Agriculture
If we can grow it in Essex County, we can build a party around it.
On the surface, it might seem like our cornucopia of fruit and veg
festivals are all the same; there’s the midway, the flea market vendors,
and the beer tent. But dig a little deeper and you’ll see that each
festival centred on one of our locally-grown products has its own
unique flavour. There’s no beating the local strawberries and
strawberry shortcake at Lasalle’s Strawberry Festival, and the Kids
Strawberry Planting wouldn’t make sense anywhere else. You’ll need
to head to Tecumseh in August for hot buttered corn and a chance to
meet Nibby. Take in the Tomato Stomp at Leamington’s Tomato
Festival in August. And you can cap off the summer with a Red
Delicious at the Apple Fest in Ruthven in late September.
There have been a few newcomers to the scene in recent years, and
they’re slowly putting down roots as festival mainstays. In June, check
out the Lavender Festival at Serenity Lavender Farm. And watch for the
brand new Harvest Festival expected this year in Amherstburg in
September, where we celebrate everything we grow.
Art in the Park kicks off the
festival season in June
Art
In case you thought Windsor-Essex was all about fruit
and veg, the multitude of festivals built around the arts will set
you straight. No one needs to be reminded of Art In The Park,
now in its 46th year as the award-winning example of how to
celebrate the painters, sculptors and crafters from our region
and beyond. But we’ve also got several other art festivals to
look forward to: Arts at the Marina and the Walkerville Art
Walk and Rock take place in July, and Art by the River comes
to Amherstburg in August. The Lost Arts Festival happens at
John R. Park Homestead in August as well. And don’t forget
BookFest in the Fall!
Beer
The new millennium brought a new kind of festival to the region. Craft beer and the numerous area craft brewers aren’t shy
about celebrating their efforts. Most craft beer festivals take place in the fall - the first one up this year isn’t until October.