We embrace winter full-on here, because whether you love the fresh air of the great outdoors or the warmth and comfort of the great indoors, we live in the ultimate winter wonderland. It’s simply the most beautiful place to be when the snow falls and the ice forms and everywhere you look it is picture-perfect. There’s so many things to do.
We have easy access to a variety of viewpoints, from wide open rural fields to forest pathways, the stunning views alongside the frigid flows of the Grand River and the rugged spectacles of ice formations that decorate the Elora Gorge, to the fishing huts spread out across the expanse of Belwood Lake in the heart of the season, to all the groomed trails and uncharted paths in between. This is winter’s playground.
Whether you strap on the snow shoes, step into cross country skis or layer up and venture out for a hike, ours is a winter landscape that beckons you to explore. The options are endless. The views are stunning. The air is free.
In every season, the Elora Cataract Trailway offers a 47 kilometre stretch of wide and mostly flat trails that follow the old Canadian Pacific railroad bed accessible for adventure seekers who are eager to create their own tracks in the snow-covered trails. Depending on your sport of choice, and your hearty spirit, the Elora Cataract Trailway can take you from the village of Elora through the heart of Fergus and across to the Shand Dam in Belwood, before heading out to the Forks of Credit Provincial Park at Cataract. It’s nature at its best and the birds will cheer you on.
Snowmobile enthusiasts love to blaze trails and there is a trail system for them between the towns of Fergus and Erin, as well as rural routes throughout Centre Wellington. The Hillsburgh Snow Roamers Snow Mobile Club have the most up-to-date information and best advice on sled routes to explore.
The Grand River Conservation Authority and the Credit Valley Conservation Authority own the trailway and manage it in conjunction with the Elora Cataract Trailway Association. It’s a wonderful hub to other trail links too. The Grand Valley Trail passes along a section of the Elora Cataract Trailway and the Bruce Trail can be accessed from the Forks of Credit Provincial Park.
Is there anything more Canadian than an outdoor skating rink? Probably, sure, but this is one of our favourite activities for all ages and it’s free. Whether you want to jump into a game of shinney or just practice your spins, you’ll find several outdoor rinks created by a dedicated crew of community volunteers.
When the weather allows here are a few outdoor rinks to check out:
Of course, if indoor is your more thing, we have ice pads at both the Elora Community Centre and Centre Wellington Sportsplex, in Fergus, with public skating ice schedules.
Pack up the toboggans, snow racers, snow tubes and let’s not forget the good ole snow saucers, and head to the hills. When the snow flies, so does the time having fun sliding down one of the many free, public toboggan hills, found at:
(Photo credit: GRCA)
Forget frozen fish. Catch’em fresh! Ice fishing is a seasonal tradition for anglers and anglers-to-be. Bundle up and head out to the giant ice surface of Belwood Lake when the season is in full swing and take part in a great outdoor experience for all ages. The Grand River Conservation Authority monitors the ice conditions throughout the season. It’s not a long one, but it’s a good one. Make sure you check the conditions before you head out, to be sure the ice is safe. And when it is, get here. Drop your line. The fish are biting!
Throw the stone and hurry hard to get it on the button. Curling is a big deal here. It’s a part of our proud Scottish heritage, In fact, the story goes that one frozen, winter day a curling stone was thrown and swept through the heart of downtown Fergus back in 1834, to establish the Fergus Curling Club, which is the oldest continuously operating curling club in Ontario. And not long after, in 1839, the Elora Curling Club open its doors.
If you’re in town for a bonspiel you know we balance this sport with a competitive spirit of sportsmanship and one seriously fun post-game celebration. Drop in and watch the action.
Outdoors is all well and good, but sometimes it’s good to hunker down in the warmth and comfort of the great outdoors. Whether you’re sipping tea or hot cocoa in one of our splendid cafes or enjoying a pint at the local pub, perhaps sharing a delicious meal with friends, it’s good to relax. It’s healthy even! I mean, you can’t get frostbite at a pub, right?
Maybe retail therapy is your winter exercise. We fully support that too. Shopping is good for you. Trust us on this one. With such interesting and unique shops, you may even break a sweat carrying your bags around. It’s a win-win.
We hope you’ll join us in our winter wonderland, where you can enjoy the beauty of the winter season as nature intended it.
Downtown Fergus is a festive place to be for the whole family during the annual
Late Night Shopping event on December 1, 2017!
Gather around for the traditional tree lighting ceremony along the Riverwalk. Enjoy music, merriment and more.
Our festive shops are open late and ready to welcome you in from the cold with warm customer service. Seek out the perfect gift for everyone on your list.
Make a night of it. Enjoy dinner or stop in for a warm up at our many downtown pubs, restaurants and cafes. Good cheer is here!
And guess who is coming to town? That’s right, Santa Claus will make a special appearance, so be sure to have your Christmas wish ready to whisper in his ear.
Get your Halloween ON! The annual Monster March Parade is a tradition of family-friendly fun that brings out the ghouls, the zombies, and yes, the princesses and Super Heroes too. You’ve never experienced a Halloween event like this!
The route follows Metcalfe Street South to Mill Street East and follows to the Elora Centre of the Arts on Melville Street. Road closures will be in place along these routes.
Marching your little monsters? Here’s a few tips to keep them safe:
Don’t forget your non-perishable food donations! Volunteers will be collecting food and cash donations along the Monster March Parade route to support the Centre Wellington Food Bank.
Culture Day festivities are a national event that encourage people from coast to coast to participate in everything culture. This is chance to take part in artist workshops, performances, agricultural events and more.
When you visit Fergus and Elora you’ll soon see that Culture Days are EVERY DAY!
Our communities are thriving hubs of cultural activity. From our world-renowned cultural, heritage and music festivals, to our innovative community theatres, our thriving arts community and venues like the Fergus Grand Theatre and the Elora Centre for the Arts, to the Wellington County Museum and Archives – culture is the fibre that weaves through our towns.
Join us. Fergus and Elora do culture up right!
We’re artsy and we know it. For Culture Days, local groups, artists and events have come together to coordinate three full days of events where visitors can get cultured.
Track your Culture Days adventure with a Cultural Passport.
Culture Passports are available online at centrewellington.ca/passport or they can be picked up in person at the Elora Tourism & Information Centre, the Centre Wellington Sportsplex, and Chamber of Commerce, or at any of the passport locations on Culture Days weekend.
The 2018 Elora Fergus Studio Tour is September 22-23 and September 29-30.
It’s one thing to appreciate art; it’s another thing altogether to see where the creative process begins, where the art is made and meet the artist in person.
The Elora Fergus Studio Tour is two weekends of inspired discovery. A total of 36 artists working in various mediums open the doors to their creative spaces just to welcome you in. It’s a wonderful way to tour our communities, from the historical downtowns to the rural routes that surround us. Take a free, self-guided tour and follow the map. The journey is up to you!
The best place to begin the Fergus Elora Studio Tour is at the Elora Centre for the Arts. Here you will find:
The beautiful thing about this tour is the many ways you can experience it. Walk. Ride. Drive. Carpool with your friends. Come in a pack. Go it alone.
In Elora, we suggest you park at the Elora Centre for the Arts and put your walking shoes on. You can tour many of the studios by foot easily from this location.
NOTE: Current road construction between Colborne Street & Mill Street West have closed that portion of the route to vehicles, but access is still available on foot. Don’t let the construction stop you for exploring the artists in this neighbourhood.
Cyclists will enjoy the ride to and from Elora and Fergus, allowing a great adventure with many artist’s sites accessible by bike. Connect between the towns via the Elora Cataract Trail
Drive the route and enjoy free parking wherever you turn. This is the best way to experience the rural studios and the edge-of-town sites you don’t want to miss.
Watch for the purple and steel sandwich board signs along the routes to clearly identify studio locations.
Sure, you’ve been to lots of music festivals, but you’ve not had an experience until you’ve been to Riverfest Elora. That’s cool. There’s room. But hurry, ‘cause it’s about to get real. Welcome to one of the best music festivals in Ontario – small enough to keep it real – big enough to make it one of the best experiences of your summer. Pick your day or come for the weekend: August 18-20.
Located in Bissell Park along the banks of the Grand River, in the picturesque town that bears its name, Riverfest Elora has grown into an epic three-day showcase of diverse, amazing music on 3 separate stages.
These stages have welcomed acts like the Arkells, Walk Off the Earth, The Sheep Dogs, Metric, Hey Rosetta!, Wintersleep, New Pornographers, Alan Doyle, Serena Ryder, Blue Rodeo and Bruce Cockburn. We could go on. In fact, we will:The Zolas, The Strumbellas, Messenjah, The Planet Smashers, 54-40. That’s just the tip of the music scale. From funk to reggae, hip hop to folk, electronic dance and good old fashioned rock’n roll, each year the line-up is a musical mosaic of awesome. It’s a history of performances that has raised this small community festival to a major contender on the music festival scene.
This year is no different. Monster Truck. Mother Mother. MGMT. Gogol Bordello. K. Flay. USS. DJ Jazzy Jeff and Skratch Bastid. Sloan. There’s more, but we’ll stop now.
Check out the line-up and full schedule for Riverfest 2017: Schedule Riverfest Elora 2017
The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round … sing it! Avoid the challenges of limited parking and hop on the bus right to the gate of Riverfest Elora. Three shuttle buses, from Guelph, Fergus and throughout Elora will run a continuous loop throughout the festival for FREE! (with a Riverfest Elora ticket).
NOTE: There is absolutely NO parking on the grounds of Riverfest Elora. None. Zip. Besides, buses are way more fun.
Everything you need to know about bus schedules and parking, including wheelchair accessible parking and bike lock-ups is here: Getting to Riverfest
There is one gate for entry into the festival. It’s located on the west side of the park off Melville Street. Go there. Show your tickets. Buy tickets. Meet friends. Make friends. This is the spot.
The Riverfest Elora map will give you the lay of the land. You’ll find it here: http://riverfestelora.com/map/
Follow us @visitelorafergus on Instagram for more photos and event coverage live from the event! #bythegrand #visitelorafergus
And have the best time, because Riverfest Elora is always good time.
Tartan up and head to Fergus this weekend for the 72nd annual Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games, August 11 to 13 in a town where our Scottish roots run deep.
The Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games is an annual three-day event celebrating Scottish heritage and culture, featuring world-renowned talent and entertainment that you won’t soon forget. Enjoy story-telling, research your genealogy, take part in hands-on experiences, workshops and lectures, meet artisans and shop for unique Celtic items from over 100 International vendors. And that’s just the start!
Highlights include:
Bring the clan! There is something for all ages. Make sure the wee ones visit the McKiddie’s Centre for fun crafts and experiences. Show them the artistry of Highland Dance, performed by dancers competing at all levels.
And there is no finer spectator sport than the Heavy Events: Scottish Hammer Throw, Sheaf Toss, Caber Toss, Braemar Stone and more.
Tilt yer kilt and raise a pint in the beer tent with friends for this year’s amazing line-up of live music and authentic Scottish Highland Pub atmosphere. It’s always a good time.
For a full schedule, admission, maps and more visit www.fergusscottishfestival.com
