FAQ

Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival presented by Chapman's is on June 13, 2026 from 9am to 5pm.

The festival takes place in Midland’s downtown core between Yonge Street and Bayshore Drive and expands into David Onley Park and Harbourside Park. Check back for the Festival's 2026 maps.

• No admission fee.
• There are fees associated with activities at the Kids Zone.
• It is recommended to bring cash for purchases as several vendors are cash-only. Many bank ATMs are open if you run out.

Enjoy live music at the entertainment stage from 10:00am - 5:00pm. Check back for the 2026 music lineup.

The Egg Farmers of Ontario Butter Tart Contest takes place in Rotary Hall within the Midland Cultural Centre. There is no admission cost to sit in the audience and watch our judges tackle the sweet challenge of selecting the BEST butter tart. The audience also gets a taste of what the judges are sampling!

Visit Butter Tart Contest for more details.

Save yourself the hassle of trying to find a parking spot downtown and take The Great Canadian Meat Shuttle for free! Check back for 2026 shuttle locations and times.

We strive to ensure barriers to accessibility have been removed. Our downtown core has been revitalized with curb-free streets. Ample room on each side of the vendor booths have been maintained to allow wheelchairs and strollers to move freely. Please note: the large crowds may cause some congestion and difficulties navigating for those with mobility devices and strollers.

Accessible Parking

• Accessible parking and mothers-to-be parking - only on Festival day at the Municipal lot at Bayshore Drive and Midland Avenue.

• Accessible spots are also located throughout the downtown core.

Accessible Washrooms

• Accessible washrooms are available at the Midland Cultural Centre, 333 King Street Midland.
• Accessible Port-a-potties are available

Visit Parking in Midland to learn more.

Free parking is available in several municipal lots on Festival day.

• Accessible parking and mothers-to-be parking - only on Festival day at the Municipal lot at Bayshore Drive and Midland Avenue.
• Accessible spots are also located throughout the downtown core.
• Parking offences such as parking too close to an intersection, blocking fire hydrants, etc. will be enforced.

Visit Parking in Midland to learn more.

Check back here to view the 2026 Festival Map, and for the Road Closure Map.

Midland Transit will be running at no cost to riders (note the regular route will be impacted due to the festival). Check back for the Festival's 2026 Transit Map.

Cyclists will enjoy a free bike valet located along the Trans Canada Trail near the Harbour, provided by Cycle Simcoe.

Have a question on festival day? Visit our information booth at King Street and Hugel Avenue. Festival Maps are located at each intersection for your convenience.

Due to the number of festival visitors and crowds, we strongly recommend leaving your dog at home. If you have your dog with you, please do not leave them unattended in your vehicle.

Porta-potties are located at each intersection throughout the festival and in Harbourside Park, with hand washing stations. Washroom facilities, including accessible washrooms, are also available on the main floor and second floor of the Midland Cultural Centre and at the Midland Harbour.

The Midland Cultural Centre has baby care stations in their main floor washrooms. The Midland Cultural Centre and Midland Public Library, both located at King and Elizabeth Streets, are breastfeeding friendly locations and are air-conditioned spots for moms to nurse their babies.

If you need to step out of the heat, the Midland Cultural Centre and the Midland Public Library are designated cooling stations.

For emergencies, please call 9-1-1. For minor injuries, a certified first aid company is onsite to assist with first aid. They have a station set up at the festival and they also have staff roaming throughout the festival.

The festival hires a private security company to assist with any on-site issues. They wear identifiable clothing and you’ll find them throughout the festival.

Lost and found is located at our Festival Information Booths. If you lose an item at the festival, please email service@midland.ca or phone us at 705-526-4275. We will respond at our earliest convenience on the next business day.

As our festival is family-friendly, we ask that visitors refrain from smoking tobacco and cannabis and vaping within the festival boundaries. Please see the Smoke Free Ontario Act, 2017

Looking to stay overnight? Visit Experience - Simcoe County We have a variety of accommodation options available in Midland and the surrounding area. 

That’s right! Our contest judges only cut off a small portion of each butter tart for tasting and the rest of each butter tart is cut into smaller pieces. Our volunteers circulate throughout the audience with trays with these delicious little samples, allowing festival visitors to taste the same butter tarts as our judges! You can find the Egg Farmers of Ontario Butter Tart Contest in Rotary Hall within the Midland Cultural Centre.

Festival visitors will be able to purchase a six-pack of contest butter tarts for $15 each. There will be a limit of two packages per customer and tarts will be available for sale at specific times outside of Scotiabank at the festival.

Events below are community events, not Town of Midland events.

• Our friends at the Butter Tart Trot organize a fun-run in support of local youth charities. With butter tarts along the route for runners to enjoy, it is the yummiest run race in Ontario! Visit The Butter Tart Trot for more information. 
• Families will enjoy our new Kids Zone located in Harbourside Park. Please note there are fees associated with Kids Zone activities.
• The Georgian Bay Cancer Support Centre is hosting their annual Butter Tart Classic Pickleball Tournament.  This 3-division tournament guarantees you 4 games of pickleball while supporting the Georgian Bay Cancer Support Centre.  Visit their website for more information. 

If you run out of cash while at our festival, the following banks and ATMs will be available. In Midland:

• Desjardins, 9293 County Road 93 (ATM only)
• Scotiabank, 291 King Street (ATM only)
• TD, 295 King Street (Tellers 9am-4:00pm, plus ATM)
• BMO, 243 King Street (ATM only)
• CIBC, 274 King Street (ATM only)

• Re-fillable water bottles. We have a water bottle refill station located in Harbourside Park. Stay hydrated!
• Sunscreen as our festival takes place mostly outdoors, and dress for the weather.
• Wipes for sticky hands when enjoying all of the delicious butter tarts.
• Re-usable bags for to carry your butter tarts and other purchases so we can cut down on plastic use at our event.

Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival is a rain or shine event. While the weather gods love butter tarts, our event takes place outdoors, so please bring an umbrella or raincoat if the forecast calls for rain. In the event of severe inclement weather festival organizer may need to cancel the event. Watch for details on our social media accounts, announcements on local radio stations, and through Town of Midland's website.

Stay tuned for 2026 vendors.

The Southern Georgian Bay Farmers Market operates on Sunday morning from 9am to 1pm Many of our downtown businesses will be open on Sunday, as well as eateries and restaurants. Visit one of our local attractions or historic sites. For more information, Heart of Georgian Bay.