Huntsville Festival unveils Canada Day canoe mural project blending Tom Thomson art with street culture

Huntsville’s Canada Day Canoe Mural Project returns with live painting, DJs, and hip hop performances in River Mill Park

Huntsville Festival of the Arts is bringing back one of its most recognizable Canada Day traditions in 2026, with a new twist that leans deeper into street culture and live performance.

The Canoe Mural Project: Street Art Edition will take over downtown Huntsville on July 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., turning River Mill Park into an open-air studio where art is created in real time and in full view of the public.

At the centre of it all are seven real canoes, each becoming a moving canvas. Over the course of the day, selected artists will paint live interpretations of iconic works by Canadian landscape painter Tom Thomson directly onto the bottoms of the boats. The result is a series of three-dimensional murals that blend early Canadian art history with a modern urban edge.

Huntsville Festival of the Arts Artistic Director Dan Watson says the project has become a signature part of the town’s Canada Day programming because it connects heritage with contemporary creativity in a way people can actually watch unfold.

This year’s edition drew 45 artist submissions from across Ontario, with seven chosen to take part.

The lineup includes Shalak, Bruno Smoky, Anthony Haley, Mique Michelle, Miguel Albino, Dominic Laporte, and Ray Vidal, each bringing a distinct visual style to Thomson-inspired works.

While the canoe painting anchors the event, the day is structured as a full cultural takeover of downtown. Hip hop programming runs alongside the visual art, with Dawid “LiftiD” Kujidaj hosting the event and handling emcee duties throughout the day.

Music is split between two DJ sets, with DJ Shane “LS” Dennis performing in the morning and DJ Marius “DJ M4RS” Pleniceanu taking over in the afternoon.

Dance crews from Mississauga’s Ground Illusionz collective, Marcel “Frost Flow” DaCosta and Jerome “Fresh FX” Villa, will also be on site running pop-up breakdance cyphers, beginner workshops, and interactive sessions focused on hip hop culture and history.

Once completed, the painted canoes won’t leave town. They will be installed in River Mill Park for a summer-long outdoor exhibition, allowing residents and visitors to view the finished works as part of the downtown landscape.

Organizers say the project continues to evolve as both a tourism draw and a local creative platform, combining Canadian canoe heritage with contemporary street art, music, and dance in a single public space.

The Canoe Mural Project is free to attend and runs alongside Huntsville’s wider Canada Day celebrations, which include live music, family programming, and other community events in River Mill Park.