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Tall Ships Brockville

Information about the Brockville Tall Ships Festival that happens every 3 years, and the Big River Festival which is on every summer

Tickets

Save the date for the festival’s return June 20-22, 2025. Tickets are not yet on sale. Please follow us on facebook or check back for an announcement about tickets.

We are in the early planning stages and will update you more as the festival evolves. Below you will find information from our 2022 event to give you a sense of what the event is all about, but please note information is for general reference only.

Brockville tall ships festival tickets advance sales have now closed. Remaining festival admission wristbands and boarding passports will be available on site when you arrive at the festival.

If you purchased your tickets in advance they will be held for you at the main festival entrance on Blockhouse Island Parkway (corner of Blockhouse Island Parkway and Water Street) (see our custom google map for location details). 

There are two types of tickets to access the festival grounds: a general admission wristband, and a festival boarding passport. Both will grant you access to the grounds for all 3 days, but only one will let you board the ships. If you would like to tour the deck of each ship, you should purchase the festival boarding passport rather than the general admission wristband. Quantities of boarding passports are limited to the capacity that the ships can reasonably accommodate during the festival, and could sell out on site. Grounds admission wristbands are not limited.

General Admission Wristband $10

Admission onto the festival grounds is only $10 for the entire weekend. This gives you access to all on-land entertainment, vendors, encampments, activities and gives you close-up access to the ships. It also gives you access to the best viewing areas to watch the ships sail past Brockville during the Parade of Sail at 3pm on Friday.

The general admission wristband does not give you access onto the ships – if you would like to board the ships and tour each one, you will need to purchase a Festival Passport instead. (Note: if you purchase a Passport to board the ships, you do not need to purchase a general admission wristband, it will be included with your passport purchase).

Children 5 and under are free and do not need a wristband.

Festival grounds open on Friday at 2pm. 

Boarding Passports $20 - limited tickets

Brockville tall ships festival tickets - festival passport cover sampleTickets to board the ships at the Tall Ships® Festival are in the form of a Passport booklet and include these benefits:

Grounds admission, deck tours aboard all ships (available Saturday & Sunday only), and access to all land based activities and entertainment. Offerings include live music and entertainment, nautical demonstrations, vendors, hands-on entertainment, historic encampments and more. The Passport includes a page for each ship with details and facts, and will be stamped as you visit each one, making it a great souvenir from the event. (Please be advised that the Empire Sandy will be offering specialty sail outs during the festival and will be available for deck tours for slightly reduced hours on Saturday).

Price: $20 during the event

If you purchase a Festival Passport you do not need to also purchase a general admission wristband – your Passport purchase includes a wristband.

Children 5 and under are free for both admission and deck tours – however they will not be issued a paper Festival Passport.

Grounds open at 2pm on Friday (no deck tours on Friday. Passport purchase includes admission for all 3 days).

Deck Tours (includes all 6 tall ships and Theodore Tugboat) are available on Saturday and Sunday only, from 9am-5pm both days.

SALE LOCATION: Main Gate at Blockhouse Island.

Passport Bonus:

We also have packages available with local attractions that include your Festival Passport and admission to your choice of one of our amazing local experiences. Check out the next section below to find out more.

Parade of Sail Cruise Tickets $50 - Be part of the Parade of Sail on board the Empire Sandy (SOLD OUT)

Enjoy a unique sailing opportunity to be on board the tall ship, Empire Sandy, during the festival’s Parade of Sail on Friday. What’s the Parade of Sail? The parade is when all of our participating tall ships and other vessels sail past Brockville’s waterfront and is the best opportunity to see these ships with their sails up and take photos of them on the river. During the rest of the festival, the ships will be docked for deck tours so this is the best time to see them on the water. This sail out offers the opportunity to be on board the Empire Sandy during the parade and be part of the action and get some unique photos that those on land will not be able to experience.

Price: $50 per person (plus applicable fees) | includes one General Admission Wristband. Wristbands will need to be worn to access the boarding area prior to your cruise departure.

Children of any age will need a ticket for this experience.

Tickets for this experience are extremely limited as only the Empire Sandy will be able to offer cruises to the public during the Parade of Sail on Friday afternoon.

Note: Sail Out tickets do not include a Passport (deck tours on other ships), however if you would like to upgrade your general admission wristband (included in your ticket price) you will have the option to do so at the time of purchase. Please note that the upgrade option is ONLY available at the time of purchase and general admission cannot be traded in or upgraded at a later date. The upgrade option is available for specialty ticket purchases only.

Additionally: It should also be noted that deck tours are not available on Friday. You will be able to use your festival passport to access the grounds on Friday, but if you would like to tour the ships that is only available on Saturday and Sunday. Please keep this in mind when choosing whether you would like to upgrade your wristband or not.

Parade of Sail Schedule and Departure Locations:

  • Empire Sandy: Friday only, boarding at 2:00 pm from Blockhouse Island, Sailing from 2:30 – 4:30 pm (approximately). – (SOLD OUT)

Sail Out Cruise Tickets $45 (SOLD)

Price: $45 per person (plus applicable fees) | includes one General Admission Wristband. Wristbands will need to be worn to access the boarding area prior to your cruise departure.

Children of any age will need a ticket for this experience.

Keep in mind that a limited number of sail out tickets will be available for sale, so purchasing early will ensure your spot.

Note: Sail Out tickets do not include a Passport (deck tours on other ships), however if you would like to upgrade your general admission wristband (included in your ticket price) you will have the option to do so at the time of purchase. Please note that the upgrade option is ONLY available at the time of purchase and general admission cannot be traded in or upgraded at a later date. The upgrade option is available for specialty ticket purchases only. Additionally, deck tours are not available on Friday so keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to upgrade to a festival passport.

Sail out schedule (90 minutes aboard the Empire Sandy):

Friday, June 24

Saturday, June 25

Sunday, June 26

Experiences and Packages - bundle your Festival Passport with a local attraction

Festival Passport + Aquatarium Admission (admission valid between June 24-26, 2022). Advance sales only.

The Aquatarium is an interactive discovery centre featuring exhibits on the wildlife, history, and splendor of the 1000 Islands and St. Lawrence River. They are located right next to the festival grounds, inside the Tall Ships Landing building (the tallest building at the waterfront) and right beside where the Fair Jeanne will be berthed during the festival.

Package Cost: $27 for adults, $25 for children (ages 4-15), advance sales only.

Festival Passport + Brockville Museum Self-Guided History and Architectural Tour of Brockville & admission. Advance sales only.

The Brockville Museum focuses on anything and everything “Brockville”. History is made every minute, evidenced by the exhibits that feature Brockville’s past and present. Stop by the museum to learn more about Brockville’s river history and more. Their newly printed “History and Architectural Tour of Brockville” included in this package will let you explore the area on foot and learn more about the history of the beautiful buildings that you will see downtown and near to the tall ships festival site.

Package Cost: $25 per person, advance sales only.

Festival Passport + 1000 Islands & Seaway Cruises “Jewels of the St. Lawrence” 90 minute cruise of the 1000 Islands. Advance sales only.

Local 1000 Islands & Seaway Cruises offer cruises departing right from the tall ships festival grounds. The 90 minute “Jewels of the St. Lawrence Cruise” will give you a close up look at Brockville’s waterfront from the river, tell you the history and tales of the 1000 Islands, and take you through the Brockville narrows to see some of the islands found in the famous 1000 Islands region and a chance to see some of the homes and cottages built on the waterfront and on some of the islands themselves. This is a traditional 1000 Islands Cruise (not a tall ship experience).

Package Cost: $48.59 per person, advance sales only.

Friday, June 24: 12 noon, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm

Saturday, June 25: 10:00 am, 12 noon, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm

Saturday, June 25: 10:00 am, 12 noon, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm

For more information on the event, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page or call Brockville City Hall’s festival information line at 613-341-2220. If you have questions about the festival prior to purchasing your tickets, please call the above information line before calling the ticket vendor.

If you have questions about your ticket order, the box office can be reached at 613-342-7122. Please call the ticket vendor only if you have a question about your previously-purchased ticket. Advance sales closed on June 21.

You will not be mailed a passport if you already received a “passport exchange card” in the mail or from the Brockville Arts Centre. The exchange card can be quickly and easily swapped for your full passport on site from any ticket booth or ticket vendor. 

The cut-off date to have your tickets mailed to you has now passed. Advance purchased tickets will be held for you at the main festival entrance on Blockhouse Island Parkway (see our custom google map for location details).