38 May Events to Bring on Spring in South Eastern Ontario
Hooray, hooray it’s finally May! South Eastern Ontario is blooming with events and wonderful experiences opening this month for the summer season. From flower farms to castles and from mountain biking to farmers markets it’s all happening in May in South Eastern Ontario! Read on for 38 events plus doors are opening to seasonal attractions!
Bay of Quinte
1. Kiwanis Walleye World Fishing Derby
Reel in some memories on May 4 and 5, 2024 on the Bay of Quinte! The Kiwanis Walleye World is a fundraising effort by the Trenton Kiwanis Club to help raise money supporting youth in the community through sport, sciences, academics and more in support of the goals of Kiwanis International. Register today to get in on the action!
2. Make Your Mother’s Day Market
It’s back! On Saturday, May 4, visit this free community event by Side Hustle Market to Make Your Mothers’ Day. More than 30 artisans will be on site at Venue 1906 in Belleville to help make the special day shine with unique finds from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
3. New Homestead Farmer’s Vendor’s Market
A visit to Homestead Farmer’s Market promises a unique shopping experience filled with farm-fresh produce, handcrafted good and one-of-a-kind offerings surrounded by community. Coordinated by PEC Markets, this new endeavour will be open seasonally starting Sunday May 12, running until October 27. Look for the market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 6 Douglas Road, Trenton and find local farmers, food and beverage producers, artisans, local non-profits and small businesses!
A big welcome back to these seasonal events:
Belleville Pop-Ups: May 17
Quinte West Pop-Ups: May 31
Prince Edward County
4. Think Pink: A Rosé Adventure
Shift your thinking about Rosé! Join the Cellar Sisters for a journey of local Rosé during this casual, sit-down evening. Find your new favourite Thursday May 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 260 Main St. in Wellington.
5. The Pilot’s Lounge Comedy Nights at Base 31
Get ready to laugh! Lighten up spring as Base 31 rolls out comedy nights at the Pilot’s Lounge on Thursdays May 2, May 16 and May 30. Essentially a joke jukebox of improv, stand up, and sketches, these are hosted by Lenny Epstein and Gavin North of Short Attention Spa so you know it’s going to be a hoot and a holler. Pay what you can!
6. Mother’s Day Laughs and Lunch
Laughter is the best way to celebrate the special day for Moms and the wonderful women in your life at Sand and Pearl Oyster Bar. Enjoy a la carte lunch and be entertained by The County Comedy All Stars with a 45-minute improve show – make your resos soon! Cost is $15 per adult for the show and kids are free.
7. Drake Devonshire BBQ Series with Littlejohn Farm
Enjoy an afternoon filled with flavour! On May 18, experience the Garden-to-Grill feast + Succulent Pig Roast for the Drake Devonshire BBQ Series with Littlejohn Farm. The farm’s honey, herbs, and vegetables like wild leek, rapini, and asparagus will all be grilled to perfection, complemented by lively lakeside games and DJs spinning summer sounds. It’s the perfect kick off to grilling season!
8. Dog Day at Sugarbush Vineyards
Furry friends take note! Saturday May 25, 2024 is Dog Day at Sugarbush Vineyards, which means it’s a day dedicated to canine companions. From 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, hike the 2 km trail, enjoy special doggy vendors, wine for the humans and of course, lots of treats! And to get those tails really wagging there are even photo ops in the big chair. Donations will be collected for a rescue organization.
9. Spring Birding Festival
A festival dedicated to our feathered friends… swoon! The Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory is hosting the Spring Birding Festival from May 12 to 15 with demonstrations, workshops, guided walks and even a Mother’s Day special program. Check out the free programming for all ages with kids activities and even banding demonstrations. Lots to chirp about!
10. Apple Blossom Festival
Join in some good old fashion family fun on the farm! Saturday May 18 to Sunday May 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Creasey’s Apple Dapple Farm in Waupoos is hosting an Apple Blossom Festival to celebrate spring. With Free wagon rides through the orchard, kids crafts and face painting, barbecue and apple pies and much more it’s sure to be the perfect start to the season.
An SEO Shout Out to these ongoing events:
Picton Farmer’s Market opening May 12.
A Path Forward, exploring Truth & Reconciliation efforts in PEC through Indigenous works of art, stories and heritage. This permanent and evolving exhibit at Macaulay Heritage Park, 23 Church Street, Picton is co-curated by the Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na, the Downie Wenjack Fund and The County Museums.
Sensory Garden at Base 31 opening mid-May.
Karlo Estates Events has bubble brunches, live music, tastings as well as lots of fun LGBTQ2+ welcoming Drag events, bingos, trivia and more all year through.
Lennox and Addington
11. Laser Guided Stargazing Tour
Look up – way up! The Dark Sky Viewing Area is hosting another popular laser-guided stargazing tour event on May 10 and 11, 2024! Get an informative guided tour of the night sky and take a peek through a telescope! The tours begin about an hour after dusk and last about 60 minutes.
12. Foster Lamb Visits at Topsy Farms
Starting May 16, get up close with the adorable lambs at Topsy Farms on Amherst Island! Get right in the thick of things, snuggling and interacting with the lambs while learning about spring on the farm and experiencing true farm cuteness overload.
13. Ride for MRI Napanee
Hit the road on two wheels while supporting the Lennox and Addington County General Hospital Foundation MRI campaign! The Ride for MRI is a cycle fundraiser taking place on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Participants can ride solo or with a team and enjoy the 30 km scenic ride through the Town of Greater Napanee and Stone Mills Township. Have a family? Bring them along! A 4 km family route winds through Downtown and is open to all levels of riders.
Frontenac County
14. Summer Kickoff Music Festival
Welcome summer by getting into the groove in Harrowsmith! The Summer Kickoff Music Festival is a true celebration of local talent, with masterful music, food, craft beer and cider and more in South Frontenac. Even a Kid’s Zone for the youngest festival goers! The Festival is set for May 25, 2024 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
A big wave and welcome to these Frontenac County recurring events:
Hotel Wolfe Island: Nightly arts and culture events, featuring live music, comedy, DJs, theatre and even a Mother’s Day brunch!
Frontenac Farmer’s Market: Opening day is Friday, May 10 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and running every Friday until October 25, 2024 at Centennial Park in Harrowsmith.
The Market at Wolfe Island Commons: starting for the season in mid-May
Kingston
15. S.S. Keewatin
This Edwardian-era (think Titanic-era) steamship is opening for tours on May 13! It is permanently dry docks at the Great Lakes Museum. This unique and rare experience opens daily for two tours – one featuring the passenger experience and the other exploring below deck in the Engine Room. Register today to be some of the first people aboard!
16. The Juvenis Festival
Showcasing the artistic side of youth in the region from May 2 to 12, 2024 with a Storefront Art Gallery, Youth Film Night, Battle of the Bands, and theatre performances! Did you know that Juvenis is one of only two youth arts festivals in all of Canada? As such it showcases the talented local youth ages 30 and under.
17. Queen’s University Science Rendezvous Kingston
Come one come all to the Slush Puppie Place for the incredible Science Rendezvous on May 11! Keep an eye out for a Killer Whale skeleton, display of Leonardo DaVinci’s helicopter and armoured vehicle, a Chemistry Magic Show, bees, an electric jeep and dune buggy, a scale-model 3D printed house, brains, hearts, robots and sooooo much more! The best part? It’s free!
18. Bellevue House
This landmark re-opens May 18. Bellevue House is a place for conversation ready for visitors to experience, engage, and reflect on a journey of learning. Recognizing a complex story surrounds the house’s ties to Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir. John A. Macdonald, Bellevue House offers a collection of viewpoints that allow visitors to engage and think.
An SEO Shout Out to these attractions opening for the season:
Kingston Pen Tours: Tours daily starting May 10. Go behind the walls of Canada’s oldest and most notorious maximum security prison!
Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises: Departing daily from the Crawford wharf! Sightseeing and dining cruises along Kingston’s historic waterfront and 1000 Islands.
K-Pass – Kingston’s All-Inclusive Attractions Pass: It’s back on May 18! More than a dozen of Kingston’s top museums and attractions are included in the K-Pass, with a 24-hour, 48 hour or 72 hour pass available for purchase. There’s even one for residents!
Fort Henry: Open daily starting May 18
Ahoy Rentals: Kayak Lake Ontario open weekends until May 18, then daily.
Kingston Trolley Tours: offering city tours daily in a unique red trolley!
Original Haunted Walks of Kingston: operating Wednesday to Saturday, featuring Ghosts of Queen’s, Ghosts of Fort Henry and many more spine-tingling options.
Creative Kingston Walking Tours: Self-guided, inspiring.
1000 Islands Gananoque
Witness an incredible performance featuring world-class circus stars from around the globe on May 13, 2024 that is sure to have the entire family on the edge of their seats! Wonder in the magic of the circus at the Lou Jeffries, Gananoque & T.L.T.I Recreation Centre at 4:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.
Also happening at these locations:
Brockville May 12, Napanee May 14, Trenton May 15
Enjoy an adrenaline-filled rodeo with saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, team roping, tie down roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and, of course, the bull riding on May 24 and 25, 2024! Live music by Eastbound of Bytown (Friday) and The Derringers (Saturday) will follow the rodeo at 1251 County Road 3, Lansdowne.
What have we here? Another market starting back up for the season!
21. Art/Craft Market: Popping up in Town Hall Park in Gananoque every Saturday from May 25 until October 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s known as one of the best markets in the area – bet you’ll find unique handcrafted treasures from local artisans, live music and plain old fun.
1000 Islands Rideau Canal Waterways
22. Gather Brewery & Glassworks Grand Opening
Join in the grand opening of the newest brewery in the Rideau region: Gather Brewery – melded with Glassworks! Such a unique combination brews inspired times to be sure. Plan to be in Merrickville on May 14 to experience something brand new in the community.
23. Maple & Rose Rideau Canal Culinary Season Opener
This darling historic gem of accommodation in Merrickville is hosting a five-course culinary longtable dinner and show to celebrate the opening of the UNESCO World Heritage Rideau Canal for another season. On May 18, experience the food, the venue, and 2024 Juno nominee Steph La Rochelle, all welcoming another season on the fabled Rideau.
24. The Spencerville Mill & Museum: Tea Box, Poker Run and Spirits
Get your calendar sorted because the Spencerville Mill & Museum has lots on the go for May! From a Mom & Me Tea Box on May 12 or a Canoe Paddle Poker Run on May 25 to The Spirits of the Grist Mill Paranormal Investigation on May 25, it’s sure to be an exciting spring.
25. Kemptville Buskerfest
Kemptville Buskerfest returns to the streets of downtown Kemptville on May 18, 2024, ready to shock and delight! Prescott Street will be open to pedestrians, letting people of all ages experience Downtown Kemptville in a carnival-like atmosphere with performances, surprises, and live entertainment.
26. Country Flavour Fest at Furnace Falls Farm
Flavourful fun on the farm for everyone! Look here for local food, plants, entertainment and artisans, with demonstrations, animals, greenhouse, and scavenger hunt. Set for May 25 and 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring the kids – they each receive a seedling for free while supplies last!
A warm welcome to seasonal events and places opening up again this month:
The Delta Old Stone Mill National Historic Site: Season opening on May 18 with milling and blacksmithing demonstrations! The Blacksmith shops will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and at 1 p.m. the Old Stone Mill will have a milling demo featuring its 200-year-old millstones grinding heritage Red Fife wheat into flour. Free admission (donation appreciated).
Spring Hike Day in North Grenville: Visit Limerick Forest for Spring Hike Day in Ontario, highlighting the recreational benefits of hiking and walking.
Treetop Trekking in the 1000 Islands: Open weekends beginning May 4! Walking among the treetops and discover the beauty of nature in the 1000 Islands.
Kemptville Farmer’s Market: Opening May 12 and running every Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. until Oct. 27, 2024, located in the B&H Grocer parking lot.
Featured Business
Daffodil Days: Celebrating Art, Connection, and Spring Renewal
Join Stone Manor Studios for Daffodil Days, beginning May 3 through to May 18, for a series of art and craft gatherings set in a stunning countryside backdrop.
These events go beyond traditional art classes to cultivate creativity and connection in an upscale atmosphere and an inspired setting. From Stained Glass Daffodils to Indigenous Beading, there’s something for everyone. Located in Newboro, Rideau Lakes, the Daffodil Capital of Ontario, these events draw inspiration from the season’s vibrant colours and rejuvenating essence.
Brockville
27. Shop the Street: Beach Party Edition
On Saturday, May 25 King Street will transform into a marketplace full of local businesses vendors, artists, musicians and more for the DBIA Shop the Street event from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.! Make a Splash at the Beach Party themed memorable day on King Street, where fun meets the sun, shopping, and art in a spectacular beach party atmosphere. Whether you’re shopping, admiring art, checking out cars, or enjoying the kids’ activities, there’s something for everyone.
A big welcome back to these seasonal offerings in Brockville:
The Brockville Farmer’s Market: This historic market opens Saturday, May 4 and runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with more than 30 booths every week featuring food, flowers, art, distilleries and more!
Brockville Island Mooring and Camping: Beginning Friday, May 24, boats can once again dock at islands for day trips or overnight and camping is permitted on designated sites on City islands.
1000 Islands Seaway Cruises: Starting on Saturday, May 4, Brockville’s very own boat tour can be found launching from Blockhouse Island. Join Captain Andy to see the magnificent 1000 Islands!
Fulford Place: Walk through the doors of legendary Fulford Place and enter a world of opulence, tragedy and mystery. Opening for the season on Wednesday, May 22 this is a shining example of living on Millionaire’s Row.
SDG Counties
28. Yoga with Alpacas
Join the folks at Heart of the Willow for an hour-long yoga session on May 18 with instructor Lori Link, surrounded by alpacas! This unforgettable experience culminates with 30 minutes of meeting and learning about the adorable alpacas. Two sessions are offered at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.
29. Perch and Paddle Comedy Night and Mother’s Day Brunch
Get ready to laugh in Lancaster! Dan Allaire Comedy is set to take on the Perch and Paddle on May 23, 2024 starting at 8 p.m. on the patio. We also hear there is a special Mother’s Day brunch event in the works at Perch and Paddle on May 12, to honour the most important person in your life! Brunch will be served from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., accompanied by local harpist and pianist, Rachel Campbell. Every mother will also receive a complimentary Mimosa and flower! Book ahead to treat Mom.
30. Main Street Taylor Swift Tour in Winchester
Are you ready for it? Get your Eras outfits ready, Swifties! Stop in participating businesses in Winchester on Saturday, May 18 to pick up your friendship bracelet and browse Taylor Swift themed merchandise and promotions! There’s even special guest vendors set up at The Old Town Hall with more Taylor merch. The Eras movie will be playing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. so feel free to pop in and out. Sing and dance your way down Main Street!
31. Mother’s Day at Upper Canada Village
This historic village is opening again on May 4, but there’s something special to welcome Mom on Sunday, May 12: free admission to Upper Canada Village for all mothers! Upper Canada Village is one of the largest living-history sites in Canada, depicting life in a rural English-Canadian setting during the year 1866. Honour Mom with a cool experience!
A big welcome to the summer season to these SDG offerings:
Stonecrop Acres Vineyard Concert Series: Look for Hadrian’s Wall on May 25 and The Once on May 12, both starting at 7 p.m.
Historic SDG Jail: Opening for tours from Wednesday to Sunday starting on May 22 until Aug. 25!
Camping with the St. Lawrence Parks Commission: booking is open and sites are getting scooped up – reserve your spot now. Camping is available for May!
Cornwall
32. Taco Love
Bet this will make your mouth water: one-of-a-kind tacos at 11 different Cornwall restaurants during Taco Love, from May 1 to 10. Ten days of tacos! Check out participating restaurants and plan your taco tour.
33. Trails of Light
Experience this new exhibition of paintings by celebrated local artist, Pierre Giroux! The Cline House Gallery is open Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Trails of Light is starts on May 9. Admission is free!
34. Dinosaur World Live
This roar-some show is a must-see for the whole fam jam! Delight in dinos during this matinee interactive show on Sunday, May 12 at the Aultsville Theatre in Cornwall.
35. Paranormal Investigations at the Historic SDG Jail
On May 25 and 26, The Haunted Walk and Phantoms of Yore will explore some ghastly encounters at the SDG Jail in Cornwall! Tickets can be purchased to not only be on site for the paranormal investigations, but to experience being an investigator! Due to the SDG Jail’s dark history and frequent strange stories it has attracted the interest of ghost hunters from across North America.
A big SEO welcome back to the Cornwall Speedway which celebrates its Season Opener on Sunday, May 19.
Prescott Russell
36. Science Magic: Crazy Gadgets
Be amazed by the world of science through tricks that use everyday items. Experiments can be recreated with family at home! See this in action on May 11 at Embrun Arena (Palais des Sports). From potato rocket launchers, to giant smoke cannons, there are gadgets galore in this family fun show!
37. Clarence-Rockland Concert Series
The Optimiste Performance Hall will be buzzing on May 11 when Vaches The Musical hits the stage, followed by Vilain Pingouin and Les Frères a Ch’val on May 31. These shows are part of the winter and spring cultural program through the City of Clarence-Rockland. Be there for a fun evening out!
38, Good times at Hammond Golf and Broken Stick Brewery
Join Devona Coe and guest as they host Drag Bingo at Hammond Golf and Broken Stick Brewery on Sunday, May 19! Be sure to try the rainbow cocktails: proceeds from sales will be donated to LGBTTQ+ Around the Rainbow offered by Family Services Ottawa. As if that isn’t fun enough, comeback for May 25 for 70s Night with Lady Soul! Rock the night away with this eight-piece band that plays funk, soul and Motown hits of the 1960s and 70s.
South Eastern Ontario kicks off the season right! With unique events in every region, better get a whole new calendar rocking for the destination tours that are about to make spring 2024 hit different. Be our guest!