Do you like to go camping? I have been camping in many places in Canada from Nova Scotia to Yukon. This year on Friday July 5th we headed to Orillia, Ontario for a camping weekend at the Mariposa Folk Festival. We set up our tent on the festival grounds at Tudhope Park.

Are you a nature-lover? Tudhope Park is a beautiful park on the shores of Lake Couchiching. There are beaches, trees, flowers, pathways, and the occasional wild animal sighting, like the mother duck and her ducklings in this photo.

Many people enjoy wading or swimming at Tudhope Park’s Moose beach which has lifeguards on duty during the day. Moose Beach isn’t part of the festival, but it’s worth the very short walk from the festival gates. Splashing in the water is a great way to enjoy nature and stay cool in the summer heat.

Do you have children? The festival’s Folkplay has activities for children including face painting, arts and crafts, and children’s performers such as magicians, musicians, and storytellers; children 12 years and under can attend the festival for free when accompanying a volunteer, vendor, or paying adult.

Do you like to shop for souvenirs? Mariposa sells various festival-related merchandise, posters, T-shirts, music CDs and more at the Emporium. The Emporium also sells merchandise from the festival performers. In the Artisan Village, craftspeople sell their creations, from candles to clothing, pottery to paintings, bracelets to banjos.

Do you try to live more sustainably? One of my favourite things about Mariposa is their commitment to the environment. Mariposa prioritises composting, recycling, and local food. They also have hydration stations where you can refill your reusable water bottle and bicycle-powered cellphone charging stations.

Do you like to eat delicious, interesting food?  The food at Mariposa is always fun to experience. This year on Sunday, I had a tasty meal of salad rolls, spring rolls, and mango salad. For dessert I had a BeaverTail, a Canadian pastry with a variety of topping options. I had mine with cinnamon, sugar, and lemon.

Do you like to listen to live music? Music is the heart of the Mariposa Folk Festival.

Several stages feature a variety of performers from all over Canada and around the world. Performers this year included William Prince, Noah Cyrus, The Good Lovelies, Kim Churchill, Shad, Irish Mythen and The Paddling Puppeteers.

How did the Mariposa Folk Festival get its name? The Spanish word Mariposa translates to butterfly in English. The Mariposa Folk Festival, however, did not get its name from these beautiful insects, but from a Canadian writer. The Mariposa Folk Festival was founded in 1961 in Orillia, Ontario by Ruth Jones, her husband, Dr Crawford Jones, and Pete McGarvey. The name Mariposa comes from the name of a fictional small town in a collection of short stories by Humourist Stephen Leacock, published nearly 50 years earlier, in 1912.  Leacock named this “little town” Mariposa and is said to have been inspired by Orillia, Ontario where the author had a summer home.

Did you enjoy a fun get-away this summer or are you planning one? Do you have a dream vacation destination? Book a lesson with me and tell me all about it.