Food & DrinkAugHappening Now
Winona Peach Festival
A free small-town festival built entirely around Ontario peaches, an hour past the Toronto sprawl.
When
2026: August 28–30, 2026
2025: August 22–24, 2025
Where
Winona Park
Area
Winona, Hamilton
Cost
Free · Free admission; food, rides and vendor items sold individually
Format
outdoor
Attendance
150K+ visitors
Running Since
1967 (59 years)
Family Friendly
Yes
VT Insider Tip
Go for the peach shortcake and peach pie by the slice — sold by the community groups that run the festival, and the actual reason most people make the drive. Cash helps at the smaller vendor tables.
About
Winona Peach Festival started in 1967 as a Canadian Centennial project and has run every summer since, organized by nineteen volunteer community groups rather than a professional events company. It's the kind of festival that barely exists anymore near a major city: genuinely free, genuinely local, built around a single agricultural product from the peach orchards that still ring the escarpment between Stoney Creek and Grimsby.
What to Expect
A small-town fairground weekend: peach-themed food stands, a midway with rides, live music on an outdoor stage, artisan and craft vendors, and a Saturday parade. It's compact enough to see in an afternoon and skews heavily toward families and longtime Hamilton-area residents.
Pro Tips
There's no dedicated parking lot — arrive early on Saturday or expect to park several blocks away and walk. Friday evening is noticeably quieter than the Saturday daytime rush.
Getting There
No direct transit option — this one requires a car. Take the QEW west to Fifty Road or Fruitland Road in Winona, about 50 minutes from downtown Toronto. Winona Park is well signed once you're off the highway.