Must Sing
Wave the flag and show your pride for Canada Day – we’ve got so much to be thankful for in this big, beautiful land! Our freedoms and opportunities, our achievements and growth, our hockey, our maple syrup and our beaver-tails (yes, the list is long). Why not enjoy the day with friends and family? Now that we can get together again in our communities and our neighbourhoods, the Canada Day festivities are set to go into full swing. Yay, fireworks! Check out what is happening in your neck of the woods through the following websites:
Northumberlandtourism.com
Hastingscounty.com
Bayofquinte.ca
Visitthecounty.com
Must Have Big Fun
There’s food, there’s music, there’s a midway and loads of big fun. The Belleville Waterfront & Multicultural Festival is celebrating 45 years of bringing people together for four days to sample cuisine from around the world, shop at the eclectic marketplace, ride the midway well into the evening, dance your feet off, meet new people, and just have some good old-fashioned fun! Voted the Best Festival by Bay of Quinte Tourism’s Best of the Bay Arts & Culture Award in 2022, we are pretty certain that 2023 will be bigger and better than ever. Shine up your dancing shoes, practice your marksmanship for winning at the midway games, and pull on your favourite stretchy pants (for all that good food you’ll be sampling) and mark your calendars for July 6 to 9.
Must Taste the Future
With Prince Edward County vineyards, quality food producers and emerging farm-to-table restaurants, the Bay of Quinte region has become a sought-after tourism destination. It’s no wonder the area is growing.
Loyalist College is responding to the local fine food movement with its new state-of-the-art culinary lab and program at its Belleville campus. The hands-on education space is kitted out with industry-grade equipment that would shine on any Food Network. Expanded work areas, supported by expert faculty will provide students with rigorous business and culinary skills that are the stepping stones to success for creative entrepreneurs in tomorrow’s food industry.
Must Garden
Fresh air and serenity! There’s something wonderful about digging into the soil and tending blooming snapdragons and black-eyed Susans. It’s even better when you can share the experience. Since 1859, like-minded gardeners and plant enthusiasts have come together for friendship, learning and occasionally tea at the Cobourg Garden Club (a.k.a. Cobourg Horticultural Society). The club’s garden tours and fundraising sales have quite a following! The group has also planted gardens and shrubs in town to attract pollinating birds and butterflies. If you’ve got a green thumb or a passion for nature, the group is always welcoming new members.
Must be a Princess
Girls in sparkles and gowns, dads strutting in suits and bowties… the annual Northumberland Father Daughter Ball is a fairytale kind of night that happens on July 7. Turn your pumpkin into a coach (or limo) and get to the Cobourg Best Western for a groovy good time in support of Northumberland Hills Hospital. This year’s event is a disco-style ball so dads can impress their little princesses with their best Saturday Night Fever moves. Go Dad! Seven years in the running, proceeds from the evening are raised through ticket sales, raffles and a silent auction, and go directly to buy equipment for the maternal child care unit.
Must Race
“Take it away!” Paddling with the Brighton Dragon Boat Club has all kinds of perks – fun, fitness and camaraderie. The volunteer-run organization has a squad of highly capable coaches and steerspersons (the guy or gal at the stern who steers and hollers the rousing commands). Some of the volunteers have Olympic coaching credits and international dragon boating awards. Many members have competed and medalled at the big events, including the World Club Crew Championships. It’s a sport for the passionate and newcomers are especially welcome. Start with the recreational program – eight sessions a week – that gets you out navigating the waters of gorgeous Presqu’ile Bay.
