🌼 Oshawa Peony Festival 📅 June 6 & 7, 2026 📍 Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens 🎉 FREE Admission 👶 Kid & Family Friendly 🏆 FEO Top 100 Award Winner

Oshawa Peony Festival 2026 — 22nd Annual

For one weekend each June, the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens burst into colour. On Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, 2026 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), the city throws open the gates to its award-winning Peony Festival — and it’s completely free.

Now in its 22nd year, the festival celebrates over 300 varieties of peonies in full bloom, alongside a juried flower show by the Canadian Peony Society, an artisan market, cultural performances, live entertainment, kids’ activities and food vendors. It’s equal parts garden stroll, community celebration and gardener’s paradise.

🌼 300+ peony varieties 🏆 Juried flower show 🛍️ Artisan market 🎬 Cultural performances 🍔 Food vendors 🎨 Art & photo contests 👪 Children’s activities

🌐 Official Festival Page 📍 Get Directions →

💡 Timing is everything with peonies — this weekend is chosen to catch peak bloom. Come early in the day for the best light, the calmest crowds, and the freshest flowers in the show tent.

🔗 Jump to a section

✨ Why Go 🌼 What’s On 🏆 The Flower Show 🎨 Contests 📍 Essentials 💡 Tips 🚗 Getting There ❓ FAQ

✨ Why This Festival Is Worth Your Weekend

Peonies have a famously short season — a couple of glorious weeks, and then they’re gone for another year. The Oshawa Peony Festival exists to catch that fleeting peak, and it does it beautifully, in one of the largest peony collections you’ll find anywhere in Canada.

It’s been running for over two decades and has the hardware to show for it — a spot on Festivals & Events Ontario’s Top 100 list for 2026. The setting helps: the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens is a genuinely lovely place to spend a morning, peonies or not.

But what makes it special is the mix. Serious peony growers compete in a juried flower show judged by the Canadian Peony Society, while families wander the artisan market, kids make crafts, and live music and cultural performances drift across the gardens. Whether you’re a dedicated gardener or just want a pretty, free day out, it works.

🌼 What’s On

Both days run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and pack in a lot. Here’s what you’ll find across the gardens and the Children’s Arena.

🏆 The Canadian Peony Society Flower Show

The juried flower show is the heart of the festival — growers from across Ontario bring their finest blooms to compete across dozens of classes. Here’s how the show weekend runs:

🌿 Classes cover singles, semi-doubles, doubles, Japanese/anemone, Itoh (intersectional) hybrids, tree peonies and seedlings — plus creative floral design classes. Ribbons are awarded for first, second and third in every division, with Best in Show and Grand Champion honours. Growing peonies yourself? You can enter.

🎨 Get Involved: Art & Photo Contests

Two fun ways to take part beyond just admiring the flowers — both with real prizes.

See Contest Details & Enter →

📍 The Essentials

📍 Directions to 155 Arena St. →

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

🌅 Go early. Morning light is kindest to the flowers (and your photos), and the gardens are at their calmest before midday.

📷 Bring a camera. Between 300+ varieties at peak bloom and the photo contest running, this is one of the most photogenic weekends of the Oshawa year.

🌱 Come with questions. Master Gardeners and peony experts are there to help — a perfect chance to figure out what to plant in your own yard.

👪 Great for kids. With children’s activities and lots of open garden space, little ones have room to roam and plenty to do.

⛅ Check the forecast. It’s an outdoor garden event — comfy shoes, sun protection and a light layer go a long way.

🚗 Getting There

The festival is held at the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens and the adjacent Children’s Arena at 155 Arena Street, Oshawa, just north of the downtown core.

A Community-Powered Celebration 🌼

The Peony Festival is brought to life by the City of Oshawa together with the Canadian Peony Society, Durham Master Gardeners, the Oshawa Art Association, Oshawa Public Libraries, Parkwood Estate, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery and more — with support from the Province of Ontario. It’s also a proud Bee City–designated, pollinator-friendly event.

❓ Common Questions