Acton's famous August blowout, the Leathertown Festival, is set to return next week to the downtown core.
The free celebration honouring the community's history will take place Aug. 13 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
As in previous years, attendees can expect live music, games, plenty of vendors and guilt-free munching of festival food at the event produced by the Downtown Acton Business Improvement Area.
New for 2023 is a Kids' Zone. Rather than spreading all the children's activities throughout the event, a dedicated area for children will have everything that kids love - music, games, photo ops with characters and ice cream. Science educator Messy Labs will also be there to show kids how fun it is to play with slime.
The musical lineup has just been announced and includes Monty and the Crew, Transistor Radio Group, Wicked Truth, Evensong, Acton City Limits and more.
Local and visiting motorheads will be able to marvel at some high-octane and classic machines at the car and bike show. This year, it will be in the parking lot of the Salvation Army thrift store, across from the Red Harp.
Those registering for the car show should show up to the festival at 10 a.m., with motorcycle riders welcome to arrive early as well. Participants for both shows should contact the Acton BIA in advance at [email protected].
Bicycling enthusiasts can also arrive in style. Tour the Hills, a fundraiser for Cancer Assistance Services of Halton Hills (CAShh), has organized a ride to the Leathertown Festival. Simply meet up at the Acton GO station at 10:30 a.m. for a 15-km ride that loops back into town.
The local festival celebrates Acton's proud history of being a leader in leather crafts for more than 180 years. At one point, it was home to the largest leather tannery in the British Empire.
In the 1970s, an early version of the Leathertown Festival called Acton Days took shape to raise funds for the Acton Town Hall Centre. This festival ran up to 1991, at which point it turned into the Leathertown Festival Actonians know and love today. It has run every year, with the exception of some of the pandemic years.
For further details, visit the festival's Facebook page.
