St. Jacobs and Elmira

Learn more about St. Jacobs' and Elmira’s Mennonite heritage by visiting the Mennonite Story, an interpretive centre that offers a comprehensive crash course into the world of the Mennonites. Located in downtown St. Jacobs, visitors can follow a self-guided audio tour through an exhibit detailing the Mennonites’ history of persecution and diaspora, and watch two films about their culture and religion. Visitors who want a closer look at the Mennonite lifestyle can participate in Mennonite Country Tours. Guests are taken for a ride around town aboard a traditional buggy, then a visit to a local Mennonite farm famous for its homemade maple syrup and handmade quilts. Hungry for some old-fashioned pastries? Get a slice of pie from the Stone Crock Bakery, a Mennonite-run bakery that sells artisanal fruit pies, breads, muffins, scones, and many more delectable pastries.

Visitors who love one of Canada’s most popular products, maple syrup, should drop by the Maple Syrup Museum in St. Jacobs. Observe the displays of buckets, taps, and even Indigenous artifacts related to early maple syrup production methods. Examine the cross-section of an ancient maple tree bearing scars of previous syrup tappings over its lengthy lifetime, as well as an assortment of maple syrup bottles dating back over 50 years. Head over to Elmira in April to participate in the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. Since 1965, the festival has attracted a massive following, even gaining recognition from the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest single-day maple syrup festival in 2000 with 66,529 visitors. Festival-goers are treated to homemade pancakes soaked in local maple syrup, to homemade toffee, local competitions like log-sawing, arts and crafts by local artisans, souvenirs and sugar bush tours. 

Get a taste of rural country life at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. Open year round, Ontario's most famous farmers’ market is among the largest in Canada. It's filled with fresh farm-to-table produce and foods from different global cuisines, vintage goods and collectibles, clothing, pantry essentials and more. With over 200 vendors, every visitor will be able to find something their heart, or stomach, desires. Sample more homemade artisan goods at Kitchen Kuttings Inc. in Elmira. Pick up local cheeses, sauces, and meats or take home a traditionally-made quilt. Or get into quilting by buying materials, accessories, and fabrics from Quilter’s Nine Patch Quilt online store.

Take in the local sights along the Millrace Footpath in St. Jacobs. Part of the Trans Canada Trail, the Millrace Footpath traces the Conestogo River up towards a dam. Revel in the scenic views of the Conestogo River, as well as the historic mills that powered the town’s economy in the mid-19th century. 

For modern recreation, head over to the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira. The Township of Woolwich houses two NHL-sized ice rinks, two swimming pools, one well-equipped fitness centre and a walking track.