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  • Celebrating PRIDE in Prince Edward County🌈
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Celebrating PRIDE in Prince Edward County🌈

Written by: Rebecca Brunette [May 22, 2019]

Get ready to show your true colours while showing your support for The County’s growing LGBTQ+ community from June 1st-8th. Pride celebrations are coming to Prince Edward County, and there is no shortage of ways to get involved! From pay-what-you-can yoga, to a buzzing market, to karaoke and more, the PEC Pride festivities will be running County-wide and are open to the whole family.

Pride celebrations are not new to The County—small scale events have been initiated by community members for years—however 2019 is the first year Pride will be celebrated with a week’s worth of programming and a unified voice. The newly rebranded Bay of Quinte Pride has been working with the Picton BIA to bring more Pride programming to The County, in order to incorporate the entire BOQ Region in the celebrations! You’ll see a bright update to Picton main street as Pride banners, boasting all the colours of the rainbow, will be displayed from Shire Hall to the LCBO—showing residents and visitors alike that Prince Edward County is a community that welcomes diversity.

“We’re ecstatic that this is happening! We have such a thriving queer community here in The County and having a County Pride is long overdue. We’re finally catching up.”
– Megan Marie Gates, of Wild Heart Healing Arts Space

Kicking-off the celebrations is a Pride Market in Picton’s Benson Park on June 1st. In addition to offering jumbo checker board, live music, and over a dozen LGBTQ+ vendors, the market will include the Opening Ceremonies for the Bay of Quinte Pride Celebrations. Later, plan to don your dancing shoes for a Pride Dance Party, catch a mid-week Queer Film at The Regent, and sing your heart out during Queer Karaoke at The County Canteen. And if you’re a lover of ice cream—honestly, who isn’t?—Slickers County Ice Cream is serving up a special flavour limited to Pride week on rainbow sprinkle cones! One thing’s for sure, PEC is a community that bands together in countless ways, and as LGBTQ+ events are continuing to be announced throughout May, celebrating Pride is no exception!

So if you’re hoping to fill your calendar with Pride events this June, look no further; we’ve got the what-where-when on Pride festivities happening County-wide!

Picton Pride Market

Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 10AM – 4PM

Benson Park

Enjoy a walk through the park as you discover LGBTQI+/Queer-owned businesses and non-profits at the Picton Pride Market. Expect a lively display of products and artwork, pay-what-you-can yoga with Wild Heart Healing Arts Space, payed on-site sauna use with Hothouse Mobile Sauna & Lounge (sliding fee $15-25), live music and more. Sauna goers need to bring a bathing suite and water vessel, while towels and water will be provided.

10am – Pride Market Opens

11am – Bay of Quinte Pride Opening Ceremonies

11-2pm – Face Painting

12-1pm – PWYC Yoga with Wild Heart Healing Arts

1:30-2pm – Kids Yoga with Wildheart Healing Arts

Bend, stretch and breathe! | Photo Courtesy: Wild Heart Healing Arts Space

Yoga & Sound Practice

Monday, June 3, 2019 from 6PM – 7:15PM

Wild Heart Healing Arts Space

Hosted by the owners of Wild Heart Healing Arts Space, queer-identified folks are invited to a soothing practice of Yoga & Sound in a space design for comfort, inclusion, and self-awareness. Soundscapes may feature crystal singing bowls, chimes, drumming and voice! This is a multi-sensory evening of movement and sound meditation to soothe your nervous system and build community. The event is ‘pay what you can’ with proceeds going to the Greater Than County Youth Collective.

Queer Film at The Regent Theatre

Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at 7:30PM

Regent Theatre

Catch this intimate coming-of-age story featuring two childhood friends at the County’s historic Regent Theatre! According to Toronto Star’s Bruce Demera, this is “a film about teenage sexuality with something to say.” Tickets are $9.00 a person and are available at the theatre on the night of the show. Please note that this film is rated R (for sexual content, language and some drug/alcohol use – all involving teens.)

Synopsis: Franky Winter (Josh Wiggins) and Ballas Kohl (Darren Mann) have been best friends since childhood. They are high school royalty: handsome, stars of the swim team and popular with girls. They live a perfect teenage life – until the night of Franky’s epic 17th birthday party, when Franky and Ballas are involved in an unexpected incident that changes their lives forever. Giant Little Ones is a heartfelt and intimate coming-of-age story about friendship, self-discovery and the power of love without labels.

Queer Karaoke with Nic and Nat

Wednesday, June 5, 2019 from 9PM – 12AM

The County Canteen

Got a voice the entire world needs to hear? It’s time to live out those visions of pop star grandeur with Queer Karaoke! Join Nic, Nat, and The County Canteen crew for a night of entertainment (plus as many renditions of Madonna as you have the lungs for). Feeling brave? Then you’re invited to step up to the mic. This is a free event, however The Canteen asks that you come dressed to impress—or cross dress!

Get under the rainbow! | Photo Courtesy: @555brewingco

Pride Patio Party

Friday, June 7, 2019 from 6PM – 11:30PM

555 Brewing Co

The perfect Picton patio, new brews, colourful company—the Pride Patio Party is a shindig not to be missed! Be the first to try 555 Brewing’s newest beer, released in celebration of Pride week, and enjoy mixed entertainment with DJ Jason Ferguson. Be sure to bring your friends (and your dancing shoes!) Patio space is limited, so get your $5 tickets in advance via their Eventbrite page.

Prince Edward County is proud to be celebrating Pride with LGBTQ+ members and everyone participating in this inclusive and important week-long event! The collaboration within the community in support of Pride is something every County festival can aspire to.

“It’s been an evolving, collaborative process thus far, and largely informed by participants. We are all super excited to be putting this on, and look forward to building community around it as well.”
– Kamee, Owner of Hothouse Mobile Sauna & Lounge, and Pride Market organizer

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✨ What's on (Virtually) in The County? ✨⁠
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How do you spend February in The County if you can't get to The County? Let The County come to you, of course.⁠
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Read our latest blog for the online, at home and physically distanced activities offered by @thecountymuseums @deptofillumination and @escapecamppicton this February. Link in bio.⁠
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👉🏼 Channel spirits of the past through a livestreamed Graveyard and Gallows tour⁠
👉🏼 Check in with The County's artists at an outdoor, distanced art exhibit ⁠
👉🏼 Find clues and solve a mystery with a play-at-home puzzle game⁠
👉🏼 Explore your own history with The County's genealogical experts⁠
👉🏼 Get groovy at a Zoom based community dance party⁠
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To our friends in regions under Stay at Home orders...We can't wait to welcome you back when the time is right. Keep your County vacation dreams alive and plan for a visit at a later date. But for now: #StayHomeON #StaySafe #RestezChezVous ❤️⁠
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If you are planning a visit from another Green-Prevent zone to ours, please travel responsibly. Limit your travel group to people you live with, limit contact with others and take advantage of take-out, curbside pick-up and activities outdoors in nature. 💚⁠
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For more information about visiting The County during the pandemic, check out our COVID-19 info page. Link in bio.⁠
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#SponsoredPost ⁠
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#VirtualVisit #VirtualVacay #AtHome#VisitTheCounty #VisitPEC #CountyUp #SouthEasternOntario #ExploreON  #PEC #DiscoverON #travel #ontario #TheCounty #DiscoverOntario @southeast.ontario⁠
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📷 Photo of Escape Camp Picton's "Arrow's Secret" puzzle box with text laid over the graphic that says "Virtually Here: At Home Heritage Art and Games"
We miss you. Tu nous manques beaucoup. 🥰🤗⁠ We miss you. Tu nous manques beaucoup. 🥰🤗⁠
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To our friends in regions under Stay at Home orders...We can't wait to welcome you back when the time is right. Keep your County vacation dreams alive and let this cute barn cat inspire your visit at a later date. But for now: #StayHomeON #StaySafe #RestezChezVous⁠
⁠
If you are planning a visit from another Green-Prevent zone to ours, please travel responsibly. We're not out of the woods yet. Limit your travel group to people you live with, limit contact with others and take advantage of take-out, curbside pick-up and activities outdoors in nature. 💚⁠
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For more information about visiting The County during the pandemic, check out our COVID-19 info page. Link in bio.⁠
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#SouthEasternOntario @southeast.ontario #VisitTheCounty #TheCounty #CountyUp #VisitPec #DiscoverON #BarnCat #Winter #SafeTravels⁠
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📷 by Anne McIssac⁠
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We miss you. Tu nous manques beaucoup. 🥰🤗⁠ We miss you. Tu nous manques beaucoup. 🥰🤗⁠
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To our friends in regions under Stay at Home orders...We can't wait to welcome you back when the time is right. Keep your County vacation dreams alive and let the beauty of Macaulay Mountain inspire a visit at a later date. But for now: #StayHomeON #StaySafe #RestezChezVous⁠
⁠
If you are planning a visit from another Green-Prevent zone to ours, please travel responsibly. We're not out of the woods yet. Limit your travel group to people you live with, limit contact with others and take advantage of take-out, curbside pick-up and outdoor activities. 💚⁠
⁠
For more information about visiting The County during the pandemic, check out our COVID-19 info page. Link in bio.⁠
⁠
#SouthEasternOntario @southeast.ontario #VisitTheCounty #TheCounty #CountyUp #VisitPec #DiscoverON #ConservationArea #MaucaulayMountain #Winter #SafeTravels
⚡ Flash Back (Virtually) this February! ⚡ ⁠ ⚡ Flash Back (Virtually) this February! ⚡
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Explore The County's history and heritage from the comfort of your own home, during Flashback February: The Living Room Edition! From February 15-20, @thecountymuseums and their partners have put together dozens of activities to celebrate the County's past:
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🔍 Solve an interactive online mystery set at Picton's historic Macaulay House⁠
⚰️ Get up close an personal with County spirits in a virtual Graveyards and Gallows tour ⁠
🛩️ Decode the secrets of the Avro Arrow with a play-at-home escape game by @escapecamppicton
📔 What's your story? Find out with the Marilyn Adams Genealogical Research Centre
🏚️ Plus, expert talks on The County's natural heritage, built heritage, restoration, native plant gardening and more!
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Read on. Link in bio.⁠
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NOTE: If you live outside the Hastings Prince Edward area, we encourage you to visit us virtually for now. Please let our content inspire your travels for a later date. The Province and our local Health Unit is advising that non-essential travel between regions should be avoided at this time.⁠ #stayhomestaysafe⁠ #stayhomeON
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#flashbackfebruary #ontarioheritageweek #ontarioheritage #genealogicalresearch #naturalheritage #builtheritage #nativeplants #graveyardtour #virtualevents #athomeactivities #avroarrow #visitthecounty #visitpec #countyup #southeasternOntario #pec #countyup #thecounty #discoverontario @southeast.ontario @onheritage
📷 Photo courtesy of @merrillhouse1878 #StayHom 📷 Photo courtesy of @merrillhouse1878  #StayHomeON  Stay home now so we can welcome you to #TheCounty again soon. Let this pic of the historic Church at Macaulay Heritage Park inspire a future visit. (Or, better yet, plan to visit The County Museums virtually during #FlashbackFebruary!)  But for now:  Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save Lives.  #StayHome #StaySafe #SaveLives #PrinceEdwardCounty #VisitTheCounty #CountyUp #winter #museums #picton #heritage #FlashbackFebruary #SoutheasternOntario #MuseumsPEC #CanadianHeritage @southeast.ontario @thecountymuseums  Photo description: On a sunny winter day, the historic former Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the background, a heritage cemetery in the foreground.
Repost from @thebrookpec #stayhomeON Stay home n Repost from @thebrookpec  #stayhomeON  Stay home now so we can welcome you to #TheCounty again soon. Let this pic of one of Sophiasburgh's neighbourhood horses inspire a future visit. But for now:  Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save Lives.  #stayhome #staysafe #savelives #princeedwardcounty #visitthecounty #countyup #winter #horse #sophiasburgh #southeasternontario @southeast.ontario
📷 Repost from @nik.dh #stayhomeON Stay home 📷 Repost from @nik.dh  #stayhomeON  Stay home now so we can welcome you to #TheCounty again soon. Let this sweet pic inspire a future visit, but for now:  Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save Lives.  #stayhome #staysafe #savelives #princeedwardcounty #visitthecounty #countyup #winter #lakeontario #southeasternontario @southeast.ontario
🎀 In the giving season, County hospitality give 🎀 In the giving season, County hospitality gives back... ⁠🎀⁠
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There are countless stories of how The County's tourism and hospitality sector supports local causes. Here's another worth highlighting:⁠
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County Artists Give Time and Talent⁠
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Throughout the year, The County's visual artists step up and support so many causes. When they are not in the studio or welcoming visitors to their galleries, they are helping the community however they can. 🖌️👨🏼‍🎨⁠🖼️⁠
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They donate or provide deeply discounted artwork to charity auctions, they donate proceeds of sales to causes, and they give their time and talent to community projects, designing posters and merch, creating murals and installations, and so much more.⁠
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🎨 This year, @pamelacarterstudio ran two fundraising sales for the @foundationpecmh Back the Build campaign. A detail of her painting "Winter Dreams #2" is pictured here.⁠
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❤️ Artistic giving takes many forms, from the Love Wall community art project by @nellarules that brought joy and hope in the early days of the pandemic to the recent @arthouseatelier County art auction that raised funds for arts scholarships for students, to the twenty artists who created work for the pop-up display "Intersections - an Anti-Racist Conversation on Sir John A MacDonald."⁠
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The County's artists make this a vibrant, beautiful, thoughtful and kind place to be.⁠
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🎴 You can support The County's artists this holiday season by stuffing some stockings with County Art Playing Cards from @countyarts. Proceeds help to build their artist career development fund. (Link in bio)⁠
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#countyup #visitthecounty #thecounty #princeedwardcounty #tourismgivesback #community #volunteer #charity #dogood #socialgood #fundraising #sponsorship #community #art #buyart #charityauction #artforgood #visualart #painter #scultpor #artforchange @southeast.ontario
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