Morning. The patios are open, the lake is warming up, and Canada Day weekend is almost close enough to taste.
This week's Buzz is brought to you by Stay Grey Bruce, our own little directory of cottages and cabins for rent across the region. Long weekend coming and family asking where they're staying? Browse by town and book straight with the owner. No giant platform skimming off the top.
Inside: fresh fish off Georgian Bay, the butter tarts people drive out of their way for, a late-night dance in Formosa, and a calendar packed right through the weekend. Now, a small confession. Both our food picks this week are in Wiarton. I'd love to say that was a careful editorial decision and not just me following my stomach up Highway 6. It was not. Wiarton ate good this week.
Let's get into it.
Do you have an event coming up that our readers should know about? Submit your local events HERE to be featured in upcoming editions.
Top 3 this week
Here are our 3 favourite events happening this week
Formosa Lions Dinner & Dance on the Pad — Friday, June 26 | 9pm-1am | Formosa Recreation Centre
The ham and roast beef dinner is already spoken for, but the real party is the dance. Happy hour runs 6 to 7, then DJ Francois LeBel takes over the pad from 9pm to 1am. Just $10 to get in, and it all goes back to the Formosa Lions.
TD Salsa at Blue Mountain — Friday-Sunday, June 26-28 | Blue Mountain Village
Three days of salsa music, dancing, and Latin food take over the Village. Catch live bands on the Subaru Stage and try to keep your feet still. Bring the family or make a date of it.
Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band Saturday Night Parade — Saturday, June 27 | 5pm | Downtown Kincardine
A beloved Kincardine summer tradition. The pipers march down Queen Street in full kilt and the whole town comes out to watch. Grab a spot on the curb early. It's free.
Partner Spotlight
Liesemer's Home Hardware
Here's a fun one. The oldest Home Hardware in Canada is right here in Mildmay, and it just got a fresh shipment of e-bikes.
Liesemer's has been on Elora Street since 1873. That's more than 150 years of pointing folks to the right screw, and now they'll set you up with a set of wheels too. They've been building out their bike department, and the latest delivery is a rack of Taubik e-bikes.
Taubik is a Canadian, family-run brand, which feels exactly right for a store like this. They make step-through and fat-tire models, all with smooth torque-sensor motors and UL-certified batteries. Whether you want to cruise the rail trail, run into town without the car, or just keep up with the grandkids, there's a ride here for you.
These tend to roll out the door fast. If an e-bike has been on your mind, swing by and throw a leg over one. The team will get you sorted.
The GB Burger Hunt: keep 'em coming
The hunt for the best burger in Grey Bruce is still on, and we need your pick. Nominations close Tuesday, June 30 at midnight, so don't sit on it.
One burger, the one you'd actually send a friend to. Local spots only, no chains, and it has to be on the menu right now. The most-nominated places make the shortlist, and we'll spend the summer eating our way through them.
Full Weekly Calendar
Community Calendar
Our Community Calendar covers Grey & Bruce Counties. It's a large area, so if we missed an event we are sorry, we will do better next time!
237 events across Grey and Bruce this week. Salsa takes over Blue Mountain, the Bruce County Playhouse opens Halfway There, Canada Day weekend gets an early start with fireworks over Point Clark, and the farmers markets are in full swing. We gave it its own page so the email doesn't break your phone.
3 more worth getting off the couch for
Sauble Beach Sunset Cruisers Classic Car Show — Sauble Beach, Tue June 23
Saugeen First Nation Night Market — Saugeen First Nation, Thu June 25
Eugenia Gold Rush — Maxwell, Sat June 27
Foodie Flash
Howell's Fish - Wiarton
Some of the best fish around doesn't travel far to reach your plate. It comes out of Georgian Bay and goes straight into Howell's in Wiarton.
This is the real deal. Fresh whitefish, lake trout, salmon, even scallops. They smoke their own trout and whitefish right there, so you can grab a slab for the cottage, the deck, or a Friday night with friends who think they don't like fish. They do now.
And if you're hungry the second you walk in, the kitchen has you covered. The fish tacos are a thing of beauty. The whitefish and chips come in a light, crispy batter that puts the chain spots to shame. It's the kind of meal that tastes even better when it's this local.
Local catch. Local family. Local shop. This is exactly the kind of place worth the drive.
Hidden Gem of the week
Georgian Bay Country Market - Wiarton
Just up Highway 6 from Wiarton sits the kind of roadside stop you mean to pop into for five minutes and leave forty minutes later with your arms full.
It's a true country market. Farm-fresh produce, with over 90% of it grown right here in Ontario, plus fine local meats and a whole counter of homemade treats. One roof, all of it local.
But let's be honest about why people really stop. The butter tarts. Folks call them the best around, and the fudge gives them a run for their money. Grab a few cinnamon buns for the drive while you're at it.
There's the Windmill Café for a coffee and a snack, a quiet little pond to sit by, and even a veteran-owned outdoor gear shop tucked inside. It's a proper destination.
It's open seven days a week, which makes it dangerously easy to just pop in. You've been warned.
Know a hidden spot that you want to share? Reply to this email and let us know!
Poll of the week
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Thanks for spending a few minutes with us.
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Catch you next Tuesday with a fresh batch of local events, hidden gems, and small-town surprises.
Stay curious,
— Cody & The GB Buzz Team