Ontario's "friendiest festival", Split Rail features a fabulous Craft Fair with over 80 vendors, famous Quilt Auction, antique and classic cars and farm equipment and Ontario Horseshoeing Championships.

The Split Rail Festival is a salute to the hearty folk who settled this land and is held every year for the sake of preserving their heritage and history. With the recurring theme, “A Return to our Roots”, the Split Rail Festival is dedicated to both remembering the past and reminding the present, and showcasing displays and events that have become much-anticipated traditions for generations of visitors from near and far.

As such, it is one of the friendliest community events in Ontario. Growing out of a desire to serve the local community, the festival’s history has shown that visitors from far and wide have been drawn to the uniqueness and charm of the vendors, exhibitors and the varied events that have made ‘Split Rail’ such a memorable experience.

Traditionally held the third long weekend of September, the Festival gets underway, informally, on the Friday evening, with an annual gospel concert. Held at Grey Highlands Secondary School, the program features southern-style gospel music and various musicians and singers from across the region.

Throughout the weekend of the festival, most events take place at the arena grounds and the High School, at the south end of town, but there are several events that take place though out the village. The Flesherton-Markdale Legion, the South Grey Museum and South East Grey Support Services each sponsor special events and entertainment, conveniently located in the small village. The Flesherton and District Chamber of Commerce has sponsored a horse-drawn shuttle wagon, to ferry visitors from the village to the festival and back