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Special Events

Barrie is home to a variety of exciting community events and festivals throughout the year.  Fundraisers, parades, sporting events, music festivals, and community events - there's something for everyone to enjoy!  Special events and festivals add to the wonderful quality of life that we enjoy in Barrie - enhancing and celebrating our culture, showcasing our beautiful waterfront and parks, encouraging recreation and tourism, and providing economic benefits to local businesses and charitable organizations.

In addition to municipally run events, the City of Barrie welcomes a variety of events managed independently.  All public events on municipal property are required to have a Special Event Permit and meet all City of Barrie requirements in order to ensure a safe and successful event for everyone involved.  Anyone planning an event on municipal property must first contact the City of Barrie's Community Events Team - we are here to assist.

Community Events
Department of Culture
(705) 739-4299
culture@barrie.ca

Mailing Address:
PO Box 400, 70 Collier Street
Barrie, ON   L4M 4T5

Office Location:
24 Maple Street, 2nd Floor
(Barrie Transit Terminal)

Upcoming City of Barrie Events

The City of Barrie presents a variety of community events throughout the year.  We hope to see you out at one of our many celebrations!

Saturday, September 18, 2010 10:00am - 4:00pm Heritage Park & Fort Willow   Generously Supported By

Take a journey back in time...   The City of Barrie and the Township of Springwater are proud to partner in presenting the 5th annual Nine Mile Portage Heritage Festival.  Celebrate the old portage route used by First Nations people, voyageurs, and later by the British Military to secure the boundaries of Canada during the War of 1812.   The opening ceremony will take place at Heritage Park from 10:00am to 11:00am with a battle re-enacted on Kempenfelt Bay.   Explore the Nine Mile Portage Heritage Trail from Heritage Park to Fort Willow in Springwater Township through hikes (guided or independent), shuttle service, and horse-drawn wagon rides.  Watch for re-enactors hidden along the trail.   Free shuttle service is offered from 10:00am to 5:00pm with stops at Heritage Park, Sunnidale and Dobson Roads, George Johnston and Seadon Roads, Grenfel Hall, and Fort Willow.  Parking is only available at Heritage Park and Grenfel Hall.  The last bus will depart from the Fort at 5:00pm.   While at Fort Willow, witness life as it would have been in the 1800’s.  From 11:00am to 4:00pm, experience: ·        Military, Native, and Voyageur encampments and displays ·        Military, food, and trades demonstrations ·        War of 1812 surgeon and Laura Secord presentations ·        Musical entertainment ·        And much more!   Guided Walk to Fort Willow - Join Huronia Trails and Greenways on a guided walk along the Nine Mile Portage Heritage Trail to Fort Willow, approximately 15km.  The walk will depart from Heritage Park at 9:30am and will finish at Fort Willow for the festivities.  Please arrive at the park a minimum of 15 minutes prior to departure.  No pre-registration required.   NEW!  Join Barrie's Town Crier for a one hour historic walking tour around Barrie's city centre. You'll learn about some of the early Victorian citizens, as well as a few rogues, scoundrels, and 'ladies of the night' who lived in Barrie in the early 1800s. The tour will highlight many Victorian buildings in downtown Barrie, including the former Simcoe Hotel and The Queen's Hotel, two of the oldest buildings in that area of the city. Special guest is author Larry Cotton. Pre-registration required as space is limited. To pre-register call 739-4299.   Click here for a downloadable event brochure, including a route map.

Sunday, September 19, 2010 10:00am - 5:00pm   Generously Supported By

Explore some of Barrie's most intriguing and charming heritage buildings and sites of interest.  Admission is free so come out and explore our city!   Participating sites include: Doors Open Barrie Information Centre - Southshore Centre, 205 Lakeshore Drive (9:00am to 4:30pm) AIM Realty - 390 Essa Road (10:00am to 5:00pm) Barrie Public Library - 60 Worsley Street (12:00pm to 5:00pm) Flat Iron Grill - 31 Bayfield Street (10:00am to 5:00pm) Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery - 107 Dunlop Street East (10:00am to 5:00pm) Grey & Simcoe Foresters Regimental Museum - 36 Mulcaster Street (10:00am to 5:00pm) MacLaren Art Centre - 37 Mulcaster Street (10:00am to 5:00pm) Maple Hill Montessori - 147 Toronto Street (10:00am to 5:00pm) Meridian Planning Consultants - 113 Collier Street (10:00am to 5:00pm) Rogers TV Simcoe County - 1 Sperling Drive (10:00am to 5:00pm) St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church - 47 Owen Street (12:00pm to 5:00pm) Trinity Anglican Church - 24 Collier Street (12:00pm to 5:00pm)   Stop by the Tourism Barrie office at the Southshore Community Centre (205 Lakeshore Drive) between 9:00am to 4:30pm on Sunday, September 19th for event information, tourist guides, and maps.  The Southshore Community Centre incorporates a restored 1903 Grand Trunk Railway master mechanic's and stores building and a steam-powered crane.  East of the building are the remains of a railway roundhouse where steam locomotives were once repaired.   Doors Open Barrie presents four interesting, interactive walking tours hosted by our Town Crier and the Barrie Historical Association. Tour downtown Barrie, historic Union Cemetery or our beautiful waterfront. 10:00am - Downtown Barrie Historic Walking Tour 11:30am - Waterfront Historic Walking Tour - South Shore 2:00pm - Union Cemetery Historic Walking Tour 3:30pm - Waterfront Historic Walking Tour - North Shore Pre-registration is required as space is limited.  To pre-register, please visit www.doorsopenbarrie.ca and click on 'Walking Tours'.   For more information, visit www.doorsopenbarrie.ca or www.doorsopenontario.on.ca.