Start the car! There’s so much to see, do, eat and enjoy in South Eastern Ontario this July it’s almost surreal. The region is buzzing with summer vibes and here are dozens of ways to plan a day around events that keep you smiling all season long. 

The Month kicks off with Canada’s special day!

July 1: O Canada!
Canada Day in Belleville is sure to delight parents and children alike as the park will be filled with inflatables, wrestlers, buskers, music, fireworks and lots of free shows and attractions.

Canada Day in Quinte West sees family-friendly, familiar favourites such as the Trenton Lions Club pancake breakfast, vendor village and fireworks, and new activities this year at Centennial Park in Trenton. 

Canada Day in Napanee celebrates with pony rides, bounce houses, firefighter’s pancake breakfast, games, a circus performance and fireworks!

Canada Day in Bath
There’s a lot going on in the village of Bath on July 1 – join in the action-packed Canada Day celebration! Dress in your red and white, grab your friends and family, and spend the day! From a parade to kids’ zone to a pancake breakfast and live music, celebrate the country in Bath!

Canada Day at Karlo Estates
The Barnyard Stage at Karlo Estates will be hopping on July 1 – come celebrate Canada Day weekend with a free concert double header with the Bees Knees and friends. Savour a Canadian cookout, bonfire, wine by the glass and local food, as well as jamming,  dancing and more!

Canada Day in Tamworth
Start with a pancake breakfast, join in a soapbox derby, get in on the action at the decorated bike and parade, followed by children’s games, face painting, classic car show, and a charity barbecue! Watch for free Canada Day cupcakes and a spectacular fireworks show to end the day!

Canada Day in Kingston
This is your one-stop Canada Day place to be with free fun in downtown Kingston! Live music, rock climbing walls, face painting, children’s entertainers, beer gardens, DJs and much more will be in Confederation Park and Springer Market Square this Canada Day!

Canada Day in Brockville
Catch all the action in the City of Brockville on July 1 with the Pipe and Drums with March of the Scarlet Clad re-enactors, singing O Canada followed by cupcakes and fireworks at dusk. During the afternoon, the Brockville Legion is hosting free family activities at the Legion ball fields that include games, face painting, singing mermaids, a magic show, petting zoo, puppet shows and more!

Canada Day at The Lost Villages Museum SDG Counties
Get your red and white on and head over from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a barbecue and strawberry social with live entertainment. Little Ray’s Reptiles will be there, as well as train rides through the park, a children’s fun area and much to see!

Canada Day at Stone Crop Acres Vineyard and Winery
Join in on the fun with a special Canada celebration with the number-one rated ABBA production in the world- ABBAMania, as well as a special Cher tribute. 

Canada Day in Cornwall
Kim Mitchell will be rocking Lamoureux Park! Look for fireworks, a beer garden and a full day of music along with other activities. Best of all, it’s free to attend!

Looking for more Canada Day festivities in the Rideau Lakes region? Look here for the lowdown on communities like Newboro, Portland, Chaffey’s Lock and more.

Canada Day in Seeley’s Bay
With volleyball, face painting, karaoke, pickleball, children’s activities, a parade, cake, live music, and an epic fireworks display, Seeley’s Bay is the place for all-day fun on Canada Day!

Canada Day in Gananoque
Events for the whole family! Join the town of Gananoque for a day of free events for Canada Day in Joel Stone Park. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. take part in events for the whole family, including face painting and a magic show. Live music by Chickenwire is followed by fireworks! And don’t forget the 1000 Islands Family Ribfest is on for the day, as well.

1. July 4 – Carnival Countdown in L&A County
Unleash summer at Macpherson House on July 4. We’re talking house tours with master weaver Susi on the loom beginning at 1 p.m. Add an interactive Ollin drum circle, live music with Steve Tanner, vintage carnival games, and a line dancing class with Tricia Cammaart and it’s going to be a time. Don’t forget to indulge in a Real Marble Slab Creamery ice cream sundae!

2. July 4 to 7 – Pirates of Halifax at the Aquatarium in Brockville
Have you ever met a real pirate? Interact with the Pirates of Halifax while touring the Aquatarium! Hide your jewels and be prepared to walk the plank if you dare challenge them!

3. July 4 to 7 – Kingston Busker Rendezvous
Let your imagination soar witnessing spectacles of inspiration in the street! With daytime performances in the streets with unbelievable circle shows to Buskers After Dark offering an immersive journey into the beating heart of urban creativity, the Kingston Busker Rendezvous is a jaw-dropping celebration of limitless talent in the streets of Downtown Kingston. Plan to be there July 4 to 7, 2024!

4. July 5 – Lowest of the Low in Price Edward County
Be there to see Lowest of the Low play live at The Hayloft Dancehall, with special guests Norris & Jones, on July 5, 2024. It promises to be a stellar night of music with iconic Canadian artists who have three decades of the rock scene under their belts.

5. July 6 to 7 and 13 to 14 – Prince Edward County Lavender Festival
Mark your calendar for the Annual Lavender Festival to discover many cultivars of lavender, offering a myriad of colours, scents and tastes at Prince Edward County Lavender. From July 6 to 7 and July 13 to 14, take part in the children’s activities, entertainment, food and more. Tickets available at the gate, cost is $12.50/person and admission for children 12 and under is free.

6. July 6 and 7 – Crysler’s Farm Battle Re-enactment
Learn about the Battle that Saved Canada through a historical re-enactment! Take a time warp from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Battlefield Memorial Park adjacent to Upper Canada Village. Look for educational displays, a dress up booth, the Battlefield Memorial Building and scheduled narrated tours of the encampment areas. There will be a sutlers (merchants) encampment, as well as a military encampment for people to visit and learn about life in the early 19th century. Be sure to watch or take part in the entertaining children’s muster before the afternoon battle!

7. July 7 – Gananoque Garden Tour
Get your green thumb on! The Gananoque Horticultural Society Garden Tour is plotted on Sunday, July 7th from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eight beautiful gardens will welcome visitors, including the Gananoque Horticultural Society Park as it turns 100-years-old in 2024. The cost is $15/person

8. July 7 – Cabaret Brunch at Base31
With three delicious offerings to choose from, full service presentation and a live musical performance, Cabaret Brunch is sure to be an inspired addition to your summer schedule! Join County Stage and Base 31 for a brunch in the beautiful County featuring Holden & Finn: Golden Age Musical Duo.

9. July 10 to 14 – Wendover Western Festival
Giddy up to this festival July 10 to 14, 2024 celebrating all things country! Now in its 38th year, the Wendover Western Festival has been enjoyed for generations. Always a great program of music and children’s activities!

10. July 11 – Stroll The Streets Cornwall
Over 50 Downtown Cornwall businesses will be staying open late and offering specials and prizes. It’s going to be a fun night of shopping, dining and music in Downtown Cornwall!

11. July 11 to 14 – Elgin Days in Rideau Lakes
Picture this: streets full of yard sales, a chicken barbecue, live music, children’s events, a parade, petting zoo, vendor market, fire trucks, library events, face painters, legendary bake sales, Yuk Yuk’s Comedy, and so much more! Elgin Days is a village wide celebration of community taking place every year on the second weekend in July.

12. July 12 – Spice Queens Drag and Dance Party Extravaganza
Drag up your life with five iconic Toronto drag queens bringing the ultimate Spice Girls impersonation. This unbelievable concert experience is sure to spice up your life taking place at the Hayloft Dancehall in Prince Edward County starting at 7:30 p.m.

13. July 12 – Napanee Country Jamboree
Get your hands clapping with this five piece band with five singers and great harmony, playing country, blues and old rock. Be there for fun!

14. July 13 – Thousand Islands Boat Museum Boat Show
Come to the TIBM Boat Show to experience a display of rare watercraft, dockside tours of vintage yachts and nautical kids’ crafts! Set sail for sun at the museum on the shores of the St. Lawrence River in Gananoque.

15. July 14 – Belleville Waterfront Multicultural Festival
For 45 years, the Belleville Waterfront Multicultural Festival has been bringing people together through food and celebrating the different cultures that make our community vibrant! Get ready for a welcoming weekend of food, music and attractions from around the world from Thursday, July 11 to Sunday, July 14, 2024. See you there!

16. July 17 – Sir John Johnston Manor House Summer Social
An evening of local entertainment and homemade treats at one of Ontario’s oldest standing houses! Sir John Johnson, a United Empire Loyalist who moved North to Montreal following the American Revolution, left behind a considerable estate in the Mohawk Valley to found and lead the King’s Royal Regiment of New York. See his home and enjoy socializing!

17. July 18 to 20 – Empire Rockfest in Belleville
Rock your socks off in Downtown Belleville at Empire Rockfest on July 18, 19 and 20, 2024! Get your tickets for Thursday, July 18 when Dallas Smith, Aaron Pritchett and Robyn Scott take the stage, or Friday, July 19 with performances by The Beaches, Dizzy and Luscious. Finally on Saturday, July 20, Alan Doyle, Matt Andersen & the Big Bottle of Joy and Dead Root Revival perform. Make it a summer to remember!

18. July 18 to 20 – Downtown Trenton Festival on the Bay
Join in the waterfront fun from July 18 to 20, 2024 and expect centre stage performances, sidewalk sales, a pancake breakfast, fireworks, Art in the Park and water fun!

19. July 18 to 21 – Red Hot & Blue Rockabilly Weekend in Brockville
Four days of non-stop music in Brockville! This event on July 18 to 21, 2024 has a rock n’ roll flair and is set with multiple artists performing throughout the city, as well as a car show, boutique, fashion show, art show and market and much more. Spice up your summer!

20. July 18 to 20 – Kemptville Live Music Festival
From July 18 to 20, 2024, see headliners, The Sam Roberts Band, Burton Cummings, Glass Tiger, and Dean Brody in Kemptville along with lots of super talent in between. The Kemptville Live Music Festival has great vibes, fun times, and is a local favourite that welcomes visitors from across the province and across the pond to revel in music in a community setting.

21. July 18 to 21 – Lansdowne Fair
Experience a true country fair that is the highlight of the summer! The Lansdowne Fair is going 160 years strong. The Lansdowne Agricultural Society presents this deep-rooted community fair with a midway, agricultural exhibits, amazing food, jam-packed main-stage schedule, and lots of nighttime entertainment.

22. July 20 – Westport Car Show Cruise and Shop
Known as the most family-friendly car and truck show in Eastern Ontario, the Westport Car Show sports awesome vehicles, great people, and a superb visitor experience for a day on the shores of the Rideau at Lockwood Park! Don’t forget that the Merrickville Car Show is also up on July 28 so come on out!

23. July 20 – Pride Parade and Festival Cornwall
Join Diversity Cornwall for its annual vibrant Pride Parade followed by the Pride Festival in Lamoureux Park. There will be live music, vendors, activities and more! Looking for more Pride celebrations in Cornwall? Check out activities, workshops and family-friendly events happening throughout July.

24. July 20 – Maitland Garden of Hope Annual Open House
Peaceful and gorgeous, this private 1.5-acre site with 25 theme gardens, and over 5,000 perennial flowers, flowering shrubs and grasses, is hosting an open house on July 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. The property is registered as a Canadian Wildlife Federation ‘Backyard Habitat’ and features a Registered Monarch Waystation, Zen Garden, numerous pollinator gardens, and a meadow walk. Come explore!

25. July 20 – Princess Street Promenade in Kingston
Take a stroll down Princess Street and revel in this popular festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  on Saturday, June 22, July 20, August 3 and September 21, 2024! The promenade closes Princess Street to vehicles from Barrie Street to Ontario Street making for the perfect opportunity to enjoy Downtown Kingston. Walk about and visit local shops, grab a bite to eat at downtown restaurants, and spend the day downtown!

26. July 20 to 21 – Canine Water Sports in Newburgh
They’re ruff ruff and ready! Watch these talented pups compete in several different dock jumping events over the weekend. Enjoy a food truck, concession snacks, pet-related vendors, and more! Entry is by donations and a raffle table will benefit the L&A OSPCA!

27. July 20 to 21 – Thousand Islands Fine Art Association Show
Come to the Rockport Recreation Hall on the 1000 Islands Parkway to take in the TIFAA Fine Art Show and Sale July 20 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and July 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission!

28. July 25 to 28 – Delta Fair
Family fun since 1830! One of the summer’s hottest tickets in town. It’s ready to bring those summer nostalgia memories from July 25 to 28, 2024 with entertainment, a midway, shows for the kids, tractor pull, horse pull, old fashioned homecraft contests, lots of mainstage entertainment, games and the tastiest fair food that you wait all year for!  Something for everyone – and fun for all! Plan to be there.

29. July 25 to 28 – Cornwall Ribfest
Cornwall’s biggest summer festival returns with live music featuring Crash Test Dummies and Barstool Prophets, a midway, vendors, children’s activities and of course, ribs!

30. July 26 – Rockin’ the Square Kingston
Be at Springer Market Square as Rockin’ the Square presents the Crash Test Dummies with special guest, Kingston’s own, Piner! This is the City’s annual signature free outdoor music concert that presents renowned national artists along with featured local support performances for the Kingston community. Good times!

31. Social Local Eastern Ontario Women’s Art Festival Brockville

July 26 and 27  Celebrate the remarkable talents of women in the arts. Discover the captivating journey at the Beyond the Glass: Eastern Ontario Women’s Arts Festival. Four venues, six separate presentations, and an ensemble of charming pop-up locations makes this show enchanting.

32. July 27 – Summer concert at Three Dog Winery
Be a part of the first evening music event at Three Dog Winery! David James Allen + Kojak will take the stage with opening act Tired Kid. Pair incredible music with Three Dog Wines, as well as beer from Slake Brewing. Doors open at 7 p.m.!

33. July 27 – Fort Henry Tattoo
The iconic Fort Henry Tattoo returns for an unforgettable evening celebrating tradition and talent at Fort Henry. With precision drill and musical skills of the Fort Henry Guard and top Canadian military bands from across Ontario, Fort Henry’s Parade Square comes to life with performances, ending with a massed band grand finale and a stunning firework display.

34. Clifford Pennock Remastered at Elgin’s Red Brick School
Rediscover how local 20th century photographic pioneer, Clifford Pennock, viewed this era through his masterful lens and what he saw after he pressed the shutter! In this stunning new exhibit, the Elgin and Area Heritage Society is showcasing an extraordinary collection of more than 100 Pennock photos in large-format colour at the Red Brick School in Elgin. They have been remastered in full colour to bring his work to life! Stop by weekends only – if you’re an historical, photographic, or artistic buff you don’t want to miss this!

35. July 2 throughout the month – Mamma Mia at Thousand Islands Playhouse
Canada’s Dockside Theatre has another sizzling summer ready on stage! With Mamma Mia opening July 2 is sure to be a summer of memorable theatre in Gananoque. Watch for other performances of Jesus Christ Superstar, Mary’s Wedding, Murder for Two and more as the season plays on.

36. July 5 and various dates – Waterside Summer Series in L&A County
Imagine watching classical music in the intimate setting of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church on Amherst Island. The series starts on July 5 and features two wonderful Canadian violinists, Concert Master and Associate Concert Master of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, as well as pianist, Philip Chiu it’s a recipe for an inspiring opening concert. Look for other dates throughout July!

37. July 5 and Fridays throughout the month – Williamstown Discovery Walks
Explore and learn about the haunting history of this SDG Counties community and some spine tingling scary stories! Happening July 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Cost is $15 per person and spots can be reserved in advance by emailing sirjohnjohnsonmanorhouse@bellnet.ca.

38. July 4 to 28 – Upper Canada Playhouse Summer season
The summer season at the Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg is full of laughter and music! July kicks off with a classic comedy by Canada’s favourite playwright, Bedtime Stories by Norm Foster, on stage from July 4 to 28. The Upper Canada Playhouse is celebrating its 41st season this year as a delightfully charming historic building that has been transformed into a community centre point for culture and the arts.

39. July 13 to August – St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival
The only professional outdoor theatre in the St. Lawrence Seaway area is on stage at the gorgeous outdoor amphitheatre on Prescott’s waterfront. Witness the imaginative The Tempest from July 13 to August 10, as well as She Stoops to Conquer from July 17 to August 10. The season will finish with Play On! A Shakespeare inspired Mix Tape, August 13 to 17.