Barrie 
Labour Day long weekend events & activities including free, fun family & kids’ activities, live music, theatre & performing arts, exhibitions and more: Friday, August 29 – Monday, September 1, 2025.
Pirate Party
I. Family & Kids Activities this weekend
Port of Orillia Pirate Party
August 30 – 31, 2025
Port of Orillia, 50 Centennial Dr, Orillia
Free
Memories of Summer Music Festival
Summer is coming to an end, but the fun isn’t over! Join us on Saturday, August 30, to celebrate 2025, featuring Headliner Queen Flash. Details
Saturday, August 30, 2025 | 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Fireworks | follows
Beach #1 Event Square, 87 Beach Drive, Wasaga Beach, ON
Free
Labour Day Weekend
Dive into family fun at Friday Harbour this long weekend. Shop the Promenade, enjoy live music and performances, explore the resort with recreation rentals, tee off at The Nest, and celebrate with a special meal. Details
August 29 to September 1, 2025
Friday Harbour Resort, 3999 Friday Dr., Innisfil
Free
Carnival Barrie
Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of Latin American traditions—from the infectious rhythms of live music to the irresistible flavours of authentic cuisine. Every moment is a celebration of culture, community, and joy.
Experience the energy of Nueva Siembra, whose vibrant performance will bring Latin American roots to life through powerful music, captivating movement, and deep cultural pride. Details
August 30 – 31, 2025
Will Dwyer Park, Barrie
Free
Chappell Farms Summer Festival
Chappell Farms’ Summer Petting Zoo is an amazing place for kids and adults alike! They have all kinds of activities for the family. Come visit the animals, ride on the tricycle track, walk our new walking trail, and learn about agriculture. New this year we will have a sunflower patch! There is plenty of room to run and play in the fresh air! Details
Friday-Monday, until September 1, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Chappell Farms, 617 Penetanguishene Road, Barrie
General $13.50 per person including tax; Children under 23 months Free
Sunflower Experience and Ranchland Fun
Enjoy everything Rounds Ranch has to offer PLUS 8 acres with 32 stunning varieties of Sunflowers for you to enjoy. Guests can walk among fiery orange starbursts, dark crimson reds, lemon yellows, and “Teddy Bear” puff-ball-shaped flowers. Take a scenic wagon ride to Sunflower Field and enjoy taking selfies with our Sunflowers! Details
Until September 1, 2025
Tuesday – Saturday & Holiday Monday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Rounds Ranch, 1922 County Road 92, Elmvale
$17.99 to $25.49
Elmvale Jungle Zoo
Discover an exciting and educational outdoor adventure at the Elmvale Jungle Zoo. Walk along shaded and winding trails. View majestic white lions and tigers. Delight in the playful antics of monkeys and lemurs. Watch the mischievous baby animals play. Admire the beauty of rare and exotic birds and other wildlife in the natural surroundings of the zoo’s 30 acres. Details
Daily | 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM (Last admittance 1 hour before closing)
Elmvale Jungle Zoo, 14191 Simcoe County Rd 27, Phelpston
$18.95 – $25.95; Children 2 yrs & under are FREE
PYO at Barrie Hill Farms
Visit the Barrie Hills Farms for pick your own Fall strawberries, apples, corn, and fall raspberries. Details
Monday-Friday | 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Hours may vary)
Saturday – Sunday & Labour Day Monday | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Hours may vary)
Barrie Hill Farms, 2935 Barrie Hill Rd., Springwater
No admission charges. Berry prices vary by type & weight
Treetop Trekking Barrie
Plan a fun-filled day climbing and zipping from tree to tree in the spectacular Copeland Forest at Treetop Trekking Barrie. Details
Weekends, Holidays, and most weekdays
Treetop Trekking Barrie, 1101 Horseshoe Valley Rd., Barrie
20 Minutes North of Barrie at Horseshoe Resort
Varies with activity
Labour Day Picnic
Bring your camp chairs, blankets, and refillable water bottles. Enjoy face painting, Party Tyme Bouncy Castles, music from JoJo, Skunks & Blues Band, food from Smoke on the Water BBQ, and much more. Details
Monday, September 1, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Heritage Park, Simcoe Street, Barrie
Free
Sunflower Fields and Mazes in Ontario
A visit to a sunflower farm is surely a cause for a smile, photo ops, and plenty of sunshine. Walk on a path through a sea of yellow flowers and purchase a specialty product from a store on-site to commemorate your summer experience. In Ontario, these flowers bloom for about two weeks only from early to late August/early September. Details
If you are going just for sunflowers, do call the farm to know more about the bloom condition.
Corn Mazes in Ontario
Get lost at world-famous corn mazes or at the one nearest to you for a memorable experience with the family or your bestie. Most of these farms also have a whole bunch of other great activities so you can enjoy the entire day picking pumpkins, milking goats, cuddling bunnies and so much more! Details
II. Live Music
Abbamania Labour Day Weekend
They are the world’s number one production of Abba! An all-Canadian cast that has been touring all over the globe since 1999, performing over 200 concerts a year! They are the only Abba production to perform twice for the cast of Mama Mia. With amazing vocals, look and sound, Abbamania will take you back in time when Abba ruled the pop charts! Hear all the hits recreated exactly as the original recordings. Details
August 29 – 30, 2025 | 8:00 PM
The Historic Gayety, 161 Hurontario Street
Collingwood
$64 – $75
Chilliwack: Gone Gone Gone with special guest Harlequin
Canada’s legendary rock band Chilliwack is hitting the road one last time after 55 incredible years! The Farewell to Friends Tour stops at Casino Rama Resort on August 30. With 12 albums, 15 gold & platinum certifications, and millions of fans, Chilliwack has given us timeless hits like Fly At Night, California Girl, My Girl (Gone Gone Gone), Lonesome Mary, and Whatcha Gonna Do. Now, they’re bringing their dynamic live energy to the stage one last time. Details
Saturday, August 30, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Casino Rama Resort
5899 Rama Rd, Orillia
$38 and up
III. Theatre/Performing Arts
Grease
Grease is the word as the Broadway phenomenon that inspired one of the most successful movie musicals of all time hits the stage. Get out your leather jackets, pull on your bobby socks, and get ready to hand jive as the slick Burger Palace Boys and sassy Pink Ladies enter their senior year at Rydell High in 1959. Details
August 7 – 31, 2025
Kings Wharf Theatre, 97 Jury Drive, Penetanguishene
$36.50 – $59.50
Common Ground
Common Ground is a heartfelt comedy about unexpected friendship and fresh starts. When Pam’s husband leaves her for another woman, she’s blindsided, devastated, and forced to pick up the pieces of her life. Enter Jake, the equally bewildered husband of the other woman, who shows up on Pam’s doorstep looking for answers and a bit of consolation. Details
August 13 – 29, 2025
Orillia Opera House, 20 Mississaga St W, Orillia
All Seats $40.00
Drive-in Movies
Spend an enjoyable time with family watching a movie under the stars.
Movies at Sunset Barrie Drive-In
For ideas, check out the Drive-In Theatres in Ontario
Various dates
IV. Sports
Barrie Colts
Preseason game. Details
vs. Owen Sound Attack on Monday, September 1, 2025 | 6:00 PM
Sadlon Arena, Barrie
$16.50 plus fees
Bobbie Rosenfeld Day in Barrie
Flag raising ceremony commemorating Bobbie Rosenfeld, Barrie Sports Hall of Fame Inductee and Canada’s female athlete of the half century. Details
August 29 – September 2, 2025
Barrie City Hall, 70 Collier Street, Barrie
Pilates and Yoga at the Beach
Join Namaste North for a rejuvenating yoga class on the beach, where the soothing sound of waves and fresh air enhance your practice. Connect mind, body, and spirit in a serene natural setting as you flow through gentle movements, guided breathwork, and peaceful meditation—all levels welcome. Details
Sunday, August 31, 2025 | 9:15 AM
Friday Harbour Resort, 3999 Friday Dr., Innisfil
$15.45
Go Hiking or Visit Nature Areas
Parks and pathways, Provincial parks and conservation reserves are great places to enjoy some time with nature.
Enjoy a leisurely walk with the family at any of these locations:
- 25 Fabulous Scenic Lookouts to Visit in Ontario
- 100 Adventures in Ontario Provincial Parks
- 25 Nature and Wilderness Adventures in Ontario
V. Exhibitions, Festivals & Other Events
Le Burger Week
Throughout the week, burger aficionados everywhere are called upon to indulge in their city’s LBW burgers and vote for their favourite one! Details
September 1 to 7, 2025
Participating Restaurants
Varies with restaurants
South Simcoe Railway Scenic Excursions
Take in a scenic journey through the Beeton Creek Valley, in classic 1920s passenger coaches pulled by one of our historic locomotives. You’ll travel in restored 1920s coaches over the rails of a century-old branch line that once connected Hamilton with Barrie and Collingwood. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the vintage locomotive as you travel through the rolling countryside. Details
August 31 – September 1, 2025 | 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM
Mill Street west in downtown Tottenham
$10 to $18
Future Hindsight
Future Hindsight presents works from the MacLaren’s Permanent Collection by Ojibwe multi-media artist Carl Beam (1943-2005). Entangling symbols for human, nature, and technology, Beam’s compositions point to the co-existence of everything, on one plane and at one time. His works critique the perception of time as linear, the dominance of Western ways of thinking, and the idea that we are separate from nature. Confronting Canadian colonial history, they bring awareness to the resilience of and modern struggles of Indigenous Peoples. Beam’s works express his spiritual and political concerns, looking simultaneously into the past and future. Details
June 28 – October 26, 2025
maclarenARTcentre, 37 Mulcaster Street, Barrie
pay-what-you-can donation
Indigenous Ingenuity: Timeless Inventions
This captivating exhibit blends science and culture to ignite pride and appreciation for the incredible innovations of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Come and celebrate the diversity, interconnectedness, and resourceful ways of knowing and being that inform Indigenous invention. Learn how Indigenous ingenuity supports our global community. Details
June 4 to September 17, 2025
Sainte Marie among Hurons, 16164 Highway 12 East, Midland
Included in your ticket to visit Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
Guided Canoe Tours
From the long weekend in May to Thanksgiving in October we offer one-hour guided voyageur-style canoe tours. Experience the unique opportunity to head off the beaten path and onto the secluded marsh channels that are home to the midland painted turtle, bullfrogs, red winged blackbirds and river otters! While on tour, visitors can expect to learn about the Wye Marsh’s ecological, cultural and historical significance while enjoying a relaxing and breath taking paddle. Details
Daily in August | 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM & 3:30 PM
Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, 16160 Highway 12 East, Midland
No pre-registration. General admission, plus an additional $8+HST per person
Clock Tower Illuminated Blue
The Town Hall Clock Tower will be illuminated Blue from September 1st to September 7th, in recognition of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Details
September 1 – 7, 2025
Town Hall Clock Tower, Collingwood
Free
100 Years of the Great Gatsby
In 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald published the novel we all know and love today — but at the time, it was not the success we know it to be. How did this novel gain popularity over the decades, and why?
On display, guests will find a letter hand-written from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Stephen Leacock, himself. This along with other fascinating treasures tell the tale of Gatsby. Find yourself in the midst of the roaring 20s at the Leacock Museum! Details
Open until August 31, 2025
Leacock Museum Historical Site, 50 Museum Dr., Orillia
Regular admission: $5/person, $15/family
House and Grounds History Tour at Leacock Museum Historical Site
Guests to the museum are invited to enjoy a tour of the Leacock house and grounds led by one of our experienced tour guides. Guests will learn about Leacock, his family, and Old Brewery Bay. Details
May 18 to August 31, 2025 | 11:00 AM & 2:00 PM
Leacock Museum Historical Site, 50 Museum Dr., Orillia
$12 + tax
Paint by the Lake
Guests are invited to join us for an outdoor (or indoor, in the case of inclement weather) painting experience at the Leacock Museum! Participants will be guided through basic colour theory for mixing colours. M Nowick will start with teaching some techniques for composing a landscape. A focus will be on creative expression for completing the scene. Inspiration will be taken from nature surrounding the Leacock Museum. Come paint the views of Old Brewery Bay. Details
Saturday, August 30, 2025 | 12:00 PM – 12:00 PM
Leacock Museum Historical Site, 50 Museum Dr., Orillia
$22.60+ tax
Kayak Ecotours
Get off-trail and experience Wye Marsh from a different perspective! This three-hour guided tour will take you well beyond the limits of our walking trails, providing you with the best opportunity to fully explore the beauty of Wye Marsh. This is an exciting opportunity for those looking for a unique and active outdoor experience. Details
On pre-booking
Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, 16160 Highway 12 East, Midland
$170 for groups of 1-2, $240 for 3, $300 for 4, $375 for 5, and 450 for 6.
Go Hiking or Visit Nature Areas
Parks and pathways, Provincial parks and conservation reserves are open for people to enjoy some time with nature.
Enjoy a leisurely walk with the family at any of these locations:
- 25 Fabulous Scenic Lookouts to Visit in Ontario
- 100 Adventures in Ontario Provincial Parks
- 25 Nature and Wilderness Adventures in Ontario
Farmers Markets
- Barrie Farmers Market on Saturdays | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM @ Outside Barrie City Hall, 70 Collier Street, Barrie. Details
- Bradford Farmers’ Market – Saturdays | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM @ Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library Parking lot, 425 Holland Street West, Bradford. Details
- Southern Georgian Bay Farmers Market on Sundays until Thanksgiving weekend | 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM @
201 Midland Ave, Midland. Details - Orilla Fairgrounds Farmer’s Market on Saturdays | 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM @ Orilla Fairgrounds. Details
- Collingwood Downtown Farmers’ Market on Saturdays | 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM @ Municipal parking lot at the corner of Second and Pine Streets. Details
Go Fishing
You can cast a line and reel in that big catch at Ontario Provincial Parks.
We do try to make the listings as accurate as possible, but there may be typographical/oversight errors or events may be cancelled or postponed without any notice. Verify all details from concerned event Websites/officials.
