A new shopping experience is coming to downtown Orillia as Tales of Two Closets Curated Thrift Store prepares to welcome customers with a grand opening on Saturday, June 6, followed by an official ribbon-cutting celebration on Saturday, June 27.

Located at 64 Mississaga St. E., in the heart of downtown Orillia, Tales of Two Closets offers a boutique-style thrift shopping experience featuring carefully selected, high-quality pre-loved clothing and accessories. Unlike traditional thrift stores, each item is thoughtfully curated, washed, and steamed before reaching the sales floor, creating a clean, welcoming, and enjoyable shopping environment.

The grand opening will take place on June 6, 2026, beginning at 9 a.m., with guests invited to browse the store’s unique inventory while enjoying refreshments, including platters provided by Kathy’s Bakery.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on June 27 at 12 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend, meet the owner, and explore the store’s collection.

The celebration coincides with the second annual Delicious Days of Summer festival, taking place throughout downtown Orillia from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., making it the perfect opportunity for visitors to discover both the festival and one of downtown’s newest businesses.

Owner Kelli Felice says opening the store has been a longtime dream inspired by years of working in retail and building connections with customers.

“I’ve always loved the face-to-face connections that come with retail. Those experiences inspired me to open a business of my own. I knew I wanted to be in downtown Orillia, and when I found this location on Mississaga Street, I knew it was the perfect fit,” said Kelli.

Beyond offering affordable fashion and unique finds, the business is committed to promoting sustainability by giving pre-loved items a second life.

“Every item has a story, and we’re giving those stories a new chapter. By shopping second-hand, we’re helping keep quality items out of landfills while creating an affordable and enjoyable shopping experience for our customers.”

Tales of Two Closets is a for-profit business that has partnered with The Lighthouse, an organization that holds special meaning for the owner. The partnership reflects the store’s commitment to supporting the community while encouraging responsible consumption and reuse.

The store will also accept donations of quality items. To ensure donations are managed responsibly and respectfully within the downtown core, donors will be asked to arrange drop-offs during designated times once the business is fully operational.

“We’re excited to welcome Tales of Two Closets to downtown Orillia,” said Tarah Harper, membership co-ordinator for the Downtown Orillia BIA. “This new business brings something unique to our downtown shopping experience while supporting sustainability and community connections. We encourage residents and visitors alike to stop by, meet the owner, and discover everything this beautiful new shop has to offer.”

Residents and visitors are encouraged to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 27 and make a day of it by exploring the many vendors, activities, and attractions taking place during Delicious Days of Summer.

For more information, visit Tales of Two Closets in downtown Orillia or follow them on social media for updates.

About Tales of Two Closets

Tales of Two Closets is a curated thrift boutique located in downtown Orillia and operated by Kelli Felice with the support of her husband, Joe. The store offers a boutique-style shopping experience featuring carefully selected pre-loved clothing and accessories, with a focus on sustainability, affordability, and giving quality items a second life.

The Anti-Aging Clinic, a long-time Orillia business, has found a new home in downtown Orillia in the old Meridian Credit building at 73 Mississaga St. E.

Meridian Credit moved out of the building after the devastating Jan. 21, 2025 fire that ripped through the adjacent historic building, at the corner of Mississaga and Peter streets. Dr. Comics was burned to the ground, but the Meridian Credit building remained standing.

In the aftermath of the blaze, the exterior of 73 Mississaga St. was reinforced. The interior, which had significant water and smoke damage, required extensive remediation work. A gap in the streetscape remains where the historic downtown building once stood.

Anti-Aging Clinic owners Ben and Blade Tiessen had been operating their business out of the end unit at a plaza at 43 Colborne St. E. for close to six years after leaving the Mississaga Street location they opened in 2000. They had been looking to get back to the “energy” of the main street.

Then in March, the roofs of two adjacent units of the Colborne Street plaza collapsed which closed all four plaza businesses for one week. The end units were deemed safe, but the Tiessens were already planning to move to Mississaga Street.

After seven months of renovation, design and installation, the new Anti-Aging Clinic is open. “When I came in, this place it was gutted. The walls were crashed onto the floor,” said Blade. “They took everything out of here right up to the rafters,” explained Ben.

Anti-Aging Clinic owners Ben (left) and Blade (right) Tiessen are seen with Dr. Rodney Land in their new 73 Mississaga St. E. location. Gisele Winton Sarvis/OrilliaMatters

The transformation of the old Meridian Credit location is “incredible.” Ben and Blade oversaw the reconstruction and designed the space to be calm, welcoming and functional.

There are large windows at the front, opening into the white and glass counter under a large chandelier. Behind the counter are multiple glass-door cabinets for medical-grade, organic skin care products, a line of organic makeup in re-fillable bamboo containers and the custom skin serum lab.

The lounge is bright and decorated with plants, white furniture and an art screen. The consultation room has a skin scanner that shows things such as sun damage. It is used to chart progress before and after treatments. There are 12 treatment rooms, some of which are still being set up, for a total space of approximately 3,500 sq. ft. on the main floor.

“We are focusing on the natural side, the wellness: patients who want to have red-light therapy and salt inhalations and detoxification. There’s a huge wellness aspect here,” Ben said.

Treatments include red-light and oxygen therapy, “which is really good for your skin and detoxification,” said Ben.

“We are the only full-body red light” in the region, said Blade.

Another room has a SlimLine Pod, which is used for weight loss, but it also provides red-light, oxygen, and vibration therapy.

“It is basically an entire spa therapy,” said Ben.

Still in the development is the salt vault. The former bank vault is being transformed into a salt room. Medical-grade salt will be pumped into the room that is going to be set up like a sauna.

“It calms your skin and when you breathe it, it helps the upper respiratory system. It’s a really natural way to detox,” said Ben.

“We will be the only salt cave (halotherapy) in Simcoe County,” said Blade, who expects that component to be ready in June.

The Anti-aging Clinic has a staff of four. Blade focuses on medical aesthetics, Ben is the body sculpting technician, Dr. Rodney Land does all the medical injections and Jessie Grear does the medical aesthetics and laser work.

Everything in the building is designed for a calm and comfortable experience for clientele, right down to the paint colour, said Blade.

“My focus is on my client. I want you to look good in this space, not the space to look good on you. I wanted it to be less about the space and more about you. I want you to be the feature, not the backdrop,” he said.

While the clinic offers Botox and fillers, they also offer many treatments that stimulate the body to heal itself, said Blade, who is the CEO.

“We are the only ones that are doing non-invasive procedures with no down time,” said Blade.

They do soft-wave medical treatment that uses ultrasound to stimulate the body to produce collagen, and Jet Peel, that uses air and water to cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate tissue.

“We have stuff that nobody else has, even in Toronto,” said Blade.

For more information about the Anti-Aging Clinic and its treatment options visit agegorgeously.ca, call 705-325-6265 or email: [email protected]. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments are recommended.

The Downtown Orillia Business Improvement Area (DOBIA) Board of Management is excited to announce the Mariposa Downtown Stage music night coming up on Thursday, July 2 from 5 to 9 p.m. in downtown Orillia.

This free downtown live music event is moving to Thursday night to make it more inclusive and extend the festival fun for an extra day. Orillians and tourists can come downtown for a preview of the Mariposa music and vibe. The move to Thursday night also gives local downtown restaurants, bars and shops an opportunity to benefit from the increased foot traffic.

“We really wanted to re-energize this free live music event to connect with more local people, bring them downtown and get them excited about the festival,” said Doug Cooper, Downtown Orillia BIA Board Chair.

By moving it to the evening before the festival, we believe more local residents will be able to attend the event which will also directly benefit our downtown businesses.”

“Mariposa Folk Festival is proud to partner with Downtown Orillia BIA to bring some pre-Festival Mariposa music and magic to the city,” added Pam Carter, President of the Mariposa Folk Festival.

“This free event allows citizens and tourists to savour a great night of folk music, while enjoying Orillia’s beautiful downtown. An extra night of Mariposa – what could be better?”

Run by an elected board of volunteers made up mostly of local business owners, the Downtown Orillia BIA (DOBIA) is home to prime shopping, dining, arts and entertainment with 150 shops and 25 restaurants to choose from. The DOBIA footprint includes six blocks of Mississaga Street as well as the sidestreets of Albert, Andrew, West, Peter, Matchedash and Front streets between Coldwater and Colborne. The DOBIA is funded through a special commercial tax levy assessed only on the commercial property owners in this area.

The 2026 Starry Night Studio & Gallery Tour returns on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 7 to 10 p.m., transforming Peter Street South into a vibrant pedestrian art walk.

This much-anticipated annual event invites visitors to explore downtown Orillia through a self-guided evening tour of artist studios, galleries and shops. The street will come alive with guest artists, live music, and local food vendors, creating an immersive celebration of creativity and community.

Held rain or shine, the Starry Night Tour highlights the depth and diversity of Orillia’s arts scene while supporting local artists and businesses. Attendees are encouraged to stroll at their own pace, discover new work, and engage directly with the creators behind it.

“Starry Night plays an important role in promoting downtown art spaces and fostering ongoing connections between artists and the community,” says The Maker’s Circle co-owner Melissa Van Dam. “This is one of Orillia’s most highly anticipated events of the year.”

The Starry Night Committee invites members of the Orillia BIA, along with artists who have exhibited in the Peter Street Arts District since August 2025, to apply to participate in this year’s event. Applications are open until May 1. Full details and the application form are available here.

The board of management for the Downtown Orillia Business Improvement Area (DOBIA) is proud to share the news that the DOBIA has won the prestigious Award of Excellence in the Streetscaping and Public Realm Improvements category at the annual Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA) Awards Gala.

The Award of Excellence winners from all categories were honoured at this special gala dinner and reception during the recent BIA Conference hosted this past week in St. Catharines. Despite some very stiff competition from other BIAs across the province, the DOBIA project entry titled SOAR Birds of Ontario Art Exhibition took home the top prize.

The SOAR project came into being as a result of co-operation between the DOBIA, Streets Alive Productions and many local artists who generously volunteered their time and talent. Each artist was given a piece of precut and repurposed Coroplast in the shape of an Ontario songbird, which they used to create over 100 unique and masterful works of art featuring 66 distinct Ontario songbirds.

“The SOAR project was a wonderful example of community building in action. Our local artists deserve so much credit for painting such gorgeous and enticing works that not only beautified the downtown core, but also brought foot traffic to our shops and restaurants. A big thank you to our fantastic partners and sponsors — the Downtown Orillia BIA, the Orillia Naturalists’ Club and The Birdhouse Nature Company — who supported this initiative to help ensure that its success and impact reached a wide audience.” — Leslie Fournier, Streets Alive Productions

“This remarkable project is another shining example of what can be accomplished by working together with our community partners like our local community of artists and Streets Alive Productions. It also highlights the importance of building those positive community relationships that can be leveraged to produce some impactful results for our community.” — Deron Johnston, DOBIA executive director

Delicious Days of Summer Festival is set to expand dramatically this summer with more than 120 vendors and a full street closure in the downtown core.

Downtown Orillia is preparing to welcome back the Delicious Days of Summer Festival for its highly anticipated second year on June 27, beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the heart of downtown Orillia. The event promises an expanded celebration of food, creativity, and community spirit. Following a standout debut last summer, the festival is poised to grow into one of the city’s largest and most vibrant seasonal events.

The inaugural festival drew more than 50 vendors and over 3,000 attendees, with strong participation from downtown businesses and an overwhelmingly positive response from the community. That success laid the foundation for an even more ambitious event this year.

The 2026 festival will feature more than 120 vendors and a full street closure in the downtown core, transforming the area into a lively, open-air marketplace. Visitors can expect a dynamic mix of local food vendors, handcrafted goods, and unique artisan products, all showcasing the incredible talent found throughout Orillia and across Simcoe County. Attendance is expected to significantly increase as the festival continues to build momentum.

“Seeing the community come together last year was incredible,” said the festival organizers. “The support from downtown businesses, vendors, and visitors made it clear that this event had the potential to become something truly special for Orillia.”

Delicious Days of Summer is organized by Jessi Miller of My Best Friend’s Cupcakes and Mark Robillard of Sugar Dessert Bar in partnership with the Downtown Orillia BIA. Together, they are committed to creating a welcoming and energetic event that highlights local businesses and celebrates the region’s creativity and culinary scene.

In an exciting new development, the festival will also receive international exposure through its inclusion on Netflix’s bilingual In Your Neighbourhood platform. This interactive experience allows users to explore filming locations from popular shows and discover the communities behind them.

Downtown Orillia is featured through the production Finding Her Edge, which showcased local businesses such as Apple Annie’s and Mr. Seto. This recognition offers a valuable opportunity to attract new visitors and further highlight Orillia as a destination.

With increased vendor participation, expanded downtown involvement, and growing recognition beyond the region, the second annual Delicious Days of Summer Festival is set to solidify its place as a cornerstone summer event in Orillia.

For more information, please email the event organizers at [email protected].

Orillia — nestled between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe in Ontario — is a charming small city with big summer vibes. From waterside strolling to patios, arts and history, there’s lots to explore if you find yourself downtown this season. Here are five must-do experiences!

1. Soak Up the Waterfront at the Port of Orillia

Begin your summer day with a walk along the waterfront at the Port of Orillia — the heart of the city’s outdoor life. Dock your boat or stroll along scenic trails by Lake Couchiching, check out picnic spots, or simply relax by the water. Free band concerts and seasonal events often animate the waterfront parks, making it perfect for families and visitors of all ages.

2. Dive Into Local Culture at the Orillia Museum of Art & History

Take a cultural pause at the Orillia Museum of Art & History, located right in historic downtown. The museum showcases rotating exhibitions that highlight both local heritage and artistic talent — a great way to beat the midday sun while exploring regional stories and creativity.

Whether you’re into fine art, fascinating history, or family-friendly exhibits, OMAH offers something fresh each summer.

3. Wander, Shop & Eat Along Mississaga Street

Downtown’s heart is Mississaga Street, a vibrant main street with quirky shops, galleries, and patios. Grab a coffee or lunch and stroll the area — from vintage shops and boutiques to delightful cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating.

• Some local favourites to know:
• The Common Stove – beloved local dining.
• Brewery Bay Food Co – great food with waterfront energy.
• Mariposa Market – classic market eats and local favourites.
• PICNIC cantina – outdoor-friendly Mexican fare.
• Eclectic Café & Catering – perfect for brunch or a relaxed lunch.
• And many more patios and hidden gems to discover!

This is also the hub for seasonal events like “See You On The Patio” where street sections close off and patios spill into the sidewalks each weekend.

4. Experience Local History at Leacock Museum

Just a short walk from downtown you’ll find the Stephen Leacock Museum Historic Site — the summer home of one of Canada’s best-loved authors. Here you can explore the gardens, learn about life in early 20th-century Ontario, and see the surroundings that inspired Leacock’s classic writing.

The picturesque grounds make for a peaceful and inspiring stop before or after lunch downtown.

5. Catch a Summer Event or Festival

Downtown Orillia pulses with summer energy thanks to regular events: from live music stages during the Mariposa Folk Festival season, to Starry Night art tours, and summer car shows and parades.

These events bring local culture to life — think outdoor galleries, community stages, art tours, and themed celebrations that are perfect for locals and visitors alike.