Barrie’s fall festival season is underway, highlighted by a free Tim Hicks concert in downtown and a family-friendly farm festival just outside the city. The Troubadour Festival wrapped up its second season on Saturday, September 12, with the Canadian country star headlining at Meridian Place, while Barrie Hill Farms hosts its annual Fall Festival on weekends through October 31.
The free outdoor show marked the finale of the Troubadour Festival’s 2026 Outdoor Music Series, presented by the Downtown Barrie BIA. Hicks, a multi-time Canadian Country Music Association Award winner and JUNO Award nominee, has charted eighteen top ten hits on the Canada Country chart. The festival earned recognition as one of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals after its inaugural 2025 season drew more than 15,000 attendees.
Meridian Place, a civic space connecting downtown to the waterfront along Kempenfelt Bay, hosted the concert. The venue features tiered seating and performance stages, accommodating up to 700 guests for events.
For families seeking autumn activities, Barrie Hill Farms in Springwater offers pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, live music, artisan vendors from The Sunday Market, and seasonal treats from the Silo Cafe. The second-generation Gervais family farm, which celebrated 50 years of strawberry picking in 2026, grows over 200 acres of fruits and vegetables. The Fall Festival runs weekends from September 5 through October 31.
These events follow a busy summer that included the 54th annual Kempenfest arts and crafts festival and the 22nd annual Barrie Dragon Boat Festival, giving residents and visitors fresh reasons to explore the city as the leaves change.
