Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival presented by Chapman's is Canada’s original and largest butter tart festival.
On June 14, 2025 from 9am-5pm our downtown core and our waterfront parks will host 200+ vendors and food trucks for Ontario's Best Butter Tart Festival presented by Chapman's, voted by Festivals and Events Ontario as one of the Top 100 Festivals and Events in the province!
Our vendors sell everything from butter tarts to unique, hand-made items. And the variety of butter tarts you’ll find at our festival include plain, raisin, pecan, walnut, skor, maple, bacon, coconut, chocolate covered, PB&J, s’mores, gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, cheesecake, pumpkin... and so many more.
At our inaugural butter tart festival in June 2013, the festival sold out of the 10,000 butter tarts available for sale by 11 a.m. The number of butter tarts available for sale increases each year. In 2024 we were up to 300,000 butter tarts sold by our vendors. Attendance has also increased to approximately 60,000+ visitors for this incredible one day event.
The Egg Farmers of Ontario Butter Tart Contest awards the prize for BEST Butter Tart in Ontario. The contest is open to both professional and amateur/home bakers. The contest features both Traditional and Wild Style categories. Our judges include celebrities, chefs, food and travel bloggers, local dignitaries all with one thing in common – a love of butter tarts!
The Entertainment Stage features family-friendly musical performances all day. And kids love the Kids Zone in Harbourside Park. Visitors enjoy the convenient and free shuttle service on The Great Canadian Meat Shuttle from two Midland locations. We also offer free bike valet service, and free transit.
And while you are here, we hope you visit our downtown merchants and their unique shops. Some offer butter tart festival sales, deals and sweet treats. Mark your calendar to join us for the sweetest day of the year, June 14, 2025!
Schedule for 2024 Festival:
9:00 AM – Official opening of Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival presented by Chapman's, including the Piping of the Tart with Midland Pipes and Drums
All day – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM:
- 200+ vendors – King Street, David Onley, and Harbourside Parks
- Downtown merchants and their unique shops are open for business
- Food Truck vendors
- Buskers and entertainers
- Kids Zone
- Free bike valet service, and free transit
- Complimentary shuttle on the Great Canadian Meat Shuttle runs concurrently during the festival
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM - Live Music at the Entertainment Stage at Harbourside Park
Contest – 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Egg Farmers of Ontario Butter Tart Contest at Rotary Hall, Midland Cultural Centre, 333 King Street
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Judging of Traditional category for Professional and Amateur/Home Bakers
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM – Judging of Wild Style category for Professional and Amateur/Home Bakers
3:15 PM – Judging of Best in Show
3:30 PM – Announcement of Best in Show Best and all Butter Tart Contest winners
Join us in the Town of Midland, on the shores of Georgian Bay,
for all the sweet fun.
Voted Top 100 Festivals!
Festivals and Events Ontario has once again named Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival presented by Chapman's one of the Top 100 Festivals and Events in the province for 2025. An award winning festival since 2019.
Notice of photography and video:
Please be aware that Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival presented by Chapman's is capturing photos/video at our festival. By entering the festival premises, you consent to such recording of media and its releases, publications, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for news, web, and promotional purposes. Photos and videos will only be used for promotion of the event by the event itself and through Tourism Partners the County of Simcoe, North Simcoe Tourism, and the Town of Midland.
History of Ontario's Best Butter Tart Festival
Watch the TVO Today Docs short YouTube video showcasing Midland's beautiful downtown, and featuring our iconic Ontario's Best Butter Tart Festival.