Dockside Festival of the Arts
A free two-day waterfront celebration at the Wharf with live entertainment, food trucks and a lineup of local vendors and makers — a summer staple on the Gravenhurst calendar.
Local Life · Muskoka, Ontario
This weekend in Muskoka
Week of Friday, August 7, 2026
Gravenhurst's free waterfront Dockside Festival takes over the Wharf this weekend, Music on the Barge closes out Sunday night on Gull Lake, and the Muskoka Chautauqua's ten-day arts festival opens in Windermere. Expect warm, showery weather with a chance of a thunderstorm each day — bring a rain jacket to the outdoor events.
Forecast
Warm and unsettled: mid-20s each day with a mix of sun and cloud, and a real chance of showers or a thunderstorm all three days — heaviest risk Saturday.
Fri26° / 19°Mix of sun and cloud, 40% chance of showers with a risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon
Sat26° / 16°Mix of sun and cloud, 60% chance of showers with a risk of a thunderstorm
Sun26° / 15°Sunny with cloudy periods overnight, 30% chance of showers overnight
Weekend events
Music on the Barge
The floating bandstand hosts another free Sunday-evening concert on Gull Lake — bring a chair or blanket for Gravenhurst's classic summer wind-down.
Bracebridge Farmers' Market
Local produce, baked goods and crafts from area vendors at Bracebridge's rain-or-shine Saturday market, running through October 10.
Choir! Choir! Choir! — The 80s & 90s
The Toronto singalong sensation brings two decades-themed shows to the Algonquin Theatre as part of Huntsville Festival of the Arts' summer programming.
Muskoka Chautauqua Summer Festival opens
Ten days of arts, music, wellness and literary programming kick off in the historic lakeside village, with an open-air theatre overlooking Lake Rosseau.
Cottage country this week
Muskoka Chautauqua Summer Festival
The Windermere village festival opens this Friday for ten days of lectures, live music, art workshops and family programming through August 16 — worth planning a day trip around.
Steamship cruises from the Wharf
The Wenonah II continues daily sightseeing, lunch and sunset-dinner cruises on Lake Muskoka out of Gravenhurst — a good rainy-forecast backup plan this weekend.
Showery-weekend backup plans
With a thunderstorm risk each day, Muskoka's indoor options — the Segwun/steamship museum exhibits, Bethune Memorial House and downtown Gravenhurst shops and cafés — are good fallbacks between festival visits.
Library & kids
- TD Summer Reading Club — keep readingAll summer — free to joinKids & families
- Science SproutsFriday, August 7, 10:30–11:30amPreschool & up
- Gravenhurst Public Library — events calendarBrowse by date, incl. Preschool Story Time Aug 11All ages
Civic brief
District of Muskoka — council & committee meetings
Agendas, minutes and livestreams for upcoming District of Muskoka council and committee meetings are posted in advance on the District site.
Town of Gravenhurst — council
Meeting schedules, agendas and ways to have your say on local decisions are available through the Town of Gravenhurst council pages.
Highway 11 rock-blasting closures continue near Gravenhurst
MTO rock-blasting work between the Severn River Bridge and Gravenhurst is causing intermittent full closures Tuesday–Thursday most weeks through October, plus a closed southbound on-ramp at Muskoka Road 13. Check 511on.ca before driving Hwy 11 south of town.
Notable news this week
Gravenhurst drug trafficking investigation leads to charges
A Muskoka Community Street Crime Unit investigation at a Bethune Drive South apartment complex ended in three search warrants and charges against two people, including possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Both are due in Bracebridge court August 25.
Dockside Festival returns to the Gravenhurst Wharf
The free two-day waterfront festival is back August 8–9 with live entertainment, food trucks and local vendors along the Wharf.
Muskoka Chautauqua's 10-day festival opens in Windermere
The Muskoka Lakes arts and culture festival kicks off August 7 for ten days of music, lectures and family programming at its lakeside open-air theatre.
Good to know
- Steamship cruisesThe Wenonah II sails daily from Muskoka Wharf; the RMS Segwun returns from restoration Sept 1.
- Farmers' marketGravenhurst Farmers' Market runs Wednesdays 9am–2pm at Gull Lake Rotary Park through Oct 7.
- Music on the BargeFree Sunday-night concerts on Gull Lake, 7:30pm, through early September.
- Bethune HouseDr. Norman Bethune's birthplace, a National Historic Site, is open for the season in Gravenhurst.