Ack it’s already August! We hope everyone’s keeping cool, calm, and collected amidst the heat and onslaught of fun happenings around the County this summer. August brings a string of fantastic-sounding arts and culture events as well as community celebrations in Consecon and Northport, and – after a 2-year pandemic hiatus – 3 weekends in a row of fall fair fun return in September.

We hope you enjoy this guide to a fun, family-friendly second half of summer in beautiful PEC! As always, I’ll be adding new events as I go, so check back frequently. If you’re still looking for summertime childcare options, check out our Summer Day Camp Guide.

Image – Sand sculpture at Outlet Beach, Sandbanks Provincial Park.

Special events

AUGUST

August 9th-14th – Flight Festival is a new PEC-based contemporary dance festival, mostly hosted at The Eddie Hotel & Farm between Bloomfield and Wellington. You might be familiar with their Grass is Lava dance camp, but we are excited to check out the new Flights on Site series – 60-minute performances rotating around the property this year!

August 13th – The Sophiasburgh Recreation Committee is hosting a Summer Splash event at Centennial Park in Northport (1417B County Road 15) from 11-3. PEC Fire & Rescue will make a “Water Curtain” at 1:15, and there will be face painting, live music, bouncy castles, and more.

August 13th – The Ameliasburgh Recreation Board is hosting Consecon Day festivities with lots of fun kids’ activities including a Soapbox Derby, obstacle course, water fun with the Consecon Fire Department, and facepainting. Kids’ activities will run from 9:30-1:30.

August 14th – BigLake Festival presents Pinocchio’s Adventures in Funland at 3 p.m. at the Wellington Music Hall (40 West Street). This is a hybrid concert-workshop event, perfect for shorter attention spans. The story of Pinnochio is narrated and accompanied by a dynamic musical score, with violin, cello, clarinet, flute, piano and percussion. Kids will be introduced to the various instruments in the ensemble, with fun facts to highlight their special individual qualities. BigLake’s full schedule has lots of other kid-friendly offerings too – look for the “K”!

August 19th-21st – Alvar, an ecologically-inspired arts festival presented by The Department of Illumination, will take place on August 20th and 21st from 8-4 with a special fundraiser event on August 19th (6-8 p.m.), at Base 31. After conducting hands-on field research and observation at local alvar sites, participating artists have created large-scale artworks which will be exhibited outdoors at Base31. Hands-on nature exploration, workshops in body percussion and musical instrument history, sunrise dance parties, and more are on the menu!

August 25th-28th – Poutine Feast is coming to town! It will take place at the Picton Fairgrounds from 11-9 Thurs-Sat, 11-6 Sunday (August 25th-28th), with facepainting and kids’ activities – including a balloon twister on Saturday the 27th. Admission is free.

August 27th – The Prince Edward County Chamber Music Festival is hosting a free outdoor concert featuring the Hannaford Street Silver Band at 2 p.m. in Macaulay Heritage Park – a unique opportunity to see and hear a top-notch brass ensemble in the County!

SEPTEMBER

September 2nd – At 10:30 a.m. at the Wellington Kiosk along the Millennium Trail, join the Wellington Rotary Club to celebrate the launch of a new Storybook Walk featuring a book by Jill Barber!

September 4th – The Ameliasburgh Recreation Board is hosting Heritage Day from 10-4 at Ameliasburgh Heritage Museum. Butter and rope making, blacksmithing, corn on the cob, and outdoor games are on the docket.

September 9th-11th – Pleased to report that the Picton Fair returns this year after a pandemic hiatus for its 185th edition!

September 17th – From 10-11, bring your kiddo for a free interpretive hike led by a Quinte Conservation naturalist at Macaulay Mountain Conservation Area (by Birdhouse City), sponsored by the Picton Kiwanis Club. Pre-registration is required, and parents must accompany their child for the hike. Register here.

September 17th – The Milford Fair is also back in 2022, celebrating its 75th year!

September 17th – The Sandbanks Music Festival returns live in-person this year, with headliners Born Ruffians. Kids’ programming includes face painting, hula hooping, and superhero costume making. Children 12 and under are free. Music runs from 2-8 p.m. Advance tickets now available.

September 24th – And…. welcome back to the Ameliasburgh Fall Fair too!

Multiple dates (Tuesdays and some Sundays) – 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).

Multiple dates (Sundays) – 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.

Harvest

Pick-your-own (PYO) Produce

Campbell’s Orchards in Carrying Place will be offering apple picking – possibly by late August, definitely by September! Check their website for updates. Say hello to the resident animals, hit the playground, and reward yourselves with apple fritters and other treats.

The Blueberry Patch in Waupoos offers PYO blueberries from mid-July to Labour Day, and also has a farm stand with a variety of ready-picked fruit.

Waupoos U-Pick Highbush Blueberries may also still be offering PYO “pesticide-limited” blueberries in August – check their Facebook page for updates.

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! Their season generally runs until mid-August – check their website and social media pages for updates.

Farm experiences

Lamb’s Quarters Farm just outside of Picton hosts “Meet the Sheep!” visits on Saturdays from 9-11. 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.

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 – the season may be done by August 1st but check their social channels for updates on timing! Please don’t enter the fields after the season ends.

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

Early ON PEC Playgroups happen from Monday – Saturday at both indoor and outdoor locations throughout the County including at Macaulay, Massassauga Point, and Beaver Meadow Conservation Areas, and at Bloomfield and Northport Parks. Check out the schedule and pre-register on their website.

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.

Putts, flicks, and history

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 check out 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 a whole bunch of programming for kids, including storytimes at the Picton, Wellington, and Bloomfield branches throughout the summer – check the Events calendar for details.

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 among 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!