Breadcrumb Trail Links
Published Jan 31, 2026 • 4 minute read
From left, siblings Lorelai, 8, Kyler, 4, and Amelia Rutherford, 10, of Listowel show off their Willie face paint while enjoying some outdoor fun at the Wiarton Willie Festival in Bluewater Park in Wiarton on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Photo by Rob Gowan The Sun Times /Postmedia NetworkArticle content
Winter may have had it’s icy grip on Wiarton this weekend, but that couldn’t stop Mallory Beach’s Marie Rutherford from taking her grandkids down to Bluwater Park for some outdoor fun at the 70th annual Wiarton Willie Festival.
Advertisement 2
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
The temperature outside was sitting at around –13 degrees Celcius and feeling like –20 C with the windchill, but Kyler, 4, Lorelai, 8, and Amelia, 10, didn’t seem fazed one bit as they slipped and slid around a mini hockey rink on Saturday morning.
Article content
Recommended Videos
Article content
“We are outdoor people and they like to be outdoors as well, tobogganning and snowshoeing, so this is a chance to get out,” Marie said as she watched her three grandkids from Listowel play nearby. “It really isn’t that bad out today. Compared to what it has been like, it is actually pretty good.”
The snowy weather of the past couple of weeks actually let up for a time on Saturday, with some patches of blue sky and sunshine peeking through the clouds and shining down on the dozens of people who came out to the park.
Sun Times Extra
Thanks for signing up!
Article content
Advertisement 3
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Rutherford bought a cottage at Mallory Beach back in 2014, and retired and moved up from the Wingham area permanently about two years ago.
She said she has enjoyed bringing her grandkids down to the festival the past two years since her retirement. It was something she had always talked about attending, but February never worked as a time to visit from the farm near Wingham. Now, being just up the road, it’s a no-brainer.
“Now that we are up here, we gotta go,” she said. “Why would you not?”
Rutherford said living so close to the famous weather-prognosticating groundhog Wiarton Willie is special. They have always followed along to find out his prediction each Feb. 2, and the kids learn about Willie at school in Listowel.
Advertisement 4
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Amelia said she was having a lot of fun at the festival. She took a train ride, got her face painted like Wiarton Willie and tried out a few other activities.
She was looking forward to Monday morning when Willie predicts whether there will be six more weeks of winter or an early spring. She was hopeful the groundhog wouldn’t see his shadow, signalling an early spring.
“I don’t really like the snow. I do like the skating part,” Amelia said. “I love to swim.”
It will be a little while before she gets back into Colpoy’s Bay, which was iced over as far as the eye could see on Saturday. Still, dozens of people mulled around Bluewater Park and took part in the fun. There were inflatable mazes, rock climbing, axe throwing, horse-drawn wagon rides, along with the mini hockey, a fun photo booth and a pair of trackless trains.
Advertisement 5
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Twenty-month-old Maddex Denning is all bundled up from the cold as he waits for the trackless train tour around Bluewater Park to get going during the Wiarton Willie Festival in Wiarton on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Photo by Rob Gowan The Sun Times /Postmedia Network
Troy and Shannon Denning brought their 22-month-old son Maddex down to the park, the second year he has taken in the fun. Maddex was bundled up all cozy as the family enjoyed a train ride along a path that had been cleared through the snow.
Troy Denning said they moved to the area for work from Orangeville about three years and have enjoyed coming to the festival.
“Kind of the end all, be all thing for the town is the Wiarton Willie Festival,” Denning said. “We have been doing it every year, it is our little guy’s second year doing it.
“Obviously the town throws some investment at this and we want to come out and show our appreciation that they are doing all this stuff.”
Denning said they had visited the area in the past, and were familiar with Wiarton Willie and his predictions, but hadn’t experienced the festival before moving nearby. Now that they live in the town, “we gotta get right into it.”
Advertisement 6
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
“It is fantastic. Personally I feel like every year gets better and better and better,” he said.
It isn’t just outdoor activities that are part of the festival, which kicked off on Thursday with the Willie Winter Warm Up Party at the propeller club, and continued Friday with an Owen Sound Attack public skate at the arena, homecoming casino night at the propeller club and karaoke at the legion.
Saturday there was a pancake breakfast at St. John’s United Church, a craft and vendor market at the propeller club, a band session at the legion, a curling bonspiel and a hockey tournament.
At the Cedar Lodge not far from Bluewater Park, local masons were welcoming in hungry festivalgoers for their Masonic Lodge Cheap Chili Chowdown, where they served up meat, veggie and mild chili for just $5 a bowl. It is the 22nd year the local lodge has held their chili lunch.
Advertisement 7
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Masons, from left, Brad Burnett, John Stewart and Steve Silk were serving up chili to their guests at Cedar Lodge’s Masonic Temple Cheap Chili Chowdown at the Wiarton Willie Festival in Wiarton on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Photo by Rob Gowan The Sun Times /Postmedia Network
Worshipful Master Brad Burnett said they put on the lunch as a way to reach out to the community and to pay them back for their support over the years.
“Five dollars for a bowl of chili is pretty cheap, but we are out here for the fellowship, where hopefully people can enjoy the time and come in and warm up.” Burnett said. “We really enjoy being part of the Willie Festival. It is great.”
The fun was to continue on Saturday evening with a pair of dances. The Fat Tony Band was playing at the Wiarton Arena, while the Lions Club Wiarton Willie Dance featured Midnight Blue at the propeller club.
The Groundhog Hockey Tournament finals were set to go Sunday, with the women’s final at 3 p.m., followed by the men’s final. The Wiarton Legion was to hold a social afternoon starting at 1 p.m.
The main event is slated for Groundhog Day on Monday. It starts with Wake Up Willie Fireworks at Bluewater Park at 7 a.m., followed by Willie’s prediction at 8:07 a.m. sharp at 370 William Street, the future town hall site. A free skate celebrating the prediction runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the arena.
The full schedule of events can be found at www.southbrucepeninsula.com/en/explore-and-play/wiarton-willie.aspx
Petra Younghusband, 6, climbs the rock wall while enjoying the outdoor fun at the Wiarton Willie Festival in Bluewater Park in Wiarton on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Photo by Rob Gowan The Sun Times /Postmedia Network
Article content
Share this article in your social network