Four City of Barrie events named among top 100 in Ontario

Downtown Countdown, Canada Day on the Move, Game On! After Dark and Winterfest recognized by Festivals and Events Ontario

Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) has announced the 2025 Top 100 Festivals and Events in the province and four City of Barrie events are being recognized.

Downtown Countdown, Canada Day on the Move, and Game On! After Dark join Winterfest on this year’s list of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals and Events.

“This is a proud milestone for the City of Barrie and I want to extend my congratulations to the city’s recreation and culture team on this outstanding recognition. These events represent some of the best of Barrie’s tourism attractions, drawing thousands of visitors from across the province each year, which contributes to the local economy,” said Mayor Alex Nuttall.

“Thank you to our team, the supporting organizations, and to all those who attended and helped make these events such a success.”

About the events

The city’s annual Winterfest has been recognized numerous times over the years as one of FEO’s Top 100 Festivals and Events. The event celebrates all things in winter with outdoor activities and entertainment.

The Downtown Countdown event has been the place to ring in the new year since 1998 with family-friendly activities, live music, fireworks and more.

The city’s traditional Canada Day celebrations were expanded to Canada Day On the Move with travelling Canada Day activities at three local parks in addition to the downtown.

Game On! After Dark is the city’s gaming event hosted at 5 Points Theatre, where players can relive the nostalgia of retro video games, go head to head in a video game tournament, and much more.

By BarrieToday Staff