Setup is underway for the Orillia Waterfront Festival, which will take place August 9 through 11 at the Port of Orillia. The event features an in-water boat show, live music, a craft beer garden hosted by Couchiching Craft Brewing Co., and an extensive vendor market with food, crafts, and unique retail items. Dock Diving Dog competitions are scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday, and the crowd-favorite Cardboard Boat Race will take place on Sunday.
The boat show portion of the event will be located at the Port of Orillia docks with Pride Marine, Crate’s Lake Country Boats, and McGregor on the Water showcasing their latest inventory. Some of the brands on display will include Frauscher, Sea Ray, Nautique, Nimbus, Chaparral, Alukin, Robalo, Chris Craft, Regal, Pursuit and Avalon Pontoon Boats.
Experience Nissan Orillia will be onsite all weekend collecting donations for the Sharing Place Food Centre. They are inviting festival attendees to bring non-perishable food items to help “fill the Frontier” and provide much-needed support to local residents experiencing food insecurity. A list of the current most-needed food items can be found at https://sharingplaceorillia.org/wp-
content/uploads/2024/02/Top-Needed-Items-1.png.
A full schedule of events for the Waterfront Festival is posted at https://www.orillia.com/waterfront- festival and is available in the events section of the Explore Orillia & Lake Country app. With the construction around the downtown boat launch now complete, there is plenty of parking available.
Anyone interested in participating in the Cardboard Boat Race or Dock Diving Dog competition can find details and sign up through the calendar of events at https://www.orillia.com/events/calendarcatgid/6.
The Orillia District Chamber of Commerce is a non- profit association providing a voice for an
integrated and prosperous business community. The Chamber’s mandate is to foster economic
development and advocate on behalf of its members to promote sustainable growth in Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Severn, Ramara, and Rama.
