The Collingwood Elvis Festival began in 1995, held at the Georgian Manor Resort (then the Vacation Inn) and was known as the Canadian Elvis Tribute and Convention. As time went on, the festival grew larger and larger and in 2014, it celebrated its milestone 20th anniversary and Priscilla Presley was actually in attendance. The festival has seen many a VIP attending, many of which were friends of Elvis, including Joe Esposito, J.D. Summer, Christopher Ameruoso and so many more.

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Healthy Parks, Healthy People

by Collingwood InfoCollingwood Events / Collingwood things to do

Tomorrow, July 21st, Ontario Parks is giving free day use to all of their Provincial Park sites. You can head to any location where you can visit the park for free and take part in fun events. All of this is for their part in the Healthy Parks, Healthy People initiative, which urges people to get outside to improve their health. Healthy Parks, Healthy People is a worldwide movement educating people about the link between better health and a better environment. This free one-day event is just one way that Ontario Parks is urging people to get outside and enjoy everything that Ontario has to offer.

Wasaga Beach is a provincial park and they are no exception to the day’s events. Head to the Nancy Island Historic Site for a free day of exploring. The site is open from 10am until 5pm. From 11am until 2pm, you can take sailor’s tours, which will teach visitors about how Nancy and her crew helped shape Canadian borders. Visit the theatre and museum and then take a trip to the lighthouse to cap off the day.

Along with visiting Nancy Island, you can partake in another healthful event, occurring at Beach 5. Join the Healthy Parks, Healthy People initiative as they launch their Butt Free Beach initiative. We all know how disgusting smoking itself is, but pair that with cigarette butts in the sand and water at your favourite beach and even those who don’t smoke have a price to pay at our beaches. Cigarette butts are the most littered item on our Canadian beaches, they don’t biodegrade and often can’t be picked up by standard beach cleaning equipment due to their small size.

Wasaga Beach is staging a clean-up of all the butts at Beach 5 on July 21st, partnering with various Wasaga Beach community groups and organizations including the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation, the Environment Network and Georgian Bay Forever, to get this job done. A free toolkit was designed to help the Wasaga Beach community and its beach become butt-free.

Research suggests that spending time in nature has immense benefits on our health and with our increasingly urban lifestyles, we aren’t getting enough time with the trees and the water. Nature Deficit Disorder is a real and harmful ailment that affects adults and kids. By keeping our environment clean and getting out in nature as much as possible, we can improve our mental and physical health. Whether you’re a resident or visitor of Wasaga Beach, you’ll have a fun and educational day.

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Canada Day in Collingwood

by Collingwood InfoCollingwood Events

As you will definitely know, Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday this year. Celebrations are going on all over the country, but there is no better spot to celebrate this historic birthday than in Collingwood. There are so many events going on that you truly don’t want to miss.

Collingwood Festival for Canada

Happening all weekend from June 30th until July 2nd, this family festival is exciting and one-of-a-kind. Start on Friday by heading downtown and celebrate not just Canada, but also Collingwood’s 40th anniversary. From 4pm until 10pm in the parking lot at Pine and Second streets, there will be entertainment from the 70s, food, dancing, trivia and a cash bar. If that doesn’t appeal to you, the Centennial Aquatic Centre is hosting a free family swim from 7 until 8pm. If you want to get out on the water, there are a number of harbour cruises available.

On Canada’s birthday, the list is endless for things to do. Start with a pancake breakfast at the town hall, prepared by celebrity chefs. After that, head to the kid’s fishing derby in the Collingwood Harbour. Get a prize for the biggest, the smallest and the ugliest fish. The bike parade starts at 10am and the anniversary BBQ and free family swim is from 10am until 3pm.

You’ll enjoy a lumberjack show, fashion show, a presentation by Princess Emilie, a rubber duck race, face painting, balloon creations, plus art exhibits and a Canada150 reaffirmation ceremony. Don’t forget your free piece of birthday cake! Kids will enjoy the kid’s activity centre and the healthy kids community challenge.

There will be many musical entertainers at Millennium Park including:

  • Brianna McGowan
  • Sharing Dance
  • Songbird Music Studio
  • Mila Filatova and Friends
  • Ninety-One 1
  • Harmony North Chorus
  • Coming of Age
  • Austin McCarthy
  • Mike McCarthy Band

Watch the sunset over the water, while you have a family picnic with a free meal compliments of Loblaws at Millennium Park starting at 7pm. Enjoy the evening together while waiting for the fireworks, which start at 10pm. Millennium Park is the best place to watch from, but anywhere along the waterfront will work! If you’d prefer to watch from the water, consider a harbour cruise.

The celebrations aren’t over yet! On Sunday, there’s still lots more to do. The Georgian Bay Cup Race happens at 7am, and is followed by another lumberjack show, children’s activity centre and more. The evening starts with a farm to table street feast. Simcoe Street will transform into a pedestrian-only outdoor celebration of local food, with a menu prepared in collaboration with local chefs. There will be one long community dinner table of 150 people with two seatings. The Simcoe Street Theatre will play short films between seatings.

Cap off your night with the Mudmen in concert at the Shipyards Amphitheatre.

Happy birthday Canada!

 

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Treat Dad in Collingwood this Father’s Day

by Collingwood InfoCollingwood Events / Collingwood things to do

He helped you with your homework, threw the baseball until you finally hit it and wiped your tears away when you felt you had no friends. He’s your dad and he deserves to be celebrated this weekend! What better place than Collingwood to celebrate Dad and all he stands for. Here are some great ideas for celebrating this weekend.

Fossils on Father’s Day

Head to Delphi Point Park and have a tour of the fossil beds. Any Dad will enjoy the fun day out that is also a great educational opportunity for the kids. Families pay $5, but Dad is free!

Go caving

Visit Scenic Caves this weekend and Dad gets free admission with a paid child admission (that’s a switch we like to see!). A great bonding experience for Dad and the kids, this deal is on both Saturday and Sunday. There is a printed coupon that you must take as mobile reproductions aren’t accepted.

Let him have time to himself

All Dads need time to themselves to recoup and be the best Dad they can. How do they do that? At Scandinave Spa of course. Let Dad enjoy soaking in the hot pools and cooling down in the cold pools. Buy him a book, a robe and a reusable water bottle and his day is set!

Take him golfing

I don’t know one Dad who wouldn’t appreciate a day on the links (with or without the kids) and Collingwood is amazing spot to hit them. Visit the Blue Mountain Golf Course, Cranberry Golf Resort or check out Monterra Golf. Tee times are probably filling up so call and see if they can squeeze in a time for you! If the day is full on the courses, you might want to try out the mini golf course at the mountain instead – it will still be tons of fun!

wasaga beach

Head to the Beach or go Boating

Living on beautiful Georgian Bay is a pure treasure and any resident or visitor of Collingwood should take advantage of this amazing body of water. Wasaga Beach, which is a very short drive east of Collingwood is very popular and is the world’s longest freshwater beach. Sunset Point Park is a rock beach, but also a great place to spend the day with a Frisbee and a picnic basket.

Take him out for a beer

Dads love beer more than they love golf, so any Dad will appreciate the great number of brew options in the Collingwood area. From the Collingwood Brewery, which is a definite local wonder where you can kick back and watch the beer being made or the Northwinds Brewery, which has an amazing atmosphere and tasty offerings.

Head to the mountain

This one is so obvious that we almost don’t need to mention it, but a day spent at Blue Mountain’s Village is better than any day spent anywhere else. Walk around, enjoy the scenery and then people watch from Rusty’s patio. Dad will love it.

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A Taste of the Town

by Collingwood InfoCollingwood Events

You don’t want to miss this gastronomic event, happening in Collingwood and now in its 15th year! Imagine, tasting delights of food and drink from 20 of Southern Georgian Bay’s best restaurants while overlooking beautiful Georgian Bay.

A Taste of the Town happens on June 4th at Sunset Point Park from 12 noon until 3 pm and your $135 ticket price goes fully back to local and international charities. Because of this, you’ll get a tax receipt for most of the money! Local charities on the list to receive donations from this event include Big Brothers Big Sisters Georgian Triangle, Georgian College’s Collingwood campus and Hospice Georgian Triangle. Hospice Georgian Triangle provides trained volunteers to support individuals in their last days who are living with life-threatening illnesses. They only get 50% of their required funding from the government, so events like this really help this important charity in our area. This event has raised close to $500,000 in its 15-year history.

With only 500 attendees, your ticket allows you unlimited tastings of all food and beverage samples. You do have to be over 19 to attend, so don’t bring the kids!

Sunset Point Park is an iconic spot to have this event, known for being a local favourite spot for having picnics. A Taste of the Town is like one big, classy and delicious picnic, otherwise known as a waterfront garden party! Once you’re done at the event, you can walk off all that food and drink on one of their many waterfront trails.

collingwood event

The list of local restaurants attending is fabulous and you know you’ll delight in some of their favourite dishes, with many utilizing the 100-mile diet mindset. Not only will you be enjoying great food and drink and supporting some amazing charities, you’ll be eating local too! Here are some of the local restaurants that will attend:

·         Bruce Wine Bar

·         Farm to Table

·         Sol Kitchen

·         Heavenly Café

·         Tesoro

·         The Pottery

·         Kaytoo Restaurant and Bar

·         Tim Hortons

·         Men with Knives

·         Collingwood Sweet Shoppe

·         The Tremont Café

·         Gustav Chophouse and Bar

·         The Smoke

·         C&A Steak Co.

·         Cabin Bistro

·         The Mill Café

·         Memories Bar and Grill

The local wineries and breweries include:

·         Georgian Hills Winery

·         Creemore Springs Brewery

·         The Collingwood Brewery

Head to the Brown Paper Tickets site to get your tickets that you can pick up at will-call, since the event is only one day away!

 

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May Long Weekend Fun in Collingwood!

by Collingwood InfoCollingwood Events

It’s finally here! This weekend we celebrate summer’s first long weekend (unofficially). The weather is supposed to be great, so visitors and residents to Collingwood will be partying and having a fabulous long weekend as there are a number of fun events planned!

Fun at the Blue Mountain Village

You’ll definitely want to head to Blue Mountain Village, where the party won’t stop all weekend long. There are a number of special events planned for the entire family, including a very special performance by Lighthouse, one of Canada’s very own success stories.

Starting on Saturday, there will be music all day at the Coca-Cola Stage in the Village Plaza. DJs will spin the latest tunes from 2pm until 7pm and then live performers will take the stage until 9pm. From 9pm until 10pm, there will be groove dancing and then a fabulous fireworks display over the mountain at 10:15pm.

On Sunday, the music continues with Fresh FM live on location and then Lighthouse’s set at 8pm. Don’t miss out on Rusty’s Rib Eating Contest at 11:30am at Rusty’s at Blue.

ribs in collingwood

On Monday, there will be even more live music under 3:30pm, plus a really cool hula hooping demonstration at 11:30am.

Be Local at the Collingwood Downtown Farmer’s Market

The May long weekend is also when the Collingwood Downtown Farmer’s Market begins, and you don’t want to miss that. In its 13th year, local vendors offer everything fresh, local and organic, as well as some great handcrafted items. The Collingwood farmer’s market adheres to the 100 mile market credo, with produce only sold that was grown with 100 miles of the market location. Head to the Pine Street parking lot at 8am until 1pm to partake in the fun.

Celebrate Art on the Street

You also won’t want to miss the 7th year of Collingwood Art on the Street, with the streets of Collingwood turning into an outdoor art gallery. This year’s theme is Collingwood celebrates Canada, a very fitting theme with Canada turning 150 years old this year.

Head to a Brew Party

Head to the Collingwood Brewery for their 3rd anniversary party, happening this Saturday from 4pm until 7pm. There will be activities for all ages, plus the live music of Neil Crowe. Adults can try out this year’s 1854 Anniversary Ale, plus the other great brews served. What’s awesome is that they’ve got a Beer Bus, which will shuttle people from Eddie Bush Memorial Arena to and from the brewery for the event.

With so many fun events and activities this May long weekend, you are sure to have too much fun in Collingwood.

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Mother’s Day in Collingwood

by Collingwood InfoCollingwood Events

Mother’s Day is next weekend (May 14th) and how are you going to celebrate Mom in Collingwood? There are a number of events and happenings in the area that Mom is definitely sure to love.

Brunch at the Cranberry Resort

Choose from one of two restaurants at Cranberry for your special brunch. Lakeside Seafood and Grill is offering up a la carte dishes from $14 with offerings like their signature eggs Benedict and their lemon poppyseed French toast. At Memories Restaurant, you’ll be delighted by the brunch buffet for $29.95 including roast beef, fish, breakfast items and more.

Brunch at Simplicity Bistro

Enjoy a special brunch at Simplicity and choose between the Eggs Bageldict (you read that right) or the French toast with mixed berries or the Quiche Lorraine.

Brunch at the Pottery

Dive into brunch at one of Blue Mountain’s most iconic restaurants – The Pottery. Here you will find a fantastic selection of fresh baked breads, crepes, crudités, carved roast sirloin, eggs benny and so much more. You’ll get all of this for only $28 a person, with kids under 12 only $14. Make reservations because they will be busy!

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Go for a hike at Scenic Caves

If Mom is more interested in excitement than sitting down for brunch, take her up to scenic caves for a memorable Mother’s Day adventure. Mom gets free park admission with a paid child admission from age 3-17 for the mini golf and suspension bridge with coupon. You can also use a coupon to get up to $20 off for mom and four other members of the family for the Eco Adventure tour.

Head to the spa at the Georgian Bay Hotel

Treat your mom to a Super Mom Spa Package on the 14th, which includes wine and chocolate plus:

·         60 minute relaxation massage

·         60 minute Eminence organic facial

·         Shellac manicure

·         Paraffin pedicure

This package lasts four hours and costs you $240. Maybe she’d prefer to be pampered and polished in a 2-hour, $110 package, which includes:

·         Lavendar sugar scrub

·         Paraffin hydration treatment

·         Massage

Take in the baths at Scandinave Spa

While they don’t have any particular specials going on, one of the best treats you can give Mom is a day to herself to relax in the baths at Scandinave Spa. You can buy gift cards or if you are over 18, head there with her for a day of relaxation and rest in the mountain.

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Collingwood Live & Original Music Series

by Collingwood InfoCollingwood Events

With another stellar Collingwood event that you don’t want to miss, Collingwood Live & Original Music Series is a singer and songwriter competition featuring local talent from around the Collingwood area. This event is happening this year from May 5th to 7th at the Town Hall Theatre at the Eddie Bush Arena.

The competition saw singers and songwriters submit online video auditions in February and March to a panel of judges. Ten semi-finalists were chosen from all who entered – eight via advance entrance and two via social media through a vote system.

These ten will perform live for judges and a willing audience who will vote on May 6th, with only six advancing to the finals on May 7th, where they will be judged and the winner will be chosen.

Already those ten have won in some form, as they will get a free professional recording session, plus free accommodation for the event. First place will take home $3000, second place will get $1500 and third place will be awarded $500.

collingwood

How can you participate?

Tickets are $10 to attend the semi-finals, the finals or one of the few workshops that are happening that weekend. A better deal is the weekend pass, which includes access to the full competition and both workshops for $20. Floor seats are for age 19+ only and the bleachers are for all ages. There will also be special performances from previous winners.

The weekend workshops include “Hitting the Studio”, discussing how to get the most of your studio time and lunch is included on May 6th. The second workshop is “Songcraft”, where there will be discussions around the creative process and new approaches on May 7th.

The semi-finalists

Many of the semi-finalists are from Barrie, with others from Azilda, Kitchener, and Huntsville. They are:

·         Brian Tuomi

·         Cam Brown

·         Courtney Dubois

·         James Cameron

·         Jamie Clarke

·         Noelle Cyr

·         The Rip Nancies

·         Sereste Aaron

·         Vokal Legend

·         Whiskey River

This is a great event that helps support local music and art in our region. It is just one of the amazing events that happen in Collingwood yearly.

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