Kawartha Lakes alone contributes around $43 million to Ontario’s cultural sector GDP, part of which can be attributed to the many talented artisans, jewellers, painters, potters, textile artists, and other makers who call the region home.
You can see many of these artists based in Kawartha Lakes and surrounding areas during the eighth annual “Made in Kawartha Lakes Show + Sale” returning for the weekend of Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24 at its new location at the historic Victoria Park Armoury at 210 Kent Street West in downtown Lindsay.
“It’s an opportunity for our members as well as others who are outside of our membership to promote their work, get out into the community, network with other vendors, and show off what local artists in our area are doing,” says Christina Patton, operations and communications coordinator of the Kawartha Lakes Art Council.
The official community arts council for the City of Kawartha Lakes, the Kawartha Lake Art Council is a non-profit organization with the goal to accelerate the awareness and appreciation of arts and culture in Kawartha Lakes. Made in Kawartha Lakes was one of the council’s first initiatives, first held in 2018.
Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, this year’s event will see more than 50 artists showing and selling paintings, jewellery, pottery, textiles, woodworking, and more, along with organizations such as Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theatre and Fenelon Falls’ The Grove Theatre.
The event will also feature local food vendors and live music to create an immersive and lively experience for people of all ages.
For the first time, Made in Kawartha Lakes is taking place at Lindsay, after being held at the Kawartha Settlers’ Village in Bobcaygeon last year and in Fenelon Falls in prior years.
“We’re trying to make it an event that showcases throughout the different communities here,” says Patton, who notes the new location is ideally located downtown.
“It does offer the opportunity for us to connect more with downtown initiatives that are happening, such as the farmers’ market and the (Lindsay Downtown) BIA. It will give us more of a community connection and it’s accessible by foot so that we can piggyback off of people already being out in the community.”
Patton adds that there aren’t always a lot of opportunities outside of markets for artists to connect in person with other artists and buyers.
“Even if it doesn’t necessarily contribute to a sale, there are so many things that can come out of networking with other people,” says Patton.
“There aren’t a lot of art markets left in our community. We don’t have a lot of things like this to show off artists and artisans who are working in our community and doing crafts like woodworking or metal work which aren’t so commonplace, aren’t easily reproduced, and are made by hand. I think it’s really important and just continues to show the value of supporting artists who are doing this in our community.”
This year, the Kawartha Lakes Art Council is planning to host a reception the Friday before the event for vendors, council members, and sponsors to connect with one another.
“We are trying to create more opportunities for vendors and our members generally to connect with one another and have opportunities to learn together,” says Patton. “I’ve definitely seen lots of chatter between vendors who are admiring each other’s work or looking for opportunities to collaborate, so it’s always great when we see that as well.”
This year, Made in Kawartha Lakes will see the return of the passport program, encouraging attendees to make a purchase of any dollar amount, including at food vendors, to earn a stamp. Once they receive three stamps, attendees will be entered to win two $250 cash prizes, with one winner picked each day.
Patton notes this year’s event has been made possible with community support from the Kawartha Art Gallery, IG Wealth Management Mabee & Associates, Infinity Fine Homes, and a cultural development grant from the City of Kawartha Lakes.
“We’re really grateful for them to help support arts and culture and continue helping us to make events like this possible,” says Patton.
Admission to Made in Kawartha Lakes is by donation to the Kawartha Lakes Arts Council. For a full list of vendors, visit kawarthalakesartscouncil.com/events/mikl-2026. For updates on the event and the reception, follow the Kawartha Lakes Arts Council on Facebook or Instagram.
