Summer’s official arrival is still a week away, but summer vibes and fun family happenings are already free-flowing! We’ve tried our best to capture what’s on for PEC families in June and July 2024, and will continue to add to this post as events are announced (and various kinds of berries ripen for picking!). As always, send an email to andrea@pecparents.ca to let us know if we’ve missed anything.

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

Photo: Waterfront play at Outlet Beach, Sandbanks Provincial Park

Special events

June 14th – Baxter Arts hosts Films on the Green featuring a screening of The Princess Bride! Starting at 7:30, there will be giant games, a concession stand with popcorn & themed threats, free books from County Kids Read, Sword balloon twisting by County Balloons PLUS an historical fencing demonstration by Ironwood Sword School. Screening begins at dusk (just before 9 p.m.). See Facebook event page for details.

June 15th – St. Mary Magdalene is hosting a book sale fundraiser in support of County Kids Read! It will take place from 9-12 on Main Street Picton, and both adult and children’s books will be available. Facebook event here.

June 16th – The South Marysburgh Meet & Greet Picnic takes place from 11-2 at the Milford Fair Grounds. Free hotdogs, hamburgers, and ice cream. Visit the South Marysburgh Rec Committee Facebook page for info.

June 16th – Baxter Arts is hosting a fun workshop with a real race car driver! Happening from 1-3 at Bloomfield Town Hall, and will help inspire you for the Bloomfield Soapbox Derby in July! Learn more on their Facebook page.

June 19th – From 5-7, the Athol Recreation Committee hosts its annual Strawberry Social event with live music and delectable strawberry treats! $7 per person, children 3 and under are free. Event page here.

June 21st – The Prince Edward County Horse & Pony Club hosts a Youth Dance at the Rotary Hall at Picton Arena from 6-9 p.m. For Grades 4-8 only, $10 per person. Tickets must be purchased in advance here.

June 21st – July 7th – For a fun art appreciation outing, head to Prince Edward County’s annual juried art exhibition – Art in the County – taking place at the County Arts Lab on the Main Street level of the Picton Armoury. Kids can vote for their favourite piece, and the winning artist will receive the Children’s Choice Award!

June 22nd – The Skate to End Hate is back at Picton Skate Park – registration starts at 10:30, competition at 11. This is a free skateboard and scooter competition for kids aged 5-17. Registration is free. Email Skate2endhate@gmail.com for more info and to register.

June 22nd – There will be a fun Kids’ Zone at the South Shore Joint Initiative’s Footpath Project Launch Day at Mariners Park Museum, with face painting, Monarch bead bracelet making, drumming circles, and much more. Activities from 10:30-3:30, check their Facebook page for the schedule.

June 22nd – From 12-2, interact with participating artists to hear more about the work they created for A Path Forward exhibit at Macaulay Church Museum, a permanent and evolving exhibit co-curated by the Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén, the Downie Wenjack Fund, and The County Museums. This exhibit explores Truth & Reconciliation efforts in Prince Edward County through history, heritage, and Indigenous works of art and stories. See Facebook event page for details.

June 23rd (1-3:30) and 24th (4-6:30) – Another event inspired by the Soap Box Derby, Baxter Arts hosts a “Pit Crew Workshop” – help them paint two cars that will be part of the race on July 13th and, or paint your own miniature car to take home. More info on Baxter’s Facebook page.

June 27th – At 5 p.m. the Department of Illumination will host a workshop for LGBTQ+ youth and allies to get ready for Pride in the Park on June 29th! They will use reclaimed and recycled materials to create flags for the pop-up parade at Benson Park. No experience required, all materials and equipment provided, no registration required, pizza and drinks provided. Watch their Facebook page for updates.

June 29th – You’re invited to the 3rd annual Pride in the Park, organized by Greater Than County Youth Collective! Flash pride parade, dancing, drag show, kids story time, tarot reading, music, yoga, pride swag, hair accessories and more. This is a free, all-ages event taking place at Benson Park from 11:30-5. Watch Greater Than’s Facebook page for details and event schedule.

June 29th – Save the date for the Consecon Legion’s Fishing Derby! Stay tuned to the Ameliasburgh Recreation Board Facebook page for updates.

June 30th – The Wellington Street Dance and fireworks display is back on Canada Day’s eve. An evening of food, a street dance featuring Cue the Funk, and a beautiful fireworks display at Wellington Rotary Beach at dusk. The fun starts at 5:30 pm at Wellington Park. Check out the Wellington Recreation Committee’s Facebook page for more details.

July 1st – Picton kicks off summer with a Canada Day event jointly organized by the BIA and the Municipality on July 1st! Snacks, live music, games, the 2nd annual Dog Show and… a dunk tank! The event takes place from 1-4 at Benson Park. Dog Show winners will be announced at 2:30 – sign up by 2pm for a chance to win prizes with your four-legged furry friends. Every dog registered gets a swag bag! Follow the BIA’s Facebook page for more event details.

July 1st – Make superhero capes with The Department of Illumination from 1-4 on the Picton Armoury square! Hosted by the Picton BIA.

July 1st – The Wellington Recreation Committee will host a Canada Day parade at 10:30 running from Belleville St. to Consecon St. along Main Street. Watch for updates on their FB page.

July 5th – Baxter Arts hosts an Art Esteem workshop at Baxter from 5:25 – 7:50 p.m. that will run simultaneously alongside two world dance classes at Bloomfield Main Street (open to all ages). Info here.

July 5th – The circus is coming to town! Circus Genoa presents 2 shows – one at 4:30, one at 7:30 at the Prince Edward Community Centre in Picton. “Suspense will rise and jaws will drop as you watch in awe of our fearless daredevil in the Globe of Death, witness our gigantic autobot as it transforms before your eyes, see our amazing acrobats and lighting fast juggler, laugh along with our hilarious performing clown, and enjoy the magic and wonder of our talented performers!” Tickets here.

July 6th-9th – Just over the bridge, the Belleville Waterfront & Multicultural Festival offers food from around the world, live music performances, and more. Facebook event here.

July 8th – The Consecon Legion will host the Consecon Kids’ Fishing Derby right behind the Legion (184 County Road 29) from 11-1. Ages 12 and under. Free hot dogs and drinks for kids. Registration opens at 10am.

July 6th-7th and 13th-14th – The Prince Edward County Lavender Festival will run on these 4 days from 10-5, featuring live entertainment, pick your own lavender, Little Ray’s Reptiles, face painting, bouncy castles, food vendors, and more! Admission is $12.50, children 12 & under are free. Cash only! Check their Facebook page for updates.

July 10th – EarlyON PEC invites Prince Edward County families to a Pizza Party! Happening from 5-7 at Benson Park. Please send an email to Jess at jessicag@thehubcentre.ca by July 5th to RSVP and let her know whether they’d prefer cheese or pepperoni and cheese pizza. Geared toward families with children 0-6 years.

July 11th-14th – Just over the bridge, the Belleville Waterfront & Multicultural Festival will run on these 4 days – food and musical performances from around the world, and the Midway (rides) too! More info on the FB event page.

July 13th – The Bloomfield-Hallowell Recreation Committee is hosting its annual Soapbox Derby! For kids ages 5-12, registration from 8:30-9:30, races begin at 9:30. Bring a helmet, close-toed shoes and long-sleeved shirt. They will have soapboxes on site but you can also BYO.

July 13th – The Ameliasburgh Recreation Board is hosting a Rossmore Community Day from 2-5 – Check their Facebook page for updates!

July 25th – The annual Reading Round-Up happens at Macaulay Village Park from 4-6! Free barbecue, books from County Kids Read, button making, water curtain, face painting, lawn games, crafts & more.

Weekly Events

Monday evenings – Art Kitchen, a free drop-in artmaking program takes place from 5-7 at London Avenue Park in the Macaulay Village / Picton Heights neighbourhood. Everyone is welcome, free! County Kids Read will also be on site giving out free books to kids.

Tuesday evenings – From June 11th to September 3rd, the Prince Edward County Lions Club’s Music in the Park summer concert series – live music and a hotdog BBQ – takes place on Tuesday evenings in Wellington Park. June-July shows start at 6:30, August-September at 6 p.m.

Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 12-2 – All ages, free, indoor rollerskating at the Picton Arena! BYO rollerskates/rollerblades. Brought to you by Save the Wheels PEC.

Harvest

Pick-your-own (PYO) Produce

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

Blooms & Berries on East Lake is a new farm offering PYO strawberries. Berries are available to pick for $5 a Litre – they have 2L and 4L containers available for purchase, or bring your own containers (must have Litres clearly marked). Fibre quart containers are also fine. A limited quantity of ready picked strawberries will be available for $6.50/quart. A minimum 2L purchase is required for all guests ages 10+ to enter the field.

Laundry Farms just outside of Picton is now offering PYO strawberries! Raspberries will be next.

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 blueberry 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

Noble Beast Farms is offering a few different alpaca experiences. Check out the options and prices here.

Struisvogel Ranch offers $5 self-guided Ostrich Walks from Thursday-Monday from 11-5.

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 spots – enjoy a treat from Farmhouse Eats cafe, pick up gorgeous local produce, and say hello to the animals hanging out in the outdoor pens.
• You can say hello (from outside the gate) to some furry friends including goats across from Waupoos Estates Winery & Restaurant. 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 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 9-1:30), Wellington Community Market (Saturdays 9-1) and the Picton Town Hall Farmers’ Market (Sundays 9-2). 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.

Mini-Putt, Model Train, and the Beach!

Here’s a special one – visit the Glenora Getaway‘s G Scale (outdoor) model train! The owner welcomes visitors during the summer months, but please message them first to confirm opening hours.

The County’s mini golf destination, Caddy Shack, is open for business on weekends, and as of June 27th will switch to 7 days a week. – $15/adult, $10/youth (7-15), $5/kids 6 and under (tax included). Hit the patio for wood-fired pizzas and sweet treats. Karaoke on Tuesday evenings, live music on Thursday evenings.

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.

Check out our handy lists of County beaches and other outdoor recreation spots and playgrounds for more outdoor fun ideas during the warmer months. The Hub’s Early ON program also hosts outdoor playgroups!

Art and Film Appreciation

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 to enter, but donations welcome.

Opening on June 21st for the season, 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!

(Mostly) Indoor Fun

The Prince Edward Fitness and Aquatic Centre offers indoor public swims – check out the schedule and fees on their website (click on Aquatic Programs). Currently (summer 2024) it’s running Monday-Friday 1-3 p.m.and every 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m.

The PEC Public Library is running a wide variety of children’s programming all summer long!

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!

The Hub Child & Family Centre hosts playgroups across the County most days of the week – indoors and outdoors! Check the schedule here.

All of the County Museums are currently open! Ameliasburgh Heritage Village, Macaulay Church Museum, and Wellington Heritage Museum are open Wed-Sun 10-4, and Rose House Museum and Mariners Park Museum are open Fri-Sun 10-4. Check their website for details.

We haven’t had a chance to update it lately, but also check out this Indoor Activities In and Around Prince Edward County post!