| Festival at the Fort September 30, 2023 10 am - 4 pm Historic Fort Willow Conservation Area 2714 Grenfel Rd, Utopia, ON L0M 1T2 |
Click here to Buy Tickets Now $10/person $35/Family of 4 Free for children 2 and under |
|---|
Have a taste of what the Festival at Fort Willow is like!
Experience the Historic Fort Willow Conservation Area come to life on September 30, 2023!
The Festival at Fort Willow is an annual event where visitors will experience what life was like at Fort Willow in the early 1800s.
This event is hosted by the Friends of Historic Fort Willow, the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, the Township of Springwater and the Rotary Club of Barrie.
- Visit settlers homes and smell their delicious food
- Discover how ships were built
- Make candles like settlers
- Watch a blacksmith work
- Tie ropes like a sailor
- Find out what items were traded between Indigenous Peoples and Europeans
- Learn about Lives and traditions of Indigenous Peoples
- Talk to fur trappers
- Muster up and march in the King’s Army
- Hear the cannons roar
The Festival at Fort Willow is located at the Historic Fort Willow Conservation Area.
Directions from the Barrie: Go west on County Rd. 90 (Dunlop St.) to George Johnston Road. Turn right (north) and travel for 8 km. Turn left onto Portage Road and travel for 3 km to the front gates.
Directions from Toronto/York Region: Head north on Highway 400 and take the Dunlop St West exit (Exit 96B) in Barrie. Continue on Dunlop St West to George Johnston Road. Dunlop Street West turns into County Road 90 after County Road 27.
Turn right (north) and travel for 8 km. Turn left onto Portage Road and travel for 3 km to the front gates.
- On the Hour (00 min): Cannon Demonstration
- At Quarter After Hour (15 min): Mini Militia (muster up and march in the King's army!)
- On the Half-Hour (30 min): Musket Demonstration
- Ongoing demonstrations throughout the day: candle making, rope making, cooking demonstration, Barrie Art Club "Relay" Painting, Wandering Minstrels.
Fort Willow Conservation Area is located at 2714 Grenfel Rd. in Springwater Township (map), about 10 minutes west of Barrie.
There will be limited parking available at the Fort Willow Conservation Area and roadside parking available. Carpooling is encouraged.
There is limited accessible parking - if you require accessible parking, please speak to one of the volunteers at the Fort gates.
Fort Willow features an accessible trail and outhouses. While you do need to walk in to the festival (about 250 m), the site is flat and the paths are wide and comfortable.
Is there any food for purchase?There will be limited food available for sale, including hot dogs, drinks and pre-packaged items. Cash sales only.
Refillable water stations will be available onsite.
The War of 1812 soldiers were out in all sorts of weather, and we will be too! This event runs rain or shine. Please come prepared for outdoor activity and dress appropriately for the weather.
You know your dog best - there will be cannons and guns firing, horses and lots of people, so this may not be the event for all dogs. If you would like to bring your dog, it must be on a short leash at all times.
There will be porta-potties and outhouses available, along with hand-washing stations.
Thank you to all the visitors, volunteers and historical re-enactors that have made our festival successful year after year. In particuluar, we'd like to thank past sponsors and donors: Tourism Simcoe County, Joe's No Frills and McDonald's Angus.
This event is hosted by the Friends of Fort Willow, Nottwasaga Valley Conservation Authority, the Township of Springwater and the Rotary Club of Barrie.