Festivals and Events

North Cape Coastal Drive music, food and agricultural  festivals take place throughout the spring, summer, fall and winter.  Theatre experiences also abound, from larger productions at the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside to wildly entertaining community theatre and dinner-theatre shows all around the region.

You can check  our calendar to see what’s going on monthly. In the meantime, here are some of the highlights of our Festivals and Events.

• The Festival of Small Halls, a much appreciated and particularly popular music festival, takes place in June. It features local and visiting talent at dozens of cozy venues all over the Island.
• The Indian River Festival is one of the most popular music festivals on the Island, featuring folk, jazz, blues, classical,  Maritime, and world music by the finest artists from Prince Edward Island and across Canada
• You won’t want to miss the charm of Chautauqua in Summerside in the month of July. The first Chautauqua came to Summerside in 1919 and today, The Spirit of Chautauqua is a cultural festival consisting of talks, demonstrations and musical performances for all ages and interests.
• The Tignish Irish Moss Festival takes place late June at the north-western tip of our Island.
• Do you like musical entertainment, games, period costumes and delicious strawberry shortcake with ice cream? Then be sure to check out any one of numerous strawberry socials, happening in communities all over the North Cape Touring Region in July.
• You are equally sure to enjoy the fun at the Summerside Lobster Carnival where you can feast on lobster and enjoy the excitement of harness racing.
•  The Tyne Valley Oyster Festival is a week-long celebration, complete with soap box derby, singing competition and a parade, that happens at the very beginning of August. The spotlight is on the Canadian Oyster Shucking Championship, with the winner going to Galloway, Ireland, to compete on the international stage.
• Our beloved potato is celebrated at the O’Leary Potato Blossom Festival in mid-July.
• Don’t miss the Evangeline Area Agricultural Exhibition and Acadian Festival at the end of August.
• An extremely popular newcomer to the festival scene is the delicious Fall Flavours Festival in September. It pairs Island chefs with local communities and the best produce from land and sea that PEI has to offer.
• In October, we have Open Farm Days, when visitors and locals alike can visit potato, dairy and alpaca farms to get a close-up look at our farming heritage – and celebrate our innovations.
• Over the fall and winter, Sunday acoustic music jams  are organized by the Acadian Musical Village and the Evangeline Bluegrass Festival at the Acadian Musical Village in Abram-Village.

Pride, tradition, folklore, family, stories, music, cuisine, livelihood – when we talk about celebrating the coast, we’re really talking about celebrating an entire way of life. We’re talking about the people of the North Cape Coastal region. And of course we’re talking about where you fit into the celebration equation.