FEO 2026 Achievement Award Winners

Kitchener, Ontario – Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) is proud to announce the 2026 FEO Achievement Award winners. These awards, showcase various elements of festivals or events that those submitting believe stood out in the previous festival year. The Achievement Awards were handed out on Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, during FEO’s annual conference “SUSTAIN” in Kitchener, Ontario.

Submissions from FEO members were received for consideration in the fall of 2025 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.

FEO would like to congratulate the 2026 Achievement Award Winners.

Best New Festival or Event

Operating Budget of $100,000 or less – Whitby Home Sweet Home
Festival Operating Budget of $100,000 to $500,000 – Oshawa Convergence Music and Art Festival

Best Promotional Campaign

Operating Budget of $100,000 or less – Goderich Salt and Harvest Festival Operating
Budget of $100,000 to $500,000 – Western Fair London
Operating Budget of $500,000 or more – Port Colborne Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival

Best Festival or Event Series (new category)

Operating Budget of $100,000 or less – Pelham Summer Chill Series
Operating Budget of $100,000 to $500,000 – Newmarket Music Series Operating
Budget of $500,000 or more – Niagara Grape and Wine Festival

Best Social Media Campaign (tie)

Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show
Western Fair London

FEO Impact Award

Operating Budget of $100,000 or less – Hike Haliburton
Operating Budget of $100,000 to $500,000 – Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Festival

FEO Innovation Award Operating

Budget of $100,000 or less – Barrie Family Fright Fest
Operating Budget of $100,000 to $500,000 – Scarehouse Windsor
Operating Budget of $500,000 or more – Because Beer Craft Beer Festival

FEO Sustainability Award

Operating Budget of $100,000 to $500,000 – Peterborough Folk Festival
Operating Budget of $500,000 or more – Hillside Festival Guelph

Sponsor of the Year

Operating Budget of $100,000 or less – Oshawa Events in the Park sponsored by: TD Bank
Operating Budget of $100,000 to $500,000 – Vaughan International Film Festival sponsored by: QuadReal Property Group
Operating Budget of $500,000 or more – Thunder Bay Event Series sponsored by: Ontario Power Generation

Best Volunteer Program

Toronto International Film Festival

The “SUSTAIN” 2026 Festivals & Events Ontario Conference was held in Kitchener, Ontario from February 23-25, 2026.