Paisley Ontario is an incredible community in Grey Bruce that’s home to approximately 1000 residents. When I first visited Paisley, I couldn’t believe how great this town was and immediately knew I would be adding it to my list of cutest small towns in Ontario. In this Paisley Ontario travel guide I’ll cover things to do in Paisley and places to eat. Paisley is only about 30 minutes from Port Elgin so I highly recommend adding this awesome village to your next Grey Bruce road trip.
Part of what what makes Paisley great is that it’s where the teeswater and saugeen river meet so there’s no shortage of beautiful river views. The main street is divided into two sections by a bridge that crosses over the river. When you’re walking across the bridge, you can see the dam on one side and if you visit in the summer, you’ll likely see people kayaking, canoeing or even tubing down the river on the other side.
Things To Do In Paisley, Ontario
Local Shopping
As you drive into town, you’ll start to notice a variety of cute local shops. I highly recommend parking on the main street and spending some time checking them out to grab some gifts or fun items for yourself.
The store front windows in many of these shops are so beautiful and are the style of windows from years past. It’s only one of the things that makes Paisley a charming town to visit.
Check Out The Wooden Trestle Bridge
There is a really incredible wooden trestle bridge in Paisley that you can walk on and get a great view from. The bridge is part of the rail trail that will take you all the way to Port Elgin if you’d like to bike there and enjoy a beer at Three Sheets Brewing craft beer bar or just bike there to check it out and come home. It should take you approximately one hour each way. The bridge is incredible to see from below as well because of the detailed architecture.
Bike The Rail Trail
As I mentioned above, the rail trail is an incredible option if you’re looking to bike or go for a walk. The nice part about railway trails is that the path stays fairly flat so it’s great for all skill levels.
Brant Tract Trails
Having spent almost 10 years on a competitive mountain bike team I was very impressed to find out that the Brant Tract Trail System is so close to Paisley. Approximately 10 minutes outside of Paisley, you”ll find kilometres of trails in enjoy. This is an incredible opportunity to head for a bike ride a walk or hike, enjoy nature and then head into town for a bite to eat or drink. This is one of our favourite things to do Paisley.
Art Tour
One of the things I love most about Paisley is the artistic vibe of the community. As you walk around town, you’ll notice various murals, art installations, painted pianos, and more. It’s another reason Paisley is awesome. You can find out more details about each art installation and the Paisley art tour here.
Paisley Blues Festival
The Paisley Blues Festival happens every summer around the first weekend in June. It’s definitely on our bucket list for next summer June 6-7, 2025. You can find up-to-date information on their Paisley Blues Festival Facebook Page.
Visit Paisley In The Winter
Although there’s more activities to enjoy in the summer, it’s so fun to visit Paisley in the winter as well. The entire town has a cute gingerbread theme which feels right out of a Hallmark movie. Local businesses and residents decorate their shop and houses with gingerbread themes and as you can see in the picture below, there are even gingerbread on every light pole throughout town. They have a Christmas parade at the end of November and have another night where shops stay open late.
Artists On The River
Another great event put on by the Paisley community group, Paisley Artscape Society is ‘Artists On The River‘. For this event, artists and vendors set up on Water Street and give you the opportunity to see and shop from some of the local artists.
Kayak & Canoe The Teeswater River
As I mentioned above, there’s no shortage of rivers around Paisley to enjoy some kayaking or canoeing. You can find the best spots to access the river here.
Horse Camping At Saugeen Bluffs in Paisley, Ontario
Just outside of Paisley is the Saugeen Bluffs Conservation Area where they have horse camping sites and regular campsites. Saugeen Bluffs is also home to some incredible trails. I recommend checking out ‘Bluffs Lookout’ for a great view of the Saugeen river. If you visit in the summer, you’ll likely see lots of canoes and kayaks along the river.
It’s really neat to see all the horse pens right next to the campsites. They also have a few cabins or bunkies that you can rent. It’s a really beautiful campground.
Where To Eat In Paisley, ON
Bonfire On Queen
First up for places to eat in Paisley Ontario is Bonfire On Queen. If you have a craving for artisan pizza, this is your place. They have other items on the menu but the pizza is our top choice. We’ve been a few times now and it remains one of our favourite spots. So far for pizza we’ve tried their Buffalo Pepperoni (with honey!!) and Truffle Mushroom which is incredible. Inside you’ll find a traditional diner/restaurant vibe and outside they have a cute patio with high top tables and string lights. Staff are super friendly.
The Paisley Common
The Paisley Common is another great restaurant in Paisley. Sometimes we simply stop in for a fancy cocktail on their patio or sitting in the bar seat in the front window. Other times we’ve enjoyed lunch or dinner. In the summer they have a patio section out front or they also have a few tables on their patio upstairs. They have really cute patio umbrellas that make you feel like you’re somewhere tropical. They also have a bunch of tables upstairs and a really cool bar area. The decor is super trendy and on par with what you would see in a major city. So it makes it even cooler when these places exist in small towns.
The food has always been incredible. I usually go for the buttermilk chicken burger with the 40 creek BBQ sauce and always love it. They also have fancy cocktails and ginger beer which is perfect when you want a delicious drink without the alcohol.
Happy Hive Bakery & Café
Happy Hive is a local coffee shop and bakery in Paisley, Ontario. We’ve really enjoyed stopping in to grab a coffee to go or sitting in to enjoy a coffee, baked treat or sandwich. They also make omelettes!
If you appreciate character in a coffee shop like I do this one is oozing with it. The brick walls and the beautiful large stained glass windows all make this place a must visit in Paisley.
Tomboi Artisan Ice Cream
Tomboi Artisan Ice Cream is definitely a must-visit ice cream shop in Ontario. This seasonal ice cream shop is open from mid-May to September and they have the most unique and amazing selection of ice cream flavours. One in particular stood out to me – ‘Mac T’ which is made from earl grey tea, lavender flowers and Beth’s local honey. This is definitely on my must-try list when they open in the spring.
As you can see Paisley, Ontario is an incredible community and I hope you add this to your list of Ontario small towns to visit. Make sure you save this Paisley Ontario travel guide so you can refer back to it!
