In Toronto, butter tarts hold a special place in the hearts — and taste buds — of its residents. And now a highly anticipated butter tart festival is set to arrive at a location less than two hours away from the city!
Set to make a sweet return this June, Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival is the province’s original and largest celebration of this iconic Canadian pastry. Taking over Midland’s downtown core and waterfront, the event will play host to more than 200 vendors and food trucks.
According to the festival’s website, over 200,000 butter tarts will be available for sale, ranging from traditional flavours like plain, raisin, pecan and walnut to unique spins like Skor, bacon, peanut butter & jelly, cheesecake and pumpkin. Additionally, gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free options will be offered, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy
In addition to indulging in delicious butter tarts, attendees can enjoy live music and browse locally-made products from vendors. Plus, there’s a kid zone for the little ones and complimentary shuttles for convenience.
And of course, no butter tart festival would be complete without a contest! Judged by a panel of celebrities, chefs, and food enthusiasts, both professional and home bakers will compete in categories like Traditional and Wild, culminating in the highly anticipated Best in Show award.
Last year, Toronto’s very own Circle & Squares Bakery took home the top prize, winning the blue ribbon for the best traditional tart, maple pecan, and securing second place in the Wild category for their Snickers tart.
Attendance has also soared to approximately 60,000 visitors each year. Make sure to arrive early; at the inaugural Butter Tart Festival in 2013, all 10,000 butter tarts available for sale were sold out by 11 a.m.!
Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival is set to take place on Saturday, June 8th  from  from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.