This weekend is bubbling over with fun family events so I couldn’t help but launch into our PEC Parents Summertime Guide season! First up, we’re starting to gather all of the fun happenings capture for PEC families in June and July 2025, and will continue to add to this post as events are announced. 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: Sunset at Outlet Beach, Sandbanks Provincial Park

Special events

JUNE

Friday June 6th – The Athol Recreation Committee is hosting a Kids’ Dance from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Athol Town Hall for kids in grades 2-8. RSVP here, more details on their Facebook page.

Saturday June 7th – Bloomfield Recreation Committee hosts an old-fashioned BBQ Picnic from 11-3 at Bloomfield’s Mill Pond Park. Bouncy castles, fire truck, crafts, nature exhibits, and County Kids Read will be on site distributing books! Facebook event info here.

Saturday June 7th – Gather in the County happens for one day only at the Crystal Palace! This is a colourful market for textile artists and guilds to showcase and sell their work, with beautiful art installations throughout the venue and comedy performances by Short Attention Spa. Hours: 10-5, $5 per person entry fee but kids 12 and under are free.

Saturday June 7th – It’s South Shore Day from 9-3! All ages walks along the beautiful South Shore Foot Path, crafts, live music, and much more. See the full schedule here.

Saturday June 7th – Picton Fashion Week wraps up with 2 fashion shows at 1:30 and 5:30 at the Armoury! The second one is ticketed, with proceeds going to ROC Youth Services. More info here.

Saturday June 7th – Join Feral Folc and the Department of Illumination for an afternoon of Mushroom Appreciation and art-making from 1-4:30 PM at Delhi Park (to the east of the Dog Park). Community picnic 4:30-6:30, bring your picnic blankets and food, Pierre Bouchard and his drumming group will be creating a Tam-Tam style improvised drumming experience, please bring a drum or shaker if you have one you can bring! There will also be drums on hand.

Sunday June 8th – The County Kids of Steel Triathlon’s triumphant return takes place at PEFAC all morning long! Check out the schedule and event details here, and come cheer on our young triathletes!

Sunday June 8th – The Reasons are playing a live show from 1-4 at the Milford / Mount Tabor Shed, organized by the South Marysburgh Recreation Committee (check out details at their FB group here).

Friday June 13th – The Prince Edward County Horse & Pony Club hosts a Youth Dance from 6-9 p.m. for kids in Grades 4-8. Taking place at the Rotary Hall at the Picton Arena, $10 per person. Check out details on their Facebook Group page.

Saturday June 14th – Join the Department of Illumination and the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists for a day of free nature programming at Delhi Park! 9-10 AM nature walk walk, 3:00 nature square check-in, 1 PM water samples, 6:45 chimney swift presentation, 7:30 chimney swift walk. Game of Shrooms – Hide your mushroom-themed artwork in Delhi Park and be a part of the worldwide scavenger hunt! Community picnic 4:30-6:30, bring your picnic blankets and food. DJ Ombudsman will be spinning instrumental dub reggae from 4:30-5:30 and Matthew “Doc” Dunn will be playing a set from 5:30-6:30. Info here.

Saturday June 14th – County Cider is having a 30th anniversary party from 11-6! Bouncy castle, face painting, pony rides, axe throwing, yummy food and drink! Free entry. Check their Facebook page for updates.

Sunday June 15th – PEC super group Secret Beach performs a free afternoon concert at the Base 31 Commissary. Let the kiddos play in the ice cream truck, enjoy some yummy eats, and take in the music! Facebook event here.

Sunday June 22nd – County Creative Gallery and Pottery Painting Studio is hosting a one year anniversary party from 12-4 – live music, live painting, catering by The Virgin Mango, and pottery painting specials. Info here.

Wednesday, June 25th – Athol Rec Committee hosts their Strawberry Social, which is also a fundraiser for Athol Day! Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the music and dessert outside in the pavilion at Cherry Valley Town Hall. $10 for adults and kids are FREE! They are also looking for volunteers to hull strawberries on June 24 from 5-7 and to bake treats for the event. Facebook event here.

Friday June 27th – Sunday July 13th – 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; the winning artist will receive a Children’s Choice Award!

Saturday June 28th – The Greater Than Youth Collective, supported by the Picton BIA, is planning a Pride Parade on Main Street and Party in Delhi Park! More details to come, check the social media pages of the Picton BIA and @pictonpride on Instagram.

Saturday June 28th – Root Love Healing Sanctuary hosts a “Curious Kids” event from 1-3 with frog catching, butterfly chasing, and storytime (and animal time) in the barn. $30/child, info here!

Monday 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 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

Tuesday July 1st – The Picton Rec Committee is hosting a Family Fun Day in Benson Park from 12-4! Bouncy castle, face painting, County Kids Read will be distributing books, Department of Illumination will be doing a fun Beaver Dam activity! Check their FB page for details.

Tuesday July 1st – On July 1, Wellington’s Canada Day Party continues with a parade at 10:30 am, Rotary Ribs, Lions Club Music in the Park, Wellington Community Market at the United Church, and more. Watch for updates on their FB page.

Saturday July 5th + Sunday July 6th – The Picton Rock & Gem Expo takes over the Crystal Palace! Vendors, kids’ activities, and more. Facebook event here.

2 Weekends – July 5th-6th and 12th-13th – The Prince Edward County Lavender Festival will run on these 4 days from 10-5, featuring live entertainment, pick your own lavender, Heal with Horses petting zoo, 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.

Saturday July 12th – Bloomfield Hallowell Recreation Committee hosts their annual Soap Box Derby! This is a FREE event for children ages 5 to 12, and includes a pizza lunch and trophies for the fastest runs in each age category. Bring your own soapbox or use one of theirs. All participants require helmets, long sleeved shirt and closed shoes (no crocs!). Helmets with face protection and elbow pads are preferred so bring these if you have them. Registration opens at 8:30 am at the corner of Mill and Main Street in Bloomfield. Races start at 9:30 am. Bring a lawn chair and your loudest cheering voices! Facebook event here.

Saturday July 12th – Root Love Healing Sanctuary hosts a “Curious Kids” event from 1-3 with frog catching, butterfly chasing, and storytime (and animal time) in the barn. $30/child, info here!

Wednesday July 16th – The PEC Holstein Club hosts Twilight at the Dairy – roast beef dinner, 4H Calf Show, Milkshake booth. Taking place at Goreland Farms in Carrying Place, details here. Tickets are $25 for adults, youth under 10 are $15.

Thursday July 24th – The annual Reading Round-Up happens at Macaulay Village Park from 4-6! This is a Heights Community Event with a free barbecue, books from County Kids Read, water curtain, face painting, lawn games, crafts & more.

Saturday July 26th – Join the Department of Illumination at Delhi Park for South Shore Joint Initiative’s Monarch Day! Crafts, butterfly lore, kids’ activities, seed bombs, and more. Community picnic and DJ Sonja Scharf will be spinning tunes from 4:30-6:30, bring your picnic blankets and food. Info here.

Sunday July 27th – Attention nature lovers! Join the Department of Illumination in Picton’s Benson Park at 7 PM for a presentation from Prince Edward County Field Naturalists about the fascinating chimney swift. Learn why they fly from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep, why they roost in chimneys, and what conservation efforts are being made to save this species-at-risk. Following the short presentation, you’ll take a walk to look at some nearby chimneys to see if we can observe some swifts in flight. This is a free all-ages event presented by PECFN and The Department of Illumination. Info here.

Weekly Events

Thursday, Friday, Saturday evenings – Delhi Park Project! From May 17 to August 9, 2025, you’ll find the Department of Illumination in Picton’s Delhi Park on Thursdays & Fridays 10-5 and Saturdays 11:30-6:30 (with BYO community picnics Saturdays from 4:30-6:30), offering free drop-in workshops centered on collaborative art-making and nature appreciation. More info here.

Monday evenings – The Art Kitchen, a free drop-in artmaking program hosted by The Department of Illumination, takes place from 4-6 every Monday from June 2nd-September 29 at Macaulay Village Park in the Picton Heights neighbourhood. Everyone is welcome, free, and free snacks and County Kids Read books available! Info here.

Tuesday evenings – From June 3rd to September 2nd, 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.

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

Summer Weekends at Mariners Park Museum – Set Sail for Summer Crafts! Every weekend from June 20 to August 24 is time for hands-on nautical fun at the museum. From paper plate sailboats to signal flags and knot-tying boards, kids will explore Lake Ontario through creative, water-themed activities. Suitable for ages 4–12, there is no registration needed and all supplies are provided. Museums website here.

On Sundays, the Wellington Heritage Museum is the place to be! Every Sunday from 10-4 the Wellington Heritage Museum will be offering family activities related to their newest exhibit “100 Years of Wellington”. Explore themes of community, industry, tourism and education through hands on crafts and activities. Suitable for all ages, there is no registration needed and all supplies are provided. Museums website here.

Public Swims! PEFAC is hosting fully lifeguarded Public Swims starting July 7th – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays from 2:30-4 and Thursdays from 6-8. Kids under 3 are free, ages 4-11 $5, 12-17 $8, adults $10. Family rate $20. Check the website or call for details!

Harvest

Pick-your-own (PYO) Produce

Campbell’s Orchards in Carrying Place generally starts offering PYO strawberries in mid-late June, and raspberries are after that. Say hello to the resident animals, hit the playground, and reward yourselves with apple fritters and other treats.

Blooms & Berries on East Lake also offers 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 offers PYO strawberries and raspberries. Check out their FB page for updates on opening dates.

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. Bonus – a portion of the proceeds from July 16th-August 17th will go to the Picton Rotary Club who supports lots of local children’s and youth causes!

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

Kids can be a farmer for a day at Littlejohn Farm! Drop the kids off on Summer Saturdays from 11-3 for farm animal care, culinary activities, arts & crafts, harvesting, and more; they’ll also get a gift basket to take home. $145+HST per child, lunch is included.

Noble Beast Farms offers 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.

NOT HAPPENING IN 2025 – 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 Cressy Shed did open up their fields briefly in August!

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.

Hit the Beach

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!

Everything Else!

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 26th will switch to 7 days a week. – $16/adult, $11/youth (7-15), $6/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.

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.

County Creative Studio is a pottery painting studio on Picton’s Main Street offering indoor creative fun for all ages. They also have special offerings like Painting Pottery with Baby Goats & Bunnies in partnership with Heal With Horses!

The PEC Public Library runs 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!

Explore Prince Edward County’s heritage at the County Museums! 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.