Top 100 Ontario Festivals & Events in 2016 announced

_ (press release) _ ** Festivals and Events Ontario ** (FEO) is proud to announce the 2016 Top 100 Festivals & Events in Ontario. These Top 100 recipients represent festivals and events that excel within the industry. Included in the Top 100 are the ** Festivals & Events of Distinction ** , a select group which represent some of the most well-known and respected celebrations in the province; celebrations which draw both an international and domestic audience.

“Our government recognizes festivals and events as important economic drivers and we’re proud to support their efforts to create jobs, grow our economy and celebrate our diverse and vibrant cultural identity,” said the Honourable Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “I am pleased to join with Festival and Events Ontario in celebrating this year’s Top 100 recipients and I congratulate them all for achieving this honour.”

Submissions from FEO members were received for consideration in the fall of 2015 and were judged by an independent panel of judges. Festivals and events of all kinds from every corner of Ontario were represented in the submissions – from community festivals to internationally recognized events. The 2016 Top 100 Awards were given out on Friday, March 4 during FEO’s Annual Conference Dare 2B Different in Markham, ON

FEO would like to congratulate the 2016 Top 100 Festivals & Events in Ontario: ** APRIL ** ** Eat & Drink Norfolk ** (Simcoe)

Apr 7 - 9

** Float Your Fanny Down The Ganny ** (Port Hope)

Apr 16

** MAY ** ** SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival ** (Toronto)

May 7 - 15

** Carassauga Festival ** (Mississauga)

May 27 - 29

** JUNE ** ** Barrie Automotive Flea Market ** (Oro-Medonte)

Jun 2 - 5

** Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival ** (Orangeville)

Jun 2 - 5

** Dundas International Buskerfest ** (Dundas)

Jun 3 - 5

** The Streetsville Founders’ Bread and Honey Festival ** (Mississauga)

Jun 3 - 5

** Re-Enactment of the Battle of Stoney Creek ** (Stoney Creek)

Jun 4 - 5

** Dunnville Mudcat Festival ** (Dunnville)

Jun 9 - 12

** Oshawa Peony Festival ** (Oshawa)

Jun 11 - 12

** Mississauga Waterfront Festival ** (Mississauga)

Jun 17 - 19

** Salsa at Blue Mountain ** (Blue Mountains)

Jun 17 - 19

** Carrousel of Nations ** (Windsor)

Jun 17 - 26

** Kirkland Lake Homecoming ** (Kirkland Lake)

Jun 24 - Jul 1

** The Toronto Fringe Festival ** (Toronto)

Jun 29 - Jul 10

** Toronto Ribfest ** (Etobicoke)

Jun 30 - Jul 3

** JULY ** ** City of Burlington’s Canada Day Celebrations ** (Burlington)

Jul 1

** Niagara Falls Canada Day Celebration ** (Niagara Falls)

Jul 1

** Richmond Hill Canada Day Celebration ** (Richmond Hill)

Jul 1

** Vaughan Celebrates: Canada Day ** (Vaughan)

Jul 1

** It’s Your Festival ** (Hamilton)

Jul 1 - 4

** World Heritage Sunset Ceremonies ** (Kingston)

Jul 6 - Aug 31

** Belleville Waterfront & Ethnic Festival ** (Belleville)

Jul 7 - 10

** TD Sunfest: Canada’s Premier Celebration of World Cultures ** (London)

Jul 7 - 10

** Lighthouse Blues Festival ** (Kincardine)

Jul 8 - 10

** Teddy Bears Picnic ** (Thunder Bay)

Jul 12

** Pelham Summerfest ** (Fonthill)

Jul 14 - 17

** Festival Kompa Zouk ** (Toronto)

Jul 14 - Aug 1

** Home County Music And Art Festival ** (London)

Jul 15 - 17

** Mount Forest Fireworks Festival ** (Mount Forest)

Jul 15 - 17

** Festival of the Sound ** (Parry Sound)

Jul 15 - Aug 7

** Collingwood Elvis Festival ** (Collingwood)

Jul 20 - 24

** Kapuskasing Lumberjack Heritage Festival ** (Kapuskasing)

Jul 22 – 24

** Richmond Hill Ribfest ** (Richmond Hill)

Jul 22 - 24

** Bancroft Rockhound Gemboree ** (Brancroft)

Jul 28 – 31

** Harbourfest ** (Kenora)

Jul 29 - 31

** Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival ** (Port Colborne)

Jul 29 - Aug 1

** Sioux Lookout Blueberry Festival ** (Sioux Lookout)

Jul 29 - Aug 7

** Cobourg Sandcastle Festival ** (Cobourg)

Jul 30

** Jambana™, One World Festival ** (Brampton)

Jul 31 - Aug 1

** Newmarket Jazz+ Festival ** (Newmarket)

Jul 31 - Aug 3

** AUGUST ** ** TD Kitchener Blues Festival ** (Kitchener)

Aug 4 - 7

** Kingston Sheep Dog Trials Festival ** (Kingston)

Aug 5 - 7

** Jerk (Jerk Food Festival) ** (Toronto)

Aug 6 - 7

** Buckhorn Fine Art Festival ** (Buckthorn)

Aug 12 - 14

** Carrot Fest ** (Bradford)

Aug 19 - 20

** Dundas Cactus Festival ** (Dundas)

Aug 19 - 21

** Tweed Tribute to Elvis Festival ** (Tweed)

Aug 19 - 21

** Mississauga ITALFEST ** (Mississauga)

Aug 20

** Burlington’s Children’s Festival ** (Burlington)

Aug 21

** Tecumseh Corn Festival ** (Tecumseh)

Aug 25 - 28

** The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge & Festival ** (Timmins)

Aug 26 - 28

** Waterfront District BIA Ribfest ** (Thunder Bay)

Aug 26 - 28

** MuslimFest ** (Mississauga)

Aug 27 - 28

** SEPTEMBER ** ** Supercrawl ** (Hamilton)

Sep 9 - 11

** Tim Hortons Southside Shuffle Blues & Jazz Festival ** (Mississauga)

Sep 9 - 11

** Canada’s Only Guitar Trail ** (Blue Mountains)

Sep 10

** Meaford Scarecrow Invasion & Family Festival ** (Meaford)

Sep 16 - Oct 16

** St. George AppleFest ** (St. George)

Sep 17 – 18

** Telling Tales Festival ** (Hamilton)

Sep18

** Beau’s Oktoberfest ** (Vankleek Hill)

Sep 23 - 24

** Richmond Hill Tastes of the Hill ** (Richmond Hill)

Sep 25

** OCTOBER ** ** Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village ** (Morrisburg)

Oct 1 - 30

** Fort Fright at Fort Henry ** (Kingston)

Oct 1 - 31

** Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show ** (Simcoe)

Oct 4 - 10

** Blue Mountains Apple Harvest Festival ** (Blue Mountains)

Oct 8 - 10

** Bala Cranberry Festival ** (Bala)

Oct 14 -16

** Aurora’s Haunted Forest ** (Aurora)

Oct 29

** NOVEMBER ** ** Niagara Falls Santa Claus Parade ** (Niagara Falls)

Nov 19

** River Lights Winter Festival ** (Amherstburg)

Nov 19 - Dec 31

** First Light at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons ** (Midland)

Nov 24 - 26

** WINTER DEC TO MAR 2017 ** ** Christkindl Market ** (Kitchener)

Dec 1 - 4

** Alight at Night at Upper Canada Village ** (Morrisburg)

Dec 1 - Jan 1, 2017

** Wine & Food Show ** (London)

Jan 19 - 21, 2017

** Barrie Winterfest ** (Barrie)

Feb 4 - 5, 2017

** Kirkland Lake Winter Carnival ** (Kirkland Lake)

Feb 16 - Mar 5, 2017

** Voyageur Winter Carnival ** (Thunder Bay)

Feb 18 - 20, 2017

** Bronte Creek Maple Syrup Festival ** (Oakville)

Mar 4 - 26, 2017

Dare 2B Different 2016 FEO Conference was held at Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre & Spa in Markham, ON.