Getting There:
Take Hwy. 401 to the Hwy. 8 exit.
Get on Hwy 86 north and follow it through
Kitchener and Waterloo to regional road 15
until you reach St. Jacobs.

St. Jacobs is one of Canada’s premier tourism success stories. This quaint community is truly amazing, entertaining, welcoming, innovative ... and unusual.

The village has maintained its small-town feel even as it hosts thousands of visitors each week. There is something about St. Jacobs that encourages visitors to slow down and enjoy the ambience, to combine shopping for elegant clothing with a child-like enjoyment of licking an ice cream cone from a street-side vendor, to revel in a village atmosphere combined with unparalleled shopping variety.

The village is filled with shops of all kinds — on the main street, along side streets, tucked into the former mill — and there are lots more, slightly farther afield. Happy visitors go home with perfect gifts, new pieces of art, intriguing Waterloo County handcrafts and furniture, food that really schmecks, antiques, fashions, toys . . . the list is endless. The 100-plus shops of St. Jacobs are famed for their personal service, for their unique environments and range of unique items. In some artisan shops, you can actually see the craftspeople at work.

Most Village of St. Jacobs shops are open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5:30 pm.

There are plenty of reasons to linger in St. Jacobs. Excellent accommodations are available, both right in the town and in the farmers’ market district a short drive to the south. There are wonderful restaurants, some offering sophisticated international cuisine and others famous for authentic, Waterloo County home-cooked fare. Visitors are consistently surprised at the variety and excellence of dining opportunities; some come just for the family-style down-home meals; others enjoy the excellent cuisine savoured with live jazz. There is something for every cultural appetite.

This community has found a magic formula – it is a busy tourist attraction that still manages to be completely relaxing. You will see visitors at their leisure, walking by the river, or enjoying home-made fudge, eyeing antiques and art, strolling the streets, sampling the tastes of St. Jacobs, and browsing through friendly shops.

St. Jacobs is known for many things, but looming large among them is one of the most successful farmers' markets anywhere in the world– the enormous, thriving Farmers’ Market, located between the village of St. Jacobs and the city of Waterloo. The St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market and Flea Market features over 500 vendors. Visitors find the Market irresistible, and thousands of regional residents stock their larders at the market on a weekly basis. There is always something interesting and unique going on, from auctions to buskers to a children’s petting zoo. The St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market is open Thursday and Saturday, year round, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., from June 16 to Sept. 1.

Across the road, in the location that until recently housed the “Sunday Market”, an exceptional new Antiques & Collectables warehouse has opened. Many of the Sunday Market vendors have re-located across the road to the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market.
Nearby is another shopper’s paradise — the St. Jacobs Factory Outlet Mall, where shoppers will appreciate the double accent on low prices and incredible selection.

Not everyone arrives in St. Jacobs by car or tour bus — the town is the home community of many old order Mennonites, who come to town via horse and buggy. You may notice the working horse water troughs even before you notice the horses themselves. The Mennonite culture is also reflected in many of the craft and gift items for sale in St. Jacobs shops, and there is a fine interpretive centre in the heart of downtown St. Jacobs – “The Mennonite Story,” at the Visitor Centre.

But while historic culture is important, current cultural events are not lacking. For example, St. Jacobs is home to three theatre and music venues – the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre, The Church Theatre in the Village and The St. Jacobs Country Playhouse across from the Outlet Mall and next door to the Best Western St. Jacobs Country Inn. There are performances and plays on stage all season long, The St. Jacobs Country Playhouse presents “Me and My Girl”, June 16-July 18. The St. Jacobs Country Playhouse operates in cooperation with the renowned Drayton Theatre.
Quilt lovers flock to St. Jacobs, to enjoy shops and shows that include the year-round exhibit at the St. Jacobs Quilt Gallery on the third level of The Mill.

Another exhibit has opened at The Mill in St. Jacobs: the new Model Train Exhibit. Experience the charm of Waterloo County’s rural past depicted in an HO scale model railway! The exhibit features various local scenes in miniature – including a depiction of farming, barn raising, a Mennonite Meeting House and the Village of St. Jacobs itself.

Also at The Mill: Home Hardware Exhibit and the History of Commercial Lighting Exhibit – two new attractions open daily in the basement level of The Mill, 1441 King St. North.
There is also the fine Maple Syrup Museum, an exhibit featuring one of the region’s sweetest products.

Of course, visitors will not only want to learn about quilting and maple syrup and other local specialities – you will enjoy the chance to take these things home with you.

St. Jacobs is an everyday “event,” with lots to do and see, every day of the year... especially on bright, vibrant spring and summer days.