The Municipality of Brighton’s Applefest has been recognized by Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) as one of 2025’s “Top 100” festivals across the province.
The four-day festival, which has been the apple of Brighton’s eye for 50 years, is typically held during the final full weekend in September each year. The popular event for Brightonians and tourists alike features a street fair, music in the park, a children’s village, a vintage car show, and more.
Applefest was considered in the fall of 2024 by submission and was judged by an independent panel of judges. Recipients of a Top 100 award from FEO represent festivals and events that excel in the industry.
“I’m so pleased that Applefest has been chosen as one of the Top 100 festivals in Ontario,” said Laura Knegt, chair of the Applefest advisory committee, in a media release.
“This award is reflective of the hard work over the last 50 years to build Applefest into what it is today. We would not have gotten to this point without the hours and hours of volunteer time along with the dedication of Brighton staff. Thank you to all who have been involved over the years to make our Applefest event one of the best.”
The Applefest advisory committee and community partners, host a variety of events during Brighton’s signature festival. Applefest began in 1974, with local farmers gathering on Main Street to showcase their harvest, and it has since grown into a community tradition, drawing crowds of up to 10,000 people from across Ontario.
Municipality of Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander presented a certificate to members of the Applefest committee and shared a few words during Brighton’s March 3 council meeting.
“Top 100 awards recognize festivals and events for their excellence and creativity, community engagement and overall event experience,” Ostrander said.
“With this recognition, Applefest joins other Top 100 events across the province, including the CNE and the Canadian International Air Show. This is not surprising to any of us in Brighton. We’ve always known we have one of Ontario’s premier events going on every fall in the Municipality of Brighton,” the mayor added.
Brighton’s outdoor festival will be back this year, with events running from Thursday, September 25 to Sunday, September 28 throughout downtown Brighton, at Brighton Public School, at the Codrington Farmers’ Market, and at King Edward Park.
For more information on the 2025 Applefest festivities, visit www.brighton.ca or follow @BrightonApplefest on Facebook and Instagram.
The Top 100 awards gala was held during FEO’s “SYNERGY” conference, which ran from February 24 to 26 in Kitchener, with the awards presented during a gala on the final day.
Submissions from FEO members were received for consideration in the fall of 2024 and were judged by an independent panel of judges. Festivals and events of all kinds from every corner of Ontario were represented in the submissions — from community festivals to internationally recognized events.
Other Top 100 award winners in the Kawarthas region include the Buckhorn Festival of the Arts, the International Plowing Match in Kawartha Lakes, the Port Hope Arts Festival, the Port Hope Candlelight Festival, Bancroft’s Rockhound Gemboree, the Hike Haliburton Festival, and the Tweed & Company Theatre Season.
Brighton Applefest and the International Plowing Match were new additions to the Top 100 list for 2025, with the other above-mentioned festivals also landing a place on the 2024 roster.
