The Town of Kingsville is set to welcome community members and visitors to the upcoming Migration Festival, a long-standing annual event that celebrates the town’s historic connection to bird migration, nature conservation, and Jack Miner.
Miner, also known as “Wild Goose Jack,” made Kingsville a household name in the 1900s and became known as the “Father of Conservation.” He founded the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary in 1904 to support the conservation of migratory waterfowl and birds. Information he collected by tagging ducks and geese as they passed through his Sanctuary led to the establishment of the Migratory Bird Treaty and the Migratory Bird Convention Act in 1917.
Each year, as the weather becomes cooler and the leaves change colour, the Town, alongside the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary, plans a celebration filled with arts, entertainment, family fun, and community spirit.
Held in conjunction with the festival, the Great Migration Paint Out is a nationally recognized art competition organized by local art experts Elaine and Layne van Loo. Artists from across North America compete in this en plein air contest, setting up canvases and painting the beauty of Kingsville’s landscapes, waterfronts and natural spaces, adding a unique backdrop and vibrant energy to the festival’s overall atmosphere.
The festival starts on Friday, October 16, with the Great Migration Kick-Off at the Grovedale Arts and Culture Centre, featuring performances by Stompbox Whisky and Barbara Anne. The cost is $20 per person, includes dinner, and can be purchased online through the festival website.
Saturday opens with a walking parade at Lakeside Park, followed by a full day of family activities, a Migration Market featuring vendors, artisans and local makers, a scavenger hunt, games, birds of prey demonstrations, and more!
At Jack Miner, enjoy guided tours, children’s activities, a straw maze, yard games, arts, crafts, and specialty vendors, as well as a Beer Market and live entertainment throughout the afternoon.
On Sunday, guests can start the day with a delicious pancake breakfast at the Sanctuary, followed by their Annual Classic Car Show, Birds of Prey demonstrations presented by the Canadian Raptor Conservancy, and more family activities. The festival closes with the Great Migration Paint Out Show and Sale at the Grovedale Arts and Culture Centre, where entries are proudly displayed and visitors can see the winning artwork, meet talented artists, enjoy appetizers, purchase pieces, and celebrate the winners.
The Migration Festival brings together everything that makes Kingsville special. Celebrate with us October 16 to 18. Full event details are available at migrationfestival.ca.
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