Halton Children's Water Festival Marks 20 Years at Milton's Kelso Conservation Area

Nearly 4,000 elementary students spent four days learning about water and the environment at Kelso Conservation Area in Milton, as the Halton Children's Water Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary.

What Happened

The Halton Children's Water Festival, co-hosted by Conservation Halton and Halton Region, returned to Kelso Conservation Area in Milton for a four-day run, FM101 Milton Now reports. This year's festival drew 3,912 students from Grades 2 to 5 for hands-on, curriculum-linked lessons about water conservation and stewardship.

Key Details

• The festival ran October 5 to 8, 2026, at Kelso Conservation Area in Milton.

• A total of 3,912 students in Grades 2 to 5 took part this year.

• The event featured about 60 interactive activity stations tied to the school curriculum.

• Topics covered water conservation, the environment and climate stewardship.

• Over two decades, more than 64,000 elementary students have attended, supported by over 8,000 local high school volunteers.

• Conservation Halton President and CEO Chandra Sharma said hands-on, outdoor learning leaves a lasting impact on children and youth.

Community Impact

For Milton families, the festival is a long-running, local example of outdoor environmental education, held at one of the town's best-known conservation areas. It also gives area high school students a chance to volunteer and help mentor younger children.

Background

First held in 2006, the festival has grown from about 3,000 students a year to as many as 4,000. Organizers say future editions are expected to add more Indigenous Knowledge and climate-resilience programming.

Source: FM101 Milton Now — https://www.miltonnow.ca/2026/10/21/139711/

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