A provincial tourism group has recognized one town-run event on their list of the year’s 100 best events in Ontario.
Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) announced the 2020 Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario, and Collingwood’s Sidelaunch Days is on the list.
Sidelaunch Days, a festival hosted by the Town of Collingwood to celebrate Collingwood’s waterfront and the many activities that occur there in the summer, was on the list of FEO’s top 100 festivals for the third year in a row.
The two-day Sidelaunch Days festival in August included stand-up paddle board races and demos, a wakeboarding competition, free canoeing, kayaking and sailing, boat tours, a diving dog show, live music, vendors and a waterfront bar. The festival returns to Collingwood Aug. 8-9, 2020.
“These top 100 recipients represent festivals and events that excel within the industry,” states a press release by FEO. The awards were given out during the FEO annual conference on Feb. 27 held in Richmond Hill, ON.
Award-recipients are chosen by a panel of independent judges, according to the release, and festivals from all over Ontario were recognized.
Last year, both Sidelaunch Days and the Collingwood Elvis Festival made FEO’s top 100 list for 2018 events and festivals. Previously, neighbouring events such as Salsa at Blue have also made the list. Meaford’s Scarecrow invasion is on the top 100 list this year, and has been for several years.
Collingwood is part of Regional Tourism Organization 7, which includes Bruce Peninsula, Southern Georgian Bay, and Lake Simcoe Tourism Region. Other area events on the list include the Barrie Automotive Flea Market, Barrie Winterfest, Carrot Fest in Bradford West Gwillimbury, Midland’s Butter Tart Festival, Clearview’s Small Halls Festival, First Light at Sainte Marie Among the Hurons, and Creemore Springs Turas Mór.
