Riverside Park, Carleton Place
UAFest 2026 took place at Riverside Park, about a 45-minute drive west of downtown Ottawa. The venue for 2027 is being settled, and the waiting list hears it first.
Hear them first on the waiting list →
Riverside Park, festival day
A small riverside town in Lanark County
Riverside Park sits right on the Mississippi River — the Ontario one, a tributary of the Ottawa River, not the American one — in the heart of Carleton Place. It's a small, historic mill town in Lanark County with a walkable red-brick downtown, riverside trails and mature shade trees, about a 45-minute drive west of downtown Ottawa.
The park's open lawns and waterfront setting are what make it work as a festival site — plenty of room for the stage, market and food tents, with the river as a backdrop and Carleton Place's downtown just a short walk away for anyone who wants to make a full day of it.
Driving directions
See how UAFest 2026 went, and join the 2027 list to hear the next date and venue first.
Parking & accessibility
In 2026, parking was free along Lake Ave W on both sides of the entrance arch. The closer left strip filled first.
FreeRiverside Park has paved and accessible paths, with accessible washrooms on site.
In 2026, Info & First Aid stood first on the left inside the entrance arch, with lost and found at the same post.
The whole 2026 layout, from the parking strips to the stage, is on the site plan below. For accessibility questions, contact UAFest.
Where everything stood at Riverside Park
This is how Riverside Park was laid out for UAFest 2026. Tap a zone to see what stood there.
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom · tap a number
Draft layout — positions and labels may change before the festival.
The printed map
The same map we hand out and post on site — every zone, every service, and the people who made the day possible. Download it, or open uafest.ca/map on your phone.
How do I get there from Ottawa without a car?
In 2026, guests without a car rode from Ottawa as passengers in the Unity Ride & Drive convoy. For 2027, join the waiting list and tick “Drive in the Unity Ride”: the route and the meeting point go to the list first.
Drivers and passengers are matched once the date and the venue are set.
Coming by car? Riverside Park in Carleton Place, where UAFest 2026 took place, is about a 45-minute drive west of downtown Ottawa.
While you're in Carleton Place
Riverside Park is a short walk from downtown Carleton Place — Bridge Street's shops, cafés and the historic mill buildings along the Mississippi River are all within easy reach if you want to make a full day of your visit before or after the festival.