The Bay & Algoma Neighbourhood is a fitting backdrop for a street festival. Not only a collection of shops and restaurants the area is also home to a community of inspired entrepreneurs.

During the summer of 2011 the City of Thunder Bay reconstructed Algoma Street, installing wide sidewalks and a pedestrian friendly streetscape. The new street then matched the character of historic Bay St., home of the iconic Finlandia Hall.

Seizing the opportunity, the following year the neighbourhood business association teamed up with local performers and executed what would initially be dubbed, “A sidewalk sale on steroids”. The updated infrastructure provided the perfect venue for a street festival and people flocked to the neighbourhood for the 2 day event.

The inaugural year launched with a few dozen artists and vendors much to the merriment of the hundreds of families that attended. The Buskers Festival was born!

In the following years interest in the event grew and international buskers joined the festivities alongside a growing number of craft and food vendors. The organizing committee knew they had created something that would endure and the festival became an institution in the neighbourhood, bringing together Thunder Bay’s best and brightest artists for a weekend of culture and creativity.

Though Buskers Festival started out as a way to simply showcase area businesses it has since become a celebration of the regions rich arts and culture community.

THIS YEARS dates for the 9th annual Bay & Algoma Buskers Festival, July 27-28, 2024.

We’re so excited to present one of our most diverse and talented Bay & Algoma Buskers festival line ups to date! Featuring: Egemen Ustun, Sam Malcom, The Kidd, McKinley’s Desulions, Phineas Gauge, The Bay Street Bastards, Women in Silk +MORE.

We can’t wait to see you there!