Canada’s Top 5 Small-Town Festivals for a Unique Experience

We are sure you have already heard about all the “big” things you should visit when traveling to Canada. You wouldn’t want to miss the spectacular Niagara Falls, the Victoria and Butchart Gardens, whale watching, or just roaming through the streets of wonderful cities like Vancouver, Montreal, or Toronto. However, there is one more side of Canada you might want to explore if you want to get to know this country: small-town festivals! Here you can experience one of the largest electronic music festivals worldwide, a festival for Spock fans, or gatherings dedicated to The King. Let us present you with some of these events so you can experience something truly unique while visiting this beautiful country!

Top Reasons Why You Should Visit Canada

Before we dive into small-town festivals, let us remind you why Canada should be one of your top priorities when it comes to your travel bucket list. First of all, this is a country where you can have endless fun. When tired of outdoor activities, you can spend your time online and play games, visit virtual exhibitions, or simply gamble at trusted places, like these legit online casinos, as something to do in the evening or between activities on the festivals. These are some of the most reputable online casinos Canada offers to users, as they are trusted and legit. Make sure that if you gamble, you do it responsibly, and visit only reputable online casinos.

Besides spending time at safe online casinos, or in other indoor activities, we encourage you to visit monumental and unforgettable landmarks that Canada is full of. As mentioned at the beginning, you surely want to visit the majestic Niagara Waterfalls, discover the Icefields Parkway and Banff National Park, and explore some of the 37 national parks and 11 national park reserves throughout Canada. Alongside sightseeing, you will have an opportunity to observe diverse wildlife, including grizzlies and polar bears, moose, wolves, and sea lions. Kayaking will add to this experience like nothing else, while rail journeys are a great option for those who are not that big fans of adrenalin.

For Dog Lovers: Weinerfest, Embro, Ontario

Let's start with Wienerfest, Canada's largest breed-specific dog festival, celebrating Dachshunds. The last event was held on June 23 – 24 and it gathered more than 10,000 visitors and more than 7,000 dogs. It is designed to be a fun family event with a lot of fun activities, like a yogurt-eating contest for puppies, professional photo opportunities with the “wienermobile”, dachshund races, silent auctions, and others. The festival is committed to sharing the idea of animal rescue, adoption, and welfare, as well as to educating the public about pet care. If you are a fan of dogs, or traveling with them, make sure to visit Calgary, also known as the Dog Park Capital of North America – you will enjoy it!

For Ethnic Festival Enthusiasts: Islendingadagurinn, Gimli, Manitoba

If you have trouble pronouncing the name of the festival, no worries – this event is widely known as the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba. It is the second oldest continuous ethnic festival in North America, held for the first time in 1890 in Winnipeg, and moved to Gimli in 1932 where it has been held since. It is promoted as a place where Icelandic culture and descent should be celebrated, gathering thousands of Icelanders. For those of you who don’t know, Gimli is home to the world’s biggest Icelandic community outside Iceland. The festival offers numerous fun activities, like running races, artists' shows, lawn parade contests, Viking battles, fashion shows, live music, and many others.

For Star Trek Fans: Spock Days, Vulcan, Alberta

Spock Days is a unique tradition in the Vulcan community, held for over 30 years now. It brings together locals and tourists in a “weekend of out-of-this-world fun”, with activities like ball tournaments, Spock Day Parade, pancake breakfast events, fairs, and others. The festival truly embraces Star Trek culture and its iconic decor, but it insists on building strong community links and connections. We sure wish the organizers and the festival to live long and prosper, and to all of you Star Trek fans not to miss the opportunity to enjoy this visual spectacle.

For Electronic Music Lovers: Shambhala Music Festival, Salmo, British Columbia

Shambhala festival premiered 25 years ago and has since grown to become one of the longest-running, largest, and most famous electronic music festivals worldwide. It is held for four days each July or August and brings around 15,000 visitors daily who can choose from more than 200 artists and 6 stages. The uniqueness of the festival arises also from the fact that it is held on a 500-acre ranch, alongside the Salmo River and the mountains, making it not only a musical but a visual spectacle as well. Aside from spectacular musical artists, here you can also find food and artisan markets, a Bass camp art gallery, meditation and yoga classes, different workshops, and even a wedding chapel!

For Fans of “The King”: Penticton Elvis Festival, Penticton, British Columbia

Last but not least, this festival is a real treat for all fans of "The King"! For all of you who are passionate about Elvis Presley, it is a must to visit Canada’s largest and longest-running Elvis festival. This event is held annually in Penticton during the summer and gathers around 1,500 attendees daily. Here fans can experience thrilling Elvis’s look-a-like contests, electrifying live performances, and an abundance of entertainment.

Conclusion

Canada offers a lot of opportunities to its visitors. There are spectacular outdoor activities, like kayaking, whale watching, hiking through national parks, camping, and many others. For indoor activities enthusiasts, spectacular cities offer exhibitions, events, theme parks, museums, and similar. For those who need some activities to fill in their time between other things, there are trusted online casinos and gambling sites, but it is super important to gamble responsibly and visit only legit online casinos Canada offers. Finally, for fans of unique experiences, Canadian towns hide wonderful and unique festivals that will surely become some of the greatest travel memories.