Welcome to our first EVER Spring Guide! Since we started this li’l website in late 2019, spring = pandemic lockdown. I know, because I’ve spent my last two May birthdays with my family bubble, eating locally sourced take-out dinner and cake 😉 This spring, we are looking forward – with a little trepidation, and a lot of hope – to a more “normal” schedule of events – and a whole slew of community activities are emerging, alongside the buds and bulbs in our gardens, to welcome us. Stay safe and enjoy!

Image – Early spring wildflowers along the Lakeshore Lodge Trail, Sandbanks Provincial Park

Easter Egg hunts return!

The Sophiasburgh Recreation Committee is holding its 24th annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 16th at Northport Park (1417B County Road 15). Registration starts at 10:30, and the hunt will begin promptly at 11:30. Families can also decorate a hat for the Spring Bonnet contest. FREE!

The South Marysburgh Recreation Board is sponsoring an Easter Egg Hunt event – with horse-drawn wagon rides! – on Saturday April 16th at the Milford Fairgrounds (2719C County Road 17). The fun kicks off at 11 a.m. FREE!

The Ameliasburgh Recreation Board is hosting an Easter Event on Saturday April 16th from 11-1 at Ameliasburgh Town Hall. Pictures with the Easter Bunny from 11-12 and egg hunt at noon. Free!

The Eddie Hotel & Farm (15786 Loyalist Parkway, between Bloomfield and Wellington) is hosting an Easter Egg hunt and Brunch on Sunday April 17th. Egg hunts happen at 10:30 and 11:30 for $7.50/child. Brunch is from 11:30-3:30 – $29.50/adult + $15/child. Book your tickets here.

Chantelle & Gary McCracken are running an all-day Easter extravaganza at 510 Burr Road in Ameliasburgh on April 9th and 10th from 10-4. Easter Egg Hunt, balloon animals, face painting, food trucks, etc.! $15/child + $5/adult. Call them at 416-414-3875 for more info and to reserve your spots.

Connect with Nature

The Picton Rotary Club‘s annual Waterfalls Tour is back in 2022! On April 16th and 17th, make a donation online and check out two of Prince Edward County’s most impressive waterfalls – waterproof gear recommended! Tours run from 11-4, and proceeds go to the PEC Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Back the Build campaign and Ukraine relief efforts.

The Bloomfield/Hallowell Recreation Committee is bringing back the Kids’ Fishing Derby on Saturday May 7th at Bloomfield Mill Pond Park. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the event runs from 9-12. There are prizes for longest fish, shortest fish, strangest catch, and more! BBQ lunch available on site. Entry is $2/child (ages 12+under can enter).

On Sunday May 22nd (the International Day for Biological Diversity!), The Department of Illumination and the South Shore Joint Initiative are partnering to host a new community celebration called Wild Thing. This event – which could also fall under the creativity category below! – takes place from 1-4 p.m. at Picton’s Benson Park. Join them for live music, a community procession, and more activities to celebrate the natural world around us. Free!

As always, check out our handy lists of County beaches and other outdoor recreation spots and playgrounds for outdoor fun ideas. Some of the more shady conservation area trails can be a bit muddy in the early spring, so wear appropriate footwear! If you’re heading to one of our provincial parks (which are good less-muddy spring options), check out this info on permits. We are frequent visitors, so we purchase an Annual or Summer Day Use Vehicle Permit, and can then access free daily vehicle permits, which are highly recommended in the summer given the popularity of our local provincial parks. Permits will be required as of April 29th for Sandbanks and June 11th for North Beach – see 2022 operating dates.

Get Creative

The Baxter Arts Centre and the County Arts Lab are offering lots of arts-focused kids’ and youth programming this spring – from children’s theatre and Ode to Van Gogh visual arts classes at the Arts Lab to the Baxter’s “Art Esteem” field trips at local museums and family workshops!

The County Pop music festival returns to Picton’s Crystal Palace on Saturday May 7th (with music from 4-8:30). The 2022 bill includes headliner Charlotte Cornfield and local trio Noronha/Bozikovic/Burns. Kids will have a chance to create their own “rock cape” with Krista Dalby from The Department of Illumination! The local food and drink line-up looks pretty stellar. Tickets are $30/person aged 12 and up, kids under 12 are free.

The Circles of Joy Festival, presented by The Department of Illumination and Kick Start Arts, takes place at Macaulay Heritage Park on Saturday May 14th from 1-5 p.m. Experience artistic creations – music, dance, and more – based on stories of joy contributed by community members, and housed in the Archive of Joy. This is an indoor/outdoor event. Pay-What-You-Can tickets ($5-50) can be purchased via the Facebook event page linked above.

Check out the Prince Edward County Public Library’s Events Calendar for info on their spring children’s programming, including Saturday Storytimes and a new Music Together program for kids aged 0-5.

The Sculpture Garden at Oeno Gallery is open and free to visit year-round, with the exhibition changing up each May.

Happy Spring!

Please feel free to send an email to let us know about other kids’ events happening in Prince Edward County.