Discover the Summer Art Scene
in Orillia & Lake Country

The vibrant colours are in bloom across Orillia & Lake Country! While nature is putting on its on artistic flare, the region’s cultural scene is bustling with gallery exhibits, art tours, and professional theatre. We’ve got three amazing experiences not to miss out on during your next visit.

Folk Festival Fans

Launching in June, the Orillia Museum of Art & History opens two legendary exhibits for folk music fans! The museum has teamed up with the Mariposa Folk Festival for Voices Through Time: A Mariposa Journey on until September 27th. This exhibit looks through the lens of two festival photographers, Edwin Gailits and Deb Halbot, telling a story through the festival’s history. The striking black-and-white photos from Gailits preserve the livelihood of the Mariposa Folk Festival in the 1970s, while Halbot’s colourful and vibrant photos showcase the memories of the festival as we know it today. Over its 65 years, there are shared moments from each era, that tell a collaborative story of Mariposa’s legacy.

Simultaneously, OMAH is unveiling their next permanent exhibition, Gordon Lightfoot: Turning Back the Pages.  With an incredible career spanning over 75 years, discover an intimate never-before-seen look into Lightfoot’s life through rare artefacts, photographs, and ephemera. Celebrate this prolific storyteller’s early life, career and success in the city he always called home.

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Art on Tour

Time to pack for a day trip like no other! On June 21st  and 22nd explore Coldwater in a whole new way by visiting the Coldwater Studio Tour. Featuring 37 artists at eight locations in Severn, including home studios as well as places like the Coldwater Canadiana Museum and Coldwater Mill. Meet the artists in person across a wide variety of mediums including painting, fibre, clay, wood, metal and more. The tour is an opportunity to visit the charming village of Coldwater, voted one of the top quaint towns in Ontario, see historic venues that host our artists and visit their working studios to discuss artwork, technique and inspiration. To make it even easier, there is a FREE shuttle bus running both days so you can park your car or bike and travel around with ease.

After visiting the artists, spend some time having lunch along the river on the patio, shop in any number of the local stores and get to know what makes Coldwater special.

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On Stage

Experience three fantastic shows at the Orillia Opera House, all summer long, during the Summer Series of Professional Theatre. Running July 3rd to 18th enjoy the world premiere of Norm Foster’s latest production A Women’s Love List, which follows two women in their search for the ideal man! Next, get ready to Hurry Hard, a comedy about love on the rocks, running July 23rd to August 8th. Written by Kristen Desilva, who has performed herself on the Orillia Opera House stage, this comedy is perfect Canadiana following the trials and tribulations of a curling team. Rounding out the season is Common Ground by John Spurway, running August 13th to 29th. Full of wit, warmth, and humour, this show explores the absurdity of relationships, and the resilience needed to start over.

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Looking to plan your next getaway?
Visit OrilliaLakeCountry.ca to start planning.