Muskoka Arts & Crafts Summer Show 2026: 64 Years in the Park – Bracebridge, ON

Muskoka Arts & Crafts Summer Show 2026: 64 Years in the Park

Three days of juried art and craft on the Muskoka River in Bracebridge

📍 Get Directions Full Schedule

Around 200 juried artisans, picked from over 400 applications, set up along the Muskoka River for the 64th year running — pottery, woodwork, jewellery, painting, and more, with live music and food trucks all weekend.

🎨 200 juried artisans 🎤 Live music all weekend 🍕 Food & drink vendors ♿ Golf cart accessibility

💡 Buy your tickets before July 1, 2026 and you’re entered to win a free overnight stay courtesy of hotel sponsor TruHilton. Tickets go live in the free MA&C app on May 1, 2026.

Why Go Schedule The Artisans Essentials Getting There Tips FAQ

✨ Why This One’s Different From a Typical Craft Fair

It started in 1963 with a newspaper column. A local librarian named Betty Reid wondered out loud whether Muskoka could use a summer arts and crafts sale, a few neighbours took her up on it, and the first show ran that August in downtown Bracebridge with about fifty artists and a one-dollar entry fee. Sixty-some years later, it’s grown into one of the oldest rural outdoor art shows in the country — and the bones of that original idea haven’t changed a bit.

What sets it apart is the jurying. Muskoka Arts & Crafts gets well over 400 applications every year and only accepts around 200. That filter matters when you’re walking the rows — this is curated, original work from artists who do this for a living, not a flea market dressed up for the weekend.

It’s also the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year, full stop. The money raised here keeps MA&C’s two downtown Bracebridge galleries running, funds workshops and life-drawing classes, and supports the artist community for the other 362 days of the year. Buying a piece at the Summer Show is a pretty direct way of keeping Muskoka’s art scene alive.

📅 The 2026 Schedule

Three days, one park, no need to rush — though the early birds do get the best picks.

🎨 What You’ll Actually Find There

Around 200 juried artisans set up across the park, working in pretty much every medium you can think of. Expect rows of white tents filled with:

🎱 Pottery & Ceramics 👕 Jewellery 🧤 Woodwork & Sculpture 🎨 Painting & Fine Art 🧚 Textiles

Beyond the booths, the weekend also runs on live music and roaming entertainment — musicians, vocalists, face painters, and live painting demonstrators are all part of the program, so there’s always something happening between purchases.

📍 The Essentials

🚗 Getting There

Annie Williams Memorial Park sits along the Muskoka River, just a few minutes from downtown Bracebridge. There’s on-site parking, and the park itself is flat and easy to navigate, with golf carts running for anyone who needs a lift between the lot and the booths.

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

⏰ Go early if you’re shopping seriously. Standout pieces from popular artisans tend to sell out by Sunday afternoon, so Friday or Saturday morning is your best shot at first pick.

📱 Get the app before you go. Tickets live entirely in the MA&C app — no printing, and you can transfer a ticket to a friend after buying. Download it ahead of time so check-in is instant.

⏲ Buy before July 1 for the bonus. Early ticket purchases are entered into a draw for a free overnight stay with hotel sponsor TruHilton — no extra steps needed.

🌲 Plan a few hours. With 200 artisans spread through the park, give yourself at least 3 to 4 hours to browse properly — longer if you want to catch the live music too.

🍽 Make a day of Bracebridge. The park is a short walk from downtown Bracebridge and Bracebridge Falls, so it’s easy to turn the show into a full day out.

Support Muskoka’s Artists 💜

The Summer Show is Muskoka Arts & Crafts’ biggest fundraiser of the year. Every ticket and every purchase from an artisan booth helps keep the organization’s galleries, workshops, and programming running through the rest of the year.

❓ Common Questions