Wesleyville Heritage Village
2026 EVENT SEASON OVERVIEW
JULY 2026
July 2026 marks the start of our Step Around Wesleyville Weekends featuring guided and self-guided tours of the village.
July 2026 features the kick-off of our free Summer Music Series.
Friday, July 24 marks the opening of The Last Lesson of Wesleyville, our new historic Schoolhouse escape room.
AUGUST 2026
Our popular Step Around Wesleyville Weekends continue through August.
The Last Lesson of Wesleyville continues through August.
Our free Summer Music Series continues through August.
SEPTEMBER 2026
By popular demand, Lloyd Johnson and Warren Tate return for an extra evening of East Coast and Celtic music on September 1.
Celebrity Bake Auction and Autumn Arts Festival - September 26 11:00am-3:00pm: Browse paintings, quilts, and other local artwork, then purchase your tickets for a chance to bid on delicious baked goods.
OCTOBER 2026
Saturday, Oct. 24: from 6 to 8 pm: Don't miss our Annual Ghostly Visit featuring games, crafts, treats, and our special feature: the Haunted Forest Trail.
Watch this space for details of our Donor Appreciation Event, an exclusive afternoon of gratitude for the support that sustains the village.
november 2026
Plan now to attend the GRAND REOPENING of the doors to the Wesleyville Church on Sunday, November 1
DECEMBER 2026
Fri. Dec. 4: Join us as we close out our 2026 event season with our Annual Yuletide Carolling event. This warm and welcoming gathering is free, and open to anyone. Watch this space for details about location and time.
The Last Lesson of Wesleyville Escape Room Experience
Every weekend from July-August
Step inside the historic 1899 Wesleyville Schoolhouse for “The Last Lesson of Wesleyville”, a one-of-a-kind escape room experience where you’ll solve puzzles inspired by vintage school subjects like arithmetic, history, and geography!
Available Times:
Fridays: 3:00 PM, 4:15 PM, 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM
Saturdays & Sundays: 2:15 PM
Every ticket purchased helps preserve Wesleyville’s history by supporting the Friends of Wesleyville Village’s restoration and maintenance efforts.
Think your team has what it takes to complete The Last Lesson of Wesleyville? Text (905) 376 8310 with your preferred date, time, and number of players.
Free Summer Pop-Up Concerts at the Schoolhouse
July-August, 2026 - 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Last summer, our Pop-Up Music Series brought a fresh wave of sound and toe-tapping to Wesleyville Village. Throughout June and July, we hosted a variety of casual outdoor performances that showcased local talent and gave visitors the chance to experience Wesleyville in a new and relaxing way.
This Year's Dates
Tuesday, July 7: "Local Vocals" sing Gospel in the Schoolhouse
Tuesday, July 14: Tom and Gregory: Classical Guitar and Woodwinds
Tuesday, July 21: Lloyd Johnson: Country, Folk, and East Coast music
Tuesday, July 28: Jeanette Vander Vooren: Pop and Country music
Tuesday, August 4: Robin Millar: Country Music
Tuesday, August 11: Dave Chown: Singer-Songwriter: Traditional Country music
Tuesday, August 18, Wanna and Bev: Folk and Country music
Tuesday, August 25: Angie Robinson Austin and Winnie Finnie: Classic Country music
Tuesday, September 1: Lloyd Johnson and Warren Tate: East Coast and Celtic music
Concerts will be held outside the Schoolhouse, so bring your lawn chair, refreshments, and bug spray. We look forward to seeing you there!
Step Around Wesleyville Weekends in July and August 2026
This summer we will welcome weekend visitors from across Ontario, on Saturdays and Sundays in July and August. Free, and open to the public, we encourage visitors to bring their grandkids and friends, enjoy a peaceful stroll, and learn about this preserved rural village. Our volunteers are often on-hand to share stories and answer questions, and help our drop-in visitors explore the heritage buildings and peaceful natural setting.
Friends of Wesleyville Village Keynote BBQ
Rescheduled to September, 2026
Seventy guests and volunteers gathered last year to enjoy a classic summer menu of burgers, corn, and salads at our sold-out keynote event. Although the weather was certainly hot, it did nothing to dampen the spirits of our attendees, who spent the evening mingling, reconnecting, and enjoying great company!
We were pleased to welcome several special guests, including Wendy Russell Johnson and some of her former Wesleyville students, Susan Giliauskas, and many long-time supporters of the village. The event was further brought to life by the fantastic live music of Greg Ward and Tom Merey, who kept the atmosphere lively and entertaining.
Thanks to the generosity of local businesses and friends of the organization, we were able to offer an impressive array of door prizes and raffle items. Altogether, the evening raised over $5,000, an important milestone that helped support our ongoing restoration and programming.
It was truly heartwarming to see our community come together for this special evening. Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, donated, or supported the event in any way. We’re already looking forward to doing it all again next year!
Our 2026 Wesleyville Waggle: nature, crafts, & creativity!
Watch this space for information about the return of our nature-inspired childrens' event.
Last year, we were thrilled to host a fun and enthusiastic group of local kids for our first-ever Wesleyville Waggle — a morning of nature and creativity with Arts & Crafts in the Schoolhouse, and a Guided Nature Scavenger Hunt with our very own Heritage Village Technician Robin. Our visitors ranged in age from 4 years to 10 years, and they truly impressed us with their curiosity and creativity. We rounded-off the morning with snacks and juice for the kids, and coffee for the adults — and we can hardly wait to start planning next year's creative adventure!
First Nations Cultural Day
This annual fall event is presented by our special guests from the Dibaajimowin Cultural Centre.
Date and time to be determined.
The Dibaajimowin Cultural Centre will be joining us at Wesleyville Heritage Village, as they host a day of education, sharing, and Anishinaabe culture.
We are proud to welcome back members of the Dibaajimowin Cultural Centre again this year. Attendees will enjoy Naandewagaan Women's Hand Drumming, arts & crafts, and more.
Fall Photo Walks at Wesleyville Village
Throughout October, Wesleyville Heritage Village is the perfect place to experience the magic of autumn. Visitors can drop by during daylight hours to stroll our peaceful nature trail and wander through a canopy of brilliantly coloured trees. Autumn offers up photo-worthy views around our 125-year-old schoolhouse, traditional barn, the beautiful 1860 church (currently under restoration), and the still-active, peaceful cemetery that honours the many stories of Wesleyville's people.
The nature trail, which begins just north of the barn, is open to the public year-round during daylight hours, with parking available at 2082 Lakeshore Road, Port Hope, L1A 3V7.
Annual Ghostly Visit
October 24, 2026
This year’s event will take place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, throughout Wesleyville Heritage Village. Families will be greeted by ghostly characters as they enjoy our Haunted Forest Trail, pumpkin decorating, marshmallow roasting, crafts, and fortune telling. This annual event gives local residents the opportunity to enjoy the unique atmosphere of the village, making it the perfect way to kick off the Halloween season with spooky, family-friendly fun! Activities are most suitable for children aged 10 and under.
Members' Appreciation Event
We are proud to celebrate our donors, members and volunteers!
Date and time to be determined.
Our annual members, volunteers, and supporters are the backbone of our organization, helping to ensure that Wesleyville Village remains open and thriving for generations to come, and that's worth celebrating!
Last year, our supporters gathered in October for a first look at our new QR-code enabled signage — a tribute to the stories of the past and to the generosity that keeps them alive today. As the first guests to stroll the newly marked trail, they enjoyed stories from village history, light refreshments, and a heartfelt moment of recognition for their valued support.
We invite everyone to drop by the village and find the 10 new QR signs placed throughout the property. It's a new way to learn about what makes Wesleyville Heritage Village so special!
Yuletide Carolling
Friday, December 4, 2026
Our Yuletide Carolling evening is a warm and bright celebration that brings many friends of the organization together. We enjoy wonderful guest performances and join in carolling led by Maestro Randy Mills with great skill, stories, and piano accompaniment. We will once again be collecting donations of non-perishable food, for the Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank. This event is free, and open to anyone.
A Roundup of our completed 2026 Events
Annual Easter Egg Hunt & Games
This event was held on April 4, 2026 and we were thrilled to welcome so many people to the village!
Sunshine, fresh air, and a dash of old-fashioned fun… the Wesleyville way.
Our Easter celebration reminded us how powerful simple joys can be: an egg-and-spoon race, pin-the-tail on the bunny, giant bubbles, and a walk along the nature trail brought families together and sparked community connections. Thanks to everyone who came out and made the most of a beautiful spring day with us!
Annual General Meeting
Our AGM was held on Wednesday, April 15, at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Elias St. in Port Hope
Thank you to those who joined us for our Annual General Meeting. The evening included the presentation of our Annual Report, with a review of our financial statements, restoration work undertaken this past year, and highlights from our programming and activities. It was an excellent opportunity to reflect on where we have been and where we are headed next. We were also pleased and grateful to welcome Susan Casson as our keynote speaker, who shared photos and stories of the many settlers along Lakeshore Rd., and the changes the area has seen over the decades.
Annual Country Market and Nature Fest
Sunday, May 31, 2026 • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wesleyville Heritage Village
Join the Friends of Wesleyville Village for our annual Country Market & Nature Fest, a relaxed spring event celebrating local artisans, nature, heritage, and community.
Visitors are invited to stroll the village grounds and nature trail, browse vendor stalls featuring natural, sustainable, and hand-made products, and stop by the historic schoolhouse during the event. A fundraising bake sale hosted by the Friends of Wesleyville Village will also be available throughout the day. The market features a curated selection of local artisans, crafters, growers, and small businesses in the unique setting of Wesleyville Heritage Village.
Admission is free. Interested vendors are welcome to apply for one of the remaining vendor spaces. Vendor spots are $25 for the day.
Vendor application form: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/space-rental-4
Questions may be directed to Kathryn McHolm at kathrynsgarden@nexicom.net.