The Peterborough Summer Festival of Lights, later renamed Peterborough Musicfest, is a non-profit, charitable organization in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, which hosts a series of free outdoor concerts. In 2015, Peterborough Musicfest was recognized as a Top 100 Festival and Event in Ontario.[1] The concerts are held at Del Crary Park, located in the downtown on George Street, adjacent to Little Lake.
Founded in 1986 by Fred Anderson, these concerts were followed by a choreographed illuminated boat show and a fireworks display.
Beginning in 2005, the festival chose to forgo the aging boat show in favour of hiring more well-known performers and improving the fireworks display. Then in 2009, the fireworks were sacrificed due to cuts to the festival's budget. The festival board is proposing a name change to "Little Lake MusicFest" by 2010. Board members want the new name to focus on the music, seeing as the lights are no longer part of the festival.
The festival was later rebranded as "Peterborough Musicfest"[2] .
In 2023, the music festival attracted an estimated 110,000 people and generated $4.3 million annually for the region. [3]