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The Community Halls, or “Small Halls” as they are affectionately called, are often referred to as the heart of Clearview Township. In Clearview, we’re proud of our rural agricultural heritage and the Small Halls have been a cornerstone of the rural community for generations. Everything from card games, birthdays and anniversaries to dances, reunions and weddings, Small Halls have been a gathering place for rural communities to socialize and mark important occasions. In Clearview, we’re fortunate to have so many of them providing valuable programs and services to the community. The Small Halls Festival, founded in 2014, was created to celebrate the legacy of the Small Halls. To showcase their uniqueness and the value that they add to the communities throughout our Township. It's a festival to commemorate and celebrate the rural way of life we continue to enjoy today.
In 2022, the Small Halls Festival transitioned from a single-weekend event to a festival series. There are now events happening between September to November. This allows visitors the opportunity to experience as many halls as possible over several weeks and come back and discover everything Clearview Township has to offer. The Small Halls Festival have welcomed to the stage these delightful past performers:
- Buck 65 Live in Concert at Avening Hall (2014)
- Skydiggers at Avening Hall (2015)
- Terry Grant, Mantracker (2015)
- Ron James at Duntroon Hall (2015)
- River Town Saints performed at Brentwood Community Centre (2016)
- Small Halls Rural Route Tour featuring Dan Needles (2016)
- Elliott Brood Concert at Avening Hall (2016)
- Jeffrey McFadden, classical guitarist at Dunedin Hall (2016)
- Dan Needles at Duntroon Hall (2017)
- Jeremy Fisher at Avening Hall (2017)
- Dan Davidson Country Concert at Brentwood Community Centre (2017)
- Terry O’Reilly at Duntroon Hall (2017)
- Andrew Hyatt and Kansas Stone at Brentwood Community Centre (2018)
- Matt Gunn at Avening Hall (2018)
- NUA at Singhampton Community Centre (2018)
- Ken Yates at Singhampton Community Centre (2019)
- Nice Horse and Kansas Stone at Brentwood Community Centre (2019)
- Jamie Williams at Sunnidale Corners Hall (2019)
- Graemazing at Nottawa Memorial Community Centre (2019)
- Hot Pants at Sunnidale Corners Hall (2022)
- Dan Needles at Station on the Green (2022)
- Not Ottawa at Nottawa Memorial Community Centre (2022)
- Winter Hawk at Village Green (2022)
- Julian Taylor at Station on the Green (2023)
- Jamie Williams at The Duntroon Hall (2023)
- The Poets (2023)
The cherished Small Halls have been open for families to enjoy for generations and the Small Halls Festival is no different! Whether it is the “Chicken Races at Duntroon”, Family Bowling Night at Avening Hall or the Hike the Bluffs starting at Singhampton Hall, the Festival has been able to provide free family activities. We are proud to partner with the Creemore Festival of the Arts and showcase local and regional artists each year!
Small Halls, Big Excitement!
The Small Halls Festival has been the recipient of awards every year since 2015. These awards are shared with our volunteers, sponsors and community partners.
2024 'Top 100' as awarded by Festivals & Events Ontario
2023 'Top 100' as awarded by Festivals & Events Ontario
2021 Achievement Award presented by Festivals & Events Ontario
2020 ‘Sponsorship of the Year’ with Tim Hortons and Small Halls Festival as awarded by Festivals & Events Ontario
2020 'Top 100' as awarded by Festivals & Events Ontario
2019 ‘Sponsorship of the Year’ with Creemore Springs Brewery and Small Halls Festival as awarded by Festivals & Events Ontario
2019 ‘Top 100’ as awarded by Festivals & Events Ontario
2018 ‘Top 100’ as awarded by Festivals & Events Ontario
2018 ‘Best Social Media Campaign’ as awarded by Festivals & Events Ontario
2017 ‘Top 100’ as awarded by Festivals & Events Ontario
2016 ‘Best Promotional Campaign’ award by Festivals & Events Ontario
2015 ‘Best New Festival or Event’ award by Festivals & Events Ontario
2015 Tourism Industry Association of Ontario ‘Tourism Event of the Year’ Finalist
Remembering the Small halls festival During the Pandemic
As a result of COVID19 which caused an international pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Small Halls Festival was cancelled during those two years. We acknowledge the many sacrifices that that were made to keep our community safe. In the 2020 video, we ring the bell to remember the legacy of past festivals and to call upon our guests to visit when the time is safe.