Farmer’s Market
Geographically, Guelph is a fantastic place for local foods. You just have to go a few kilometers outside of the city to see that we are surrounded by farms. And many of those farmers bring their goods to the corner of Gordon and Wilson to the Guelph Farmer’s Market.
The Farmer’s Market is a popular spot, and tends to draw quite a crowd for the five hours a week it is open, from 7 am to noon every Saturday morning.
As the weather warms up, more and more farmers and vendors are heading there. The number of vendors increases in the summer to about double what it does in the winter, up to over 120 from around 60. While the year round staples are still there—delicious cookies, bagels and other baked goods; meats, eggs and cheeses; home décor and hand crafted goods—the market expands to the lot out back in the summer months, overflowing with fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers, many straight from local producers and distributers.
It’s a great way to start the weekend any time of year, in a bright, vibrant, social atmosphere, unlike anywhere else in town. But in the summer, it’s better than ever.
Arboretum
Although it’s just steps away from the centre of campus, the University of Guelph Arboretum feels like a whole other world. Plantings began in 1971, and now the Arboretum is home to over 1700 different types of plants including trees, shrubs and flowers, including almost every plant native to southern Ontario.
The arboretum is a great place to spend a few hours whoever you are. If you’re interested in plants, a walk down any of the Arboretum’s over 8 km of trails can be a great learning experience, especially during the spring and early summer when many of the plants are beginning to bloom, such as the Leslie Hancock Memorial Rhododendron Collection. There are specialized gardens as well, with focus on Italian, Japanese and English plants and landscapes, as well as gardens of roses, rhododendrons, or plants meant to attract wildlife such as birds and butterflies.
It’s also an ideal place to go for a picnic or just an afternoon outside.
The Arboretum also offers tours throughout the year for anyone interested in learning while they walk, as well as classes and educational programs.
Guelph Parks
Guelph is generally a good city to find green space in. There are a number of parks all over the city, which can provide more than just grass and trees. Baseball diamonds; basketball, tennis and volleyball courts; as well as pools and picnic areas are all available around the city to people trying to spend some time outside.
In total, there are over 1000 hectares of parks and open space, including over 70km of trails and paths, making them ideal for biking or hiking trips close to home as well. Guelph’s parks also have many leash-free areas where you can let your dogs run amok among their canine kin.
Many of the parks in Guelph follow the rivers that flow through Guelph— the Speed and the Eramosa— which adds an opportunity to see water birds and fish to any excursion. The same is true of Guelph Lake, at the north end of town, which not only offers park amenities, but also an area to swim in the man-made lake.
Guelph Festivals
Guelph’s musical and artistic community is part of what makes this such an interesting and exciting city to live in. The summer is simply packed with festivals celebrating this.
The most well-known of these is likely the annual Hillside Festival, which takes place every August at Guelph Lake. This summer marks the 28th Hillside Festival which has grown from humble beginnings to one of the biggest music festivals in Ontario, every year showcasing many musical acts from a number of genres, including many local and independent artists, as well as spoken word performances, food vendors and workshops.
The summer is also the time for dancing, as the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival (GCDF) takes to the stages, streets and parks of Guelph in late spring. The GCDF is a unique opportunity for both performers, who may seldom get to perform in a smaller city like Guelph, and for patrons, who don’t often get to see contemporary dance performances outside of major city centres.
Another major summer festival is the Guelph & District Multicultural Festival, which happens in June. This year is the 25th anniversary of the festival. There’s a beer tent, lots of international cuisine vendors, as well as performances from over 20 different cultural groups.
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