Open Air Weekends: Barrels & Brass
- August 21-23, 2026
- 242 Dalhousie St. Amherstburg
- tourism@amherstburg.ca
Featuring Barrels and Brass Festival
It’s time to relive Amherstburg’s era of Prohibition and the Jazz Age. Barrels & Brass is an inaugural event presented by the Marsh Historical Collection. For one weekend, the are restoring the town to one of its most lively decades: the 1920s. The event combines living history with music and entertainment to create a unique cultural experience that celebrates the heritage of Amherstburg.
Friday, August 21
5-9PM, OPEN AIR Vendor Market
6pm, Exhibit displays downtown
6-10pm, Amherstburg Rum Runners Tours by Encore Windsor*, Passport to Prohibition: A Self-Guided Journey and Speakeasies
7pm, OPEN AIR – Bagpipes in the Burg
7:30 & 8:30pm, Liberty Theatre Silent Film Screening*
7:30 – 9:30pm, Live Music on Murray Street: Ray Bower Quartet
Saturday, August 22
12-8pm, OPEN AIR Vendor Market
12pm, River Tales on the Bob-Lo Boat with Olwyn Coughlin
1-4pm, Exhibit displays downtown, 1920s Walking Tours by Migration Community Productions* & Books, Barrels and Brass: Essex County Library
2pm, Liberty Theatre Matinee with Live Music*
2-4pm, Live Music on Murray Street: The New Standard
4pm, Spilling the Tea on Temperance with Olwyn Coughlin*
4-6pm, Live Music at the Clock Tower: Mike Karloff Trio
5:30pm, Presentation at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 157
6-9pm, Live Music at Musicland Stage: The New Standard
6-10pm, Rum Runners Tours by Encore Windsor*, Passport to Prohibition: A Self-Guided Journey & Speakeasies Open for Business
Sunday, August 23
10am, OPEN AIR Yoga in the Park
11am, Storytime Sundays at River Bookshop
12pm, River Tales on the Bob-Lo Boat with Olwyn Coughlin
12:30pm, Liberty Theatre Matinee with Live Music*
1-4pm, Exhibit displays downtown, 1920s Walking Tours by Migration Community Productions*
2-4pm, Live Music at the Clock Tower: Mike Karloff Trio
3pm, Coffee & Culture with Marty Gervais
4pm, Spilling the Tea on Temperance with Olwyn Coughlin*
4-6pm, Live Music on Murray Street: Hugh Leal’s Speakeasy Quartet
*Ticket or Registration Required. Purchase tickets here for paid events.
Speakeasies
There’s no cabbage needed to get in, but don’t expect a breeze through the door – every establishment has a SECRET password. Keep your peepers peeled for password hints in the days leading up to the event. The answers are hidden in plain sight on the exhibit panels outside each joint.
Get the password right, and you’re in like Flynn!
- Dark Rabbit Exports by The Missing O in Hotel STRY, 70 Murray Street
- Cell Block 89 by Wolfhead Distillery, 89 Murray Street
- The Service Station by GL Heritage Brewing Company, 48 Richmond Street.
- Canard Creek Products
- Elora Craft Studio
- Habitat for Humanity
- Mimi Jo Jo Creations
- Styled Staples Vintage
Plan your visit to Open Air Weekends
There are many ways to enjoy Open Air Weekends. Whether you are riding your bike, driving your electric or gas vehicle or need accessible parking we have got you covered. Areas of our downtown streets (Richmond St., Dalhousie St., and Murray St.) will be closed starting at 3pm on Fridays, and re-opening at 8pm on Sunday.
Check out our local area parking map to find the best spots to park during the event. Click the link here!
