After just one year, the City of Quinte West’s Medieval Madness festival has been crowned among the best in the province.
The recognition comes through Festival and Events Ontario (FEO) Top 100 Awards, which shines a light on some of the most creative, engaging and widely-recognized festivals in Ontario.
“The city is honoured to have Medieval Madness recognized as one of the top festivals in the province,” said Rebecca Cotter, manager of communications and community engagement. “This recognition speaks to the quality of the community experiences planned by city staff and the energy offered by the festival’s local partners, volunteers and attendees.”
The 2026 award marks the sixth time that a Quinte West event has earned the provincial nod from FEO over the course of the last four years.
The Top 100 Awards were recently handed out at a gala in Kitchener, Ont.
Medieval Madness is the city’s newest signature festival, bringing renaissance and fantasy flair to the community. The free festival draws folks in with its medieval-themed reenactments and activities, live demonstrations, a vendor village, delicious eats and more, said the city.
The festival will return in 2026 to light up the Bob Wannamaker Amphitheatre in Centennial Park on Oct. 17. Attendees will again be encouraged to bust out their costumes for the gathering.
New this year, Medieval Madness will also feature exciting live demonstrations by Jaclyn Ziemniak from Knight School Inc., which is one of Canada’s leading female full-contact jousters, the city has announced.
Meanwhile, back by popular demand, the city said that local medieval enthusiasts Blades of Glory will also return to deliver armoured combat demonstrations and interactive historical activities, including captivating falconry displays.
For those looking to get in on the action in vendor village, applications are open now with more information available via the city’s website.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
