Carrot Fest returns to Bradford West Gwillimbury August 15-16, 2025
Thank you for attending Carrot Fest 2025, See you next year!
More information about the 2025 application process will be released in early 2026.
Date: Friday, August 15 & Saturday, August 16, 2025
Location: Downtown Bradford
| About Carrot Fest |
| Carrot Fest returns to Bradford West Gwillimbury! Carrot Fest will take place in downtown Bradford and at the Bradford & District Memorial Community Centre. This event includes a large vendor market with hundreds of vendors, Aqua Dogs, professional wrestling events, Kids Zone, live stage entertainment and more! The black organic soils of the Holland Marsh make Bradford West Gwillimbury one of Canada’s biggest carrot-producing regions and the ‘Heart of the Vegetable Industry’. Carrot Fest is a celebration of the region’s agricultural heritage, especially the role of the carrot in the local economy. Carrot Fest is a way to bring the community together to celebrate, encourage participation and generate pride. What started as a merchant-based community event has now developed into a historical event. |
| History of Carrot Fest |
| Did you ever wonder how Bradford West Gwillimbury ended up hosting a huge carrot-themed festival, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year? Carrot Fest has become BWG’s biggest annual event, however, it is not the first agricultural festival in BWG. In the 1970s, a Salad Festival was held each July and an estimated 20,000 people attended the 1976 Festival and parade. In 1977, the first Harvest Festival and Harvest Queen pageant was held at the former Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Bradford. In 1991, the Town of BWG was incorporated, composed of the former Town of Bradford, most of West Gwillimbury, and part of Tecumseth. Considering this amalgamation encompassed various communities, the Town was in need of a community event that would bring people together as part of BWG. The Heritage Environmental Agricultural Recreational Tourism (HEART) Committee was tasked with promoting tourism, economic development and downtown revitalization in BWG. As a result, the HEART Committee organized an open air market on summer weekends, with local farmers and merchants in downtown Bradford. In 1995, this open air market became the event “Super Saturday” on Labour Day weekend. The HEART Committee found that BWG produces more than 70% of Canada’s carrots, and subsequently renamed Super Saturday to “Carrot Fest”, hoping it would become the event that defines BWG, similar to Beeton’s Honey Festival or Alliston’s Potato Festival. The first Carrot Fest in 1998 added children’s entertainment, contests, and a main stage to the existing vendor market. Since 2005, Carrot Fest has been organized by the Town’s Department of Community Services. Carrot Fest has definitely become “a growing tradition” as the number of attendees has quadrupled since 2006, with an estimated 50,000 participants and $1 million generated locally. |
Event Schedule
| Friday, August 15, 2025 |
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Kids Zone 4:00-9:00pm York Energy Centre Stage (Barrie St)
TD Stage Schedule (Courthouse parking lot)
Great Golf Busker Pitch (Holland St W)
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| Saturday, August 16, 2025 |
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Kids Zone 10:00am-6:00pm York Energy Centre Stage (Barrie St)
TD Stage Schedule (Courthouse parking lot)
Great Gulf Busker Pitch (Holland St W)
Bradford & District Memorial Centre (125 Simcoe Rd)
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| Event Map |
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Getting Here
| Parking & Transit |
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Carrot Fest takes place in Downtown Bradford, on Holland Street (see road closure details below).
Parking:Free parking is offered in various municipal lots surrounding the festival:
Additional event parking is available at the BWG Library & Cultural Centre (425 Holland Street West) and the GO Station (Bridge Street). |
| Road Closures |
The following road will be closed on Friday, August 15, 2025 at 11:00am:
All roads will re-open by 3am on Sunday, August 17, 2025 |
| Detour Routes |
| Detour routes and signs have been set-up to help traffic get through town during the festival, and to keep large vehicles off residential streets.
Detour 1 (follow signs for D1)Dissette Street to 8th Line to Professor Day Drive (Truck Route/Major Traffic)
Detour 2 (follow signs for D2)Marshview Boulevard to Simcoe Road to 6th Line to Melbourne Drive (Major Traffic)
Detour 3 (follow signs for D3)Church Street to John Street to Colborne Street (Local Traffic only)
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Vendor Market
| Vendor Market Hours | ||||
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Friday, August 15, 2025 - 4:00-10:00pm Saturday, August 16, 2025 - 9:00am-6:00pm
Click HERE or scan the QR code below to explore an interactive map of Carrot Fest, featuring all vendors and activation areas. Tap on any booth number to learn more about each vendor.
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| Vendor List | ||||
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| Vendor Application Information | ||||||||||
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NEW Registration Process:
Store front businesses will have first opportunity to submit their application, followed by Local businesses/vendors and finally Non-local businesses/vendors; providing each business type 2 weeks to apply. The vendor application portal will remain open until June 1st but once all three registration dates have passed, applications will move to being accepted in chronological order based on the date of submission, rather than business type. Applications will be evaluated by entertainment and uniqueness of booth and products. Those businesses that are similar, will be limited to 3-4 to ensure the event remains diverse. Due to a high volume of applications, please remain patient while your application is being reviewed.
Please review our 2025 Vendor Application Information Package
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| Vendor Fees - 2025 | ||||||||||
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Friday, August 15, 2025
Payment is processed once your application has been approved. |
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| Food Vendors and Food Trucks | ||||||||||
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Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit - Vendor Permit If you are a food vendor, interested in selling food at Carrot Fest, you are required by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit to fill out the Special Event/Farmers Market Vendor Application Form 10 days after acceptance. Failure to abide by these rules and regulations may result in removal from the festival. This form can be found in the 2025 Vendor Application Information Package.
Food/Beverage Truck Business Licensing As per the Town’s Business Licensing By-law 2014-70, all food vendors that are considered to be a refreshment vehicle or refreshment cart that wish to participate at Carrot Fest will require a temporary Business License from the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury. Please note that not all food vendors will have to obtain this license i.e. if they are a restaurant serving outside their store front or handing out food samples. This form can be found in the 2025 Vendor Application Information Package.
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| Vendor Market Hours | ||||||||||
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Friday, August 15:
Saturday, August 16:
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| Booth Size & Requirements: | ||||||||||
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Thank-you to our 2025 Event Sponsors
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