Summer in Nova Scotia is short, so we like to make the most of it. Between the lobster suppers, the harbourfront music, and the small town festivals that only happen once a year, there is always a reason to get out and explore your community this time of year. We pulled together some of the can't miss events happening across the province this summer, with dates confirmed so you can start planning your weekends now.

Pictou Lobster Carnival

July 3 to 5, Pictou. This one celebrates the end of another successful lobster fishing season with live music, a parade, carnival rides, lobster boat races, and of course, a lobster supper or two.

Antigonish Highland Games

July 5 to 12, Antigonish. Highland dancing, fiddle music, and the Scottish heavy events all come together at one of the longest running Highland games outside of Scotland.

TD Halifax Jazz Festival

July 7 to 12, Halifax. Running since 1987, this is the oldest jazz festival in Atlantic Canada and one of Halifax's largest summer events, with performances happening right on the waterfront.

Halifax Pride Festival

July 16 to 26, Halifax. Atlantic Canada's largest and oldest LGBTQ+ Pride festival, featuring the Pride Parade, a harbour cruise, and a fireworks display to close things out.

Stanfest, the Stan Rogers Folk Festival

July 20 to 26, Canso. Some of the best songwriters in North America gather in this small Eastern Shore town every summer. It is a bucket list weekend for a lot of folk and roots music fans.

Nova Multifest

July 24 to 26, Dartmouth. A multicultural celebration of music, dance, and food from communities across the province.

Halifax Busker Festival

July 29 to August 3, Halifax and Dartmouth. The waterfront turns into an open air stage as international street performers take over for several days of family friendly entertainment.

The Jubilee, East Coast Music Festival

July 31 to August 2, New Glasgow. A mix of rock, blues, folk, and country with local and international acts sharing the same stage.

Festival acadien de Clare

August 2 to 15, Clare. The oldest Acadian festival in the world, with concerts, art shows, and the Tintamarre noise parade on National Acadian Day, August 15.

Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival

August 6 to 9, Lunenburg. Nova Scotia's longest running folk festival, set against the backdrop of one of our most beautiful harbour towns.

This is far from a complete list. There is genuinely something happening almost every weekend across Nova Scotia from July through September, and we will keep sharing more as the season goes on. Dates for community festivals can shift, so we always recommend double checking with the event's official website before you plan your trip.

Whether you are hosting family from away this summer or just looking for a reason to explore a new corner of the province, we hope this gets you thinking about what is possible right in your own backyard. That is really what Selling Above the Crowd is all about, connecting you to community.

If you have a favourite Nova Scotia summer event we missed, we would love to hear about it. And if you are thinking about buying or selling this summer and want to chat about what is happening in your local market, we are always just a call or email away.