Wasaga Beach's Off-Season Runs Through 1724 Mosley Street

Two summer anchors in Wasaga Beach close this week. The Tuesday farmers' market in the RecPlex parking lot had its last day on October 6. Nancy Island Historic Site's season ends today, October 11. Beach Drive is closed from Spruce Street to 3rd Street while the road is rebuilt.

The calendar that fills the gap from now until early December mostly sits at one address. Seven community events are listed between October 24 and November 28, and six of them happen at the RecPlex or in Oakview Woods, both at 1724 Mosley Street. Weekly skating and the library are at a second address, 544 River Road West. Until the provincial park's winter season begins, those two addresses cover most of what's on.

The calendar, in date order

1. Saturday, October 24, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The Wonderful Learners Halloween Craft Workshop at the RecPlex runs two wreath-making sessions, priced at $15 to $20.
2. Sunday, October 25, noon to 4 p.m. SoberFriends hosts a free Trunk-or-Treat at the RecPlex with food and games. Organizers ask guests to bring a non-perishable food donation.
3. Tuesday, October 27, noon to 6 p.m. Free pumpkin pickup for the Pumpkin Trail, first come, first served.
4. Sunday, November 1. Drop off carved pumpkins at Oakview Park from noon to 4 p.m. The Pumpkin Trail then lights up along the Oakview Woods Trail from 5 to 9 p.m., free.
5. Wednesday, November 11, 10:30 a.m. The Remembrance Day ceremony at Town Hall, 30 Lewis Street, includes wreath-laying and a moment of silence. A Legion reception follows, with a free shuttle.
6. Saturday, November 28. The Holiday Market, the Santa Claus Parade and the Tree Lighting all happen on the same day, covered below.

A note on the Pumpkin Trail page: it calls November 1 a Saturday and the pickup day a Monday. The event's own calendar data puts both in 2026, when November 1 is a Sunday and October 27 is a Tuesday. The dates above follow the calendar. The weekday labels are the part to check with the Town if you're planning around them.

November 28 is one long day on Mosley Street

The last Saturday in November holds three events, and all of them end up at 1724 Mosley Street.

The Annual Holiday Market runs at the RecPlex from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with local vendors and free admission. The evening Santa Claus Parade follows from 5 to 7 p.m. It starts at Dunkerron Avenue and finishes at the RecPlex. At 7:30 p.m. the Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place in Oakview Woods, with carols, and is scheduled to wrap up by 8.

So the parade route ends right where the market was earlier and close to where the tree lighting starts. The market closes at 3 p.m. and the parade starts at 5, so there's a two-hour gap before the evening events begin.

Two details are still unsettled. The parade listing sits under "Holiday Kickoff Weekend" on the 2026 calendar, but its description still says "Saturday, November 28, 2025," and the page says to check back for registration details. The tree lighting listing names the Oakview Woods Gazebo in its description but lists the Oakview Woods Outdoor Rink as the venue. Both are at 1724 Mosley Street. Confirm the parade route and the exact tree lighting spot with the Town closer to the date.

The weekly schedule splits between two buildings

The Town's 2026/27 Fall/Winter Recreation Guide came out on August 14. It lists more than 90 programs, and new drop-ins this year include 55+ Hockey, Adult Pickleball and karaoke at the Seniors Active Living Centre. Weekly programs aren't all at the RecPlex the way the special events are. Skating happens at Wasaga Stars Arena, 544 River Road West. The Wasaga Beach Public Library is at the same address.

The skating schedule runs September 6 to December 18, 2026. Some of the Tuesday and Thursday sessions are set aside for 55+ and Home School Hockey. There are no programs on Thursday, December 3, or Sunday, December 6. The other drop-ins in the table run September 21 to December 18. Skate times after December 18 haven't been posted yet.

Line dancing is in a different building depending on the day. Friday's class at the RecPlex is a short drive from Wednesday's at the arena, but they aren't the same room.

Why the beach is off the fall calendar

The Town of Wasaga Beach's October 2 construction update explains why so little is planned near the water. Beach Drive is being raised by about 5 feet, or roughly 1.5 meters, because the road has a long history of flooding during high water. The work listed that week included sheet piling and concrete coping along Beach Drive, benches and planters on the south boulevard, and an armour stone wall at the Spruce Street parking lot. Crews were scheduled to keep laying pavers on 1st Street and Main Street the following week. The notice doesn't give a completion date.

You can still reach Beach Area 1 for a walk on the sand from these lots:

• Jenetta Street lot, formerly the provincial park's Beach Area 1 lot
• Spruce Street lot
• 3rd Street lot, entered from 2nd or 3rd Street, with a wide pedestrian path and a mobility mat
• 4th Street lot, the Municipal Picnic Area at the Beach Area 1 and 2 border, close to washrooms
• Nancy Lot on Mosley Street, beside Nancy Island

The beach crossing at the Playland lot is closed for the rest of the year. Parking, washrooms and the municipal food truck area there are still open. Some accessible parking spaces at the Spruce Street lot are inside the work zone, and the Town points to the 3rd Street lot for accessible spaces. Construction questions go first to Arnott Construction's public relations line at 800.801.6767 or [email protected].

According to the Town's September 2026 highlights, the rebuild is meant to prepare for future investment along the waterfront, including a proposed Marriott hotel on Beach Drive. For this winter, though, the beachfront is a construction zone.

Lyons Court and Blueberry Trail bracket the next two months

Two other openings are coming before the year ends.

Costco's new locations page lists Wasaga Beach for November 2026, without a specific day. The Town's April announcement put the 162,000-square-foot warehouse at 345 Lyons Court, with a tire centre, gas bar and seasonal garden centre. In April, CTV News Barrie reported that the store could open "as early as the fall." A firm date hadn't been announced as of mid-October.

Ontario Parks lists the provincial park's winter operating season as December 11, 2026 to March 21, 2027. Activities include cross-country and skate skiing, snowshoeing, fat-biking and equipment rentals. The Wasaga Beach Nordic & Trail Centre is at 101 Blueberry Trail. According to Friends of Wasaga Beach, it has more than 30 kilometers of groomed ski trails, from the beginner-friendly Blueberry trails to the expert High Dunes, plus a separate 10-kilometer snowshoe network. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, weather permitting. Skiers need to be off the trails with rentals returned by 4:30 p.m.

That leaves one week of overlap. The Nordic Centre's season begins December 11, and the posted fall skate schedule at Wasaga Stars Arena ends December 18.

If you're keeping an eye on Beach Drive and Lyons Court this fall, you're watching two parts of Wasaga Beach that are still taking shape. If that has you thinking about where your own next move might be, Hearth & Home Team can walk you through how these projects fit into the bigger local picture, at your pace and with no pressure. Book a consultation whenever it suits you.