Residents and visitors alike will soon be heading to Two Rivers Stadium for Paris Drinks Fest on Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The 19-plus event is a two-day festival showcasing food and drinks from across the region.
“It’s really a celebration of local food and drinks, Canadian music and community,” said Tim Des Islets, Founder of Paris Drinks Fest. “We have two full days of live music on stage, and over 35 local food trucks, restaurants, breweries, distilleries, and a couple of charitable organizations selling lemonade to raise money, who will all be there.”
Music lovers will have plenty to look forward to, with a full lineup of talent taking the stage throughout the weekend.
The Friday evening session runs from 5 to 10:45 p.m. and will feature Gizmo, Thunder Queens, Loviet and headliner July Talk. The event continues on Saturday from 4 to 10:30 p.m. and with performances from Glimmerjean & Goode, Absolute Treat, Tanika Charles, Born in the Eighties and headliner The Strumbellas.
For those who are interested in sampling the many different food and drink offerings, this year’s event will not only be showcasing local businesses such as Sassy Britches Brewery, Paris Beer Co., the Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery, and the Paris Lions Club, but several businesses from all over southern Ontario as well.
Attendees will be able to purchase their various food and refreshment items through the use of tokens.
“We have our own currency on site at the festival where people can buy Paris Drinks Fest tokens, and they can use those to purchase samples of drinks and full meals of food or snacks,” said Des Islets. “Tokens are $2 each. We’ve got them available online when you purchase your tickets, or you can buy them as soon as you walk in the door. We’ve got a great team of what we call our ‘token roamers’ that are out walking around, chatting with people, and selling tokens on the fly.”
Tickets for the event can be purchased online, either as a weekend pass ($102) or by day ($53 each).
Des Islets added that there are also VIP tickets available, and those who choose to splurge will be set up near the front of the stage under the VIP tent with tables and high tops, and will have access to private washrooms as well as the private bar.
“We’ve created a bit of a different VIP for this year. In the past we’ve done it as packages of four or eight, but for people that were attending with one or two people, it didn’t always work for them,” he said. “This year, we’ve created just individual tickets, and it just gives a bit of a different experience for people that want to be able to come in, drop their bag, hang out for a little bit, and get that premium view of the stage.”
The organizer said that while there was some uncertainty surrounding the venue for this year’s event, he and his whole team are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to Paris.
“We’re grateful for the support from the community, and that people were so vocal about making sure this event was allowed to proceed in Paris,” said Des Islets. “It really does mean a lot to us because it shows and reminds us why we do things like this. These events take a full year to plan for and we’re a small business investing a lot of money and time into events like this. To hear thousands of people express why they think it’s important, and why they want these things to be able to continue, means a lot to us.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
