Hometown Harvest Festival brings music, artisans and family activities to Midland for Thanksgiving weekend
The Hometown Harvest Festival at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons includes an artisan market featuring handmade products from more than 30 vendors over Thanksgiving weekend.
Photo credit: Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
Sainte-Marie among the Hurons is hosting Hometown Harvest Festival over Thanksgiving weekend, with three days of live music, artisan shopping and family activities at the Midland, Ontario, historic site.
The festival runs Saturday, Oct. 10, through Monday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is $15 per person, including tax, with free entry for children five and under. The program combines seasonal activities with demonstrations and games offered throughout the site.
More than 30 artisan booths will be set up across the Brébeuf Event Centre, Boivin Building, indoor museum, visitors’ centre and historic-site entrance. The market includes handmade gifts and food products from local makers. Sainte-Marie advises visitors to bring cash because most vendors cannot accept debit or credit cards, and there is no ATM on site.
Live music is scheduled in the courtyard every day. Singer-songwriter Madison Mueller performs Saturday, Barrie-based singer Geneviève Cyr takes Sunday's spot, and Russ Clayton performs Monday. Visitors interested in dancing can join a beginner-friendly line-dancing workshop led by Boots at the Bay on Saturday or Sunday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The workshop is included with admission.
Visitors can make dipped candles, follow a family scavenger hunt and watch fire-starting demonstrations. Sainte-Marie's program also advertises traditional First Nations games at 12:30 and 3 p.m. each day, along with Three Sisters soup made with corn, beans and squash in the cookhouse.
The heritage farm's animals will be joined by Nigerian Dwarf goats and Bella the miniature horse, along with Bennett the miniature donkey on Sunday and Monday. Barn tours cost another $5 and run daily at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Restaurant Sainte-Marie will serve a Thanksgiving turkey meal, with advance reservations strongly recommended. Visitors can book 2 or 5 p.m. seatings with their festival tickets, while 6:30 p.m. seatings on Saturday and Sunday can be booked by phone. The restaurant's regular menu and on-site barbecue food are also available.
What to know before visiting
The festival is at 16164 Highway 12 East in Midland. Parking accommodates cars, RVs and buses, and bike racks are available for cyclists arriving from the Tay Trail. Most festival activities take place outdoors, and visitors should be prepared for changing weather and uneven ground.
Sainte-Marie lists accessible washrooms and ramps to historic buildings, with wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-served basis. Paths are made of gravel, woodchips and dirt, and staff can assist visitors who need help navigating them. Service animals are welcome; other pets are not permitted during the festival.
Indigenous visitors with valid ID and Canadian Armed Forces members with valid ID receive free admission, as does a support person accompanying a paying visitor with disabilities. Sainte-Marie season passes are also valid.
Tickets, the full schedule and meal-booking information are available through Sainte-Marie among the Hurons' official festival page.
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