Activities

101 Activities in Prince Edward County

Discover awesome activities, wineries, ice cream places, beaches, bike routes and more!

Itineraries

See our itineraries which include activities for each of the week!

Beaches, wineries, events, tours, dining, shopping, art galleries and more!

To view current events in Prince Edward County, check the Calendar.

Top Restaurants in Prince Edward County

Top 15 things to do in Prince Edward County

Eat your way through the Taste Trail

The Taste Trail exposes the wonderful wineries of Prince Edward County. The artisan shops and ice-creameries, and the notable breweries and cideries around the area compliment the chic restaurants which coined the county Ontario’s gastronomic capital.

Not just a delicious haven for cheese, this cheese company values environmental and social responsibility when making their products. In addition to being able to purchase their wonderful cheeses, cheese and charcuterie boards, you can enjoy the outdoor lounge and barbecue. Details (http://www.fthtown.ca/)

Take a cooking class at From the Farm

Get hands-on at a cooking class at From the Farm. Classes take place in a quaint and historic 1830’s farmhouse, and all ingredients are seasonal, fresh, and locally-sourced. The site includes a vegetable garden which provides visitors with a wide variety of crisp veggies. Details (http://fromthefarm.ca/)

Grab a cone at Slickers

‘Pure Homemade County Ice Cream” is what Slickers is known for. Tasty and original favours are complimented by yummy specialty wae cones, and the atmosphere of the charming store takes visitors back to their childhood. Details http://www.slickersicecream.com/

Sip some cider against the backdrop of Lake Ontario

For over 20 years, this estate winery specializes in award-winning ciders from crisp apples grown right on their own family farm and at nearby orchards. The definition of “made with love” seems to have stemmed from this magical place over-looking Prince Edward Bay. Details https://www.countycider.com

Cycle along the Loyalist Parkway

Cycle through a living trail of history at the Loyalist Parkway. This parkway was an important area to Loyalist settlers and is key to genealogy and Canadian History. The route connects the cities of Trenton and Kingston and is lined with galleries, bed and breakfast inns, restaurants, and cafes to visit on your way. Details (http://www.loyalistparkway.org/)

Check out “Dead People’s Stuff”

From ea market to little shop, Dead People’s Stu is the ideal place to shop for antiques and refurbished vintage tools. Some of their stu goes into categories like stained glass, tables, vintage hats, cottage furniture, and outdoor decor. Details (https://www.deadpeoplesstu.ca/)

Plan a visit to the Regent Theatre

The Regent Theatre can be found on Main Street, and is a center for the arts in the county. The theatre has been the venue for countless live music, dance, and drama performances, as well as first run movies, and an international satellite feed and arts program for opera, dance, and theatre. The building is a rare and well-preserved example of an Edwardian
opera house. Details (http://www.theregenttheatre.org/)

Hike the Millennium Trail

Nearly 50 kilometers in length, the trail provides natural landscape vistas in a rural setting. It was a former railway that is now transformed into a recreation trail for public use, teeming with precious wildlife and surrounded by forest, elds, creeks, and marshes. Details (http://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/trails/view/millennium-trail-1)

Catch a movie at the Mustang Drive-in

Support a valuable piece of the past – the Mustang Drive-in. Classic snack bar treats like popcorn, corn dogs, slushies, and soft drinks are available for you and your friends and loved ones to munch on while you catch some brand-new movies. Details (https://www.facebook.com/MustangDriveIn/)

Observe some of the 350-bird species at the Prince Edward Bird Point Observatory

Beaches, picnics, patios, wine tours, camping, cottages, music festivals, art shows, craft shows, car shows, museums, theatre and historical walking tours …

There’s much more!

Things to Do in Prince Edward County Wine Country

Do the Creepy Corn Maze (Oct).

Eat some freshly baked pizza at Norman Hardie’s.

Check out some great old barns at The Old Third, Closson Chase, Karlo Estates, The Grange of Prince Edward County and Hinterland Winery.

Sample amazing aperitif and dessert wines (and ports) – Sandbanks Winery, Hillier Creek, Keint-He Winery

Taste some of the best Canadian-made sparkling wines at Hinterland, Huff Estates, The Grange, By Chadsey’s Cairns & Lighthall Vineyards.

Cheese Please!  All weekend long at the Great Canadian Cheese Festival(June).

Sample County wines at great local restos – Bocado and County Canteen

Buy some artisan cheese to go with your wine at Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co.

Enjoy some great apple cider & lunch of lamb burgers The County County Cider.

Need some coffee after sampling wine? Miss Lily’s Café or the Bean Counter in Picton.

Find your favorite mantra pinned to the wall in the Cherry Valley General Store (hint: they’re all about slowing down to smell the roses!).

Stop by one of many veggie stands – Laundry Farms, Hagerman Farms, Cherryvale Organic Farm.

Sit on the porch at a B&B or your weekend cottage and read Geoff Heinrick’s book A Fool & Forty Acres.

Pop in to the Agrarian Cheese Market & Speakeasy, featuring craft brews on tap, great ciders, wine and killer cocktails with live music on Fridays & Saturdays.

Take a cooking class at From the Farm.

Dining delight – Countylicious – twice a year, 8 restos offer a prix fixe culinary celebration for $30 or $35 plus grats & tax.

Chat with Bryan at Keint-He Winery.  He’ll help you pronounce that!

Get on your bike & ride the backroads or along the Loyalist Parkway.

23. Take in Terroir Wine Festival at the Crystal Palace (May).

Plan for a beach day at Sandbanks Provincial Park.

Attend the PEC Jazz Festival (summer).

Discover new local music talent at The Acoustic Grill in Picton.

Slide down the dunes at West Lake.

Harvest grapes with Norman Hardie & celebrate afterwards with a pig roast & bbq (fall).

Take a billion pix of the gorgeous gardens at Closson Chase then indulge in their wines.

30. Spend a Sunday afternoon on the patio at Huff Estates Winery listening to live jazz.

Red White & Blues festival at Rosehall Run features music in the vineyard.

Meet the dogs & owners at Three Dog Winery.

Get lost on the back roads starting at County Road 13 to Royal Road.

37. Harvest parties at Sandbanks Winery, Half Moon Bay Winery are fun for the entire family.

Enjoy a bike ride from Pebbles Beach Resort at Longpoint Road to Wapoos- one of the prettiest routes in Ontario.

Take an early morning walk on the ‘secret’ beach (at the bottom of Cold Creek Road).

The biggest servings of ice cream in Canada at Cones n’ Shakes!!

Go apple picking at Campbell’s Orchards.

Sparkling wine awaits at Hinterland Vineyards – and peach slushies for the kids.

Visit the old-time school house at the Ameliasburgh Historical Museum.

Drink and dine like a Scott at Quaich & Banter –guaranteed delicious!

What the heck is Wassail?  Ask around about this pre-Christmas festival where you sing for your drink. Does this photo get you thinking about Christmas?

Maple in the County is a great spring getaway

Visit the Lavender Farm when the lavender is in full bloom (June).

Go antiquing. Visit County Traders.

Follow the Arts Trail & meet incredible artists along the way.

In the summer, sip Rose wines around the Wine Trail – see how they all are different – different grapes used, hues of pink…and tastes!

Catch a movie at the Regent Theatre.

Unwind one of the few classic drive-in movie theatres in Ontario: Mustang Drive-In

Take a break for wine touring & leisurely shop on Bloomfield Main Street.

Get your heirloom tomatoes and lots of other fresh from the farm veggies at Vicki’s Veggies

How about a visit to Dead Peoples Stuff? (antique store).

Lunch al fresco at Casa Dea Estates Winery, Huff Estates, The Grange or Norman Hardie Winery.

It might be a wine region, yet there is a distillery – 66 Gilead – that is a must visit.  Especially for their Canadian Pine Vodka, Loyalist Gin, rums & whiskies too.

Watch the sunset at North Beach.

Enjoy incredible classical music in a small church during the Prince Edward County Music Festival (September)

Drop by Highline mushrooms to buy fresh gourmet mushrooms.

Homemade donuts like my grandfather would make await at Schroedter’s Market on Hwy 62.

Be marvelled by Lake On The Mountain – it’s mystical up there.

Stop at Black River Cheese Co in Milford to try…and buy…all kinds of cheese.  Savvy Cheese Sommelier, Vanessa Simmons recommends: Maple Cheddar & fresh curds (TIP – when you put curds in the fridge, they lose their squeak)

Where else can wines be as easy as Not Red, Almost Red and Not White? At Black Prince Winery. Pebbles has an exclusive deal for you!

Ride the waves at North Beach Provincial Park.

Go strawberry, raspberry or blueberry picking on the roadside – they grow wild!

Grab some wine after your round of golf at Picton Golf Course, Barcovan Golf Club or Wellington On The Lake Golf Course.

Pop in & out of all of the cool shops along Picton Main Street.

Bird-watching!! And don’t miss BirdHouse City.

Take the scenic route. Drive along the Loyalist Parkway – Hwy 33.  Start in Kingston or Napanee and it will meander all the way to Trenton.

Order everything on the chalkboard at The Hubb Restaurant in Bloomfield.

TASTE! at the Crystal Palace (late September).

Have afternoon tea or a treat at Tall Poppy Café in Wellington.

The December Busy Hands Craft Sale at Books and Company & Miss Lily’s Café, hosted by Vicki’s Veggies – great sale for gifts.

Pop into Greer Road Grocer at Rosehall Run Winery for neat locally made gourmet goodies.

Play life size chess in the vineyard at Casa Dea Estates.

Stop for Italian thin crust pizza at Bergeron’s Estate Winery…and have a glass of wine too!

Buy Ontario wine – and beer! – not available in the LCBO – shop directly at the wineries & brewery in Prince Edward County!

Running and drinking…drinking and running during Terroir Run (June) or county Marathon (Oct).

Taste wine in a converted cheese factory that now houses Exultet Estates.

Stop at a garage sale.

Take the free Glenora Ferry.

Take a workshop at The Red Barns, an artisan’s playground, featuring blown and stained glass, pottery, and iron art.

Visit Canada’s first off-grid winery Redtail Vineyard.

Browse the books and say hello to Miss Ella Vader, the new book mascot at Books & Company.

Spend a weekend at Claramount Inn & Spa. Heavenly.

Fall colour tours, cycling, marathon, regional food celebrations, grape harvesting, pumpkin festival, artist studio tours, country fairs and festivals …

  • Rednersville Road Art Tour (Labour Day Weekend)
  • Heritage Activity Day (Sept)
    Many old-fashioned attractions for young and old to see. Come and remember the past.
  • Quarter Moon Coffeehouse in Bloomfield (May-Sept)
    The anything-goes, everybody-welcome open stage coffee house returns for another summer of music every other Thursday evening. Bloomfield Town Hall, Main St. Bloomfield.
  • Red White & Blues (Sept)
    A weekend celebration of innovative local wine, food and music set amongst four Prince Edward County Winery Estates.
  • The Picton Fair (Sept)
    All the fun of a country fair from the historically and architecturally significant Crystal Palace, one of the few remaining structures of its kind in North America, to a bustling midway; from the cattle show and a myriad of agricultural exhibits to the demolition derby and live music in the big top, the Picton Fair has something for everyone.
  • PEC Music Festival (Sept) – The festival brings together acclaimed performers from around the world.
  • PEC Studio & Gallery Tour (Two weekends September 16-18 and September 24-25)
    Visit a wide spectrum of professional studios and galleries throughout the year, or during these special weekends when artists will demonstrate and discuss their work.
  • The Milford Fair (Sept)
    60 years old+ and going strong, Milford has a great old fashioned fair with lots of fun for everyone. Enjoy live music, delicious food, lots of activities for the kids, a dog show and petting zoo, home baking and all the fun of the fair.
  • Sandbanks New Waves Festival (Sept)
    Celebrating music, arts and harvest at Sandbanks Provincial Park.
  • County Antique Show & Sale (Sept)
  • TASTE! community grown (Sept 24)
    An epicurean experience, TASTE! showcases the finest artisanal products, wines, beers, cider and cuisine that Ontario’s Gastronomical Capital, Prince Edward County, has to offer.
  • Ameliasburgh Country Fair (Sept)
    This event starts with a parade and carries on all day with a judged horse show, the cat and dog show, a softball tournament, a big little kids area.
  • Model Train Show (Sept) – A treat for train lovers of any age. Miniature trains – maximum enjoyment.
  • County Marathon (Oct 2)
    This Boston Marathon Qualifier goes through the County. Crowds cheer the runners along the picturesque route from the village of Wellington along winding country roads, through three towns and past three lakes to the historic Crystal Palace in the town of Picton. Awards and celebrations follow.
  • Pumpkinfest (Oct 15)
    Watch the Parade of Giant Pumpkins wind its way through the village of Wellington to the Pumpkin Grower’s weigh-off. Enjoy local entertainment, vendors, local food booths, restaurants, stores, games for children, pumpkin sales and pumpkin pie.
  • Fall Countylicious (Nov)
    Prince Edward County’s twice annual prix fixe culinary celebration. The County’s top restaurants will offer three-course culinary creations for $30 or $35. Don’t miss your chance to dine on divine food with a down to earth price tag.
  • The Makers Hand (Nov)
    Show and Sale of Eastern Ontario’s finest artists and artisans. Shop for that special Christmas gift.
  • Wassail (Nov 19 & 20, Nov 26 & 27, Dec 3 & 4)
    In thanks for a bountiful harvest and the “hilling up” of vines, revelers, shoppers and tasters make merriment. “Wassailers” pour out libations to the vines, serenade the trees and create revelry to evoke a good harvest for the next year.
  • Bloomfield Festival of Lights (Nov 25)
    The village of Bloomfield sparkles like a magical fairyland for their annual night-time holiday parade.
  • Festival of Trees (Nov)
    Silent auction of over 150 beautifully decorated Christmas trees, as well as a huge bake sale, bucket draw, Christmas boutique, with live musical entertainment.
  • Picton Santa Claus Parade (Nov)

Winter Getaways

With events, parades, seasonal celebrations and more, come celebrate Christmas in the County!

There are lots of winter-time activities to choose from! Cross country skiing, ice fishing, hockey, curling and figure skating, winter wine celebrations, and holiday parades.. Or, just cozy up by a roaring fire with some good food, good wine and good friends!

  • X-COUNTRY SKIING
    For cross-country skiiers, Sandbanks Provincial Park has 11 kms of trails. Or, try snowshoeing the frozen dunes for an uncommon view of a popular beach. Arrangements to camp overnight may be made by contacting the park superintendent in advance.

  • ICE FISHING
    Test your mettle as the mercury goes down with some ice fishing. The Bay of Quinte is one of the top walleye fishing spots in the world. Several local businesses offer ice-fishing packages and accommodation packages.

  • HOCKEY
    The County loves its hockey!  The Wellington Dukes are a Junior “A” ice hockey team from Wellington.  The Picton Pirates are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Picton.