Here are more excellent places to go and things to see this summer that will not make you sweat about money. Check out our great listings of other events in the region — there are many concerts and more for your total enjoyment.
Lang Pioneer Village
Keene
Celebrating its 45th year as a museum, Lang is a great place for all ages and offers an affordable and fun way to learn and play.
Summer hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. every day. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for students and seniors, $4 for ages 5-14, free for children under 5, and a family pass is only $20, which includes two adults and four youths.
For a list of Lang events, see kawarthaNOW’s Lang Pioneer Village column. For directions and many more details, check out www.langpioneervillage.ca.
Hutchison House Museum
Downtown Peterborough
Hutchison House operates year round and in the summer there is even more to do at this downtown Peterborough treasure. Located near the corner of Brock St. and Bethune St., the House offers a wide array of children’s workshops, guided tours and outdoor Scottish teas featuring scones and homemade jam. The teas include a tour of the House, run from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, and cost $7 for adults and $5 for children under 10 years of age. Affordable, interesting and delicious in the heart of the city!
For a list of events at the museum, check out kawarthaNOW’s event listings. For museum information and even a virtual tour, visit www.hutchisonhouse.ca
Riverview Park & Zoo
Water Street, Peterborough
The beautiful Riverview Park runs along the Otonabee and features the zoo, a kids’ play area, small children’s water park, a frisbee golf course and many scenic areas for a picnic or gathering. The best is that it’s all free (though donations are always welcome).
As a child it was one of my favourite places, and now that I am an adult I still love it. The zoo has many types of animals from around the world, a cross-river train ride, Sunday afternoon concerts at the zoo’s gazebo (3 to 5 p.m.) and a snack bar for peckish visitors.
Hours at the zoo are 8:30 a.m. to dusk every day of the week.
For a list of events at the zoo, visit kawarthaNOW’s Riverview Park and Zoo column.
Detailed train, snack bar and special event hours can be found on the zoo’s website at www.peterboroughutilities.ca/Park_and_Zoo.htm
Area Farmers’ Markets
Farmers’ markets all around the area are booming with seasonal fruit and vegetables, organic meats and many other edibles. There is more than food offered up at many markets. You have to attend them to truly know what is available. An intrinsic quality found at every farmers’ market I have been to is a sense of community and a celebration of a real culture of the people.
Whether you have enough money to buy everything you see or you are on a budget, it is a fact that markets are free to attend and nourish the body and spirit. There is nothing like buying fresh food directly from food producers while taking in the many sights and sounds a farmers’ market has to offer.
Peterborough has two weekly markets. One is every Wednesday is downtown in the Louis Street Parking Lot (off Charlotte St. between Aylmer St. and Louis St.). Running until October, it features roughly 32 vendors and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The Saturday market (officially called the Peterborough Farmers’ Market) is located in the Memorial Centre parking lot at Lansdowne St. and Roger Neilson Way and goes from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Details and a handy crop calendar can be found at www.peterboroughfarmersmarket.com.
For farmers’ markets in the Kawarthas, check out kawarthaNOW’s Regional Farmers’ Markets column.
Here is a great resource for a list of farmers’ markets in Ontario: www.farmersmarketsontario.com
Free Hunter Street Events in August
Downtown Peterborough
Hunter Street is a busy place this summer. Beyond the various food, beverage, and entertainment options available on Peterborough’s most happening street, there are two more great free street festivals taking place in August.
Successful parties for Ode’min Giizis and Canada Day took to the street earlier this summer and in early August the 3rd Annual Hunter Street Caribbean Festival and the 2nd Hootenanny on Hunter Street will bring the street alive once again.
Caribbean Festival on Hunter Street
The Hunter Street Caribbean Festival takes place on Thursday, August 2nd and is organized by Jamaican Self-Help. The event will feature reggae music, dance, dub poetry, a children’s area and many local food vendors serving dishes with a Caribbean flair. The festival takes place on Hunter Street between George Street and Water Street, and runs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.. See our event listing for details.
Saturday, August 11th will not be a typical day on Hunter Street as the Hootenanny, a fun fair of music, food vendors, sidewalk sales and more, will be a day of celebration and excellent musicianship.
Headlining the show are two amazing bands. The Sadies have been described as one of Canada’s best live bands, and an opening slot for Neil Young’s upcoming Canadian fall tour certainly adds to their reputation. The Dears have impressed many over the years and their sound is a truly unique and interesting hybrid of rock and pop.
Filling out the event are a host of local Peterborough bands, making it known to all just how much talent we have in the music scene in and around the city. Look for posters around town for a full list, or see our event listing.
The party begins at noon and will finish up around 10 p.m., with an after party scheduled for the Red Dog. The Hootenanny is family-friendly as well. What an amazing opportunity to enjoy music at a very affordable price – free!
