All About Barry’s Bay: Check Out the Town That Inspired ‘Every Summer After’ and Its Screen Adaptation, ‘Every Year After’
That cozy lake town is a real place you can venture to—learn more about Barry’s Bay
Key Takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our editorial team.- Carley Fortune's novel, 'Every Summer After' is becoming the TV series, 'Every Year After'
- The town of Barry's Bay in 'Every Summer After' is a real place you can visit!
- Tune into 'Every Year After' on Prime Video starting on June 10, 2026!
For those of you who devoured Every Summer After when it was first published in 2022, you may have heard the screen adaptation of the story, Every Year After, is coming to Prime Video in June. The story, set in Barry’s Bay, takes place over six summers and follows childhood friends Percy Fraser and Sam Florek over the years, with their friendship developing into a romantic relationship. The TV series will star Matt Cornett as Sam and Sadie Soverall as Percy Fraser.
While immersing into the world of Barry’s Bay through the written word is thrilling enough, getting to see it for real on screen brings an entirely new level to that experience. But did you know that Barry’s Bay is actually a real town in Ontario, Canada that you can visit? The author of the novel, Carley Fortune, shared that she drew inspiration from the actual place where she spent her childhood.
“I grew up in Barry’s Bay. Our house was down a dirt road in the middle of the bush and on the water,” Fortune shared in an interview. “I spent my summers much like Percy and Sam — swimming, reading and, when I got older, working in the evenings at my parents’ restaurant.”
Learn more about the actual lakeside town of Barry’s Bay, which locations from the book you can visit and which are inspired by real places.
Head to the real Tavern
There are tons of picturesque spots included in Every Summer After and its sequel, One Golden Summer, and while most of them are fictional, they are actually based on real places.
The local tavern that is owned by Sam’s mother, Sue, in the novel is where everyone wants to spend their nights grabbing dinner. Although it’s only referred to as The Tavern in the book, it is based on the historic Wilno Tavern. Fortune drew inspiration from this spot, which is known for its authentic Polish cuisine.
“It’s an iconic business and a must-visit if you’re in the area,” Fortune says.
In the book, The Tavern is known for serving pierogies, so if you’re craving one of Sue Florek’s pierogies, you can head to the Wilno Tavern for the real deal.
Grab a coffee in Barry’s Bay
If you love a local coffee spot and want to live like Sam Florek, head to Madawaska Coffee, which is also located in Barry’s Bay. In the book, Fortune describes how much the town had changed in the years since she last visited, including the addition of a new café. This coffee shop is based on the real Madawaska Coffee, which sells a high-quality latte in the small town.
Fortune herself recommends the coffee shop if you’re visiting Barry’s Bay, and admits that she can’t go a day without a delicious brew.
Go shopping in Barry’s Bay
Not only can you grab a delicious latte in the Canadian community, you can also go shopping! Fortune describes a store in her book called Stedman’s and it is very closely related to the real V&S Stedman’s Department Store.
In the novel, she describes this as “half general store, half dollar store,” and that is exactly what the real place is like.
“Stedman’s is 100 percent my favorite place to shop,” Fortune confirmed. “In the summers, they get this stock of sweatshirts with big wolves or bears that say Barry’s Bay on them—they’re so kitschy and glorious.”
After spending years of her early life growing up in Barry’s Bay, Fortune decided she wanted to share it with the world. Thus, she made the small town the location for her #1 New York Times Bestselling novel.
“When I decided to write this book, I really wanted to pay tribute to the cottage country where I grew up,” Fortune explained. “All the glittery lake scenery and the drive north to Barry’s Bay from the city, that’s all very much drawn from my life.”
Be sure to tune into Every Year After on Prime Video starting on June 10, 2026!
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