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Orangeville’s second annual Butter Tart festival draws hundreds of visitors to the Alder Arena

April 29, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The second annual Orangeville butter tart festival drew hundreds of visitors to town over the weekend, as residents and out-of-town guests packed the Alder Street Recreation Centre for a day dedicated to one of Ontario’s favourite desserts.

The “For the Love of Buttertarts festival” is now in its second year, and saw steady crowds throughout the day on April 25, with long lines forming at vendor tables and a constant flow of attendees browsing the indoor market.

The strong turnout marked a noticeable step up from the event’s inaugural year, highlighting its growing popularity within the community and beyond.

Dozens of vendors filled the venue, offering a wide range of products that went well beyond traditional butter tarts.

Lynn Deakin, from St. Catharines, was one such vendor and had her display full of gluten-free and vegan butter tarts. She started her butter tart business during COVID, and it has just taken off since then.

“We actually first got started in 2022, during the pandemic,” she said. “I started out signing up for events just like this one, but over time, they started to find me first, which is fantastic, because it expands our range considerably.”

“We’re thrilled to be back in Orangeville again. This town and its people never disappoint. They come out, they have huge lines, and I’ve had more than a few people say they bought from us last year and came back for more.”

While the classic Canadian treat remained the main attraction – with variations ranging from plain to pecan and inventive specialty flavours – visitors could also sample hot sauces, baked goods, confections and other locally made items. The diversity of offerings contributed to a lively marketplace atmosphere, with something to appeal to nearly every taste.

Bringing some heat to the festival was Andrew and Lisa Laidlaw and their sauce business, “Class Clown Chilli Sauce Co.” Based right here in Orangeville. Andrew said that they are educators by trade and run the hot sauce business on the side. He added that they love bringing their stock out to local events.

“We grow all of our peppers right here in town, and we turn them into sauces at the [commercial kitchen at] Westminster Church,” he said. “We sell them quite often, at least once a month, at the farmers’ market. We actually originally started this as a classroom project, then grew into a business over time. We’ve come to this festival every year – it’s fantastic.”

Along with the food vendors, there were also special vendors who went above and beyond for charitable causes.

Rita Anand was that vendor. She was at the Butter Tart festival with ‘Friend of a Friend,’ selling custom-made art and designs with a twist – all proceeds go to initiatives that combat human trafficking.

“I was working with girls that escaped from human trafficking,” she said. “I started this little project as a way to give back to them. I make inspirational charms, cards, and a bunch of little items. The money goes right back to helping with education, medical care, mental health support, and more. The things these girls have been through can be deeply traumatizing.”

Friend of a Friend has online resources available at http://www.friend-of-a-friend.online.

All together, “For the Love of Buttertarts” was another success in its second year, and underscored the continued appetite for local, small-scale food festivals in Dufferin County, as well as local commitments for charitable causes that go beyond desserts.

By combining a focused culinary theme with a broader vendor market, organizers attracted both dedicated butter tart enthusiasts and casual visitors seeking a family-friendly outing.

With consistent foot traffic and strong vendor participation throughout the day, the festival is showing signs of becoming a fixture on Orangeville’s annual events calendar.

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