The Southampton Arts Festival is returning on the August long weekend in 2026, bigger and better in its second year.
“People who enjoy the visual arts, comedy or music can choose from 19 events this year – up from 12 last year,” said Fred Kuntz, chair of the Board at Southampton Arts Centre.
“We’re thrilled that all the groups who participated last year are back, brimming with excitement and new ideas,” Kuntz said. “We hope to see thousands of people enjoy the festival again this year – residents and visitors alike.”
The festival runs July 31st through August 2nd, with art exhibits, live theatre, free concerts and outdoor markets. A few of the events run over multiple weeks, but most are unique to the festival weekend.
Highlights include:
• Indigenous art: Woodland People, featuring artworks by Saugeen First Nation artist Taylor Cameron, at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre; the Saugeen First Nation Independent Business Association’s artisans’ market at the former Town Hall; unveiling of a mural at the Bell building by Saugeen First Nation youth artist Kennedy Cameron; and traditional Métis crafting for families hosted by Historic Saugeen Métis.
• Public participation: Sidewalk Chalk Art, a new event in which the public is invited to join, all along High Street – presented by the Shoreline Artists group, who will also stage their popular Art on the Fence outdoor art exhibition and sale.
• Gallery events: 50 Little Masterpieces, an event at Southampton Art Gallery, in which 50 ticketholders can each select one original painting to take home; plus two special Gallery exhibitions by guest artists, Janet Saunders and Lorina Stephens; a new event called Chair Affair, a silent auction of actual chairs decoratively painted by local artists; and the Centre’s roving ARTbike crafts for children.
• Live theatre: Murder at Ackerton Manor, a hilarious spoof of Agatha Christie mysteries, by playwright Stephen Gallagher, and starring three actors in seven roles, at the Bruce County Playhouse.
• Music, markets and more: Two performances in the Town of Saugeen Shores’ free Summer Concert Series, by rock cover band Something’s Always Flying, and country, folk and blues band Bobby Scongack & Friends; Alleyway Art Walk, putting a spotlight on G.C. Huston students’ art; the Marine Heritage Society’s Artisans & Tastes Market on Friday; crafting for families at the Museum; and free admission to the Museum on Sunday, August 2 – the same day of the unveiling of the Museum’s community quilt project, called The Fabric of Our Being.
All events are listed at www.southamptonartscentre.com/artsfestival2026 with dates, times, locations and more, including links to organizers’ sites, as well as a festival map to print.
The festival is a collaboration among 10 cultural and community groups, all sharing a love of the arts: Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre, Bruce County Playhouse, Historic Saugeen Métis, Marine Heritage Society, Saugeen First Nation Independent Business Association, Saugeen Shores Chamber of Commerce, Shoreline Artists, Southampton Arts Centre, Southampton Business Improvement Area, and the Town of Saugeen Shores.
