Is it just me or is summertime flying faster than a Peregrine Falcon (fun fact – that would be 300+ km/hour) this year! August is upon us, which means it’s time for our next two-month round-up of fun happenings for families in Prince Edward County.

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

Image – Apple abundance at Campbell’s Orchards!

Special events

August

August 3rd – A “Music by Jake” performance takes place at the Picton Branch at 2 p.m.! Info here.

August 5th – From 12-3 at Ameliasburgh Heritage Village, celebrate “Princess Amelia’s 240th Birthday” with the Ameliasburgh Heritage Hub! This is a community birthday honouring the namesake of Ameliasburgh with games, crafts, activities, and of course – birthday cake. Check out their Facebook page for details.

August 5th + 6th – Celebrate the long weekend at Campbell’s Orchards with sunflower wagon rides and walking tours, hotdogs, and ice cream sundaes!

August 11th – The Ameliasburgh Recreation Board is having a “re-do” of their Canada Day fireworks which had to be cancelled due to weather. Starting at dusk at Roblin Lake Park.

August 11th-13th – Mini fans of “things that go” might enjoy a visit to the Prince Edward Auto Club’s annual Street Meet taking place from 9-3 each day at their Club House, 800 Whitney Road, Ameliasburgh. There will be a kids’ zone with goodie bags and more. Admission is $5/person. Facebook page here.

August 12th – 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 9:30-2. More details will be released soon on their Facebook group.

August 12th-13th – The Tyendinaga Traditional Pow Wow is back! The 36th annual event – Tsitewatsiro:ten (Rekindling Our Fire) – will include 70+ Indigenous vendors, 10+ food booths and music and dancing. General admission is $10 per person, per day, seniors are $5 and children 5 and under get in free. Families of four can enter for $30 per day, but must order tickets in advance through Eventbrite. Check out this Pow Wow Etiquette article and find more info here.

August 12th-13th – Creasy’s Apple Dabble Farm is hosting a Blueberry Social with free wagon rides, vendors, BBQ and lots of sweet blueberry treats. Open 10-4 each day, click here for the Facebook event.

August 15th-20th – Flight Festival is a contemporary dance festival taking place at The Eddie Hotel & Farm between Bloomfield and Wellington. There are incredible evening performances, but the 60-minute Flight on Site shows are particularly great for kids as you move to different spots around the gorgeous Eddie property between each performance. More info and tickets here.

August 18th – Base 31 hosts one of their Dusk Dance and Drone Shows: “Starting at dusk and running late into the night, attendees can expect a fun-filled evening of dancing, food, and drink, with the highlight being a spectacular drone and light show by Illumin Drones.” Tickets here.

August 18th-26th – BigLake Festival is offering yet another amazing line-up in 2023. Some family-friendly offerings include Ensemble Jeng-Yi, a Korean drum-dance group at Parsons Brewery on August 19th, and L’Histoire de Babar – narrated in French, but with an English slideshow – accompanied by piano quartet on August 20th at Wellington Music Hall. Website and tickets here.

August 25th-27th – The participants in the Marysburgh Mummers’ 2023 Drama Camp put on a production of The Lion King Jr at the Mount Tabor Playhouse. Tickets here.

August 26th – The Sophiasburgh Recreation Committee is hosting their Summer Splash event again at Centennial Park in Northport! More details will be released soon on their Facebook page.

August 27th – The Athol Recreation Committee is bringing back Athol Day! 11-3 at Cherry Valley Lions Memorial Park. Community BBQ, axe throwing, inflatables, hula hooping, balloon animals, and more! Info on their Facebook page.

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! Info here.

September

September 1st – Base 31 hosts one of their Dusk Dance and Drone Shows: “Starting at dusk and running late into the night, attendees can expect a fun-filled evening of dancing, food, and drink, with the highlight being a spectacular drone and light show by Illumin Drones.” Tickets here.

September 8th-10th – The Picton Fair celebrates its 185th year! The website might not be updated yet but updates are being posted on their Facebook page.

September 15th – Baxter Arts Centre and the PEC Public Library present a free community screening of Encanto at 7:30. There will be kids’ activities including button making, games, and free popcorn! BYO picnic, chair/blanket etc. Find all of the details here.

September 16th – The Milford Fair returns for its 76th edition! Info here.

September 17th – The County Food Hub is hosting its first Scavenger Hunt! The ingredients your team collects at each stop will make a chef-inspired 3 course dinner with enough food for 4 adults. This family-friendly event takes you on a fun filled adventure in the north east area of Prince Edward County. Details here.

September 22nd-24th – The Prince Edward County Studio Tour takes place all weekend from 10-5 – little ones will love getting a glimpse into artists’ studios across the County. Some artists (including a glass-blower) will be doing live demonstrations!

September 23rd – And…. welcome back to the Ameliasburgh Fall Fair too! Check out their brand new website here.

September 24th – Base31 is hosting a free Community Dig and Art Unveiling event from 9-12 – an opportunity to discover new artworks, and to come with your shovel and dig up native wildflowers and grasses that Base31 isn’t able to relocate!

September 29th – For the York Street Laneway Reimagined! event, local artists will be activating the top section of York Street at Main Street beside The Regent Theatre to reveal its potential as public space for all. Live performances and art, contribute ideas for this space, and enjoy some JK Fries.

September 29th (first day) – Prepare to be transported into a Jurassic Park-esque experience at Base31 as The Drill Hall comes alive with their new dinosaur exhibit, presented in partnership with Research Casting International (RCI)! Exhibit Opens: September 29 – October 28, Fridays-Sundays only. Private tours also available. Adult tickets are $18+HST, Ages 4-17 $12+HST. Info here.

September 30th – The County Guys Real Estate Group is hosting a Fall Pumpkin Community Event from 1-3 at Creasy’s Apple Dabble Farm in Waupoos. There will be wagon rides, pumpkin painting, and hot apple cider. Take home a pumpkin in exchange for a non-perishable food donation to the Food Bank.

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. Once open for picking, they are open 7 days a week from 9-5. Cash only!

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 Farm Animals Experiences on weekend mornings. Book here; the cost is $15/adult, $10/Kids 3-17, and free for 0-2.

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 and the Beach!

The County’s mini golf destination, Caddy Shack, is open for business on weekends, and as of June 22nd, 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. 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. 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.

Check out our handy lists of County beaches and other outdoor recreation spots and playgrounds for more outdoor fun ideas during the warmer months.

Art, Music and Movies

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.

The Prince Edward County Lions Club’s Music in the Park summer concert series is back in 2023, running from June 13th-September 10th on Tuesday nights and 2 Sunday afternoons. 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 concert series happening on Sundays from 2-4 at three rotating venues: Consecon Park, Ameliasburgh’s Roblin Lake Park, and Rossmore Park.

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.

(Mostly) indoor fun

The Prince Edward Fitness and Aquatic Centre offers indoor public swims on Fridays from 6-8pm, Sundays from 1-3pm, and every 3rd Tuesday of the Month from 7-8:30pm. Contact PEFAC for rate details and to confirm schedule.

Base 31 is hosting Family Art Brunch (Sundays 11-1, $55/adult, $40/child) until September 3rd.

The PEC Public Library is running a wide variety of children’s programming all summer long including Friday morning Toddler Time and Saturday morning Storytime at the Picton Library and “Weekly Wonders” workshops at Wellington Library.

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 of the County Museums are currently 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 Rose House Museum (Fri-Sun 10-4). Wellington Heritage Museum will re-open on July 5th for the summer season (Wed-Sun 10-4). Check their website for details.