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
I. Family & Kids Activities this weekend
Kingston Labour Day Parade
The parade will start at 10:30am from McBurney Park, and the route includes a march to City Hall and back to the park. Afterwards, an event will feature various components such as guest speakers, a food vendor, community market, information booths, and children’s games & activities. Details
Monday, September 1, 2025
Parade to City Hall | 10:30 AM
Festival | 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM @ McBurney (Skeleton) Park
McBurney Park (Skeleton Park), 30 Alma Street, Kingston
Fort Henry National Historic Site
Visit Kingston’s historic site and living history museum, Fort Henry, where visitors enter the realm of 19th-century military life in the beautiful fortification originally built in the 1830s. History comes alive at Fort Henry. Enjoy a self-guided tour, along with rifle firing, music, and artillery demonstrations taking place every hour. Talented Fort Henry Guards will be stationed throughout the Fort to offer interpretation experiences. Details
Daily, until September 1, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Last ticket sold at 4:30 PM
Fort Henry National Historic Site, 1 Fort Henry Drive, Kingston
$0 – $20
You may Like:
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’re just interested in sunflowers, consider calling the farm to learn more about the bloom conditions.
Corn Mazes in Ontario
Get lost in world-famous corn mazes or 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
Explore Eastern Ontario
II. Live Music/Theatre/Performing Arts
Movies in the Square
Movies in the Square returns to Springer Market Square on Thursday evenings. Bring your friends and family, grab a blanket or lawn chairs, and settle in for an unforgettable movie experience.
Movie: The Wild Robot (2024). Details
Thursday, August 28, 2025 | Dusk
Springer Market Square, 216 Ontario St, Kingston
Free admission; Star Lounge tickets $10 – $40
Kickin’ it Country
Saddle up for a one-of-a-kind country music experience every Friday from 7 – 8 pm in Springer Market Square. Details
Friday, August 29, 2025 | Emilie Steele & the Deal
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Line dancing with Sarah Doyle
Springer Market Square, Kingston
Free admission
Saturday Sessions
Catch performances showcasing your favourite local artists from different genres in Confederation Park. Details
Saturday, August 30, 2025 | 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Irish Roots
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | The Kildeers
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm | HoozHear
Confederation Park, Kingston
Free admission
Drive-in Movies
What a better way to spend an enjoyable time with family than to watch a movie under the stars?
Movies at Port Elmsley Drive-in
For ideas see, Check out the Drive-In Theatres in Ontario
Various dates
III. Exhibitions, Festivals & Other Events
Yoga in the Park
Stretch out the stress and enjoy the beautiful outdoors with Yoga in the Park! Instructors from downtown yoga studios will be leading free yoga sessions in Battery Park every Sunday. Details
Sunday, August 31, 2025 | 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Battery Park, Waterfront Pathway, Kingston
Free
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
Illumination: Queen’s University Move-In for Students
City Hall and Springer Market Square will be lit up blue, yellow, and red for Queen’s University Move-In weekend. Visitors and residents of Kingston will be spending time downtown during move-in and the illumination in Queen’s colours is a celebratory welcome to the city during their time at Queen’s University. Details
Saturday, August 30, 2025
City Hall, 216 Ontario Street, Kingston
Illumination: Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
City Hall and Springer Market Square will be lit up gold and yellow for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Details
Monday, September 1, 2025
City Hall, 216 Ontario Street, Kingston
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
- 25 Outdoor Adventures in and around Kingston
Classic Kingston
Take a guided stroll through historical downtown Kingston as part of an intimate group led by a passionate local guide, helping you to discover Canada’s original capital city, while savouring the very best in local cuisine. The ‘Classic Kingston’ tour offers a local’s perspective into Kingston’s culture through its delicious food, history and unique architecture. The tour includes exclusive tastings at the very best local restaurants in downtown Kingston, while highlighting points of interest to weave a seamless story of people and events that have made Kingston a premier destination for food, history and most of all, fun. Details
August 27 – 31, 2025
Kingston
$89 – $99
Original Haunted Walk of Kingston
Join us on the original outdoor tour that started it all in 1995! Our talented storytellers, dressed in cloaks, will captivate you with spine-tingling ghost stories from Kingston’s old Sydenham Ward. With lanterns to light our way, we’ll take you on a thrilling adventure to explore some of the most haunted spots in Kingston. Get ready to uncover the secrets of haunted hotels, hidden burial grounds, grave robbings, hangings at the old courthouse, and Kingston’s famous haunted courtyard. Our tour will forever change your perception of the city and its historic buildings. This unforgettable evening experience is perfect for all ages, making it a tried and true favourite for family fun, curiosity-seekers, and paranormal enthusiasts alike. Details
Daily | 8:00 PM, 8:30 PM
Starts at the Visitor Information Centre, 200 Ontario Street, Kingston
CISA Kingston Open Bass Tournament and Street Expo
This 4-day event will showcase some of the top anglers in Canada and the USA, competing for a $50,000 top prize. With partners such as Milwaukee Tools, Yeti Canada, Tourism Kingston, Livingston Lures, BKK Hooks, Eating Wild and more coming along, the tournament will be an incredible experience of top level Anglers showing their talents and some of Canada’s top companies showing their stuff in the Expo! Details
August 28 – 31, 2025
Confederation Park, 209 Ontario Street, Kingston
Explore Murney Tower Museum
Enjoy a journey into the 19th century life lin Murney Tower. Details
until September 1, 2025
Daily | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Murney Tower, 2 King St. West, Kingston
By donation; Recommended donation is $5.
Dinosaurs Among Us
Discover the incredible story of how dinosaurs continue to thrive around us today through their avian descendants! The PumpHouse Museum is thrilled to present Dinosaurs Among Us, an extraordinary panel exhibition on loan from the American Museum of Natural History. Complementing the main exhibition, visitors can explore touchable artifacts on loan from the Royal Ontario Museum, including real dinosaur fossils, a prehistoric ostrich skull, and full raptor casts. Additionally, the Miller Museum of Geology presents a featured display highlighting fascinating fossils from the Kingston area. This engaging, year-long exhibit will captivate visitors of all ages by exploring the evolutionary journey from ancient, feathered dinosaurs to the birds we see today. Details
Tuesday – Saturday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
PumpHouse, 23 Ontario St, Kingston
Included with regular museum admission: $3.80 – $7.65
City of Kingston Arts Walk
Explore Public Art
Discover new and existing public art as part of the City of Kingston Arts Walk, a self-guided tour across the city, accessible by walking and/or by bicycle, car, and public transportation. The Arts Walk highlights City-owned public art – permanent and temporary – developed through the City of Kingston’s Public Art Program, as well as existing public art as part of the Civic Collection. Details
Various locations in Kingston
Kingston Pen Tours
Kingston Pen Tours offers a unique opportunity to explore Canada’s oldest maximum-security prison.
Step inside the walls of Canada’s oldest prison and explore the living and working areas, some dating back to the 1830s. Hear the personalized accounts from former staff and learn about the history and the daily routines, including stories of escapes, riots, and everything in between.
During the extended tour, discover more about the site and hear about the history of additional areas, such as the hospital, gymnasium, and school. Details
Various dates
Kingston Penitentiary, 560 King Street West, Kingston
Standard Tour $30.02 – $37.28, Extended Tour $57.64
– $71.80; Express Tour $19.41 – $24.01
Memorial Centre Farmer’s Market
Shop, stroll & eat local produce, meats, bread, cheeses, prepared foods, beverages, and crafts, all harvested and crafted within 100km of Kingston. Details
Sundays | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
The Memorial Centre Farmer’s Market, 303 York Street, Kingston
Free
Rediscover Kingston and Area
There are a number of ways to get to know your city.
- 25 Outdoor Adventures in and around Kingston
- 25 Things to Do During Fall in and Around Kingston
- Road Trip From Ottawa to Kingston: Drive the Rideau Canal National Historic Site
- Getaway to Kingston and 1000 Islands, Ontario – 3 Day Trip Itinerary
Go Fishing
You can cast a line and reel in that big catch at Ontario Provincial Parks. Do obey any fishing location restrictions in the park.
Weekend Getaways from GTA: Exploring 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.