Spring
Quebec Maple Syrup Festivals
Quebec Province-Wide | March - April
Celebrating the annual maple syrup harvest, sugar shacks across Quebec open their doors for traditional meals, tours, and tastings. The season begins when temperatures fluctuate above and below freezing, causing sap to flow.
- Activities: Sugar shack visits, tire sur la neige (syrup on snow)
- Traditional Foods: Ham, baked beans, tourtière, pancakes with fresh syrup
- Education: Learn about sap collection and syrup production
- Scale: Hundreds of sugar shacks participate across Quebec
Summer
PEI Shellfish Festival
Prince Edward Island | September
Celebrating Prince Edward Island's renowned seafood industry, this festival showcases oysters, mussels, lobster, and other maritime specialties. Chefs from across Canada participate in cooking competitions and demonstrations.
- Featured: Malpeque oysters, cultured mussels, lobster preparations
- Events: Shucking contests, chef demonstrations, seafood dinners
- Music: Live Atlantic Canadian performances
- Duration: Multi-day celebration of maritime cuisine
Summer
Taste of the Danforth
Toronto, Ontario | August
North America's largest street festival celebrates Greek and international cuisine along Toronto's Greektown. Over one million visitors sample diverse foods representing Toronto's multicultural character.
- Cuisine: Greek specialties, international foods from 30+ countries
- Scale: 1.5 km of restaurants and food vendors
- Entertainment: Multiple stages featuring international performances
- Attendance: Over 1 million visitors across three days
Summer
Shediac Lobster Festival
Shediac, New Brunswick | July
The "Lobster Capital of the World" hosts Canada's largest lobster festival. Five days of celebrations include massive lobster dinners, cooking competitions, parades, and entertainment focused on New Brunswick's lobster fishing heritage.
- Signature Event: Giant lobster dinner serving thousands
- Activities: Lobster roll eating contest, cooking demonstrations
- Local Industry: Celebrates sustainable lobster fishery
- History: Running since 1950, marking over 70 years
Fall
Niagara Wine Festival
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario | September
Celebrating Ontario's wine region with tastings, vineyard tours, culinary events, and the famous Grape Stomp. The festival showcases VQA wines and promotes Niagara's growing reputation for world-class viticulture.
- Wines: VQA wines, ice wines, estate tastings
- Events: Wine and food pairings, vineyard tours, winemaker dinners
- Entertainment: Grande Parade, street festival, concerts
- Duration: 10 days of wine-focused celebrations
Summer
Calgary Stampede
Calgary, Alberta | July
While famous for rodeo, the Calgary Stampede features extensive Alberta beef celebrations, pancake breakfasts, and western Canadian food culture. The event showcases prairie culinary traditions and ranching heritage.
- Food Focus: Alberta beef, pancake breakfasts, BBQ competitions
- Scale: Over 1 million visitors annually
- Tradition: Running since 1912, over 100 years
- Cultural Impact: Defines western Canadian food identity
Summer
Garlic Festival
Various Locations | August
Multiple garlic festivals across Ontario (Toronto, Stratford) celebrate this versatile ingredient. Farmers, chefs, and garlic enthusiasts gather for tastings, cooking demonstrations, and celebrations of local agriculture.
- Vendors: Local garlic growers, specialty products
- Activities: Cooking demos, garlic eating contests, farm tours
- Products: Fresh garlic, pickled garlic, garlic jams, sauces
- Education: Growing techniques, culinary applications
Winter
Winterlude
Ottawa, Ontario | February
Canada's capital celebrates winter with BeaverTails (fried dough pastries), poutine vendors, hot chocolate, and warming foods along the Rideau Canal. The festival showcases Canadian comfort food in winter settings.
- Signature Food: BeaverTails pastries, poutine, maple taffy
- Setting: World's largest skating rink on Rideau Canal
- Duration: Three weekends in February
- Attendance: Over 600,000 visitors annually
Fall
Montreal Highlights Festival
Montreal, Quebec | Various Dates
Montreal hosts numerous food festivals throughout the year, including Poutine Week, Montreal en Lumière (winter), and outdoor food markets. The city's diverse population creates year-round culinary celebrations.
- Events: Poutine Week, MTL à Table, street food festivals
- Diversity: French, Jewish, Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern cuisines
- Innovation: Contemporary chefs reimagining traditional dishes
- Year-Round: Food-focused events in every season
Summer
Richmond Night Market
Richmond, British Columbia | May - October
North America's largest night market showcases Asian street food, particularly Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese cuisines. The market demonstrates British Columbia's Pacific Rim culinary influences.
- Cuisine: Asian street foods, fusion creations, bubble tea
- Scale: Over 100 food vendors, cultural performances
- Innovation: Unique fusion dishes combining Asian and Canadian elements
- Duration: Weekend operations from May through October
Fall
Apple Harvest Festivals
Ontario & Quebec | September - October
Dozens of orchards across Ontario and Quebec host apple harvest festivals. Visitors pick apples, enjoy apple cider, pies, and other apple products while celebrating autumn harvests in traditional farming communities.
- Activities: Apple picking, cider pressing, farm tours
- Products: Fresh apples, cider, apple butter, pies, fritters
- Varieties: Over 350 apple varieties grown in Canada
- Heritage: Celebrates agricultural traditions and family farming
Summer
Folklorama
Winnipeg, Manitoba | August
The world's longest-running multicultural festival features pavilions representing over 40 cultures. Each pavilion serves authentic food from their respective countries, celebrating Manitoba's diverse immigrant heritage.
- Diversity: 40+ cultural pavilions with authentic cuisine
- Experience: Visitors "travel" between cultural pavilions
- History: Operating since 1970, over 50 years
- Recognition: Largest multicultural festival of its kind globally