Collingwood, Ontario is getting ready for the return of Sidelaunch Days, and with it come temporary road closures near the waterfront. The Town of Collingwood says two stretches of road will be off-limits to vehicles from 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 7, to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
The closures affect Sidelaunch Way between Emerson Mews and Harbour House, and North Hurontario Street between First Street and Sidelaunch Way. These sections are being closed to make room for festival activities along the promenade and harbour area. Drivers should plan to take alternate routes during the peak festival weekend.
The Sidelaunch Days festival itself runs from August 7 through 9 at Collingwood Promenade, Harbourview Park, and the Shipyards Amphitheatre. The weekend is packed with free, family-friendly events: live music, giant kites, stand-up paddleboard races and free paddleboarding sessions, tall ship tours, a jet pack air show overhead, dragon boat experiences, and a lineup of food vendors. The festival honours Collingwood’s unique shipbuilding past. For more than a century, from 1883 to 1986, the Collingwood Shipyards built more than 200 vessels — many of them steel-hulled — launching them sideways into the harbour due to space constraints, a rare method that gave the festival its name.
Separately, Ron Emo Road between Sandford Fleming Drive and Raglan Street will close from August 10 to 12, but that closure is for water and sanitary system installation and is not part of the festival. The town says that stretch will be shut from 7:00 a.m. on Monday, August 10, to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
Residents and visitors heading to the waterfront or navigating around town are encouraged to check the town’s news notices and give themselves extra time. With live music kicking off Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. and activities running Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to noon — with select events continuing into the afternoon — the Collingwood waterfront will be the place to be.
