For its sixth year, Globus Theatre’s interactive Downtown Detective Trail is taking audiences back in time to explore the historic village of Bobcaygeon.
Presented by the Bobcaygeon theatre company’s School of Dramatic Arts (SODA), the Downtown Detective Trail is a week-long interactive event that allows audiences to interact with the stories being staged at Globus Theatre.
Though the live performance and scavenger hunt typically aligns with Globus Theatre’s annual summer murder mystery, this year it’s all about Bobcaygeon’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
At 1:30 p.m. every day between Monday, July 27 and Friday, July 31, attendees can sport their detective caps and arrive at Globus Theatre’s box office at 90 Bolton Street in Bobcaygeon ready to explore the town. To make the hour-long outing affordable, admission is by donation.
For the first time, the Downtown Detective Trail will not be held on foot but will instead invite participants to climb aboard a bus for a guided tour. Not only will this improve accessibility, but it widens access to tour stops.
The family-friendly event invites attendees to see and learn about Bobcaygeon while supporting the village, discovering clues, and watching short scenes performed by youth participants of Globus Theatre’s summer performance camp.
To give visitors and locals a new perspective on the historic town of Bobcaygeon, many of the stops along the trail showcase local businesses and hidden gems, including Kawartha Settlers’ Village, Kawartha Dairy, and The Locks.
“With a little (a lot!) of theatrical license, they’ll uncover clues and explore moments from the past as they work to solve a mystery set somewhere within the last 150 years,” said Globus Theatre’s artistic director Sarah Quick in a media release. “It’s a really fun way to celebrate Bobcaygeon’s milestone anniversary while getting people out exploring the downtown area.”
The area that later became Bobcaygeon was first settled by Europeans by the early 1830s, with Thomas Need recognized as one of the earliest settlers and the founder of Bobcaygeon. He purchased 3,000 acres of land in 1832 where he built a sawmill, gristmill, and store.
In 1833, the colonial government of Upper Canada began construction of a lock and canal at the narrows between Pigeon Lake and Sturgeon Lake, which was the first lock constructed on the Trent–Severn Waterway. The community began to grow even more, and was incorporated as a village of around 1,000 people in 1876.
As for the Downtown Detective Trail, it’s part of SODA’s annual summer theatre camp, which offers accessible arts programming for children and youth in the City of Kawartha Lakes. The theatre camp gives young performers the opportunity to develop confidence, showcase their acting abilities, and build meaningful relationships with their community.
“One of my favourite things about the Downtown Detective Trail is seeing the relationships that grow because of it,” Quick said.
“Some of the children who joined us when they were younger have come back years later as camp leaders. They get to be part of the creative process — helping with directing, putting props together, supporting their younger campers — and it’s wonderful to watch them develop.”
Quick added that one of the “original” campers now studies theatre at university which she described as being “incredibly rewarding to see.”
The youth and community programming are delivered with support from the Bobcaygeon Chest Fund and the support of Globus Theatre’s donor community.
To register in advance for the Downtown Detective Trail, visit globustheatre.com/2026-downtowndetectivetrail or call the box office at 705-738-2037.
