What you need to know to navigate the Tall Ships Festival in Brockville this weekend
As the city of Brockville prepares to welcome thousands of visitors to its waterfront for the Tall Ships Festival this weekend, festival-goers are advised to plan ahead to make the most of this celebration of maritime heritage.
The festival, taking place from Friday, June 20 to Sunday, June 22, has been a year in the making and promises majestic ships, delicious food, live music, and everything in between. The Festival will kick off with the popular Parade of Sail event which will kick off on Friday upon the gorgeous ship Empire Sandy. Boarding will begin at 2:00pm from Blockhouse Island, with the sail taking place from approximately 2:30pm-4:30pm.
To make sure you have the best weekend possible, here are some of logistics and important information that you need to know.
Road closures, parking, and shuttle services
Due to ongoing road work at Exit 696 (Stewart Street) off of Highway 401 will be open but is under construction, offering limited access to downtown Brockville. All festival visitors are strongly encouraged to use Exit 698 (North Augusta Road) instead to avoid traffic build ups. This secondary exit also offers the most direct access to designated free parking zones and shuttle services.
To reduce congestion downtown, the City of Brockville has designated six festival parking lots, with free shuttle buses running consistently between these lots to drop-off locations on the festival grounds.
The two main shuttle lots are the Brockville Memorial Civic Centre at 100 Magedoma Boulevard and St. Lawrence College at 2288 Parkedale Avenue. Both of these locations provide ample parking spaces and continuous shuttle service throughout the weekend.
Additional shuttle-serviced lots include:
- Cabn Co. Ltd. Parking Lot, 130 North Augusta Road
- Festival Parking Lot, 153 North Augusta Road
- Festival Parking Lot, 198 Pearl Street East
- Swift Waters Elementary School, 556 King Street West (Saturday and Sunday only)
Signage will be placed along clearly marked routes to guide vehicles along Parkedale Avenue and North Augusta Road to designated shuttle lots.
On top of the William Street overpass, which is already closed for construction, organizers noted that there will be other road closures in effect near the downtown core, particularly along King Street near the waterfront. There will be very limited access to the festival grounds for personal vehicle, however, signage will be available to reroute local traffic around the downtown core.
Visitors should allow extra travel time and anticipate walking short distances from drop-off points to festival entrances.
Children and pets
The Tall Ships Festival is designed to be family-friendly and the event remains accessible for families and visitors of all ages. Children under five are given free admission to deck tours but must be accompanied by an adult with a wristband.
All passengers on sail-out cruises, including infants, require tickets and life jackets. Life jackets are only mandatory for children under five who are participating in sail-outs and guests will need to bring their own.
Leashed pets are welcome at the festival grounds, though not aboard the ships. There will be water stations available throughout the festival grounds, and pet owners are reminded to be mindful of noises that may startle the animals, like ship cannons.
For more information, including last-minute updates or accessibility inquiries, contact info@tallshipsbrockville.com or call 613-341-2220.
For a full detailed outline of this weekend’s events visit the Tall Ships Brockville website.