Join us in celebrating the arts throughout Port Hope this August.
August is Arts Month in Port Hope
Our annual Arts Festival will take place in downtown Port Hope on August 12, 2023. The event will feature a 10-Minute Play Series, an outdoor vendor market, and a community gathering in the park. You can expect activities for the kids, art on display and other fun surprises!
Port Hope has arts and culture experiences abound!
Follow along on our event facebook page for more updates and details throughout August.
The festival is rain or shine - noting some programming components may be relocated or cancelled in severe weather. Keep an eye on our social media for updates.
10-Minute Play Series
On August 12, our Play Series will feature 10 unique plays, staged in 5 outdoors spots downtown.
Play details + locations |
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Experience drama, comedy, readings – and it’s all free! The 10-Minute Play Series is a unique chance to meet some of the warmest and most charming people in the theatre business. Performances will take place on the hour and the half hour, at 5 outdoor locations, between 11:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on August 12. Click through the accordions below to read the play descriptions, and view our festival map (green icons) to find the open-air venues.
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Art Around Town
The work of 18 artists is up in various downtown shop windows from August 1 until August 14.
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View the yellow icons on the digital Festival Map to find Art Around Town display locations.
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Critical Mass Art
Creating inclusive and engaging contemporary art experiences in Port Hope since 2012.
| Art Show and Sale |
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Thinking Beyond the Blue Box August is Arts Month in Port Hope. To coincide with Port Hope Arts Festival, Critical Mass has partnered with Beyond the Blue Box to host an Art Show & Sale that will be exhibited at The Capitol Theatre from August 12th to August 26th. Artists interested in participating must register on the Critical Mass Artist Participant List. Looking to learn more about Critical Mass Art? Become a member of this inclusive arts organization and follow along on social media to stay in the loop. |
Capitol Arts Centre
A cultural cornerstone presenting atmospheric experiences since 1930.
| Live Theatre details |
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This summer, the Capitol is offering a summer camp for youth looking to break into the exciting world of theatre. The summer season is also in full swing and you can see Little Shop of Horrors live on stage this August - A hilarious sci-fi smash about a man-eating plant! To coincide with the Port Hope Arts Festival, opening night of Little Shop of Horrors is happening August 12 - tickets are selling fast. Looking to know more about the Capitol Theatre? Join their mailing list, or follow along on social media so you don't miss an opportunity to be dazzled. |
Festival fun!
Community displays, hands-on activities, food vendors and other fun surprises.
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Visit Memorial Park on August 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Expect to see stilt walkers, community displays, hands on activities and food vendors. You won't want to miss all the action! There is something for every age to enjoy at the Port Hope Arts Festival. |
Song Writers Circle and Live Music on August 12
Live Music |
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We are kicking off the Port Hope Arts Festival with live music! The La Jeunesse Youth Orchestra will be performing live from the Bandshell in Memorial Park on August 12 starting at 10:00 a.m.
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| Song Writers Circle |
| Attention songwriters, poets and storytellers! Bring your best work and join local singer-songwriters Shannon Linton and Jakeb Daniel at the Sculthorpe Theatre on August 12 at 2 p.m. for an unplugged and intimate sharing circle. Were you at Dwellissimo during Hibernate? Same vibe! This workshop is free to attend. Please bring some of your work, writing utensils and a sense of creative curiosity. Songwriters Circle: August 12, 2023 2-3:30 p.m. Sculthorpe Theatre (upstairs at the Capitol Theatre) |
Wagon Rides
Visit our beautiful downtown and take a free horse-drawn ride on August 12.
Wagon Ride details |
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Take a ride on a horse-drawn wagon throughout the downtown on August 12! The free rides are being provided by Top Notch Carriage Service from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The pick up location is on Queen Street just south of the Port Hope Library - Mary J. Benson Branch. |
Movies in the Park
Two outdoor movies will be presented in August in Memorial Park in celebration of the Arts.
Show times |
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Mark your calendars for Wednesday August 9 and August 23 for some colourful adventures in film. |
Public Art Spaces
Scattered throughout Port Hope are an assortment of public art pieces. Can you find them all?
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Check out the map of public art and mural locations throughout Port Hope. The map also includes a selection of art galleries. So much to discover! |
Map your experience
Explore our digital Festival Map to find all the event components in downtown Port Hope. Click the view larger map box (top right) for full map functionality and menu options.
The Art of Shopping
Shopping boutique merchants and vendor stalls of the outdoor market to find unique gifts and treasures is a favourite component of our Arts Festival experience.
Artisan Market
The outdoor marketplace will pop up in downtown on August 12 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the back lawn of Town Hall and a portion of Augusta Street. This market will run alongside the Port Hope Farmers Market.
Market details and registration |
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The vendor market reflects the colourful mix of Northumberland County’s culture by showcasing the diverse skills and products of local and regional artists. The Port Hope Arts Festival Vendor Market is comprised of art and craft vendors, set up alongside the the Port Hope Farmers Market in the adjacent parking lot. The outdoor Arts Festival artisan market will pop up on the back lawn of Town Hall.
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Shop the Farmers' Market
The Port Hope Farmers' Market is running on Saturday mornings (8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.) at 56 Queen Street AND Wednesday afternoons (1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.) at 177 Toronto Road. Visit these open-air markets to find the freshest locally grown vegetables, baked goods, preserves and more.
Shop the Port Hope merchants
Port Hope merchants offer distinction and diversity. Shop local to find items ranging from the rare and curious, to the practical and pretty.
The business district is open seven days a week!
Live music throughout the month of August
Port Hope Jazz
Jazz music is making a statement in Port Hope this August. The Port Hope Jazz experience will have you swooning and grooving.
All that Jazz |
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Port Hope Jazz is excited to be reviving the jazz music scene in town by offering top-calibre Canadian Jazz musicians in local restaurants on the fourth weekend in August. Port Hope Jazz, formally known as the All-Canadian Jazz Festival Port Hope, is a grassroots organization dedicated to exploring and promoting Canadian jazz excellence. Check out their website or follow along on social media to find out more. To reserve a table at one of the concerts this August, contact the venue directly. |
Road to Cultivate
The Road To Cultivate Concert Series is live in the Memorial Park historical bandshell every Thursday in July and August!
Cultivate live music schedule |
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The Road to Cultivate Concert Series features some of Canada's best musicians, local food vendors and fun for everyone.
Bring a blanket and those you love the most and celebrate the season with some free music in the park every Thursday until the end of August starting at 6:00 p.m..
Cultivate's flagship festival will be back this September at the Haute Goat Farm. A must attend event! Check out their website or follow along on social media to find out more. |
Discover the arts
Presenting videos featuring local artists offering a insights and tips for puppet making, ceramics and stained glass. Uncover the artist within and start exercising your creativity today. Looking for more colourful content? View our local artist feature video playlist.
More local art, culture and public spaces to explore
On August 12 visit the downtown for play readings, wagon rides, freezies and painted sidewalks!
To find more local events and art programs this August check out the Port Hope calendar.
Did you know the Port Hope Arts Festival has been running for 20 consecutive years? Check out more fun ways to engage with the arts and the Port Hope community below.
August is Arts Month |
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To help expand and extend the Port Hope Arts Festival experience, we are inviting organizations and individuals to help us celebrate August as Arts Month. Our vision is to encourage an organic community celebration of the arts by extending an open invitation to get creative and curious. Arts Month is intended to be a serendipitous celebration, where artists, residents, organizations and businesses are empowered to present activities, digital content or physical displays that engage folks in the arts. We encourage experiences that educate, inspire and connect us to a variety of artistic mediums to reach out ultimate goal of having some creative, community fun. Participation could be private, and may include reaching out to a local artist to ask them a question or tell them you admire their talents, purchasing a new art piece, trying your hand at a new art form or getting tickets to the theatre. Participation could also be more public, like hosting a workshop, promoting artfully made merchandise, sharing a work-in-progress or tips online. If you’d like to join the Arts Month momentum, there are no rigid rules for participation and there isn't a sign-up process; participation is self-empowered. If you want to tag the Municipality of Port Hope in social posts, we will do our best to share some content on our channels. Try posting content to hashtags #porthope and #phaf to see who else is dabbling in the arts. Our goal with Arts Month is to inspire each other to be creative this summer, share our work, our discoveries and celebrate the arts throughout the Port Hope community. Spread the wordWe invite our community to spread the word. Below is a collection of Arts Festival assets that can be "saved as" and downloaded: |
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Self-guided tours |
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| Embark on a self-guided tour this August to learn about historic buildings and landmarks, find farm stands, antique barns, and movie shoot locations. Discover more Port Hope history and heritage, museums and stories while you're enjoy the sights and sounds of summer on the lakeshore. | ||
Parks Recreation and Culture programs throughout August |
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| Summer Acrylic Painting Series
Bring your lunch and join our paint party in various parks in Port Hope. Bring your own painting supplies, lawn chair and easel or lap pillow and enjoy a nice afternoon outdoors and socializing. Participants will be introduced to basic acrylic painting skills through a series of projects relating to art concepts and techniques. This is a class for beginners and those who want to come together to paint, refresh skills and/or learn new techniques.
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Chalk art |
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Watch for colourful chalk designs downtown and around town on August 12. As part of this year's Arts Festival experience, we invite you to break out the sidewalk chalk. A creative and colourful activity, sidewalk chalking is an interactive way to brighten our streetscapes. Share photos of your designs on social media with the hashtags #porthope and #phaf. Watch for colourful chalk designs on the sidewalk downtown and around town on August 12 (or until it rains!). Give our friendly Parks staff and local artist Herb Jung a big hello, should you see them out and about.
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Port Hope has arts and culture experiences abound!
Follow along on our event facebook page for more updates and details throughout August. Keep an eye on our online community event calendar for more experiences at www.porthope.ca/calendar
Event partners and sponsors
Port Hope is a vibrant and creative community. The Port Hope Arts Festival and August is Arts Month is made possible thanks to these supporters:
Capitol Theatre • Colour Concepts • Critical Mass Art • Dave Carley • Hope Community Church
Ganaraska Art & Framing • Herb Jung • Playwrights Guild of Canada
For more information about how to get involved with the Port Hope Arts Festival,
email Jeannie Maidens or call 905-375-7855