Did you know? Winterfest is one of four City events named to the 2025 Top 100 Festivals list by Festivals and Events Ontario!
The City of Barrie proudly presents Barrie Winterfest each year, a community tradition and one of the top winter festivals in Ontario. Attendees enjoy favourite outdoor activities and celebrate winter!
The 2025 event featured activities all day including spectacular ice sculptures, lumberjack shows, family entertainment, drop-in activities, and much more! Attendees could complete the evening by visiting one of Downtown Barrie's many restaurants. Attendees were encouraged to share pictures with us by tagging the City of Barrie on Instagram, Facebook, or X.
Due to the construction project in Heritage Park, the usual location for the annual Winterfest was changed. Staff are evaluating the event at this location. Event feedback was accepted until February 14, 2025.
Barrie Winterfest kicks off Hello Winter each year. Hello Winter offers outdoor, arts, culture and community events throughout February.
Happening at Centennial Park & Will Dwyer Park
Many activities took place on Centennial Park and Will Dwyer Park on Saturday, 10am–5pm and Sunday, 10am–4pm (unless noted otherwise). Activities requiring payment have a dollar sign ($) in the list below. All other activities are free!
- Snow Valley’s mini tube slide
- Speaking of Wildlife exhibit
- Inflatables and games
- Buskers & family entertainment
- Fire pit warming zone
- Shinny hockey at the Will Dwyer Park Community Ice Rink
- Snow Sculpture Maze by artist Siggi Buhler
- Toronto Kite Fliers showcased of kites of all sizes, shapes, and colours in a special winter aerial display (weather permitting)
- Maple taffy samples
- Fireside Marshmallow Roasting: Back by popular demand, the fireside marshmallow roasting experience. Attendees roasted a marshmallow over the warm glow of the hardwood fire.
- Nature Play Trailer: Play with the ice and snow in a unique way. The Sandy Shores Snow Kitchen had an assortment of loose natural parks with a full kitchen set up along with a Snow Hut among the evergreens.
- Scouts winter cookout ($)
- Helicopter rides ($): Weather permitting, bookings accepted on site. $90/person. Saturday 10am–4pm, Sunday 10am–3pm.
- Vendor market ($) featuring: BeaverTails Simcoe Muskoka Mobile; Captain Cook de Fries; Foodiez Barrie; Hungarian Bites; Kono Pizza; Link Haus; Mr.C's Freeze Dried Treats; Smoke’s Poutinerie; Spiducci Shack; Super Crunch Tanghulu; The Fry-R Truck; Urban Grind Coffee Co.; and more!
- Ice sculptures: One of Winterfest's most popular features! Watch as professional sculptors carve artistic masterpieces from 300lb blocks of ice right before your eyes on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. The 2025 theme for the ice sculptures is dinosaurs. Sculptures are lit to enjoy at night and remain throughout Centennial Park as long as the weather permits.
Scheduled Activities & Live Entertainment
Scheduled activities and live entertainment took place at Centennial Park & Will Dwyer Park, including games and crafts, performances and more.
Happening at Other Locations
There's so much happening on Winterfest weekend, and not all takes place at Centennial and Will Dwyer parks!
- Get an early start to Winterfest with an amazing variety of produce, artistry, and baking at Barrie’s Farmers’ Market inside the City Hall Rotunda
- Go skating at Circle at the Centre Outdoor Rink (skate and helmet rentals available)
- Follow the Hot Cocoa Trail throughout downtown Barrie this February.
Check out other scheduled events at locations throughout the city in partnership with Barrie's Winterfest. Registration and/or payment may be required; view the individual event listings below for more details.
Getting Around
Winterfest Park ‘N Ride Shuttle
A free shuttle operated Saturday, 9:50am–5pm and Sunday, 9:50am–4pm. Park behind the Bayfield Mall off Coulter Street, easily accessed from Highway 400, and the shuttle picked up and dropped off at Barrie Transit stop #203 located on Coulter Street. Stops also included the Downtown Terminal, Lakeshore Dr. at Victoria St., and Lakeshore Dr. at Centennial Park, so attendees could park and hop on/off conveniently along the route. The full shuttle schedule was available at MyRideBarrie.ca/News .
Parking
There’s plenty of parking available within walking distance. Downtown parking is free on weekends. Waterfront parking areas and Hybrid Parking Lots (Spirit Catcher, Lakeshore Drive and North Marina) are free for vehicles registered with a digital waterfront parking permit. Visit barrie.ca/parking for more information about paid parking.
