Images
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![Festival guests gather on the lawn at Haute Goat Farm while a brass band and stilt walkers parade through the crowd in front of the iconic red barn during Cultivate Festival.]()
A festival built for wandering, discovering, dancing, and connecting. That's what community looks like. -
![A smiling child wearing a winter toque and Cultivate T-shirt dances in front of the stage during an evening concert, surrounded by families enjoying live music under colourful lights.]()
The best seat in the house isn't a seat at all. It's wherever the music finds you. 💙 Slow Down. Tune In. -
![A musician reaches down to high-five children gathered at the front of the stage during a nighttime performance as bright red and white stage lights illuminate the band.]()
Moments like these don't happen from the stage. They happen between the stage and the crowd. Music brings us together. -
![A lively brass band performs while walking through the festival grounds as children, families, and stilt walkers follow along, with bubbles floating through the sunny afternoon.]()
Sometimes the best stage has no walls. Just sunshine, bubbles, brass bands, and a crowd ready to join the parade.
Cultivate Festival
In-person
Intercultural Music Nature & outdoors Kids PerformanceDate and time
Location
Haute Goat Farm
1166 5th Line
Newtonville, ON
Directions: We are 1 hour east of Toronto, 1 hour and 30 minutes west of Kingston and 20 minutes south of Peterborough.
Access
Free, and accepts optional pay-what-you-may donations for admission.
Offered in English.
Has gender-neutral washrooms and wheelchair accessible.
Please view our accessibility policy - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jlp1hFoyLgWXeoqsdKuF-m0nXWiOEF9A/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117487971416120705019&rtpof=true&sd=true
About
The Cultivate Festival is a three-day celebration of Canadian music, art, food, and community taking place September 25–27, 2026, at Haute Goat Farm in Port Hope, Ontario. Now entering its 10th edition, Cultivate has grown into one of the region's most unique family-friendly arts experiences, bringing together live music, cultural exchange, creativity, and rural adventure in a welcoming setting for all ages.
Set across 200 scenic acres of rolling hills, trails, gardens, and farm spaces, the festival features performances from acclaimed and emerging Canadian artists across multiple professional stages, alongside interactive workshops, art installations, community activities, and local food experiences. This year's lineup includes acclaimed singer-songwriter Terra Lightfoot, high-energy Montreal collective Lemon Bucket Orkestra, beloved family favourites A Sharon, Lois & Bram Sing Along, Afro-folk artist Ahmed Moneka, hip-hop artist and cultural ambassador Waahli, folk-rock veterans Cuff the Duke, and Northumberland favourites including Melissa Payne, Durham County Poets, Doghouse Orchestra, Pete Moss, Less Toches, Päter, Polky, Nimkii Osawamick, and The Jimmy Bowskill Band. Guests can expect everything from intimate acoustic performances and joyful family sing-alongs to high-energy brass, global rhythms, storytelling, and collaborative performances.
Cultivate is intentionally designed to be multigenerational and deeply family-friendly. Children can explore the Cultivate Kids area, participate in crafts, painting, music-making, giant bubbles, and creative play, while parents enjoy live music, local food and drink, and space to relax. The festival's Art Hive offers collaborative art-making experiences for all ages, and the wide-open farm environment encourages people to slow down, wander, and connect. Goat hikes, garden spaces, trails, campfires, and farm experiences make the setting feel more like a community gathering than a traditional crowded festival.
A major part of the Cultivate experience is cultural exchange and community connection. Through partnerships with diverse cultural organizations, artists, and community groups, the festival presents programming that celebrates different traditions, stories, and artistic practices. Workshops, conversations, drumming circles, participatory performances, and artist-led activities invite audiences to engage directly with artists and one another, creating opportunities for shared learning and meaningful connection.
Cultivate is known for its relaxed atmosphere and thoughtful design. Unlike many large-scale festivals, the experience emphasizes comfort, accessibility, and inclusion: free parking, family-friendly scheduling, short walking distances, accessible spaces, and early evening wrap-up times help make the festival enjoyable for families, seniors, and first-time festivalgoers alike.
As part of its 10th anniversary, Cultivate Festival is introducing a pay-what-you-can admission model as part of Cultivate Community's commitment to Access, Belonging, and Connection, ensuring everyone, regardless of financial circumstance, can experience live music, arts, and community together.
Links
- Website cultivatefestival.ca
- Registration and Donations zeffy.com
Organizer
Cultivate Community
Cultivate Community entered 2026 with new momentum, charitable status, and a clear mandate to make the arts accessible to everyone. What began in 2015 as a small food and music festival in Port Hope has grown into a regionally recognized charitable arts organization producing year-round programming, including Cultivate Festival, The Road to Cultivate, and the Hibernate Festival.
After a decade of learning, partnership-building, and deep community engagement, Cultivate now stands at a defining moment: a shift toward free, by-donation or pay-what-you-can experiences, strengthened leadership capacity, and new opportunities for education, outreach, and donor investment.
Mission, Vision and Mandate
Mission
To present arts festivals and events that cultivate connection, creativity, and community for all ages.
Vision
A creative force and leader of a vibrant local arts community built on Access, Belonging, and Connection. The ABCs of Cultivate.
Mandate
Access
To advance arts education and public appreciation of the arts by presenting festivals and events which everyone can participate in, regardless of age, background, or financial means.
Belonging
To program festivals and events that create welcoming spaces reflecting our community, offering representation and meaningful opportunities for civic engagement.
Connection
To employ music and the arts as powerful catalysts for shared experiences, cultural understanding, and community building, strengthening the bonds that bring people together.