Niagara-on-the-Lake's 2026 Fruit Festivals: Your Complete Guide to Strawberries, Cherries & Peaches

Carrie Troup
6 days ago
5 min read

There's a particular kind of magic that happens in Niagara-on-the-Lake every summer. It starts in June, when the strawberry fields are at their peak and the whole town starts dreaming of shortcake. It builds through July, when cherry trees hang heavy with fruit and church grounds fill with music and laughter. And it culminates in August, when Queen Street turns into a celebration of the peach harvest.

The Peach Festival on Queen St in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Outdoor market with white tents and a clock tower, people browsing under a sunny blue sky, flowers in foreground.

If you've never timed a visit around one of these festivals, 2026 is the year to start. Here's everything you need to know about Niagara-on-the-Lake's beloved fruit festivals, plus a few tips on where to eat and stay while you're here.

Strawberry Festival: Where Summer Officially Begins

Saturday, June 20 | 9 am – 3 pm

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 323 Simcoe St

Long before the cherries deepen to red or the peaches ripen on the branch, strawberries kick off Niagara-on-the-Lake's fruit festival season, and St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Strawberry Festival throws one of the warmest welcomes in town. This is a volunteer-run, community-first event with free admission and a focus on celebrating all things homemade and heartfelt.

You’ll find fresh local strawberries served with ice cream, strawberry crepes, strawberry frozen yogurt, a barbecue lunch, homemade meat pies, baked goods, and jams, plus the silent auction, "A New Vintage."

Be sure to bring the kids! Between the bouncers, face painting, and entertainment scattered throughout the grounds, this is the kind of festival where your kids will be begging to come back. It's unpretentious, genuinely sweet, and a perfect introduction to the community spirit that runs through all of Niagara-on-the-Lake's summer events.

Strawberry Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Volunteers serve shortcakes and pies at an outdoor fair booth as a crowd gathers under white tents.

Strawberry Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Mini strawberry tarts with glossy red filling on a white tray, close-up of several bite-sized pies in foil cups.

Cherry Festival: The Sweetest Weekend in July

Emporium Pre-Sale:

Thursday, July 2 | 4 pm – 7 pm

Addison Hall

Cherry Festival:

Saturday, July 4 | 9 am – 2 pm

St. Mark's Anglican Church, 41 Byron St

There's a reason St. Mark's Cherry Festival is a summer favourite: cherries, community spirit, and a genuinely good time, all in one afternoon. And with both a Pre-Sale and festival day, there's more than one chance to join in.

The Emporium Pre-Sale on Thursday, July 2nd is your chance to browse curated racks of clothing, one-of-a-kind treasures, and jewellery at an unhurried pace before the festival on July 4th.

Then on Saturday, the main event takes over the church grounds with delicious cherry pies, a full bake table, a BBQ, books, jewellery, treasures, live music, and a dedicated children's area. Gates open at 9 am, and with cherries and treats this good, you'll want to arrive early to get first pick.

Whether you make it to one event or both, it's going to be one unforgettable cherry-filled good time!

Cherry Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. People browse a cherry stand under white tents at an outdoor market.

Cherry Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. People browse jam and baked goods at stalls under a canopy in a sunny park.

Peach Festival: Honouring Our Agricultural Roots

Friday, August 7 | 12 pm – 7 pm

Saturday, August 8 | 10 am – 6 pm

Queen Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake

Hosted by the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce

Sunday, August 9

10:00 am – 3:00 pm

St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 73 Picton St, Niagara-on-the-Lake

August in Niagara-on-the-Lake means one thing: peaches, and lots of them! This year, the celebration spans an entire weekend, with two festivals serving up everything from peach pie to live music and activities for the whole family. It's a nod to the region's agricultural roots and the local farmers behind that famous harvest, but honestly, it's also a great excuse to eat everything peach.

On Queen Street from Friday August 7th – Saturday August 8th, the NOTL Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual two-day Peach Festival, packed with fun for everyone. Percy, the festival's beloved peach mascot, makes his rounds through the grounds, while the Peach on the Street market fills the sidewalks with fresh-from-the-farm produce and peach-packed treats. Compete for bragging rights (or just watch the drama unfold) at the Peach Pie Contest, get a glimpse of history at the antique tractor display, and let the kids burn off some energy at the Peechy Keen kids zone. Add in live music and great food, and you've got two days that feel like equal parts county fair and small-town block party.

Peach Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Marching band in white uniforms and the Percy the Peach mascot parade past a brick cenotaph monument on a sunny street.

Peach Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Kids line up with plates to be served pie, with tents and adults in a sunny background.

The following day, St. Vincent de Paul Parish hosts its own Peach Festival at the church grounds on Picton Street. It's a celebration of everything peach, including crepes, sundaes, whole pies and pie slices, punch, and muffins, alongside live music, a pig roast/BBQ with corn, a raffle with four prizes, and tables for baking, jewelry, fresh peaches, and a bazaar (white elephant sale). Kids can enjoy face painting and games at the Kids' Corner, a relaxed, community-rooted way to close out a weekend already full of peach season spirit.

Make a Whole Trip Out of It

Each of these festivals is reason enough for a day trip, but Niagara-on-the-Lake rewards visitors who stay a little longer. After a morning of strawberry shortcake or cherry pie, explore our restaurants for a proper sit-down meal. Pair a family-friendly bite with the kids' festival activities, or treat yourself to ice cream or a coffee on a hot August afternoon.

If a single day isn't enough (and it rarely is), browse places to stay and turn your festival visit into a proper weekend getaway. From elegant hotels and historic country inns to cozy bed and breakfasts and vacation rentals, there's a home base for every kind of traveller.

And since festival season overlaps with some of the best months to visit, check our events calendar and things to do pages to round out your trip with wineries, shopping, and everything else that makes Niagara-on-the-Lake one of Ontario's most-loved destinations.

Peach Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. White church with tall steeple behind outdoor market tents and people on a sunny, tree-lined lawn.

Peach Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Smiling woman in orange sells peaches under a canopy, with stacked boxes and baskets of peaches.

Fruit Festivals: Mark Your Calendar

Festival	Date	Time	Location
Strawberry Festival	Saturday, June 20	9 am – 3 pm	St. Andrew's Church 323 Simcoe St
Cherry Festival Emporium Pre-Sale	Thursday, July 2	4 pm – 7 pm	Addison Hall
St. Mark's Cherry Festival	Saturday, July 4	9 am – 2 pm	St. Mark's Anglican Church 41 Byron St
Peach Festival	Friday, August 7 Saturday, August 8	12 pm – 7 pm (Fri) 10 am – 6 pm (Sat)	Queen Street
St. Vincent de Paul Peach Festival	Sunday, August 9	10 am – 3 pm	St. Vincent de Paul Parish 73 Picton Street NOTL

Whether it's strawberries, cherries, or peaches that bring you to Niagara-on-the-Lake this summer, you'll leave with the same thing: more pie than self-control, a full stomach, and a new favourite festival. See you there!

About Tourism Niagara-on-the-Lake

Tourism Niagara-on-the-Lake is the official visitor resource for discovering all that Ontario’s prettiest town has to offer. Experience historic sites, award-winning wineries, seasonal events, exceptional dining, luxury accommodations, and world-renowned theatre. Contact our visitor information team for more travel inspiration to help make your visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake unforgettable.