Uxbridge Art on the Fringe Festival 2026: An Open-Air Gallery on the Museum Grounds

Over 30 artists, live music, and coffee overlooking the Uxbridge valley

📍 Get Directions Music Schedule

The Uxbridge Museum grounds turn into an open-air gallery for one weekend, with over 30 local and regional artists showing paintings, ceramics, sculpture, and more, live music in the Gazebo all day, and coffee from The Wandering Bean — all completely free.

🎨 30+ artists 🎵 Live music in the Gazebo ☕ Coffee & baked goods 🏛️ Historic museum setting

💡 If you’re touring the wider Uxbridge Studio Tour, this festival is a designated sticker stop on your card — a nice way to combine the two.

Why Go Music Schedule The Artists Essentials Getting There Tips FAQ

✨ Why This Festival Is Worth the Drive

There’s something particularly fitting about an art festival held on museum grounds overlooking a valley — it’s a setting that already feels curated before a single canvas goes up. Organized by Artists of Uxbridge, a genuine local artist collective rather than a commercial promoter, the festival brings together more than 30 painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, and fibre artists across the historic Uxbridge Museum’s Schoolhouse, Church, and open grounds.

What stands out is the depth of the roster — this isn’t a handful of booths, it’s a proper cross-section of the region’s working artists, spanning everything from realistic pet portraits and oil paintings to stained glass, leatherwork, and metal garden sculpture. Many exhibitors sell directly through their own websites and social media year-round, so the festival doubles as a genuine discovery opportunity if you’re looking to commission or collect from artists who’ll still be working in the area long after the weekend ends.

And it isn’t just visual art. Live music runs in the Gazebo from open to close both days, giving the whole event the unhurried, browse-at-your-own-pace feel of a proper garden party rather than a rushed market. Add coffee and baked goods from The Wandering Bean, and it’s an easy, low-key way to spend a fall weekend in one of Durham Region’s most scenic small towns.

The setting itself does a lot of work here too. The Uxbridge Historical Centre spans more than a football field’s length of open grounds and ten-plus preserved historic buildings, perched on land with genuinely striking views — past visitors regularly single out the property as one of the best sunset spots in town. Holding an art festival there, rather than in a parking lot or a generic event hall, gives the whole weekend a sense of occasion that’s easy to take for granted until you’re standing in it.

🎵 Live Music in the Gazebo

A different lineup of local musicians performs both days, running continuously from morning through mid-afternoon.

🎨 The Artists

Over 30 artists exhibit both indoors, in the Museum’s historic Schoolhouse and Church buildings, and outdoors on the Museum grounds. Expect a genuinely wide range of media:

Paintings & acrylics Ceramics & pottery Sculpture & metalwork Fibre arts & feltwork Jewelry Photography Woodworking & woodturning Stained glass Leatherwork Handwoven accessories

The full exhibitor list is published on the official Artists of Uxbridge site and updates as artists confirm participation — a good resource if there’s a specific medium or artist you’re hoping to see.

📋 Essentials

🚗 Getting There & Parking

The Uxbridge Historical Centre sits on Concession 6, on the edge of town with views over the Uxbridge valley — about an hour’s drive northeast of Toronto.

Parking: On-site parking is available at the Museum grounds, typical of the property’s normal visitor access.

Combine your visit: The Museum’s ten-plus historic buildings and open fields make for a nice extended visit beyond just the festival footprint — worth arriving a little early or staying after to explore the grounds.

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

🎨 Bring cash for smaller purchases. With 30+ independent artists selling directly, cash can make quick transactions easier for smaller pieces, though many exhibitors also take cards.

🏛️ Check out both indoor and outdoor exhibitors. Some artists show inside the historic Schoolhouse and Church buildings — don’t miss those spaces just because the outdoor booths are more visible.

🎵 Time your visit around the music you want to hear. With a different lineup each day, check the Gazebo schedule ahead of time if there’s a specific act you don’t want to miss.

☕ Grab a coffee and take your time. This is a browse-at-your-own-pace event on beautiful grounds — there’s no rush to see everything in an hour.

Supporting Local Artists Year-Round 🎨

Art on the Fringe is presented by Artists of Uxbridge, a collective of local painters, potters, sculptors, and craftspeople who exhibit and support one another throughout the year, not just at this one festival.

❓ Common Questions