Fun Things To Do In Ontario During Spring

Bruce Peninsula Orchid Festival/ Photo credit: Friends of the Bruce District Parks Association

Ontario is a beautiful place to be in the spring. As the winter snow melts and the flowers begin to bloom, it is a time of great hope for many people after the darkness of winter. The mild weather means the Ontarians can spend more time outdoors. There are many ways to enjoy the nice weather, including festivals, hiking trails, outdoor tours, and other unique activities. Read on to discover 30 fun things you can do across Ontario this spring.

1. Tulip Festival | Ottawa

Canada’s most colourful festival celebrates the tulip, Ottawa’s official flower and an international symbol of friendship and peace, through art and culture. This outdoor festival which takes place from May 11 to 21, 2018 has been drawing thousands of visitors since its founding in 1953 and symbolizes the lasting relationship Ottawa shares with the Netherlands. From May 11 to 21, 2018 @ Ottawa – Tulip festival Itinerary.

2. Get Fresh in the Valley | Niagara Region

Celebrate spring in Niagara’s Twenty Valley. The spring passport program Get Fresh in the Valley entitles you to sample new vintages and aromatic wines, paired with fresh spring flavours from some of the area’s finest chefs at 20 plus premium wineries. April 21/22, and April 28/29 from 11 am to 5 pm @ Various locations in Twenty Valley Region.

3. Sugar Bush | Across Ontario

Many different cities and regions in Ontario celebrate the making of maple syrup with tours of sugar bush facilities where sap is harvested and maple syrup celebration festivals where hundreds of pancakes are consumed. Hurry though! Most sugar shacks close down in early April, but it’s the perfect way to kick off a lovely springtime. See here for a list of Ontario’s sugar shacks and maple syrup festivals. The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association will be hosting the Annual Maple Weekend on April 7 ~ 8, 2018 from 10 AM to 4 PM. Participants in Maple Weekend can be found across the province in a number of maple syrup producing areas.

4. Victoria Day Speedfest | Oshawa

Head to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Victoria Day weekend for the Victoria Day SpeedFest, featuring the NASCAR Pinty’s Series and the Pirelli World Challenge Series. Three Canadian series – the Canadian Touring Car Championship, the IMSA Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama and the Nissan Micra Cup Series – will round out the weekend of exciting on-track racing action.

5. Radical Lines Aerial Adventure Park | Port Dover

Radical Lines Aerial Adventure Park is a tree-top obstacle and zip lining course, suspended between trees 10 to 80 feet high. It’s the perfect bonding experience with friends or family, as it will testa your wits, courage, and physical prowess in a safe environment.

6. Stratford Festival | Stratford

Stratford Festival is an internationally recognized theatre festival, which runs annually from April to October in Stratford, Ontario. The main goal of the festival is to put on plays based on William Shakespeare’s works, but you’ll also catch broadway style musicals and other types of theatre productions.

7. Best Butter Tart Festival and Contest | Midland

Mark you calendars, because on Saturday, June 9th Midland, Ontario is hosting their annual Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival and Contest. The event is a free street festival where over 60 businesses sell butter tarts and butter tart inspired foods and products and the Contest crowns the best butter tarts in the province. See for details.

8. Cherry blossoms in High Park | Toronto

Visit High Park in late April or early May to take in Toronto’s sakura | cherry) trees in full bloom. The beautiful, light pink cherry blossoms frame the paths in High Park and resemble a scene out of a work of art. See here for information about when to visit and where to go.

9. Festival of Birds | Point Pelee National Park

The Festival of Birds is a way to witness the migration of many different species of birds and is the perfect spring activity for the avid bird watcher. The festival is located in Point Pelee National Park against the backdrop of lush forests, blooming wildflowers, and marshes teeming with wildlife. This year’s festival extends from May 1st to May 21st.

10. Dundas International Buskerfest | Hamilton

Performers from across the globe flock to Dundas in early June to participate in the International Buskerfest. You’ll enjoy street performances including circus artistry, magicians, non-verbal shows, and live music. This year’s event takes place from June 1st to June 3rd.

11. Ultimate Exotics | Hamilton

Located just 40 minutes outside the GTA in Stony Creek, this company is dedicated to offering world class exotic car experiences. You can choose between 30 minute, 3 hour, and 5 hour packages, but either way you’ll be able to get behind the wheel of some of the most expensive cars in the world. See here for prices and to book your exotic car experience.

12. Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny | Port Hope

Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny is a 10km river race along the Ganaraska River in honour of the 1980 flood that destroyed Port Hopes downtown. Participants race in canoes, kayaks, and a variety of homemade rafts and boats. This year’s event takes place on April 14th.

13. Beer-lesque & Carniv-ale Show| St Thomas

Sample craft beer, cider, wine, and spirits from local Ontario brewers & distillers. Explore artisan marketplace, featuring: steampunk vendors, tattoo artists, craftsmen, and other oddities.
The worlds of Steampunk & Sideshow blend together to create an extravaganza of vendors & exhibitioners like you’ve never seen before on May 26, 2018 @ Elgin County Railway Museum, 225 Wellington St, St. Thomas

14. Peony Festival | Oshawa

Every year the City of Oshawa hosts the Peony Festival, which is a free event displaying 300 different types of peonies, as well as, live music, food, and gardening seminars. This year the event will take place on June 9th and June 10th and will also include the Canadian Peony Society’s Annual General Meeting.

15. SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival | Toronto

SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival is dedicated to celebrating the best in worldwide acappella music. This event is relatively new, as this will be the 7th year it has been held. From May 23rd to June 3rd you can attend performances, workshops, and various free events for the vocal music enthusiast.

16. Pines Hiking Trail | Quetico Provincial Park

Spring is the perfect time for a nice hike in the great outdoors. What better location than the Pines Hiking Trail, which includes views of red and white pine trees, sandy beaches, and the serene Pickerel Lake. This is the perfect time to physically challenge yourself with the trail’s steep climbs and rough terrain.

17. Salsa at Blue Mountain | Blue Mountains

Attend the annual Salsa at Blue Mountain street party event for lots of dancing, fun, and fireworks. You can make a weekend out of it by staying in the Blue Mountain Resort and enjoying the party from Friday, June 23rd to Sunday, June 25th.

18. 1000 Islands Kayaking | Gananoque

Choose between full-day guided tours and self-guided rentals at 1000 Islands Kayaking. This is the perfect way to reconnect with nature and celebrate spring with family and friends in a distraction-free, peaceful environment. No experience is necessary, as their are professional guides on staff to help you learn.

19. Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival | Toronto

The Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival is the largest documentary film festival in North America! This year is the festival’s 25th anniversary and it will take place from April 26th to May 6th. The festival will show 246 documentary films along with 16 interdisciplinary projects from all over the world.

20. Orchid Festival | Tobemory

Visit one of the most visited national park in Canada in Spring to enjoy it in all its glory without the crowds that throng in summer! Rugged limestone cliffs rise mysteriously from the turquoise waters Lake Huron creating a breathtaking contrast that is a must-see. Believe it or not the park hosts more than 40 orchid species in spite of the fact that these flower varieties are mostly tropical. So join for the Orchid Festival held at the Park Visitor Centre and other locations in the Peninsula on June 1 to 3, 2018.

21. Orillia Perch Festival | Orillia

The Orillia Perch Festival is one of Canada’s largest registered fishing derbies. Participants have a chance to win cash and product prizes in both the adult and children’s categories. This year is the 38th anniversary and the festival will take place from April 21st to May 12th.

22. Mississauga Waterfront Festival | Mississauga

The Mississauga Waterfront Festival was voted one of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals ten years in a row. The festival boasts world renowned musical talents. Past performers include Sam Roberts, Jann Arden, and Tom Cochrane. The festival also includes children’s programming, stilt walkers, fire-eaters, food, and crafters.

23. Ishpatina Ridge Tower Summit | Lady Evelyn Smoothwater Provincial Park

The Ishpatina Ridge is the highest point in Ontario! It can be climbed over the course of a day by following logging roads, bush roads, hiking trails, and bushwhacks. Peaking the summit will offer a gorgeous view of the Ontario wilderness like you’ve never seen it before. Visit if you want to ring in the spring on Ontario’s highest peak.

24. Dunnville Mudcat Festival | Dunnville

The Dunnville Mudcat Festival is a 44-year old festival that includes a parade, strongman competitions, street dancing, live music, a fireworks display, and more. You can also get a photo with the city’s mascot, a 50-foot Mudcat fish named “Muddy”. This year the festival’s theme is a throwback to the 80’s and it will take place from June 7th to June 10th.

25. Happy Paddling | Barrie

Happy Paddling is a stand-up paddle board, kayak, and canoe rental company run by a husband and wife team in Barrie, Ontario. They offer lessons and adventure packages, as well as, equipment rentals for those who prefer to venture off on their own.

26. Sault Ste. Marie Science Festival | Sault Ste. Marie

The Sault Ste. Marie Science Festival is a week-long series of events that celebrates the natural and applied sciences and technology through a collaboration between 10 different local organizations involved in science, technology, heritage, and culture. This year’s festival takes place from April 23rd to April 27th and is the 4th anniversary of the event. The festival offers events for all ages with lots of interactive activities.

27. Spring Wildlife Workshops | Algonquin Provincial Park

Take in the natural beauty of spring in Algonquin Provincial Park, where you could have a chance encounter with a moose or a beaver. See a half dozen or more of these magnificent animals during a leisurely drive along Highway 60 on a May morning or evening. Algonquin Park is famous for its diversity of birds and wildlife. Friends of Algonquin Park offers a variety of workshops that helps you to develop a deeper understanding of the wildlife in the park.

28. Royal Botanical garden Burlington:

Enjoy the best of spring flowers that 100,000 spring bulbs to world’s largest lilac collection and Peonies and the all new Rose garden at this 2,700 acres of breathtaking gardens and spectacular nature sanctuaries that includes 32 kilometres of trails.

29. Field Trip Arts & Culture Music Festival | Toronto

Field Trip, Toronto’s community music and arts festival, returns again this June 2 and 3 to downtown Toronto at the historic Fort York & Garrison Common. Internationally acclaimed artists will perform for thousands of Toronto festival goers as they enjoy diverse culinary dishes and art exhibits. The 2018 edition will unfold across two days, programmed far beyond music to focus on highlighting the community’s best culinary offerings, as well as collaborative explorations on the themes of art, photography, technology, fashion and more.

30. London Fringe Theatre Festival

Join for magic, musicals, and heart-wrenching performances, all while supporting the artists and their craft at London Fringe Theatre Festival. From theatre for kids, families and adults, to buskers on the streets, you can try any form of performing arts you like by local and international artists from May 29–June 9, 2018.

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