INCOMING = an exponential explosion of family-friendly activities in Prince Edward County! Community events and activities are back in a BIG WAY this summer. We’ve tried hard to capture what’s on in June and July 2022, and will tackle August & September down the road – if we can ever find the time between all of these fun happenings.

We hope you enjoy this guide to a fun, family-friendly first half of summer in beautiful PEC. If you’re still looking for summertime childcare options, check out our Summer Day Camp Guide.

Photo: Beach walk at Point Traverse Lighthouse.

Special events

June 25th – Part of the PECelebrate Festival, Revel is a free one-day festival being held at Macaulay Heritage Park from 12-9. Falling around National Indigenous Peoples Day and Canadian Multiculturalism Day, and during Pride month, it is an opportunity to celebrate diversity in PEC and have some fun! The event incorporates music, food, culture and community, with live music in the Macaulay House Stone room from 1-9 p.m., food vendors, family-friendly art and theatre programming, and informative presentations focusing on Indigenous ways of knowing in the Church.

June 25th – Burr Meadows is hosting a School’s Out Party from 12-6 with inflatable bouncers, slides, obstacle course, and jousting; train rides; carnival games & prizes. BBQ items, ice cream, and drinks will also be available at an extra cost. $15/child, $5/adult.

June 26th – The South Marysburgh Recreation Board is inviting South Marysburgh residents to a Meet & Greet Picnic from 11-2. Free food and activities for all ages!

June 27th – All Welcome Here, a local BIPOC-led non-profit organization focusing on anti-racism in a consciously intersectional way, is hosting a Community Picnic at Slake Brewery from 5 p.m. ’til sunset. BYO picnic items, free hotdog bar, kids’ crafts, outdoor games – all are welcome!

June 30th – The PEC Public Library is taking storytime to the Millennium Trail and celebrating Pride Month with a Pride Ride from 1-2:30 p.m. – meet at the Wellington entrance to the Trail!

June 30th – The Wellington Street Dance is back on Canada Day’s eve! First, Mystic Drumz is doing a kids’ performance at 5:30 p.m. in Wellington Park – then Main Street Wellington will be transformed into a dance floor from 6:30-10:30 p.m., with Cue the Funk and 3Thirty3 providing the tunes. Food vendors and beer garden by Midtown Brewing Co are also on site. Check out Wellington Home Hardware’s Facebook page for updates.

July 1st – The PECelebrate Festival incorporates a number of community events between June 24th-July 1st, culminating in a Canada Day event at the Picton Fairgrounds from 12-4. Enjoy a variety of family friendly activities including face painting, balloon twisting, arts activities, live music in the Crystal Palace, a live DJ at the skate park, free BBQ, “Come Alive Outside Fun Zone hosted by Wentworth Landscapes, and more! Vehicle entry will be from the MacSteven Drive entrance, and there will also be a free shuttle from Bloomfield and Wellington.

July 1st – Wellington’s festivities continue with a bike decorating contest at the Wellington Ball Diamonds (10 a.m.) and a Canada Day parade (10:30 a.m. down Main Street) followed by ribs in Wellington Park!

July 1st – Join the Wellington and Consecon Firefighters at The Eddie Hotel & Farm for the PEC Junior Firefighter Challenge from 11:30-3. There will be a Children’s Relay, Silent Auction, fire prevention info, and food.

July 2+3, 9+10 – The Prince Edward County Lavender Festival will feature live entertainment, food vendors, children’s activities, pick your own lavender, distilling demonstrations and much more! Entry is $20 person; children 12 and under are free.

July 7th-10th – Just over the bridge, the Belleville Waterfront & Multicultural Festival will have a midway, live music performances, and more.

July 9th – Base 31, the new arts-fueled “destination in progress” at the former Loch Sloy/Camp Picton site, is hosting a free Community Open House with family activities, food, and more, from 12-6.

July 16th – From 3-6 p.m., Oeno Gallery is hosting their Annual Sculpture Garden Celebration – enjoy live entertainment from Roper & Roper, yummy food truck eats, and immerse yourself in their exquisite collection of outdoor sculptures amidst the perennial-filled gardens.

July 16th – The Bloomfield Soap Box Derby is back! From 10-1 on the 16th, with registration beginning at 9 a.m. Free of charge, and participants get free pizza. Visit the Bloomfield Hallowell Recreation Committee Facebook page for details.

July 16th – The Consecon Kids Fishing Derby takes place in the creek behind the Consecon Legion, July 16th from 11-1 (registration begins at 10:30). There will be free juice, water, and hotdogs for kids.

July 23rd – Evergreen Kids Thrift is hosting a Preloved + Handmade Summer Market from 8-2 to celebrate the opening of their physical store just north of Picton (994 County Road 5). Check out their Facebook page to learn more and view all of the vendors!

Harvest

Pick-your-own (PYO) Produce

Campbell’s Orchards in Carrying Place is currently offering PYO raspberries! Say hello to the resident animals, hit the playground, and reward yourselves with apple fritters and other treats.

Laundry Farms just outside of Picton offers PYO strawberries and raspberries.

The Blueberry Patch in Waupoos will be offering PYO blueberries (mid-July to Labour Day) and also has a farm stand with a variety of ready-picked fruit.

Waupoos U-Pick Highbush Blueberries offers PYO “pesticide-limited” blueberries beginning mid-July.

Laura’s Blueberry Farm, located close to Sandbanks’ Dunes Beach area, offers free picking – they simply ask that you pick one container for them for every one you take home. Otherwise, 1 pint = $5. BYO containers, or purchase on site for 25 cents. Pesticide-free!

Farm experiences

Lamb’s Quarters Farm just outside of Picton will be hosting “Meet the Sheep!” visits on Saturdays from 9-11 starting July 2nd. Book here; the cost is $7/adult, $3/Kids 3-17, and free for 0-2.

Noble Beast Farms is offering a 1 hour alpaca experience called the Bloomin’ Welly Little Trekk: starting with handcrafted local beverages and followed by a walk with your own alpaca through their fields, and alpaca feeding and play time! $79/person aged 16+, $49/child aged 6-15 years (5 and under free).

LOHA farms also offers farm tours to meet their pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, and sheep; message them to book a time.

There are a few other farms where kids can interact (mostly from a distance) with farm animals:

• Hagerman Farms, just outside of Picton on the way to Bloomfield, is one of our favourite places to visit – enjoy a treat from Farmhouse Eats cafe, do your local produce shopping, and say hello to the animals hanging out in the outdoor pens.
• The petting zoo at Waupoos Estates Winery & Restaurant is currently closed, but you are welcome to walk up to the outdoor pens and say hello to some furry friends. It would be unwise to leave without sampling from the winery’s extensive array of chocolate, candy, and gelato treats across the street!
• Carson’s Garden & Market has a friendly goat herd on site!

The Curious Goat General Store offers a family-friendly 2.5-hour group Bees and Blooms Adventure. Tickets are $65/person aged 16+, $30/child aged 6-14, and free for kids aged 0-5. Tour the garden and apiary with Beekeeper Elis, learn about the amazing world of bees, make your own balm, and enjoy an optional picnic. Or peruse the farm stand while your little ones busy themselves with a bee-themed colouring page or oversized hive puzzle.

The fields at Prince Edward County Lavender will be in full bloom in July. You can take a wander through the fields for $8/person (kids 12 and under are free). The store carries a variety of lavender-flavoured treats, including gelato, shortbread, and chocolate bars.

Sunnydale Farms and Sunflower Fields Ice Cream Shoppe offer access to their sunflower fields for a small fee during their brief but beautiful mid-summer bloom period – check their social channels for updates on timing!

Farmers’ markets

Stroll the stalls and sample the treats at the Wellington Farmers’ Market (Saturdays 9-1), Wellington Community Market (Saturdays 9-1) and the Picton Town Hall Farmers’ Market (Sundays 9-1). Bonus – the latter two are both playground adjacent – Wellington Park and Benson Park respectively; and the Eddie Hotel & Farm where the WFM is located offers lots of gorgeous nature to run around in.

Splish splash and dash

Hit the beach, but if you’re heading to Sandbanks (Outlet, Dunes, or Lakeshore Beach) or North Beach Provincial Parks, be sure to make a day use reservation first! You can reserve 5 days in advance, and print out and place the confirmation on your dash to skip the check-in line. Wellington Rotary Beach has a $10 per person entry fee on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in May, June, September and October; and 7 days/week in July and August. Residents can obtain a free pass.

The Prince Edward Fitness and Aquatic Centre’s public swims return in July 2022 – every Friday from 1-3 p.m. Contact PEFAC for rate details.

Enjoy art “en plein air” at the Oeno Gallery Sculpture Garden! A new exhibition is installed each May, and the garden is open every day from dawn ’til dusk. Free, but donations welcome.

Check out our handy lists of County beaches and other outdoor recreation spots and playgrounds for more outdoor fun ideas during the warmer months. Pictured above is the stunning beach at Point Traverse Lighthouse, which you can reach after a short-ish, level hike.

Putts, flicks, music, and history!

The Prince Edward County Lions Club’s Music in the Park summer concert series is back in 2022! It runs from June 14th – September 11th in Wellington Park, with live music and a hotdog BBQ happening every Tuesday night as well as on 2 Sunday nights – July 31st (Cue the Funk) and September 11th (The Reasons).

The Ameliasburgh Recreation Board is celebrating summer with a 10 concert series happening on Sundays from 2-4 at three rotating venues: Consecon Park, Ameliasburgh’s Roblin Lake Park, and Rossmore Park.

The County’s mini golf destination, Caddy Shack, is open for business – $13/adult, $9/youth (7-15), and kids 6 and under are free with an adult or $5 each. Hit the patio for wood-fired pizzas, sweet treats, and more!

The Mustang Drive-In shows double features every Wednesday – Sunday; show-time is just after sunset. Entry is $30 per car load of up to 5 people. Check out the lineup here, and make sure to read through the Rules/FAQ section. Pro-tip – BYO mosquito covering for your windows! You can also meander their Trunk Shows, which happen every Sunday from 10-4, with over 50 vendors (selling oddities, collectibles, vintage items, crafts & more) and live music by local musicians.

The County Museums and Base 31 are hosting four historical walking tours – Graveyard and Gallows (Picton) and through the Picton Heritage Conservation District, Glenwood Cemetery, and Base 31 – throughout the summer. Tickets and info here.

Beat the heat

Here’s a good rundown from the Visitpec.ca blog on where to indulge in ice cream and gelato around the County.

The PEC Public Library is running storytime for kids at the Picton, Wellington, and Bloomfield branches throughout the summer (check the Events calendar for details). A very fun-sounding “Learn to Camp” program is taking place daily from 10-1 at the Ameliasburgh branch from July 19th-22nd – and more summer programming will be announced soon.

Escape Camp Picton is offering one outdoor adventure (Master Spy Academy) and two indoor escape adventures (A Spy’s Workshop and The Secret Guild) this summer. Check out the “Age Restrictions” section in the FAQ for more info on playing with kids!

Four County Museums are open to the public – Ameliasburgh Heritage Village (Wed-Sun 10-4), Mariners Park Museum (Fri-Sun 10-4), Macaulay Heritage Park (Wed-Sun 10-4), and Wellington Heritage Museum (Wed-Sun 11-4). Check their website for details.

Picnicking and patios

Finally, check out these helpful Visitpec.ca lists of picnicking and patio dining spots around the County. Parson’s Brewing and Harry’s Charbroiled are our kid-friendly faves as they offer a play structure and sandbox respectively, lots of room to run around, and delicious food, including vegetarian and vegan options. Happy kids = happy parents!