Summer is in full swing across cottage country, and the calendar is packed. This month I’ve pulled together a roundup that spans all five regions I serve — Simcoe County, Muskoka, Parry Sound, Kawartha Lakes, and Haliburton — because the best part of living up here is that there’s always something happening within an easy drive, whichever lake you call home. Here’s what’s worth marking on your July calendar.
Muskoka
Gravenhurst Vintage Boat Show — Saturday, July 11 (9am–4pm), Muskoka Wharf. “Magic on the Water” draws thousands each year, with the historic steamships as a backdrop and a stunning lineup of antique and classic boats — mahogany launches, cedar strips, and everything in between. Free admission, and a quintessential Muskoka morning. Details →
Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival — July 17–18, Muskoka Wharf, Gravenhurst. Now in its fifth year, this lakeside festival brings live music, art, and food trucks together under a canopy of pines right on the water. The 2026 lineup features The Tea Party, Hawksley Workman, Odds, and Paul Langlois of The Tragically Hip. Details →
Muskoka Arts & Crafts Summer Show — July 17–19, Annie Williams Memorial Park, Bracebridge. One of Ontario’s longest-running outdoor art events, featuring 200 of Canada’s finest artisans and drawing over 10,000 visitors a year. A highlight of the Muskoka summer for anyone who loves handmade work. Details →
Parry Sound
Festival of the Sound — July 22 to August 8, Charles W. Stockey Centre. Now in its 46th season, this is one of Canada’s premier summer music festivals — over 40 concerts and cruises spanning classical, chamber, jazz, and opera, with 70-plus artists, all set against the gorgeous backdrop of Georgian Bay. If you’ve never made the trip to Parry Sound for it, this is the year. Details →
Kawartha Lakes
Kinmount Highland Games — Saturday, July 11, Kinmount Fairgrounds. A full day of Scottish tradition in the heart of the Kawarthas — heavy events, pipes and drums, dancing, and family fun. A wonderful, community-run day out that shows off small-town cottage country at its best. Details →
Haliburton
Haliburton Art & Craft Festival — July 24–26, Head Lake Park. A perennial favourite for more than 60 years, this three-day open-air festival features around 80 artists and artisans from across the region and beyond — ceramics, glass, woodwork, cottage décor, and more — in a gorgeous lakeside park just steps from Haliburton Village. Art installations, buskers, and a hands-on community arts tent round it out. Details →
Simcoe County
Orillia Mardi Gras — Saturday, July 25, downtown Orillia. Downtown Orillia comes alive for a summer street celebration just steps from the Lake Couchiching waterfront — live music, food, and that laid-back lakeside-town energy that makes an Orillia summer evening hard to beat. Details →
Bill’s Insider Take
One of the things I love most about this part of Ontario is how much it opens up in July — and how easy it is to hop between regions. You can catch a vintage boat show in Gravenhurst one weekend, a Highland Games in Kinmount the next, and a world-class concert in Parry Sound the weekend after. If you’re thinking about where you might want to own one day, spend a summer weekend at a couple of these. There’s no better way to get a feel for the character of each community than to show up and enjoy it like a local.
Dates and details can shift, so it’s always worth confirming with the organizer before you head out. And if visiting one of these communities has you wondering what it would take to own a place there, you know where to find me — I’m always happy to talk about any of the five regions, whichever lake caught your eye.
Lake Country Real Estate Team | eXp Realty | Serving Simcoe County, Muskoka, Parry Sound, Kawartha Lakes & Haliburton
