June, Father’s Day weekend

George Tillson, the founder of Tillsonburg, once said he’d return as a turtle to see how his town was developing. A few years after his death, a large turtle showed up on the banks of Otter Creek near the Tillson homestead. The townspeople lovingly named the turtle George and took it for a tour of Downtown.

Since then, Tillsonburg has celebrated its slow and steady rise in a three-day festival every June.

Turtlefest is Tillsonburg’s biggest community festival. Held every Father’s Day weekend, this three-day event encourages people from all over Ontario to come out of their shell and experience small-town living at its finest.