Muskokans don’t just endure winter, they revel in it! With so many different outdoor activities to partake in, it’s no wonder that we embrace winter so enthusiastically. Add in a party atmosphere and we’re all over it. Because winter time is carnival time.

From tube runs right down the main street of town to bed races and polar bear dips to good old-fashioned winter fun, we know how to celebrate the snowy season. There’s a festival in just about every town—attend one or attend them all!

Here’s what kind of carnival fun you’ll find across Muskoka. Check back to their websites or Facebook pages for more details closer to each event.

Jan 26 Fire and Ice Festival, Bracebridge

There’s a dizzying array of events at this popular one-day festival. Highlights include the tube run through downtown, crokacurl (a combination of curling and crokinole, invented in Canada, of course!), disc golf (the only four-season golf game in Muskoka), lumberjack and ice sculpting shows, and that favourite pastime any time of year…roasting marshmallows.

Feb 1-3 Port Carling Winterfest 

For 52 years, the Port Carling Winterfest has been delighting winter fans and this year will be no different. There’s a variety of children’s entertainment, face painting, horse and wagon rides, log sawing contests, a birds of prey demonstration, a chili cook-off contest, and more!

Feb 1-3 Port Sydney Winter Carnival

Port Sydney is a little village with a lot of heart. You’ll find simple, old-fashioned winter fun at this annual carnival, including skating and tubing by tiki-lights, horse and wagon rides, and snow games.

February 2, Muskoka Winter Bike Fest, Deerhurst Resort, Huntsville

If you love cycling, don’t let winter stop you. This event features an 11-kilometre race course with heats for experienced riders, newbies and kids. Plus there’s a bonfire, beer tasting, chili and live entertainment, and more trails to ride if you just can’t get enough.

Feb 8-9 Dwight Winter Carnival 

There’s a whole lot of excitement packed into this little carnival, including a pancake breakfast and chili cook-off, horse-drawn wagon rides, science and nature activities with Science North and Find Your Wild, and tons of carnival and snow games for kids of all ages.

Feb 14-18 Gravenhurst Winter Carnival 

Gravenhurst wins the award for most-unique carnival around. With five days of fun full of activities like bed races, a polar bear dip, a demolition derby, a donut eating contest, a puddle jump, and a doggie dash, it’s entertaining from start to finish!

Feb 15-16 Dorset Snowball 

The Dorset Snowball parade kicks off the fun and festivities at this annual event, in its 29^th year in 2019. Follow that up with horse-drawn wagon rides, snow snake games, skating, and other winter activities.

Feb 18 Baysville Winterfest 

This fun Family Day event features a free pancake breakfast and BBQ courtesy of the Lions Club, donut and pie eating contests (as fun to watch as they are to participate in!), and a variety of winter activities. It’s family fun for everyone!

There’s something special about food you can find on the street. Noshing on freshly cooked fare in the fresh Muskoka air is delightful, and food trucks have been popping up all over the region. In addition to preparing tasty dishes from often locally sourced ingredients, food truck owners can usually give you the down-low on other local fun while you wait. Here are five of them that also have a unique offering.

Sully’s Muskoka

Location: 345 Ecclestone Dr in Bracebridge

On the menu: Local fresh ingredients with a gourmet twist – Sully’s Gourmet Burger, Ensenada Fish Tacos, Cauliflower Taco, Fried Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich, Fish and Chips, Poutine, an ever changing featured item, plus lots of yummy sides

Fun fact: This food truck is on the move – you can always check and see where they are on their Facebook page.

 Frenchie’s Crêpe Café

Location: Huntsville at the corner of Main Street East and Centre Street North

On the menu: Crêpes both sweet and savoury. Locals rave about the honey garlic chicken crêpe (seasoned chicken, spinach, roasted peppers and feta smothered in honey garlic sauce and served in a warm, freshly made crêpe). But there’s also La Marquise with brie, chicken, spinach, strawberries and toasted almonds, or the sweet Muskoka crêpe —Frenchie’s take on ‘smores—with Nutella, marshmallows, chocolate sauce, Graham crackers and whipped cream. Yum.

Fun fact: Chef Thibaut Bellenoue has adapted his grandmother’s crêpe recipe for this new venture.

Mystery Diner

 Location: In the heart of Bala, just north of Bala Falls on Muskoka Rd 169

On the menu: Everything but the kitchen sink. The Mystery Diner offers a dizzying array of choices including Dam burgers (it’s just down the road from the dam at Bala Falls), Omeletacos, Cheezy Queso-dillas, Indonesian-style Fried Noodles, Deep-Fried Chicken Burgers, Poutine and fruit smoothies.

Fun fact: The ‘Bala bog monster’, the sculpture formerly called Koilos, guards the diner. It has been around: it sat on a dock on Lake Muskoka for a while, and before that was in Toronto’s Distillery District. It was originally created for the Burning Man festival held annually in the Nevada desert.

Cheesus Murphy and the Grateful Bread

 Location: 2611 Muskoka Rd 117, Baysville

On the menu: Possibly the best grilled cheese sandwiches you’ll ever taste. This food truck elevates a kids’ classic to a whole new adult-appropriate level. (Although who ever said that cheesy goodness was just for kids?) And with offerings like the Lord Tunderin’ Cheesus with heaps of shaved ham, Swiss and mozzarella, the Weeping Cheesus, named for its crispy cheese ‘skirt’, the Sweet Cheesus with granny smith apples, Havarti, cream cheese and vanilla fruit dip, or the heart-stopping 4:20 burger which uses grilled cheese sandwiches in place of buns, you won’t go home hungry.

Fun fact: The truck’s name is a play on rock band the Grateful Dead—fans used to make grilled cheese sandwiches in the parking lot while waiting for the concert to start.

Grillicious Gourmet Food Truck 

Location: Sawdust City Brewery (397 Muskoka Road N), Gravenhurst

On the menu: You really can’t go wrong with anything on this menu, but the smoked trout poutine or bulgogi beef poutine are to-die-for options that you’re not likely to find anywhere else.

Fun fact: The name of the adjacent craft brewery, Sawdust City, is a throwback to the late 1800s when lumber was big business in Gravenhurst.

The Frying Dutchman Co.

Location: 72 Main Street West, Huntsville

On the menu: All-vegan choices that everyone will love. The Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich is so much like meat, you’d swear it was pulled pork! Or try the Chunky Helper Monkey fries topped with BBQ jackfruit, gravy, fresh onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. The Frying Dutchman also has vegan baked goods to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Fun fact: The Frying Dutchman is Muskoka’s first plant-based food truck serving a traditional chip truck menu.

There are other food trucks across Muskoka, too, of course. Summer is the perfect time to get out and explore them all and decide for yourself which one is best. (But maybe not all in one day. Your waistline will thank you.)

Okay, maybe that’s not quite how summer is spelled but it certainly is the season for festivals. In Muskoka they come in an incredible variety, and if you wanted to you could spend just about every weekend festival hopping around the region.
Some are brand new, like the Muskoka Veg Fest (a vegan festival) and the Macaroni Festival (in homage to Huntsville’s one-time Macaroni Factory). Some are back for the second or third time, like Dog Fest and Love Fest. Others, like the vintage boat shows, have been around for decades.
There’s bathtub races and beer, arts and crafts, fringe performances, yoga and more! General admission to many of the events is free or has a nominal cost.
If you want to check them out, mark your calendar with the dates below. Have a fantastic summer!

July 7
38th Annual Vintage Boat Show
Muskoka Wharf, Gravenhurst
Free admission
https://www.acbs.ca/index.php/boat-show/boat-show-registration-link

July 7
Rotary Dockfest and ArtSplash
Town Dock and River Mill Park, Huntsville
Free admission
rotarydockfest.com

July 14-15
Muskoka Yoga Festival
Annie Williams Park, Bracebridge
See the website for workshop and pass pricing
muskokayogafestival.com

July 14-15
34th annual Muskoka Pioneer Power Show
J.D. Lang Activity Park (Fairgrounds), Bracebridge
Admission: $5 (Kids 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult)
muskokapioneerpower.ca

July 14
Muskoka Buttertart Festival
Muskoka Lakes Museum, Port Carling
Admission: $2
mlmuseum.com

July 20-22
Muskoka Arts and Crafts Summer Show
Annie Williams Park, Bracebridge
Admission by donation
muskokaartsandcrafts.com

July 20
Midnight Madness
Downtown Huntsville
Free admission
downtownhuntsvilleadventures.ca

July 21
Dog Fest Muskoka
Morrison Meadows, Bracebridge
dogfestmuskoka.ca

July 24
Everything Anne of Green Gables Day
Bala’s Museum, Bala
Admission: $5.99/person or $19.99/family of four
balasmuseum.com

July 27-29
Muskoka Ribfest
Muskoka Wharf, Gravenhurst
Free general admission
muskokashows.com

July 27-29
Muskoka In-Water Boat and Cottage Show
Muskoka Wharf, Gravenhurst
Free admission
muskokashows.com

July 27-28
Muskoka Antique and Vintage Show
Port Carling Community Centre, Port Carling
Admission: $6 (Kids 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult)
antiqueshowscanada.com

July 28
Baysville Walkabout Festival
Baysville
Admission by donation
baysvillewalkabout.com/

July 28
Nuit Blanche North
Downtown Huntsville
Free admission
huntsvillefestival.on.ca

August 3
Midnight Madness
Downtown Bracebridge
Free general admission
downtownbracebridge.com

Aug 3-5
Sawdust City Music Festival
Gravenhurst
Ticket prices available on the website
sawdustcitymusicfestival.com

August 4
Griffin Session Muskoka Craft Beer Festival
Annie Williams Park, Bracebridge
Admission: $30 in advance or $40 at the gate; must be legal drinking age
sessionmuskoka.ca

August 11-12
Baysville Arts and Craft Festival
Baysville
Admission by donatio
baysvilleriverfront.ca

Aug 11
MLA Antique Boat Show
Port Carling
Free admission
mla.on.ca

August 11
Muskoka Veg Fest
River Mill Park, Huntsville
Free admission
muskokavegfest.com

August 17-19
Dockside Festival of the Arts
Muskoka Wharf, Gravenhurst
Admission by donation
docksidefestival.com

August 18
Love Fest Street Festival
Dorset
Admission by donation
lovefestdorset.ca

August 18-19
Artists of Limberlost Open Studio Weekend
Free
artistsofthelimberlost.ca

August 19
Lake of Bays Antique and Classic Boat and Car Show
Baysville
Admission by donation with proceeds to the Baysville and Dorset Winter Pantry Food Program

August 24-26
35th annual Bracebridge Antique Show and Sale
JD Lang Activity Park (Fairgrounds), Bracebridge

August 25
Muskoka Craft Beerfest
Muskoka Wharf, Gravenhurst
Ticket prices available on the website, must be legal drinking age
muskokacraftbeerfest.com

September 7-9
World Waterski Show Tournament
Deerhurst Resort, Huntsville
Tickets: $10 in advance or $20 at the gate. Kids 12 and under are free.
worldwaterskishowtournament.com/

September 15
Macaroni Festival
Downtown Huntsville
downtownhuntsvilleadventures.com

Ready for a party? Celebrate Canada Day at these local events!

Oh, Canada―we do love you. And we love a good party, so Canada Day is the perfect excuse to live it up a little. While this year’s celebrations will be a little more subdued―who can beat a 150th birthday party?―there’s still plenty of fun to be had around Muskoka. If you’re looking for ways to enjoy the occasion, check out these local events:

Huntsville
Muskoka Heritage Place in Huntsville will celebrate ‘Dominion Day’ with some old-time fun. Admission to the Pioneer Village is free until 11:00 a.m. and there will be free strawberry scones, tattoos and stickers while supplies last. July 1 is also the day that MHP’s historic Portage Flyer train gets “steamed up” for the summer season.
Later in the day, take in the fireworks over Hunters Bay at dusk. The best vantage points are at Avery Beach or the old train station.

Port Sydney
The Port Sydney Beach at Mary Lake comes alive with Canada Fun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are activities for all ages including live music, a BBQ, sand castle building (BYOT), wearable crafts, games & more! Follow @psparksandrec on Facebook for information.

Bracebridge
Join the BIA along Manitoba Street starting at 4 p.m. to celebrate everything that is Canadian! Enjoy the BBQ, fun inflatables and live music and stay for the Rotary Club Fireworks Spectacular.

Lake of Bays
On June 30, the Baysville Station 40 Fire Fighters fireworks show will take place at dusk (9:30 p.m.) at the dam in Baysville. Come by boat, car or on foot. Donations accepted to help offset the cost of the fireworks so they can continue next year. (Rain date: July 1.)
Also on June 30, celebrate Heritage Day at the Dorset Heritage Museum on from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Take part in interactive heritage exhibits indoors or on the museum lawn where you will also find a Unique Market Place featuring local artists, crafts and food delectable.
Also watch for a unique event in Dorset on July 1. Local resident Glenn Vickery began a swim around Lake of Bays―almost 200 kilometres!―in May to raise awareness for shoreline preservation and water quality. He’s swimming in stages of five to eight kilometres each time and he’s planning to land in Dorset July 1, where he hopes to have a swim-related events. Follow Glenn’s journey and watch for details on Instagram @glenn.vickery.

Muskoka Lakes
Visit the Muskoka Lakes Museum for a Canada Day open house and check out their ‘Winter in Muskoka’ interactive display and exhibit. There will be refreshments and free birthday cake. (Yay, cake!)

Gravenhurst
Join the Town of Gravenhurst and music on the barge for a day-long celebration, including concerts by the Bi-Focals Concert Band, the Orillia Silver Band, and The Little White Lies.

As the date draws closer, more event details will likely be added. Watch the links above for updates. Happy Canada Day!

With warmer weather finally arriving in Muskoka (go, spring!), the lakes are opening up and it’s time to start thinking about getting in and out on the water.

There are plenty of ways to do that―swimming, of course (though you might want to hold on that for just a little bit longer…brrrrr), canoeing, kayaking, boating, waterskiing, wakeboarding and just lazing around on the dock or the beach.

But there are some unique ways to enjoy the water, too, both as a participant and as a spectator. Here are a few suggestions to check out this year:

If you’ve never taken a tour of local lakes by boat, you can visit almost all of Muskoka’s largest lakes in style even if you don’t own a boat yourself. Most people are familiar with the iconic Muskoka Steamships―the RMS Segwun and the Winonah II―both of which will set sail for the season in May at the Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst. If you stop in to check them out, be sure to head to the nearby Discovery Centre to see the new Watershed Wonders exhibit, opening in July, that includes interactive displays and a virtual aquarium. Also in Muskoka Lakes, Sunset Cruises out of Port Carling and the Lady Muskoka in Bracebridge offer a variety of tours. Over on Lake of Bays, you can take a cruise on the SS Bigwin. And watch for the new Algonquin II tour boat in Huntsville, launching mid-June, following in the path of the steamer Algonquin that plied local waters from 1905 to 1952.

If you love the quiet of an early morning paddle in your canoe or kayak, get a different perspective on the water from a stand-up paddleboard (SUP). They’ve been gaining in popularity and can be rented from local outfitters if you don’t have your own. You can even try SUP Yoga through some of the local yoga studios. (It’s not as difficult as it sounds!)

If you want to challenge your paddling skills, check out the Big East River X in Huntsville on May 26. With a 9-km family/recreational course and a 40-km marathon paddling course, the event offers canoeists, kayakers and SUPers the opportunity to test their mettle over longer distances. But if that’s not enough of a challenge for you, the 24 Hours of River X in June and the Muskoka River X in September are marathon events that attract paddlers from around the world. Spectators are welcome, too.

Finally, have you ever wished you could fly? You can come close on a flyboard. Propelled by a high-pressure stream of water, a flyboard lets you soar up to 50 feet above the lake. And once you’ve got that mastered, you can even do flips and other tricks. SWS Watersports can teach you how. They also host weekly ski shows across Muskoka that are free to watch.

Muskoka’s lakes are its gems. Here’s hoping you have abundant opportunity to enjoy them this summer!

The weather is warming, the snow is melting (later than usual this year), the trees are still waking from their long winter slumber, and the small but mighty human nemesis – the black fly – has not yet emerged. All of these things make April one of the best times to check out local trails. You’ll see a different landscape than you’ll experience in the summer or fall, with some increased opportunities for spotting wildlife that might otherwise be hidden by foliage. Break out your waterproof footwear, though. Shady spots might still be mucky or snow-covered.
You might already have some favourite hikes in Muskoka. If these ones aren’t among them, I highly recommend checking them out.
In recent years, word has been getting out about the Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reserve. It’s a privately owned, 10,000-acre forest that has maintained trails open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year. There are 10 main trails with a combined length of more than 70 kilometres. Among the highlights of this hidden gem are scenic lookouts, a quartz deposit, a bird sanctuary, lakeside boardwalks, charming rest cabins, and a trail dotted with wildlife statues. Be sure to check out the resident goats, too. Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reserve is located 22 kilometres east of Huntsville off Limberlost Road. The trails are free to use – you just have to sign in when you arrive.
Also of note in North Muskoka are Hunters Bay Trail with its new floating boardwalk and Lions Lookout, both in Huntsville; and the Echo Valley Nature and Bike Trails and the Oxtongue Rapids Hiking Trail near Dwight. There are beautiful trails in Arrowhead Park, too, which re-open for the summer on May 11, but a park permit is required.
The Bracebridge Resource Management Centre Trails are easily accessible off Highway 11. A favourite with hikers and mountain bikers alike (and cross-country skiers and snowshoers in the winter), the BRMC trails offer 19 kilometres of woodland to explore along with some vistas of the Muskoka River. The trails are well groomed and there are options for all abilities.
Other trails to check out in South Muskoka are Wilson’s Falls in the heart of Bracebridge; Peninsula Trail beside the wharf in Gravenhurst; and the Torrance Barrens Trail near Bala, which is also a dark-sky preserve – a wonderful place for star-gazing.
For details on these trails and more, the Muskoka Trails Council is a great resource. You’ll find them at muskokatrailscouncil.com.

It’s a sweet time of year in Muskoka! With the arrival of warmer days but still cold nights, Muskoka’s maple trees have awoken from their long winter slumber to share with us that most wonderful of spring treats: sap.

On its own it’s a bit underwhelming – slightly sticky and subtlely sweet – but when boiled down into syrup it makes a delightful topping or sweetener for just about anything. (Who says maple syrup is just for pancakes?) If you want some culinary inspiration, you’ll find some maple-themed recipes courtesy of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association here.

Did you know that Ontario produces four million litres of maple syrup every year? Or that Canada produces 90 per cent of the world’s maple syrup? Or that it takes 40 litres of sap to make just one litre of maple syrup? That means our province’s maple trees give up 160 million litres of sap each year for us to enjoy!

A great way to learn more about how maple syrup is made – right from knowing when and how to tap the trees right through to bottling – is to take a sugar bush tour. Most maple farms offer them at this time of year, or you can check out the annual Muskoka Maple Trail which runs from March 9 until April 20.

In addition to six different sugar bush tours, the Muskoka Maple Trail also offers a variety of maple-inspired cuisine and activities to try. Like a maple bacon butter tart (just when you thought a butter tart couldn’t get any better!) or maple gelato. Or take a sleigh or wagon ride through a Muskoka maple bush.

If you’re a craft beer fan, you won’t want to miss the maple-licious result of a collaboration between Muskoka’s three craft breweries, Lake of Bays Brewing Company in Baysville, Muskoka Brewery in Bracebridge and Sawdust City Brewing Company in Gravenhurst. Together they’ve created the Pancake Breakfast Specialty Maple Ale – a toasted golden brown ale with a doughy malt centre, aromas of cinnamon and vanilla, and a lingering sweet maple syrup finish. But it’s only available in complimentary sample sizes at the breweries – watch for it on tap after March 17 while supplies last.

Finally, you can wrap up the spring celebration of all things maple at the culmination of the Muskoka Maple Trail – the Muskoka Maple Festival in downtown Huntsville on April 21. This free, family-friendly event features an all-day pancake breakfast, maple syrup producers, live music, arts and crafts vendors, unique maple items and gifts, street performers, interactive events, a beer garden and more!

You’ll find a map of the Muskoka Maple Trail and details on the Muskoka Maple Festival at muskokamaple.ca.