Many of Kenora’s signature events are based around the lake.
The Kenora Bass International is one of the largest annual competitive fishing tournaments with registration including amateur entries and professional teams from Canada and the U.S.. Beginning in 1998 with 43 boats, the tournament has grown to host a maximum of 150 teams in its 29th year of competition. The tournaments runs over a three day period in August. Fishing attracts many visitors with six other major annual events in the area.
The Coney Island Maybe Annual Music Festival is a free concert held on Coney Island, adjacent to the Harbourfront, on the last Sunday of July. The Coney Island Maybe Annual Music Festival celebrated its ninth year in 2017, and features local performers as well as some major headliners who love the lake. Shuttle services are offered from the Harbourfront to Coney Island’s North dock and the beach for the all day concert.
Harbourfest is the largest three night music festival in Northwestern Ontario ran by a volunteer committee. The festival is held on August long weekend every year, with over 12,000 attendees during three days of the 2013 summer. Located in the White Cap Pavilion, the concert brings in big name acts for each of the three performance nights. The performance on Sunday night is paused for fireworks over the Harbourfront.
Now in it’s 52nd year, the Lake of the Woods International Sailing Association Regatta features sailboat racing through the waterways of the lake. The week long excursion typically kicks off in Kenora with an introductory meeting and skippers meeting. The event is a spectacle for visitors looking to see a regatta of large sailboats in action.
Other key events in Kenora included:
Matioski Farmers’ Market
Held on Wednesday mornings during summer in the Whitecap Pavilion. Vendors sell items that fall under the scope of ‘make it, bake it, grow it’. The Matiowski market is now the largest market in Northwestern Ontario with 120 vendors servicing over 2000 patrons each market week. The Farmers Market attracts visitors from the surrounding area, and Manitoba.
Arts Fest
Lake of the Woods Arts Community hosts an art festival each year since its inaugural year in 2013. In 2017, the festival consisted of three days of art events during the last weekend in July. The festival is very well received by the community and presents an opportunity to highlight Kenora’s vibrant arts and cultural assets.
