FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Highland dancers leap to the skirl of bagpipes and marching bands at the Cobourg Highland Games. Visitors tour the artisan tents and enjoy fireworks at the beach during the Cobourg Waterfront Festival. Couples link arm-in-arm walking through the sparkling lights of Cobourg's Christmas Magic in Victoria Park. Cobourg is Ontario's Feel Good Town, celebrating with year-round festivals that showcase its vibrant culture.

If you're looking for festival fun, we have a variety of notable events that you will not want to miss.

Canada Day Celebrations is an all-day July 1st party in Victoria Park, along the waterfront with ongoing entertainment, children's shows and activities, rides and merchandise vendors. The activities are cantered around the Canada Day Parade, which includes many floats, bands and marchers. As dusk falls, a gigantic fireworks display lights the sky and delights the crowds of families and friends who make Canada Day in Cobourg an annual, must-see event.

The Cobourg Highland Games  was held on July 3rd, 2004 and has been a mainstay in Cobourg for the past 40 years. Events include highland dance competitions, Scottish country dancing, heavy events, pipe band competitions and a parade. The impressive sight of the pipe bands parading through the town sets the stage for a most memorable day for all.

The Waterfront Festival  was  held July 1st - July 4th for 2004 and was one of Cobourg's largest events in the year. Each year Victoria Park and the Waterfront is turned into one of the largest annual outdoor art and craft shows in Canada. A joint project of the Town of Cobourg and the Rotary and Lions Clubs, the show is held under several large marquee tents. Over 70,000 visitors attend this festival each year, and next year promises to be even bigger and better. Plan now to attend and make your hotel reservations early!

Snowbirds Air show The Cobourg Rotary Club is proud to present the Canadian Forces Snowbirds each year during the Waterfront Festival activities. 

The Vintage Heritage Film Festival will be held on Oct 24th, 25th and 26th. This event is held annually and has grown in popularity each year. Silent and early vintage talking films from the era of Cobourg's own Marie Dressler are shown along with classic films from later periods. For more information on any of these special events, please contact the Tourism Information Office at 905-372-5481 or toll free 1-888-COBOURG

Christmas Magic in Cobourg - a dazzling display of over 100,000 coloured lights in Victoria park and along the waterfront. Since 1995, crowds of families and friends return each year to revel in the spirit of Christmas and celebrate the season. Come and enjoy our illuminating walkways and arches and be a part of Christmas Magic in Cobourg from November 28th until January 1st.

First Night Cobourg 2004 with a night full of fun and entertainment in Downtown Cobourg on December 31st, 2003, 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm. Children's Building, double decker bus rides, more venues, more entertainment, fireworks at 9:30 pm. New late show 10:00 pm - midnight (extra charge with limited seating).