City of Barrie Winterfest 2026

The City of Barrie proudly presents Barrie Winterfest each year, a community tradition and one of the top winter festivals in Ontario.

The 2026 event features favourite winter activities all day, including spectacular ice sculptures, lumberjack shows, family entertainment, drop-in activities, skating and much more! Complete the evening by visiting one of Downtown Barrie's many restaurants.

Barrie Winterfest kicks off Hello Winter each year. Hello Winter offers outdoor, arts, culture and community events throughout February.

Happening at Centennial Park

Activities & Features

Many activities take place at Centennial Park on Saturday, 10am–5pm and Sunday, 10am–4pm (unless noted otherwise).

• Snow Valley’s mini tube slide
• Speaking of Wildlife exhibit
• Inflatables and games
• Buskers & family entertainment
• Fire pit warming zone
• Fireside Marshmallow Roasting: Participate in the classic fireside marshmallow roasting experience. Roast a marshmallow over the warm glow of the hardwood fire.
• Nature play & art activity area: Explore ice and snow with your imagination leading the way. With an assortment of loose natural parts and colourful ice blocks (weather-dependent), the possibilities for creative building are endless.
• Winter Wildlife (Sunday,  February 8th 10am 12:30pm): Explore how local wildlife survives the coldest months of the year. Discover winter animal adaptations through hands-on learning with real furs and skulls, investigate replica scat and animal tracks, and practice their observation skills with a tracking challenge run by Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.
• Snow sculpture by artist Siggi Buhler (@siggibuhler )
• Toronto Kite Fliers showcase of kites of all sizes, shapes, and colours in a special winter aerial display (weather/wind permitting)
• Vendor market ($)
• Warming station provided by Napoleon Home Comfort
• Scouts winter cookout ($)

Fire shows, lumberjack shows & more! In addition to enjoying the live entertainment at scheduled times, attendees can marvel at artistic masterpieces carved from 300lb blocks of ice by professional sculptors right before your eyes on Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday! One of Winterfest's most popular features, the 2026 ice sculptures celebrate the theme of Tropical Beach! Sculptures will be lit to enjoy at night and remain throughout Centennial Park as long as the weather permits.

There's so much happening on Winterfest weekend and not all takes place at Centennial Park!

• 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)
• Play shinny hockey at Will Dwyer Park Community Ice Rink
• 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. Stay tuned for more!