The Buzz - August 2025

Art in the Open

A celebration of art and community in Charlottetown

Art in the Open Presents:

Care—a 2025 celebration of art and community, happening this month at locations throughout downtown Charlottetown.

This year’s theme, “care,” reflects a renewed focus on connection and community following a strategic reset. Artists were invited to submit projects exploring what care means and how it shapes lives and spaces. Festival-goers can expect thought-provoking installations, performances, and participatory experiences that examine the politics, poetics, and possibilities of care in everyday life.

event is open to all ages.

“The festival will look very different this year than what people are used to,” shares Festival Coordinator Monica Lacey. “We have some really beautiful and engaging projects, and I’m looking forward to people getting to discover the art…at their own pace.”

In partnership with the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, a series of projections on the Confederation Centre Plaza will showcase recently acquired Inuit films. Viewing begins after dark on the Grafton Street side of the building, from August 14–16.

Ahmon Katz will present a new sculpture entitled Touch Grass on the Plaza beginning August 14.

A Wearable Art Party will be held at The Guild on August 15 from 8–11 pm, in partnership with This Town is Small. Guests are encouraged to start planning their wearable art creations now. The event will take place on both floors of The Guild, with DJs, dancing, and immersive installations transforming the Black Box Theatre and the Hilda Woolnough Gallery. Featuring music by DJ Javier and projections and installations by Phillip Mercier, Teresa Kuo, Reequal Smith, Chester Hewlett, Somnia Lucent, and more, this free

At Tivoli Cinema on August 21 at 6 pm, Experiments in Motion—a screening of experimental video curated by Millefiore Clarkes—will take place in partnership with the venue. The screening features works by Chanel Briggs, Millefiore Clarkes, Jen McGowan, Jools Annie, Mamie Bell, shalan joudry, Dawn George, Laurel Lawrence, Phillip Mercier, Hans Samuelson, and Lesley McCubbin. Reservations are recommended.

From August 28–30 at Beaconsfield Carriage House, enjoy artist workshops and projects by Carlie Howell & friends with The Not-So-Silent Feminist Film Festival (reservations are recommended); Reequal Smith; the Architects Association of PEI; Sarah Nicole Dart; Devon Ross; Madz DeRose; The Queer Choir & The Allied Chorus (reservations are recommended); Jacinte Armstrong & Kim Morgan; Jeighk Coyote; Karen Vanderborght; and community projects by Hadeel Haddad, STEAM PEI, and the PEI Potters Studio.

On August 30 at 7:15 pm, the popular March of the Crows will begin at the Confederation Centre Plaza and proceed to Victoria Park.

For more information and to reserve free seats, visit artintheopenpei.org. Follow @Art in the Open PEI on social media for updates.

A Wearable Art Party will take place at The Guild

Profile: Jessica and Mike Fritz by Julie Bull

Creative connections

It was a bustling summer morning when I met with Jessica and Mike Fritz at their beautiful café, The Gallery Coffee House & Bistro. I often meet people there for these profiles, so it was lovely to finally chat with the people who make it all possible.

Originally from Germany, Jessica and Mike first lived in Toronto when they moved to Canada. After a while of big city life, they wanted to move somewhere smaller where they could have a house with space outside so they could get canine companions. They are such dog lovers that there are always dog treats and water outside The Gallery and the patio is dog friendly.

Passionate about food, Mike and Jessica were both originally drawn to PEI because they saw that we were Canada’s Food Island. “We came to visit the Island and took a week to explore all over. We loved it and within eight months, we made the move.”

Their first foray into the business world was with Maritime Marzipan. “As Germans, we grew up with the

put a small coffee station in the chocolate shop and then as soon as more space became available at the landing, we opened Black and White Café.”

Due to the seasonal nature of their businesses in St. Peters, Jessica and Mike started considering what might be possible for them in Charlottetown so they could both be in the business full time, year-round. “Mike was walking downtown in autumn 2020 and saw that this beautiful space was available. It had been an art gallery for a long time but due to the pandemic, the owner decided not to reopen.”

The Gallery Coffee House & Bistro officially opened in Spring 2021 and has become a staple in the creative community in Charlottetown, boasting local artists on the walls and hosting many creative events throughout the year. They partner with the PEI Writers’ Guild to host a monthly open mic where Jessica has ritualistically become the first reader every month. “It is a dream come true to be able to have this space to support and share with local writers.”

The powerful couple are deeply committed to community connections and the arts. Whether it’s a book launch, a public talk, or an art exhibition, Jessica and Mike welcome artists into their space with open arms. “We love to see both established and emerging artists share their work here.” There is a waitlist for the quarterly rotation of visual art and Jessica always has her eyes open to find more artists to showcase at The Gallery.

delicious almond confectionary and it seemed like a good fit for us to make it here.” During the Christmas season in Germany, it is common for people to make marzipan potatoes, so Jessica and Mike also had fun merging their German culture with our Island’s love of potatoes.

“We had a small shop at St. Peters Bay in 2018 where we sold the marzipan, and people would often ask for other confectionaries which eventually led to the creation of Fritz Chocolates.”

Mike had already been learning how to temper chocolate, and they sourced fine Belgian chocolate for some of their marzipan goodies.

Jessica has always been a lover of poetry and the written word so she “had so much fun coming up with the punny names of our chocolate bars.” Jessica’s wordsmithing can also be seen in the tag lines for their various shops and even in captions on social media.

As Fritz Chocolates became more popular, people would ask for coffee to go along with their sweet treats. “We first

An artist in her own right, Jessica explores a variety of materials and methods to relax and catch her breath as a busy business owner. “I used to think that if I couldn’t take a full week off for vacation that I couldn’t rest. Now I find peaceful moments daily to pay attention to the world around me.” Mike’s creativity is evidenced in his handy works. He can take an idea from conception to completion and has built many of the physical parts of their business. The counter at The Gallery and the new patio at Black & White Café are among those hand works.

If you’ve ever visited one of their shops, you will know that Mike and Jessica are big fans of upcycling and using thrifted and found objects in their space. “I found these old doors on the side of the road, and they have become the signature black and white doors at the café.”

“Relationships are key in business and in life and we are so grateful for all the connections we’ve made here. We are blown away with the support from our customers and we couldn’t do what we do with them.”

BUZZ

Erica Rutherford

Her Lives and Works book launch at CCAG—Aug 4

“The struggle to realize and to express my nature is my life’s meaning.”

—Erica Rutherford

Bookmark, Charlottetown’s independent bookstore, is partnering with the Confederation Centre Art Gallery (CCAG) to launch Erica Rutherford: Her Lives and Works. The event will take place at CCAG on August 4 at 7 pm. Pan Wendt, the book’s editor, will give a talk about Rutherford’s work. Admission is free, and all are welcome.

Erica Rutherford was a multidisciplinary Canadian artist and transgender pioneer. As an artist, actor, filmmaker, farmer, teacher, and writer, Rutherford’s remarkably multifaceted career took her across several countries and continents before she settled on Prince Edward Island in the 1970s. Here, she established herself as a painter and printmaker, using art to

engage in a reflection on gender construction and agency.

This remarkable retrospective includes reproductions of paintings, prints, and drawings, as well as personal photographs. An interview with Rutherford’s widow, artist Gail Rutherford, accompanies critical essays by scholars and curators examining Rutherford’s stylistic evolution from dark semi-abstract collages to hardedged Pop Art.

“In retrospect, Rutherford’s work represents a courageous and often solitary mission of working through questions that are only now part of the mainstream public discourse,” says Wendt.

Wendt is Curator at Confederation Centre Art Gallery. He curated the exhibition Erica Rutherford: Her Lives and Works, currently on view at the National Gallery of Canada.

RT 258 NEW GLASGOW ROAD STOKED BAKEHOUSE & BOGSIDE GLASGOW

Erica Rutherford, studio portrait

Rick MacDonald paintings

Exhibit opening and talk at Breadalbane Gallery

Paintings that have organically evolved by Rick MacDonald will be featured in the Annex at the Breadalbane Gallery this August. The exhibition opens on August 8 with a reception from 6–8 pm, where MacDonald will speak about his work.

A line. A splash. And then the imagination takes hold and the colours fly. That’s how Rick describes his process—an abstract beginning that leads to a painting capturing a fleeting moment.

Rick has been drawing all his life. Aside from high school art classes, his sense of line, curve, and space developed through life drawing classes with well-known PEI artist Ben Stahl.

The main gallery will feature works by gallery artists, including some of their most recent pieces. There is always something new to see, talk about, and think about—giving viewers a chance to follow the process and progress of artists throughout the year.

Gallery artists include Denise Livingstone, Zoe Novaczek, Laura Bain, Joan Parker Sutton, Will Baker, Lily-Anne Hein, Sabine Nuesch, Leo

(Liu, Xin), Vian Emery, Haley Lewis, Erin Veitch, Yuzhu Yang, Silver Frith, Zora Wendt, Marianne Janowicz, Rick MacDonald, and others.

The Breadalbane Gallery is a notfor-profit community gallery that features new work on the second Friday of each month. It is located at 4023 Dixon Road in Breadalbane.

For the month of August, a guide will be available at the gallery on Thursdays from 1–4 pm. Regular hours are Tuesday 11 am–3 pm, Wednesday 9 am–1 pm, and Thursday 4–8 pm.

For more information, visit the Breadalbane Gallery Facebook page.

Brian Burke exhibition

Paintings from Against My Better Judgement series

paintings from the never-before-exhibited series Against My Better Judgement.

The exhibition title serves as a thematic lead, reflecting both individual and societal tendencies towards a subversion of one’s dreams. Intertwined into this thematic thread is a question of leadership—a lifelong preoccupation of the painter—alongside his inquiry into the act of painting.

In Brian Burke’s enigmatic figurative paintings, beauty counters tragedy and the threats to this world. Complex poetic compositions of subject matter created with subtle virtuous movement of paint and colour evolve on canvas, playing between figuration and abstraction. In his own words: “... creating beauty from tragedy.”—Brian Burke

Brian Burke (1952–2017) was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and drew inspiration from his many studios over the years,

with extended stays in New York and Europe. In his last six years, he worked both in Lucerne, Switzerland, and Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island. His work has been extensively exhibited in galleries in North America and Europe, including a retrospective in 2019 at Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown. His paintings are held in numerous collections, including the Kunstmuseum Lucerne (Switzerland), The Canada Council Art Bank (Ottawa), Confederation Centre Art Gallery (Charlottetown), The Beaverbrook Art Gallery (Fredericton), and Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

Brian Burke House, the late painter’s final studio and home (1345 Main Street, Murray Harbour, PEI), presents this exhibition of 35 paintings throughout the quaint 1880s-era house. Burke set it up as his studio in 2010, and remains as he left it.

Against My Better Judgement runs from August 1 to September 19, open Thursday to Saturday, 1–4 pm. brianburke.ch

The second summer exhibition at Brian Burke House, opening August 1, features

Predicament (detail) by Brian Burke

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Rick MacDonald evolving his art

Summer exhibitions

Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown

Summer exhibitions exploring hip hop music, Irish heritage, Indigenous communities, and more are on view at Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown.

Hidden Blackness: Edward Mitchell Bannister (1828–1901)

The story of Bannister’s life and art—from his humble beginnings in New Brunswick to international success—is a testament to the strength and conviction of his artistic vision. In 1876, Bannister won first place at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, making him the first Black artist and the first Canadian to win a major art prize in North America. This is the first major exhibition of his work presented in Canada. Featuring loans from the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, and more, the exhibition is organized and circulated by Owens Art Gallery in partnership with the Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia.

Benevolent, Irish, and Social: 200 Years of Service to Islanders

From buying coffins to hosting ceilidhs to supporting immigrants, this exhibition celebrates the preservation and promotion of Irish history, culture, and heritage on the Island. This exhibition presents a collection of artifacts and documents tracing the activities of the Benevolent Irish Society of PEI from 1825 to the present day.

Jerry Evans: Weljesi

One of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most significant visual artists, Jerry Evans has been dedicated to the preservation, reclamation, and continued growth of Indigenous communities for more than 30 years. This exhibition is rooted in Indigenous concepts of

of LXVNDR (top–left); Jerry Evans, Migration Cycles 2002, Lithograph (14/20). Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Collection, The Rooms (top–right); Robert Emmett Irish Drama, Lyceum Theatre, March 17, 1894

cyclical time, storytelling, and beauty, and features his iconic prints, paintings, projections, and video portraiture. Curated by Jenelle Duval. Organized and circulated by The Rooms.

Kathleen Daly and George Pepper: The Land and its People

For over three decades following their marriage in 1929, Kathleen Daly and George Pepper crisscrossed Canada, capturing its people and its landscapes in paintings and drawings. Influenced by the Group of Seven, they were interested in the unique character of the country—emphasizing its people and their ways of life rather than an idealized wilderness. Curated by Pan Wendt.

East of East: The Atlantic Canadian Hip Hop Archive

Dive into the rich history of hip-hop culture in Atlantic Canada through this interactive exhibition that celebrates diverse communities, identities, and ideas. This archive of recordings, video, posters, and more showcases the often-overlooked hip-hop legacy of the East Coast while honouring the individuals who have contributed to its vibrancy. Curated by Michael McGuire. Originated at MSVU Art Gallery.

Visit confederationcentre.com/artgallery for more information.

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EXHIBITS

galleries, museums...

Acadian Museum of PEI

National Acadian Day will be celebrated on August 15 with activities and refreshments from 10 am–3 pm, and free admission all day. Lobster bites!, showcasing the role lobster plays in Acadian culture and history, is on display until this fall. Visit the permanent exhibit and video The Island Acadians: The Story of a People. Acadian genealogy resources are available and there is a gift shop on site. 23 Main Dr. E., Miscouche. Info: 902-4322880, museeacadien@gmail.com

Bedeque Area Historical Museum

New exhibits this summer include a revamp of the Callbecks Country Store and a new poster display on the settlement of the Kinkora area by Irish people. Wayne Wright 100 Cartoons has been extended and Clocks of the Island, 1770 to 1960 continues. Over 30 other exhibits are on view, including: the Mi’kmaq; the Acadians and Loyalists who settled in the area; the settlement of the Freetown area; the Freetown Royals hockey team; and the story of the Borden Ferry service. In the Lucy Maud Montgomery Lower Bedeque Schoolhouse, across the street, the story of the author’s time in Bedeque is told, as well as the story of early schooling in the area. Open Tuesday–Saturday (10 am–5 pm), and Sunday (1–5 pm), until August 31. 950 Callbeck St, Central Bedeque.

Breadalbane Gallery

Paintings by Rick MacDonald will be featured in the Annex this August.

The exhibition opens August 8 with a reception from 6–8 pm. MacDonald will speak about his work. Other gallery artists include Denise Livingstone, Zoe Novaczek, Laura Bain, Joan Parker Sutton, Will Baker, Lily-Anne Hein, Sabine Nuesch, Leo (Liu, Xin), Vian Emery, Haley Lewis, Erin Veitch, Yuzhu Yang, Silver Frith, Zora Wendt, Marianne Janowicz, and others. A guide will be

available at the gallery on Thursdays in August from 1–4 pm. Regular hours are Tuesday 11 am–3 pm, Wednesday 9 am–1 pm, and Thursday 4–8 pm. 4023 Dixon Rd, Breadalbane. Info: @Breadalbane Gallery on FB.

Brian Burke House

The second summer exhibition at Brian Burke House features paintings from the never exhibited series Against My Better Judgement and features 35 paintings throughout the quaint 1880s-era house. The exhibition runs from August 1 to September 19, open Thursday to Saturday, 1–4 pm. The late painter’s final studio and home is located at 1345 Main St, Murray Harbour. brianburke.ch

Confederation Centre Art Gallery

On view: Hidden Blackness: Edward Mitchell Bannister until September 14; Benevolent, Irish, and Social: 200 Years of Service to Islanders until September 14; Jerry Evans: Weljesi until September 28; Kathleen Daly and George Pepper: The Land and its People until September 28; and East of East: The Atlantic Canadian Hip Hop Archive until October 5. Open daily. Admission is by donation. 130 Queen St, Charlottetown. confederationcentre.com

Confederation Court Mall

The City of Charlottetown’s exhibit, Ever Ready When Duty Calls: The History of the Charlottetown Fire Department is on view on the second floor of the mall near the escalator until November 15. 134 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Cornwall Library Art Gallery

Captured Memories by Fred and Joyce Gill is on view until August 1. Island artist Pam Taylor Bissonette’s exhibit, How I See It, a mix of art pieces and paintings created from found objects and personal photos, will be on view from August 5–September 12. All are welcome to meet the artist at the opening on August 5 at 7 pm. Contact the library at 902-6298415 for information on displaying in the gallery. Open Tuesday–Wednesday (1–8:30 pm) and Thursday–Saturday (9:30 am–12:30 pm and 1–5:30 pm). 15 Mercedes Dr, Town Hall, Cornwall. library.pe.ca

Details Fine Art Gallery

Jean Claude Roy on PEI: Over Twenty New Works of Newfoundland, France, and Prince Edward Island is on view. Island artist Richard Vickerson presents over 30 new works for the 2025 season. 166 Richmond St, Charlottetown. detailsfineart.com

Eptek Art & Culture Centre

The Celebration of Craft exhibition, Excellence in Craft, is on view until September 26. Visit the permanent exhibition on the history and architecture of Summerside. Admission is by donation. 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside. peimuseum.ca

Fitzroy St Tiny Art Gallery

Our Neighbourhood by Jacob Puiras is on view until August 1. A new installation by birdmouse, Helptown Hospital, will be on view through August. Curated by Monica Lacey. Follow @fitzroysttinyartgallery on IG for updates. 295 Fitzroy St, Charlottetown.

Hilda Woolnough Gallery at The Guild

Collaboration With the Dead by Nancy Cole is on view until August 30. Presented by This Town is Small. 111 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Lefurgey Cultural Centre

Hooked on Maurice by the Lady Slipper Rug Hooking Guild is on view through September. Presented by Wyatt Heritage Properties as part of Summerside Arts Fest. Open Monday–Saturday, 9 am–4:30 pm. Admission is free. 205 Prince St, Summerside.

North Nook Gallery

Dogwood Collum by Rilla Marshall is on view until August 7. Premonitions, a sculptural installation by Sarah Noonan, is on view from August 7–September 23. The North Nook Gallery is a tiny art gallery space in the front window of The Guild, 111 Queen St, Charlottetown.

The Studio Gallery

The summer exhibition features paintings by Sylvia Ridgway, P. John Burden, Maurice Bernard, and Doreen Foster, and digital art by Henry Dunsmore. Open Tuesday–Sunday (10 am–5 pm). 4 Howard St, Victoria. studiogallery.ca

Summerside Rotary Library

Over 100 artworks by local artists, including original paintings, photography, handmade knits, mosaics, digital art, and more, adorn the library walls across three wheelchair-accessible levels, with an elevator for easy access. This ongoing exhibition changes throughout the year. 57 Central St, Summerside.

BOGSIDE BREWING MORE THAN BEER

Fix Your Plate

by Tara Reeves

Island flavours

Visiting? Welcome to Prince Edward Island in August! As the summer sun warms our shores, the Island truly comes alive. You’ll find beautiful scenery and the most incredible selection of fresh, local foods, representing the very essence of our Island flavours. If you’re here this month, you’re in for a treat. Our fields are full of world class produce, offering a special taste of Island goodness you simply have to try. Forget complicated meals; the best way to enjoy PEI in August is to enjoy its simple, seasonal highlights.

First on your “must-try” list are PEI’s amazing berries. August is the best time for plump blueberries and sweet raspberries. These summer favourites are perfect for a quick snack, topping your morning cereal, tossing in a salad, or adding sweetness to a cool drink. They offer great nutritional benefits and are a welcome treat after a day on the beach. You can pick them yourself at a local farm or find overflowing baskets at a farmers’ market. Do make sure to sample them!

Next, you’ve got to try Prince Edward Island’s famous sweet corn. Nothing quite compares to biting into a freshly picked cob, its kernels bursting with a natural sweetness that truly captures summer. Our Island corn is truly something special. Farmers often pick it right before selling, ensuring peak taste. Whether you boil it for just a few minutes, cook it on the grill to a golden colour, or even slice it raw into a bright salad, it’s a lovely part of any meal. Consider adding it to a light summer salsa. You’ll spot this prime summer treat at roadside stands and local markets everywhere.

Beyond corn, our red soil provides us with outstanding new potatoes. While PEI is known for its potatoes all year, those picked in August are especially tender and flavourful. Their delicate skins mean they cook quickly and hold their shape well. They make a fine partner to a simple herb dressing, or lightly roasted with some fresh garden carrots. Speaking of that, look for other summer standouts like ripe, juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. These are excellent for making fresh, flavourful salads or simple snacks.

Don’t skip over the green and yellow beans and fresh garden peas. They’re well worth your while. These are at

their best in August, and like potatoes, can be found at roadside stands and local markets everywhere. Whether lightly steamed, quickly sautéed with some garlic, or added to salads, they’re a favourite PEI summer staple.

Lastly, don’t miss out on the overflow of fresh greens. August brings a variety of crisp lettuce, fresh spinach, and hearty Swiss chard to local markets. These make wonderful bases for light, satisfying salads. The taste difference from farm-fresh greens is quite noticeable. Toss them with some of those fresh berries, corn pieces, and a simple dressing for a truly enjoyable meal. They’re a great way to keep your plate colourful and your conscience clear. As locals, we know it’s easy to overindulge in all of the summer goodness!

As you explore Prince Edward Island this summer, take some time to visit a local farm stand or farmers’ market. It’s the best way to connect with the Island’s rich farming culture and taste the difference that fresh, local produce makes. Getting to know the growers adds another layer to your food experience. These summer staples are more than just food; they’re a memorable part of your Island visit. Enjoy every mouthful!

Helptown Hospital

Exhibition by birdmouse at Tiny Art Gallery

The Fitzroy St. Tiny Art Gallery presents a new installation by birdmouse, Helptown Hospital—a work made from century-old reclaimed wood pump organ details.

This reuse of antique materials speaks to the enduring effectiveness of existing modalities and structures from the past that continue to serve us today.

Lenny Gallant (a.k.a. birdmouse) is a self-taught artist working with reclaimed wood, digital media, and land art, creating work infused with play, experimentation, and care. Working in concert with his materials and the land, he is inspired by the truth of duality, the durability of the physical world, the choiceless act of

Premonitions

Sarah Noonan artwork in the North Nook Gallery

The North Nook Gallery presents Premonitions, a sculptural installation by Sarah Noonan, on view from August 7 to September 23 at The Guild in Charlottetown.

This work uses experimental material processes to inspire a transformative way of seeing—one guided by intuition rather than clarity. Combining hand-sewn textiles, casting methods, found objects, and sculptural remnants, Premonitions invites viewers to inhabit the elusive in-between—stepping out of the liminal and into the emerging.

Sarah Noonan is a multidisciplinary artist and poet from PEI. Using experimental material processes, textiles,

waking up every morning—and bread.

Lenny has created large-scale installations across PEI, as well as functional and decorative pieces for private collections. He can be found @birdmouse and at birdmouse.ca.

The 2025 season for the Fitzroy St. Tiny Art Gallery is curated by Monica Lacey. The gallery is located at 295 Fitzroy Street, Charlottetown.

video, drawing, and printmaking, they explore psychological and emotional states through fantasy—from a position that is poetic, oneiric, and non-gender specific. Noonan received a Master’s in Contemporary Art from the Estonian Academy of Arts (2024) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mount Allison University (2019).

The North Nook Gallery is a partnership between the Fitzroy St. Tiny Art Gallery and The Guild.

SUBMITTED

Artwork by Lenny Gallant (a.k.a. birdmouse)

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GET CREATIVE

Basket weaving workshops with Nora Richard

Nora Richard is offering Mi’kmaq basket weaving workshops in August at 10 am at The Studios, 94 Water St, Charlottetown. Fees vary by basket style. Info: nora.baskets@gmail.com

Fibre Arts Club

Fibre Arts Club runs weekly on Tuesdays at the Charlottetown Library. Bring supplies or current project and drop in between 1–3 pm to join other knitters, crocheters, rug hookers, and fibre and textile makers.

Teen Time: Creative Hangout

Teens can drop in to the Board Room of the Charlottetown Library on Sundays from 12:30–2 pm for creative crafts and chats about books. Activities include: heat press t-shirts (Aug 3), needle-felted clothing repairs and patches (Aug 10), and an ice cream social (Aug 17).

Basket weaving classes at Birchtree Gallery

Basket weaving classes are offered at Birchtree Gallery on August 5 and 12. To register, email birchtreegallerypei@gmail. com, call 902-730-2004, or visit birchtreegallery.ca. 8 Main St, Victoria.

Darning with Debbie

Kids (ages 10+) can learn the basics of crochet and knitting with Debbie Leard at the Summerside Library on Tuesdays, August 5, 12, and 19, at 3:30 pm.

Creative PEI ArtMobile

All ages are welcome to drop in to the Makerspace at the Charlottetown Library on August 6 and 20, 10:30 am–12:30 pm, or the Summerside Library on August 12, 12–2 pm, for creative art time with the Creative PEI ArtMobile. Make something new from the art supplies provided, or bring your own materials/ work-in-progress project. Create, chat, seek advice, or get inspired. Children are welcome to attend with the supervision of a guardian.

Creative Kids Club

Kids (ages 5–12) can join a creative club in the Children’s Room at the Charlottetown Library. The club meets weekly on Wednesdays at 3:30 pm. The selection of crafts and activities includes colour lab (Aug 6), comic club (Aug 13), and postcards (Aug 20).

Crafternoon

Crafternoon takes place in the Makerspace at the Charlottetown Library on August 13 at 1 pm. This month, participants will create their own decoupage jars. All materials are provided. Call 902368-4642 to pre-register.

Sewing Club

Join fellow sewing and mending enthusiasts (ages 12+) in the Charlottetown Library Makerspace on August 14 from 5–8 pm. Bring a machine and projects, start a beginner-friendly project, or try a machine with guidance.

Stratford Poppy Project

Drop into the Makerspace at the Charlottetown Library on August 16 from 10 am–12 pm to knit or crochet poppies. Contribute to the Poppy Drape, to be unveiled at Stratford Town Hall on November 11. All supplies are provided, and a helper will be on hand for beginners.

Pottery in the Park

The fall session of pottery classes at the PEI Potters Studio, located in Victoria Park in Charlottetown, begins in early September and runs for 10 weeks. Designed for both beginners and those with prior experience, classes are taught by professional Island potters and aim to be both fun and educational. They are small, relaxed, and informal in style. Participants will learn clay preparation, wheel-throwing techniques, glazing, and decoration. Hand-building may also be explored, depending on interest. Relieve stress, boost creativity, and learn a new skill—while creating pottery pieces from start to finish. Adult beginner classes take place Monday or Tuesday evenings (choose one) from 6:30–9:30 pm, starting the week of September 7. Online registration opens August 18 from 7–9 pm. After registration closes, all names will be entered into a random selection process. Those selected will be contacted as soon as possible. Children’s classes are tentatively scheduled for Saturdays beginning September 6, from 9–11 am (ages 9–11) and 11:30–1:30 (ages 12–14). For updates and registration details, visit peipottersstudio.ca. Questions can be sent to registration@peipottersstudio.ca.

PEI Modern Quilt Guild

The PEI Modern Quilt Guild will meet on August 28 from 7–9 pm at the PEI Farm Centre, 420 University Ave, Charlottetown. New members and visitors are welcome. This is a scent-free meeting. Info: peimqg@gmail.com

Eptek workshops

Eptek Art & Culture Centre is offering sea glass and stained glass workshops with Lynn Provance in August and September. The workshop Just Artin’ Around with Karen Slater takes place on September 17 from 9 am to 12 noon. For details, fees, and registration, call 902-888-8373. 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside.

Island Treasures Needleart Guild

The Island Treasures Needleart Guild meets at the St. Eleanor’s Fire Hall at 1 West Drive from 7–9 pm every Monday from September to June. New members are welcome. Practice embroidery and needlework in all its forms, including knitting and crocheting, or exchange ideas on stitchery and related crafts. No experience is necessary, and mentorship is available. Info: barryandshell@pei. sympatico.ca, 902-436-8795

Arts & Culture Festival

Art, entertainment, activities, and more in Three Rivers

The Town of Three Rivers’ annual Arts & Culture Festival returns to Montague from July 30 to August 3. This five-day, family-friendly event transforms the town into a vibrant hub of art and culture.

Enjoy live art demos, a bustling artisan market, food trucks, inflatables, and hands-on activities. Bingo remains a fan favourite. New this year: Wise Skateboarding workshops for kids, teens, and parents, plus a foam and dance party for all ages.

On August 2, the Festival Parade kicks off at 11 am. The Montague Marina and Waterfront will host a Kids’ Zone with inflatables and art activities, while performances begin at noon, featuring Madame Abbey, Molley Whuppie, a Downstreet Dance workshop, and the Three Rivers Got Talent contest. Other highlights include mobile axe throwing (Axe’s Eh?), Nerf Wars, and a firefighter challenge.

The evening wraps up with live music from Mind Gaze, The Solid Line, and headlining artist Nolan

Compton, followed by fireworks over the Montague sky.

The grand finale on August 3 is DiverseCity, a celebration of global culture with music, food, dance, sport, and martial arts demos representing over 48 countries.

All events are free or low-cost and open to all ages. For full details and schedules, visit threeriversfestival.com.

Art In Your Face

New Brunswick-born event comes to Charlottetown

Art In Your Face/Face À L’Art Art Show is hitting PEI for the first time— bringing together over 40 artists from the Island and New Brunswick at Murphy’s Pharmacies Community Centre in Charlottetown on August 9, from 10 am–4 pm.

This family-friendly event will feature local food, face painting, live music, and more. Attendees can explore vibrant creations, discover local talent, meet the artists, and take home a one-of-a-kind piece of art. Everyone is welcome, and there is no admission fee.

Email artinyourfacenb@gmail.com to sign up as a participating artist. Follow @artinyourfacenb for updates.

EXPLORE

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

EAST OF EAST

Curated by David Woods and organized and circulated by Owens Art Gallery in partnership with the Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia

Curated by Michael McGuire based on exhibtion at MSVU Art Gallery

Organized and circulated by The Rooms (St. John’s, NL)

Curated by Pan Wendt

Curated by Jenelle Duval

Organized by Benevolent Irish Society of Prince Edward Island

Jerry Evans: Weljesi, curated by Jenelle Duval, organized and circulated by The Rooms (St. John’s, NL)

Abe Waterman sculpting a sand castle at Arts & Culture Festival 2024

2025 PEI Arts Awards: Call for Nominations

Celebrate the artistic accomplishments of Prince Edward Island’s arts and culture sector!

Nominations open for the 2025 PEI Arts Awards on September 8 and close October 6. Recognizing outstanding contributions to PEI’s arts and culture, this annual awards program honours individuals, groups, and organizations across the province.

This program is open to PEI residents who have had a primary residence on the Island for at least twelve consecutive months.

Join us in celebrating our Island’s vibrant talent— nominate today!

ARTISTS & ARTISANS

Art Buds Gallery

Showcasing locally handmade original art from over 45 Island makers and artisans. Daily drop-in activities and artists-led workshops are on offer. 329 Water St, Summerside. artbuds.ca

Art Gallery of Tony Diodati

Featuring original works and limited edition giclee prints by Tony Diodati. Open Monday–Saturday, 10 am–5 pm, and Sunday, 12–5 pm. 241 Paynter Rd, Spring Brook. tonydiodati.com

Artisans on Main Souris

A non-profit gallery run by local artists ranging from teens to seniors from the Points East Coastal Drive. Features fine art such as pottery, jewelry, visual arts, fibre, textiles, woodwork, and more. Workshops with a local artisan are available. Open daily 10 am–5 pm until the end of September. (artisansonmainsouris@gmail.com, 902-327-0441). 14 Hebrew Ave, Souris.

Artisans Waterfront

An artist-run cooperative gallery featuring the work of 45 PEI artists and crafters in all mediums, including pottery, jewelry, glassware, photography, paintings, hooked rugs, quilts, soaps, wood and bone sculptures, edibles, and more. Open daily, 10 am–5 pm Monday–Saturday and 12–5 pm on Sunday. 1 Station St, Montague. artisanswaterfront.ca

Bailey Studio Gallery

Featuring professional calibre painting supplies and specialty pieces, major works, and large, traditional oil paintings by Kathy Marlene Bailey. Email or call ahead (902-962-3642, kmb@professionalart.ca). 119757 Shore Rd, Little Sands.

Bedford Station Gallery

Showcasing the work of local artists Taylor Martin, Gweneth Branch-Rice, Leo Marchildon, Wayne W Crouse, Devin Sheehan, Lucas Picard, Ron Patterson, Barb Hanson, Carolyn Chessinger, Hank Bos, Simonne Smith, Gary E. Schoenfeldt, LiliAnne Webster, Margaret Wailes , Berni Wood, Gene Wood, Helene Larouche, Katrina McCourt, Betty Jenkins, Victor Cal Y Mayor, and Sara Arya. Stroll the gardens to view the unique sculptures created by designer and photographer Wayne Crouse. 96 Rte 6, Bedford.

programs for kids, and open studio drop-in times. Open Monday–Tuesday (11 am–5 pm), Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday (10 am–6 pm), and Friday (10 am–7 pm). 538 Rte 4, Montague. creativerebelstudio.com

Details Fine Art Gallery

Featuring original art by Island artists, as well as fine art from national and international artists in a variety of media and subject matter, including paintings, sculpture, art glass, ceramics, and designer jewelry. 166 Richmond St, Charlottetown. detailsfineart.com

Dunes Island Art Gallery

Featuring handcrafted paintings, sculptures, pottery, jewelry, woodwork, metalwork, and more. Open daily, 9 am–8 pm. 3622 Brackley Point Rd, Brackley Beach. dunesgallery.ca

Ellen’s Creek Gallery

Featuring PEI artists and producing high quality custom framing. Open weekdays, 9 am–5 pm. 525 North River Rd, Charlottetown.

Galerie La Palette

Offering works from local artists, including paintings, prints, photography and sculptures. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 11 am–4:30 pm, until August 31. Located in the yellow building at Village musical acadien. 1745 Rte 124, Abram-Village.

Gaudreau Fine Crafts Gallery

Featuring a unique collection of pottery, wood, fibre, weaving, paintings, glass, and jewelry by Maritime artisans. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 11 am–4 pm. 11 Grand Pere Point Rd, Rte 242, South Rustico.

Island Girl Studio

Featuring artist Donna White’s collection of watercolours and art cards. Open Tuesdays and Saturdays, 12–5 pm, or by appointment (email dmwhite775@gmail. com). 65 Anderson Rd, St. Peters.

Island Winds

Featuring musically-tuned, Island-made windchimes. Open daily, 10 am–6 pm. 3827 Millvale Rd, South Granville. islandwindcraft.com

Birchtree Gallery

Showcasing Mi’kmaq woven baskets, painting, pottery, Island potato soap, beaded jewelry, landscape paintings, and more. Basket weaving classes are available. Open Monday–Saturday, 10 am–6 pm, and Sunday, 1–5 pm. 8 Main St, Victoria. birchtreegallery.ca

Creative Rebel Studio

A boutique and gallery featuring artist Patrick Guindon’s paintings of nature and lighthouses. Programs are available, including workshops for adults,

J. Bergman Art Studio

Featuring edgy and contemporary original paintings by Summerside artist Janos Bergman. Works are regularly exhibiting in Europe and PEI. Viewings are available by appointment (email janosbergman917@gmail.com or call 902786-3614). 123 Heron Ave, Summerside. bergmanartpei.ca

Jeanette Walker Jewellery

Jeanette Walker designs custom jewellery, and repurposes and redesigns heirlooms and outdated jewellery. jeanettewalkerjewellery.com

June Ellis Studio

Featuring oil paintings, prints, notecards, and bookmarks by PEI artist June Ellis. Commissions and appointments are available (email juneellisartist@gmail. com or call 902-439-8774). Rte 12, East Bideford, Ellerslie. juneellis.com

Karen Gallant Gallery in Rustico

Featuring paintings by local artist Karen Gallant, fine art reproductions, art cards, and unique finds. Open Tuesday–Saturday, 10 am–4 pm (with possible extended hours) until mid-September. The new location is 1990 Church Rd, Rustico, in the former St Augustine’s Credit Union building. karengallant.com

Kensington Art Co-op Gallery

Featuring an eclectic blend of artwork from over 30 local artists. Located in a historic freight shed in the heart of Kensington, host artists often paint on-site. Open daily from 10 am–4 pm at 27 Commercial St, behind Island Stone Pub. 902-886-0331

Knit Pickers PEI Studio

Featuring only Canadian goods, including wool, knitting needles, knitting and weaving accessories, and wool pellets for gardening. Open Tuesday–Saturday, 10 am–4 pm. 566 Line Rd, Rte 13, Mayfield. knitpickerspei.com

Kro In The Sky Art Studio

Featuring an assortment of dichroic and seaglass jewelry, stained glass, mosaics, and fine art. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 am–5 pm. 1800 Point Prim Rd, Belfast. krointhesky.com

McAskill’s Fine Crafts Studio

Featuring furniture and crafts, pottery, fine art, metal work, glass, and giftware by PEI and Atlantic artisans. 26 Beasley Ave, Charlottetown. mcaskillwoodworking.com

Messy Crow Studio

Showcasing wool artwork (felting on denim, in frames, and dimensional critters), sea glass, vintage jewelry, pottery, candles, soaps, and retro finds from over

20 Maritime artisans. Open Tuesday–Friday, 10 am–4 pm, and Saturday, 10 am–1 pm. Rte 335, St Catherine’s Rd, Souris.

Michael Stanley Pottery

Showcasing pottery by Malcolm and Michael Stanley, as well as fine art by Michelle MacCallum, Sydney White Ceramics, Linko Pottery, Sea Clay Raku, Sticks and Stones Pottery, Moonsnail Soapworks, Joan Sutton, Renée Laprise, Unraveling Joy, Fish Shirts, Roaming Crow, Sea Winds Pottery, The Quiet Potter, Yara Ceramics, and Amy’s Pots. Open daily until September. 22 Howard St, Victoria. michaelstanleypottery.com

Northern Watters Knitwear

Featuring handcrafted sweaters, shawls, stoles, ponchos, and PEI arts and crafts. 150 Richmond St, Charlottetown. nwknitwear.com

PEI Crafts Council

Showcasing work by 150 local artisans, including pottery, jewelry, wood, textile and quilting, glass, and fine art. Open daily, 10 am–6 pm, and Sundays, 12–5 pm. 98 Water St, Charlottetown. peicraftscouncil.com

PEI Fox Den

Featuring work by over 60 local artists and artisans, including pottery, apparel, candles, soaps, visual art, knitted goods, embroidery, woodwork, chocolate, tea, coffee, honey, maple syrup, music, FloaTEA treats, and the original PEI Fox Mug™. Open Tuesday–Sunday. 2852 1A, North Bedeque. peifoxden.ca

PhoArts Studio

Showcasing photography, visual and digital art, and paintings by photographer and artist Leona Arsenault. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 am–5 pm, until August 31. 108 John Paul Rd, Abram-Village.

Rustico Bay Wool Sweater Company

Featuring handmade wool sweaters and accessories, one-of-a-kind knitwear, and giftware. 7218 Rustico Rd, Rte 6, North Rustico. rusticosweaters.pe.ca

Sandie Noceans Art

Featuring art, acrylic, watercolour, greeting cards, driftwood Santas, seaglass art, and curated merchandise. Open Thursday–Sunday 10 am–4 pm. Cash or eTransfer only. 1285 Victoria Rd, Route 116, Victoria.

Silkwalker Originals Studio and Fine Crafts

Featuring quality Island-crafted products, including hand-painted silk scarves, art, and accessories by Heather Walker. Custom orders are accepted. Call ahead at 902-330-8188. Seawalk Park and Boutiques, North Rustico. silkwalker.com

Stanley Bridge Studios

Featuring Island crafts, jewelry, pottery, art, woodwork, ironwork, home and garden decor, clothing, and accessories. Open daily, 10 am–6 pm. 10090 Rte 6, Stanley Bridge.

The Studio Gallery

An artist-run gallery in its 35th season exhibiting art by Island artists, including original works in oils, watercolour, batik etching, and pigment prints. Featuring the printmaking studio of Doreen Foster, pottery by Emily Dunsmore, and fine art reproductions by Maurice Bernard and Karen Gallant. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 am–5 pm. 4 Howard St, Victoria. studiogallery.ca

Thompson’s Woodcraft

Featuring wood-turning by Wilfred Thompson. Open Monday–Saturday, 9 am–6 pm, and Sunday by appointment (call 902-887-3459). 2979 Rte 1A, North Bedeque. thompsonswoodcraft.ca

Twisted Knickers Indigo Dyeing

Offering indigo dyeing and workshops. Open through September with varying hours. Call ahead at 902-439-0885 or email arlene@twisterknickers.ca. 94 Water St, Charlottetown.

Village Pottery

Featuring handcrafted pottery, locally-made jewellery, crafts, artwork, clothing, and accessories. 10567 Route 6, New London. villagepottery.ca

ISLAND ARTIST

Paintings inspired by the poetry of Montgomery

Poetry by Deirdre Kessler inspired by the painting of Christensen Sponsored

ARTS

Art talk and watercolour demo with Hank Bos

Bedford Station Gallery & Gardens welcomes guest artist Hank Bos for an art talk and watercolour demonstration on August 3 from 2–3 pm. Attendees should arrive between 1:30 and 1:45 pm for outdoor seating. Parking is on the grass. Rain date: August 24. 96 Rte 6, Bedford.

Nancy Cole: The art of embellishing photos

This Town is Small presents a workshop with artist Nancy Cole, The Art of Embellishing Photos, on August 24 from 1–4 pm at the Hilda Woolnough Gallery at The Guild in Charlottetown. Cole will show participants how to embellish photos using basic embroidery stitch techniques on a collection of vintage photos and postcards that will be provided. She will also share examples of historic and contemporary works to illustrate various approaches to the process. To register, visit thistownissmall.com. This workshop is part of Cole’s solo exhibition Collaboration With the Dead, currently on view at the gallery until August 30.

Plein Air Painting & Art Sale

The Kensington Art Co-op Gallery is

partnering this year with Under the Spire Festival to hold its annual plein air festival, taking place September 12–14 at Historic St. Mary’s. Embracing the beauty of the PEI landscape, artists will capture inspiring scenes each day. Artwork will be available for purchase during the festival. Info/register: sheilafforsyth@gmail.com

Artisans Waterfront Market seeking new members

Artisans Waterfront Market, an artist-run gallery at the marina in Montague, will hold a jury session on September 14 to acquire new members for its 2026 season. Artists looking for an opportunity to showcase their talent are encouraged to apply. Visit artisanswaterfront.ca for membership details, application guidelines, and jury instructions.

Nominations open for 2025 PEI Arts Awards

Nominations for the 2025 PEI Arts Awards open September 8. Sponsored by Innovation PEI, this annual awards program recognizes and honours individuals, groups, and organizations across the province who have made outstanding contributions to PEI’s arts and culture sector. Eligible nominees must be PEI residents who have maintained a primary Island residence for at least 12 consecutive months. Nominations close on October 6. Info/nominate: princeedwardisland.ca/artsawards

FOOD & DRINK

Canoe Cove Strawberry Social

A strawberry social will be held on July 31 from 6–8 pm at the Canoe Cove School (1066 Canoe Cove Rd). All are invited to come and meet friends and neighbours, and to enjoy Island strawberries complete with ice cream, biscuits, and a beverage. There will also be a bake sale of homemade goods. All proceeds will go toward the maintenance and beautification of the historic Canoe Cove School.

St. Martin’s CWL Strawberry Social and Cake Auction

The St. Martin’s Catholic Women’s League (CWL) will host a strawberry social and cake auction at St. Martin’s on August 1 at 6 pm. The church is located at 3961 Rte 19, Cumberland.

Kings Playhouse High Tea

Kings Playhouse in Georgetown is offering the timeless tradition of high tea every Monday from 2–4 pm until August 25. Enjoy a selection of sweets and savoury treats, including homemade preserves and freshly baked goods, served with clotted cream. Tickets are available at 1-888-346-5666 or kingsplayhouse.com.

For the Love of Maud Afternoon Tea

Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead is hosting For the Love of Maud Afternoon Tea on Thursdays and Saturdays from 2–3:30 pm in August and September. Montgomery enthusiasts are invited to enjoy afternoon tea and hear the story of Governor General Earl Grey’s visit with Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery at the Macphail Homestead. Excerpts from one of Montgomery’s journals will share her impressions of the people and place, along with entertaining stories from her visit. Reservations are required. 271 MacPhail Park Rd, Orwell. Info: macphailhomestead.ca; 902-651-2789

Farmers Helping Farmers Fundraising BBQ

The annual Farmers Helping Farmers (FHF) Fundraising Barbecue returns for its 37th year at the North Shore Community Centre (2120 West Covehead Rd, West Covehead) on August 9 from 4:30–6 pm. Run by volunteers, the event promises both a hearty meal made from locally sourced ingredients and an opportunity to support sustainable farming and education initiatives in Kenya. The menu will feature grilled striploin steaks, a self-serve salad bar, and dessert. Funds raised will support key projects in Kenya such as school gardening programs for children, the installation of water tanks at farm women’s homes, training for women’s groups in farming and business, and support for

dairy farmers. Tickets can be purchased in advance at eventbrite.ca/e/farmers-helping-farmers-fund-raising-barbecue-tickets-1405348167199, directly from an organization member, or by email at farmershelpingfarmerspei@gmail.com.

Blueberry Social

All are welcome to the Blueberry Social on August 16 from 1:30–4:30 pm at the Green Park Shipbuilding Museum & Yeo House. There will be homemade blueberry pie, ice cream, live music, demonstrations, and family-friendly activities. Admission is free. Info: peimuseum.ca

Tea & Coffee Drop-in

Members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who are 50 and over—and their allies—can drop in for a casual afternoon of coffee, tea, and conversation at the PEERS Alliance office (250B Queen St, Charlottetown) on August 31 from 1–3 pm. The event offers space for socializing and sharing ideas, information, and care within the community. Sweets will be provided. Info: peersalliance.ca

Great Cinnamon Roll Challenge

Bakers of all ages are invited to enter the Great Cinnamon Roll Challenge to showcase their cinnamon roll skills and claim the title of PEI’s Cinnamon Roll Champion! The event takes place at the Culinary Institute of Canada (4 Sydney St, Charlottetown) on September 30 from 2–4 pm. There will be cash prizes of $100, $75, and $50 in three categories: traditional with yeast, traditional without yeast, and an alternative twist on the classic—anything goes. Dutch Thompson will entertain with stories from the Bygone Days. Everyone is welcome to attend. Visit peiwi.ca or call 902-368-4860 to register and for contest guidelines.

Afternoon Tea at PEI Preserve Company

The PEI Preserve Company in New Glasgow offers afternoon tea service— complete with delicate pastries and crudités—on Wednesdays through Sundays from 3 to 6 pm. To reserve, email restaurant@preservecompany.com.

Canada’s Smartest Kitchen receives national grant

Canada’s Smartest Kitchen (CSK), the research arm of Holland College’s Culinary Institute of Canada, has been awarded more than $185,000 through a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) grant. ARTI grants support the purchase of research equipment to foster and enhance the capacity of colleges to undertake applied research projects in partnership with industry, public, not-for-profit, and health organizations. They also provide new training opportunities for students. The grant will be used to purchase a multi-use set of remote data loggers, a food-ready autoclave system, and other supporting equipment, allowing the CSK team to work in the R&D kitchen and at clients’ facilities. The equipment will expand CSK’s offerings in food innovation, thermal processing, and product monitoring.

A Mi’kmaq Coastal Feast

Immersive culinary experience of culture and connection

Abegweit First Nation is hosting A Mi’kmaq Coastal Feast –Honouring Land, Sea, and Spirit on September 25 from 6–9 pm.

This immersive culinary experience, featuring Mi’kmaq culture, cuisine, and connection, will take place on the Blockhouse Lighthouse property in Rocky Point (285 Blockhouse Rd).

Guests can wander between tasting stations offering traditional and contemporary Indigenous dishes, with ingredients sourced from the land and waters of Abegweit First Nation—including their own farm and fisheries.

The event will feature Chef Ray Bear, Host Tyler Gould, Grass Dancer

Chef of the Year

Krista MacQuarrie receives honour for 2025

(L–R) Chef Krista MacQuarrie and PEI Culinary Federation President Mark Gregory

Chef and product developer Krista MacQuarrie was recently named the 2025 PEI Chef of the Year by the Culinary Federation of PEI. The award recognizes her leadership and commitment to excellence in the culinary industry and community.

In addition to this honour, MacQuarrie was also named the Culinary Federation’s Eastern Region

Taite Wooldridge (Abegweit First Nation), Fancy Shawl Dancer Taya Wooldridge (Abegweit First Nation), and music by Abegweit First Nation’s DeeDee Austin (Canada’s Got Talent Golden Buzzer Contestant).

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit abegweit.ca/events.

Chef of the Year, earning a spot as one of three national finalists for the prestigious National Chef of the Year title.

Chef MacQuarrie has worked as a product developer with Canada’s Smartest Kitchen for the past 16 years where her culinary expertise helps to bring innovative, on-trend food products to market. Her focus on flavour, texture and balanced nutrition has contributed to the success of many products locally, nationally and internationally.

Outside of her work, MacQuarrie is also an active leader with the PEI branch of the Culinary Federation, serving as the Vice-President and Co-chair of the Chef’s Island event.

MacQuarrie is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of Canada where she earned a diploma in Culinary Arts, a certificate in Pastry Arts, and an applied degree in Culinary Operations. She also holds a certificate in Collaborative Leadership from UPEI and is pursuing a certificate in Adult Education through a joint Holland College–UPEI program.

SUBMITTED

Datcha receives grant

Black-owned FrenchCaribbean restaurant awarded

The Koughan Sisters

PEI’s first team to compete on Amazing Race Canada

Season 11 of The Amazing Race Canada features Charlottetown, PEI sisters Lacey and Celia Koughan— the first team from PEI in the show’s history. Hosted by Olympic gold medallist Jon Montgomery, the season showcases eleven dynamic teams from across Canada.

Datcha, a Black-owned restaurant in Charlottetown, has been awarded a $10,000 grant through DoorDash Canada’s #BlackFoodEnergy program.

The restaurant is one of 30 recipients across the country recognized for their entrepreneurial spirit, impact on local communities, and celebration of Black cuisine.

Lacey and Celia are racing in honour of their late father and hope to shed light on often-taboo topics such as suicide, mental health, vulnerability, and the importance of sharing your struggles.

The winning team will receive two 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS vehicles, a trip around the world, $250,000, and

FARMERS MARKETS

the coveted title of The Amazing Race Canada champions.

Follow @lacekoughan and @celiaowen on Instagram for updates. Watch the series on CTV or stream it the next day on the CTV app or Crave.

vendors offering fresh produce, food service, handmade goods, entertainment, and more. Open Sundays from 10 am–3 pm until September 28 at Confederation Landing Park, 2 Great George St, Charlottetown. downtowncharlottetownmarket.com

Valéry Ladrezeau, Founder of Datcha in Charlottetown shared the following on the importance of the program and the forthcoming grant they will receive: “The community has welcomed Datcha, serving Caribbean flavour in every bite. As a proud recipient of a #BlackFoodEnergy grant from DoorDash, it’s confirmation that we are more than a restaurant—we are a movement. This grant will allow us to continue bringing the soul of Caribbean food, beauty, and diversity of our culture across Charlottetown.”

Datcha is located in Founders’ Food Hall & Market, 6 Prince St, Charlottetown. Follow @datcha.ca on social media for updates.

Charlottetown Farmers’ Market

The Charlottetown Farmers’ Market is open from 9 am–2 pm on Saturdays year-round, and on Wednesdays for the summer season. Local farmers, crafters, artisans and hot food vendors sell local, organic produce, fish, meats, baked goods, preserves, roasted coffee, specialty teas, and more. 100 Belvedere Ave, Charlottetown. charlottetownfarmersmarket.com

Downtown Charlottetown Farmers Market

The Downtown Charlottetown Farmers Market features more than 90 local

Murray Harbour Farmers Market

The Murray Harbour Farmers Market is open from 9 am–12 noon on Saturdays until October 18 at the Murray Harbour Community Centre. Buy local from Island artists, bakers, farmers, and producers. Follow on FB @ murrayharbourfarmersmarket for event updates. 27 Faye Fraser Dr, Murray Harbour.

Summerside Farmers’ Market

Find local produce, baked goods, meat, fish, prepared food, cheese, artisans and more at the Summerside Farmers’ Market. Open weekly on Saturdays from 9 am–1 pm at 250 Water St, Summerside.

Lacey (left) and Celia Koughan

Valéry Ladrezeau

Tivoli Cinema

Tivoli Cinema screens a variety of new and old releases. Upcoming screenings include: Together, 2025 (July 31–Aug 10); Midsommar, 2019 (Aug 1); Top Secret!, 1984 (2); Pride PEI Presents: Pink Flamingos, 1972 (2); Brawl in Cell Block 99, 2018 (3); Anyone Else But Me, 2024 (8 *intro/Q&A); The Diarrhea Brothers Save the Day, 2024 (9 *intro/Q&A); Hello My Beautiful Creatures, 2024 (10 *intro/Q&A); 40 Acres, 2025 (11–17); Shin Godzilla, 4K Re-Release, 2016 (15–19); Moonrise Kingdom, 2012 (16); Take Out, 2004 (17); Americana, 2025 (22–28); Wet Hot American Summer, 2001 (22–23); Die Hard With a Vengeance, 1995 (24); The Toxic Avenger, 1984 (29); The Toxic Avenger, 2025 (29–Sept 4); Dirty Work: The Dirtier Cut (30–31). For showtimes, updates and tickets visit tivolicinema.com. 155 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Roving Picture Shows Summer Series

Roving Picture Shows and Island Jazz will present a screening of the silent drama Lucky Star with live harp accompaniment by Caedda Enright on August 1 at 7:30 pm at York Point Community Centre. Hiroshima will screen on August 13 at 8 pm at Beaconsfield Carriage House, followed by Dark August on August 14 at 7:30 pm at York Point Community Centre. Follow @Roving Picture Shows on IG and FB for more details and tickets link.

Family Movie Fun

Families and kids of all ages are invited to drop into the Summerside Library (57 Central St) on Fridays at 1 pm or the Charlottetown Library (97 Queen St) on Sundays at 1 pm to enjoy family-friendly movies and snacks throughout the month. Films in Summerside include: The Lion King (animated) (Aug 1); The Rescuers Down Under (8), The Pebble and the Penguin (15), Luca (22), and The Wild Robot (29). In Charlottetown, films include Kung Fu Panda (Aug 3), Encanto (10), and Hercules (17).

Roving Picture Shows: Jazz on Films

From August 2–10, Roving Picture Shows presents Jazz on Films, a themed series

of documentaries and fiction films that explore jazz—either because a jazz musician made the soundtrack, appears in the film, or is the subject of a documentary. The series opens at City Cinema on August 2 at 7 pm with Round Midnight The following evening, August 3 at 7:30 pm, The Fabulous Dorseys screens at York Point Community Centre. On August 4, Kansas City will be shown (time and location tbd). The series continues at York Point Community Centre on August 5 at 7:30 pm with The Connection (1961), and then at Beaconsfield Carriage House on August 6 at 8 pm with Let’s Get Lost Returning to York Point Community Centre, Jazz on a Summer’s Day will screen on August 8 at 7:30 pm, followed by National Film Board jazz films (Toronto Jazz and A Cat in a Bag) on August 9, also at 7:30 pm. The series wraps up at Milton Hall on August 10 at 2:30 pm with Chicago (1927), featuring live musical accompaniment by Island Jazz, with Dan Rowswell and Chris Martell. Follow @ Roving Picture Shows on IG and FB for more details, tickets link, and updates.

Afternoon movie

Visit the Charlottetown Library (97 Queen St) for an afternoon movie on August 5 at 1 pm. This month’s screening is To Wong Foo, Thanks for everything! Julie Newmar (PG-13) (1995).

Anime Club (18+)

Watch and discuss two episodes of anime at the Charlottetown Library (97 Queen St) on August 12 at 6 pm. Titles change monthly and are chosen at the start of every meeting.

Cinema Under the Stars

The City of Charlottetown is hosting free outdoor movie nights in Victoria Park at 8:30 pm from August 28–30. The lineup includes: The Princess Diaries, G (Aug 28); Thunderbolts, PG-13 (29), and Migration, PG (30). Concessions will be available for purchase, and attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or folding chairs. Info: charlottetown.ca/cinema

Brackley Drive-In Theatre

PEI’s only drive-in theatre is open for the season. To find out what’s playing, visit drivein.ca or call 902-672-3333. Located 15 minutes outside of Charlottetown at Rte 15, Brackley Beach.

But First, Let’s Woo Island-based podcast

But First, Let’s Woo, an Island-based podcast by a couple of 40-something Islanders in their “woo-woo” era— think tarot cards in one hand and a coffee in the other—is available now on most platforms.

In this cozy podcast, woo-woo topics and practices are discussed from an amateur perspective. It is equal parts silly, informative, and fun.

Follow @butfirstletswoo on IG, email info@butfirstletswoo.com, or visit butfirstletswoo.com for more info.

Welcome to City Cinema from The Charlottetown Film Society

City Cinema is owned and operated by our non-profit Society. We welcome donations, and can provide tax receipts. We will continue to present a diverse mix of films and welcome your suggestions and support. Become a member, bring friends, and share feedback!

Advance Tickets

Please visit our website at citycinema.ca, we accept all major credit cards online and both debit and credit at the cinema. Seating may be limited, advance tickets are strongly recommended.

Subject to Change

Film availability and showtimes are subject to change. Please check our website and book tickets in advance.

Rent City Cinema

City Cinema is available for rent for private film viewings! We provide the projectionist and will have the canteen and bar open for your group. Please check the Venue Rental on our website and send us an email! We’ll respond with information and rates.

Admission

Regular $12

Member $9

65 and over $10

14 and under $ 8

We now accept credit cards online and both debit and credit at the cinema

Annual membership - $30.00

Bad Shabbos

August 1–5

Drama, Comedy. TBD. Dir: Daniel Robbins, US, 2025, 84 min. Milana Vayntrub, Kyra Sedgwick, Method Man.

“Set in the well-heeled part of New York’s Upper West Side Jewish community, Tribeca Festival audience award winner Bad Shabbos is an entertaining, fast-paced comedy about a Sabbath dinner gone terribly awry… A strong ensemble cast nails the tasty dialogue and increasingly frantic action without falling into shtick… David and his fiancée Meg, a shiksa already deep into conversion class, are headed for another Friday Sabbath dinner at the home of his parents, Richard and Ellen. But tonight is different from all other nights because Meg’s Catholic parents from Wisconsin, John and Beth, are due for a first meeting with his family… David’s well-founded anxiety isn’t just about what his future in-laws will think of his loud and argumentative parents and Sabbath customs, but also encompasses fears about added complications from the other guests… Grounded in its Upper West Side location, including a glimpse of Zabar’s and a stop at Barney Greengrass, the sturgeon king, the film benefits from [Director Daniel] Robbins’ knowledge of and affection for their milieu. A minimal but aptly used jazzy score and on-screen titles indicating how soon the next doorman will come on shift, ups the comic tension.” —Allissa Simon, Variety

Roving Picture Shows present: Round Midnight

August 2, 7 pm

Musical, Drama. 14A. Mild nudity and language. Dir: Bertrand Tavernier, US, 1986, 133 min. Dexter Gordon, François Cluzet, Sandra Reaves-Phillips.

From August 2 to 10, Roving Picture Shows will be hosting a Jazz on Film series, with screenings here and there. And what better way to start than with Bernard Tavernier’s 1986 classic Round Midnight, starring tenor saxophonist Dexton Gordon in one of his only roles, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. A New York jazzman seeks a fresh start in Paris and strikes up an unlikely friendship with a struggling single father and avid jazz fan. Although the film is fictional, it is directly inspired by the memoirs of French author Francis Paudras, who befriended jazz pianist Bud Powell in Paris.

PEI Live Dubs presents: My Man Godfrey

August 3, 2 pm

Comedy/Romance. Dir: Gregory La Cava, US, 1936, 94 min. William Powell, Carole Lombard.

A live-dub of the celebrated 1936 movie, My Man Godfrey. A screwball comedy not afraid to critique class divisions and excesses of the wealthy as a rich socialite hires a homeless man to be her family’s butler during the Great Depression. It’s Schitt’s Creek meets Modern Times! All proceeds will be donated to The Upper Room, in honour of the film’s theme. Non-perishable items will also be collected at the door to all who wish to donate further.

Cast includes: Carter Baird, Lambert Garceau, Leigh Emerson, Stacey Janzer, Shaun Purves, and Jackie Sharkey.

Oh, Hi!

August 6—10

Comedy, Romance. 14A. Mild nudity and language. Dir: Sophie Brooks, US, 2025, 94 min. Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan.

“An endlessly charming romantic comedy that… zigs where you think it’ll zag, weaponizing its familiar genre trappings and using them to subvert expectations. It constantly keeps you on your toes in a way that feels refreshing, occasionally downright invigorating… Iris and Isaac are on the trip to the cabin for a romantic weekend getaway – they’re buying roadside strawberries and singing along to Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s 1983 soft rock duet “Islands in the Stream” and engaging in the kind of flirty banter you expect from the most closely connected couples. When they get to the cabin, the sweet hijinks continue but that night things, uhh, take a turn… Oh, Hi! announces Molly Gordon as an honest-to-goodness movie star. For years, Gordon has been the best part of whatever she’s in, popping up and stealing scenes in Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and the lauded FX series The Bear, but here, in a leading role as Iris, she commands the screen. She darts and dashes, rattling off the script’s ratatat dialogue or crashing into scenes in an oversized t-shirt, propelled by an unseen energy that only she can tap into… Logan Lerman’s performance is just as brilliant and physical but in a different way; talking about it would ruin some of the surprise… There’s plenty of other things to love in Oh,

Hi!, from Brooks repurposing Dolly Parton’s “Heartbreaker,” from her underrated 1978 disco album of the same name, for one of the movie’s more powerful sequences to a final shot that is wholly unforgettable.”

—Drew Taylor, The Wrap

Craft Along Movie Matinee: When Harry Met Sally

August 9, 2 pm

Comedy, Drama. 14A. Dir: Rob Reiner, US, 1989, 95 min. Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher.

Bring your knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch, or other handicrafts, plus your crafty friends for a cozy afternoon at the movies. Lights will be dim so you can see the screen and your skeins! About The Film: Rob Reiner’s romantic comedy classic comes to City Cinema. Harry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.

Classic of the month:

American Graffiti (4k Remaster)

August 11–14

Drama, Comedy. PG. Dir: George Lucas, US, 1973, 110 min. Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat.

“George Lucas envisioned American Graffiti as a coming-of-age story that took place on a single evening in the late summer of 1962 (the year Lucas graduated from high school). Two friends, Steve (Ron Howard) and Curt (Richard Dreyfuss) have each been accepted to college back east, and are set to leave the next morning. One of them however, is hesitant about leaving their small town, while the other is anxious to go. Over the course of the evening, both characters are challenged to decide just what they are going to do. Interwoven with the narratives about Steve and Curt are a number of humorous misadventures involving characters like Steve’s strong-willed girlfriend, Laurie, radio DJ Wolfman Jack, the eager young Terry the Toad and his new friend Debbie, as well as the popular hot rodder John Milner and a teen who is wise beyond her years named Carol. An antagonist in the form of a rival hot rodder named Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford) cruises the streets in search of Milner. With a nostalgic soundtrack of ‘50s and ‘60s hits, American Graffiti captures a moment in time. The nation was at the peak of its first rock ‘n roll era, when cruising and street racing were activities that obsessed teenagers in small towns everywhere. America was also on the cusp

of great cultural and socio-political change, from the British Invasion of new rock music to the civil rights movement to the Vietnam War.” —Lucasfilm

Sweet Angel Baby

August 15–16, 18–19

Drama. TBD. Dir: Melanie Oates, Canada, 2025, 96 min. Michaela Kurimsky, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Peter Mooney.

Screened at the 2024 Charlottetown Film Festival

“People in a bucolic coastal town turn quickly on their own when the status quo is inadvertently challenged. Attending church, baking bread, and marrying high school sweethearts are the standard in a small fishing town in Newfoundland, and despite not having checked the last two of those boxes, Eliza is beloved by all those around her. After a church service, she... heads into the nearby woods, with a purpose that nobody in her life is aware of: taking self-portraits in a bikini and ski mask to post to her super-popular anonymous social media account, which is filled with many more suggestive photos of Eliza. Nobody from the town knows about another secret of hers: that in private quarters, she has a relationship with Toni. An outsider to the town and an out lesbian, Toni is begrudgingly welcomed. A questionable meet-up with a married man unravels all of Eliza’s secrets and forces her to re-examine her morals, her identity, and her place in the community, in a spectacular fashion. Sweet Angel Baby is a beautiful and heartbreaking look inside smalltown identity politics, masterfully deploying themes of conformity, queerness, and sexuality.” —Kelly Boutsalis, TIFF

Boogie Nights

August 20–22

Drama, Comedy. 18A. Severe nudity and sex, violence. Dir: Paul Thomas Anderson, US, 1997, 153 min. Mark Wahlberg, Burt Renolds, Julianne Moore.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic portrait of the United States of America at a turning point in its visual history. Spanning the late ’70s and early ’80s, Boogie Nights follows the exploits of a hardcore adult film outfit, and especially its most famous star, from the troupe’s magical beginnings, through its meteoric rise, and to its inevitable decline and fall. The various stories and characters within the film point to larger, grander philosophical ideas about society’s self-perception. And thanks to the cinematography from Robert Elswit - it’s pulled off with brilliant visual style. Mark Wahlberg turns in the performance of a lifetime as a

well-endowed bus boy pulled into the world of porn and renamed Dirk Diggler. While Burt Reynolds plays a producer who believes the adult film can be made into an art form that can both titillate and entertain. Boogie Nights covers a lot of ground but underneath the bell-bottoms, X-rated shots, and lines of crystal meth is a powerful, incisive exploration of what happened to decent people when the greedy ’80s took control.

Meet The Barbarians (Les Barbares)

August 23–27

Drama, Comedy. PG. Sexual content. Dir: Julie Delpy, France, 2024, 101 min. Julie Delpy, Sandrine Kiberlain, Laurent Lafitte. In French with English subtitles.

“In the culture-clash comedy Meet the Barbarians, actor-director Julie Delpy lays bare a number of Western hypocrisies. The film follows several townspeople in the struggling French commune of Paimpont, who vote to welcome a handful of Ukrainian refugees, but are caught by surprise when a Syrian family shows up instead. The ensuing response runs the gamut from clumsy to hostile, which Delpy captures by applying a documentary-like lens to the town’s fabric, and to their Arab guests. The result is a movie that… proves eye-wateringly funny. The film flies out the gate with an energy reminiscent of “The Office,” as bumbling mayor Sébastien Lejeune regales a TV news crew with his plans to welcome a Ukrainian family. The city council votes overwhelmingly in favor. Even potential holdout Hervé Riou, the sour-faced town plumber, gives in after a slight nudge from his peers. A number of local interviews paint the issue of Russia’s invasion, and of welcoming Ukrainians with open arms, as one generally agreed upon, despite the fears and economic reservations folks like Hervé might harbor. However, these doubts come bubbling back to the surface when the town learns of the administrative switcheroo… The aforementioned Syrian family, the Fayads, are for the most part presented unremarkably, though this is part of Deply’s point… In what is perhaps the movie’s biggest strength, Delpy presents these apparent opposites as two sides of the very same coin, whose respective approaches stem from the same wellspring of prejudice and misunderstanding, even though they manifest differently… It’s a bright, sunny and immaculately entertaining story, despite its dark corners. However, Delpy never loses sight of the bigger picture, offering constant clues that the world continues to be harsh for Muslim refugees even outside this one hilarious story.”

—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight

August 28–September 1

Drama. TBD. Dir: Embeth Davidtz, US, 2025, 98 min. Lexi Venter, Embeth Davidtz, Zikhona Bali. In English and Shona with English subtitles.

“Alexandra Fuller’s bestselling 2001 memoir of growing up in Africa is so cinematic, full of personal drama and political upheaval against a vivid landscape, that it’s a wonder it hasn’t been turned into a film before. But it was worth waiting for Embeth Davidtz’s eloquent adaptation, which depicts a child’s-eye view of the civil war that created the country of Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia, a change the girl’s white colonial parents fiercely resisted… Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is set in 1980, just before and during the election that would bring the country’s Black majority to power. Bobo is a raggedy kid with a perpetually dirty face and uncombed hair, who’s seen at times riding a motorbike or sneaking cigarettes. She runs around the family farm, whose run-down look and dusty ground tell of a hardscrabble existence. The film was shot in South Africa, and Willie Nel’s cinematography, with glaring bright light, suggests the scorching feel of the sun. Much of the story is told in Bobo’s voiceover and in another daring and effective choice, all of it is told from her point of view… Davidtz’s screenplay deftly lets us hear and see the racism that surrounds the child, and the ideas that she has innocently taken in from her parents. And we recognize the emotional cost of the war, even when Bobo doesn’t. There is more of Fuller’s memoir that might be a source for other adaptations. But it is hard to imagine any would be more beautifully realized than this… It’s an extraordinary adaptation.” —Caryn James, The Hollywood Reporter

So Bad it’s Good: Batman Forever

Aug 30, 7 pm

Superhero/Action. PG. Dir: Joel Schumacher, US, 1995, 121 min. Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey. Interactive Screening!

Join us at the City Cinema for a special screening of Joel Schumacher’s wild superhero sequel Batman Forever. Steeped in ‘90s excess and featuring Val Kilmer’s take on Batman. The cartoonish sequel has the caped crusader facing off against two foes: the schizophrenic, horribly scarred former District Attorney Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones), and the Riddler (a truly unhinged Jim Carrey), a disgruntled ex-Wayne Enterprises inventor seeking revenge against his former employer.

So Bad, it’s Good is a monthly interactive movie game series that brings a twist to the movie-going experience. With unique prompts to encourage participation, it promises to be a wild and fun night at the movies!

city cinema schedule

JULY

Wed Thu 30 31 7:00 7:00 Sorry, Baby Sorry, Baby

AUGUST

Bad Shabbos

Bad Shabbos

Bad Shabbos

Round Midnight

My Man Godfrey

Bad Shabbos

Bad Shabbos

Oh, Hi!

Oh, Hi! Oh, Hi!

When Harry Met Sally Oh, Hi!

Oh, Hi!

American Graffiti

American Graffiti

American Graffiti

American Graffiti

Sweet Angel Baby

Sweet Angel Baby

Sweet Angel Baby

CLOSED

Sweet Angel Baby

Sweet Angel Baby

Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights

Meet The Barbarians

Meet The Barbarians

Meet The Barbarians

Meet The Barbarians

Meet The Barbarians

Meet The Barbarians

Don’t… Dog’s Tonight

Don’t… Dog’s Tonight

Don’t… Dog’s Tonight

Batman Forever

Don’t… Dog’s Tonight

Don’t… Dog’s Tonight

Be sure to follow us on our social media pages for up-to-date reminders and updates to our schedule.

Email info@citycinema.ca to sign up for our newsletter and stay in the know with all the goings on!

DiverseCity Festival

August

celebrations

in Montague, Kensington, and Souris

DiverseCity Festival celebrations continue across PEI this month with three upcoming events. Earlier this summer, the festival made stops in Charlottetown, Summerside, West Point, and Alberton. Now, the celebration moves to the Town of Three Rivers (Montague) on August 3 from 12–4 pm at Waterfront Park; Kensington on August 17 from 11 am–3 pm at the Railway Station & Confederation Trail; and Souris on August 24 from 1–4 pm at Centennial Park on Pond Street.

Founded in 2007, DiverseCity showcases the Island’s rich cultural diversity through music, food, art, and community engagement. It was created to celebrate Canadian multiculturalism, foster connections between newcomers and long-time Islanders, and support settlement, inclusion, anti-racism, and retention.

Each event features multicultural food vendors, artisan and craft booths, live performances, and fun activities for children.

diversecityfest.com

Dundas Plowing Match

83rd edition of agricultural and cultural celebrations

The PEI Provincial Plowing Match and Agricultural Fair—also known as the Dundas Plowing Match—celebrates its 83rd edition this year, running from August 22 to 24.

Held in Dundas, PEI, the fair offers a nostalgic, down-home feel complete with agricultural competitions, heritage demonstrations, and a range of family-friendly activities. The celebration of local agriculture and culture includes daily plowing competitions,

CAMPS

Orwell Corner Historic Village summer camps

Summer camps for ages 6–10 are being offered at Orwell Corner Historic Village. Participants can enjoy fun hands-on farm activities, traditional crafts, games, and more. Call 902-368-6600 or visit peimuseum.ca for more information.

Youth IRSA Summer Camp

Teens can join the Youth IRSA Summer Camp at the Summerside Library on August 20 at 1 pm. The camp focuses on teaching newcomer youth, from Grade 7 to Grade 12, essential life skills through interactive and engaging activities. This

horticultural and handicraft displays and demonstrations, local music, and a lively parade. Wagon rides and agricultural contests run each day, along with lawn and antique tractor pulls.

Local food is highlighted through Savour the Flavours demonstrations, and there are plenty of kids’ activities, including bouncy castles.

For the full schedule and details, visit dundasplowingmatch.com or follow the event on Facebook.

year’s theme, “Life Skills,” includes outdoor skills, teamwork exercises, confidence-building challenges, and photography training—with both theory and hands-on practice—to support personal growth and everyday readiness. Register at the library circulation desk or call 902436-7323. Visit irsapei.com to register as an IRSA client.

Mini Musical Summer Camp

Children entering Kindergarten to Grade 2 this fall can join a bilingual music camp at The Nest, 95 Capital Dr., Charlottetown, in September, starting at 8:45 am. Through a play-based blend of English and French activities, children will sing, dance, make art, and explore language in a warm, supportive environment. No prior French experience is needed. Info/register: thenestpei.com/ drop-in

PHOTOS

Dundas Plowing Match, then and now

Belfast Celtic Festival

Lord Selkirk Campground—Aug 1 to 3

The Belfast Celtic Festival and Highland Games take place at The Croft House in Belfast from August 1 to 3, offering a weekend of Celtic culture, live music, traditional athletics, and Island hospitality. Celebrate heritage, history, and Highland spirit in scenic Belfast.

The vibrant celebration kicks off Friday evening with an outdoor concert on the Croft House grounds starting at 7 pm, featuring John Connolly, Norman Stewart, fiddler Sheila MacKenzie, and Abbie Bell. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

Saturday offers a full day of traditional and modern fun for all ages, including children’s races, Highland athletics for youth (13+), and men’s and women’s events. The Kilted Classic Golf Tournament also takes place, and there will be a Kids’ Zone with an inflatable farmyard playground, outdoor games, and cotton candy. Opening ceremonies feature the Belfast Pipe and Drum Band and Highland and step dancers. Visitors can enjoy a BBQ lunch and strawberries and ice cream. A lecture on traditional woolen knitting on PEI, presented by Cheryl Wartman, will be held at The Croft House, along with

Emancipation

Day 2025

Celebrate with the Black Cultural Society of PEI—Aug 1

The Black Cultural Society of PEI is celebrating Emancipation Day 2025 on August 1 with events held in Charlottetown. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Take a virtual tour of the Door of No Return on Gorée Island

a silent auction. The day concludes with an evening concert at the Belfast Highland Greens Clubhouse featuring Trevor Wade.

Sunday’s events include a 5K Tartan Fun Run and afternoon lectures on genealogy and local history, including “The Belfast Riot of 1857.”

Admission to all events (except the Kilted Classic) is by donation. More information can be found on Facebook. The Croft House is located at 112 Selkirk Park Road, Belfast. For inquiries, call 902-659-2209.

(Senegal) from 12 noon to 1:30 pm at the Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown.

The annual festivities will follow in The Bog at Rochford Square from 5 to 8 pm with entertainment, games, food, and more.

Follow the Black Cultural Society of PEI on social media, or sign up for the e-newsletter at bcspei.ca for updates, tour details, and information about the Evening Celebration program.

Learn more about Emancipation Day by visiting canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/emancipation-day.html.

West Point Lighthouse

150th anniversary celebrations

The West Point community’s ongoing 150th anniversary celebrations of the historic West Point Lighthouse—highlighting the heritage, culture, and diversity of the lighthouse and surrounding area through music, art, and storytelling—continue this month.

Events include a songwriting competition on August 15 (submissions should be emailed to alellis72@ hotmail.com) and the Amateur Radio Club’s celebration of National Lighthouse Day on August 16 and 17.

A dinner theatre production, Willy and Bennie: Beacons of Light, co-produced by Michael Pendergast, will be on stage on August 24 at 7 pm (August 22–23 are sold out). All shows will take place at the West Point Harbourside

Benevolent Irish Society, Inc.

ESTABLISHED IN CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I, 1825

THIRTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL IRISH HERITAGE LECTURE SERIES 2025

MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2025

Dr. Ed MacDonald

A Song for Edward Whelan: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of a Tragic Hero

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2025

Leonard Cusack

Owen Connolly (PEI's most famous Irish Entrepreneur)

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2025

Dr. John Flood

The Music of Place: From Kitchen Hearth to Ceili Hall … What the Musicians Say

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2025

Dr. Rory Cornish

William Fitzmaurice of County Kerry, 2nd Earl Shelburne

MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2025

Dr. Tiber Falzett

Lawrence Doyle and his Songs.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2025

Dr. Padraig O Siadhail

The Irish-language Revival Movement and Canada, 1898-1915

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2025

Dr. Susan Brown

Irish women and the family and the Irish constitutional referendum in Ireland. Background to the contemporary debate.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2025

Dr. Thomas O'Grady

The Search for Arthur Delaney: Brendan O’Grady’s Labour of Love

READERS/WRITERS

Haiku Poetry Workshop

A haiku poetry workshop will be held on September 13 at Beaconsfield’s Carriage House in Charlottetown from 10 am–4:30 pm. Admission is free and snacks will be provided. Bring a brown bag lunch. The sessions are geared for beginner haiku poets and for readers who wish to develop an appreciation for this short form poetry. Poets and readers at all levels are welcome (ages 16+). There will be writing prompts for those who wish to try composing haiku during the interactive sessions. There will also be an opportunity to workshop haiku anonymously if participants prepare a poem in advance. The final presentations will touch on short form poetry related to haiku: haibun and renga. A book table will offer books and journals for sale and browsing. Instructors are members of Haiku Canada—Blanca Baquero (NS), Carole Martignacco (NB), Angela Leuck (QC), Claudia Coutu Radmore (ON), and Michel Montreuil (ON). To register email haikufox@gmail.com so presenters know how many participants to expect. Or show up at the Carriage House in Charlottetown on September 13. The event is sponsored by Haiku Canada.

PEIWG Poetry Club

The Poetry Club meets at 10 am on the first Saturday of every month at the Voluntary Resource Centre in Charlottetown (81 Prince St). The next meeting is August 2. This club is for folks who love poetry and it has two goals: to discuss poetry written by other poets that members love, and to share and discuss one piece of original poetry, if a member feels like sharing. This program is for members of the PEI Writers’ Guild. To become a member, visit peiwritersguild. com/join

Queer Poetry Club

The Queer Poetry Club meets on the first Saturday of each month from 2–4 pm at the PEI Transgender Network (PEITN) for members of the queer community to write, read, and listen to

poetry in a supportive environment. The next meeting is August 3. Snacks and materials are provided, and no poetry experience is needed. PEITN is in Room 505 of the BDC Building, 119 Kent St, Charlottetown. Info: queerpoetryclub@ proton.me

Storytime in the Park

Kids (ages 5–8) can join the Charlottetown Library for stories, songs, and movement, followed by a nature-inspired activity in Connaught Square at 3 pm every Tuesday. Bring a blanket and get ready for some outdoor fun. Rain location is the Children’s Room in the library.

In the Time of Maud

Spend an afternoon in the time of L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, during an immersive experience at Orwell Corner Historic Village on Thursdays in August. A costumed guide will lead attendees through the village, connecting its authentic late-Victorian charm to Montgomery’s life. Visit farm animals, learn to dance on the village green, enjoy an afternoon tea, and ride in a wagon along a route the author once travelled in 1910. This program is intended for adult audiences, but children over age seven are welcome with supervision. Groups are also welcome. Costumes are encouraged but not required. peimuseum.ca

Afternoon Book Club

The Afternoon Book Club will meet at the Summerside Library (57 Central St) on August 18 at 1 pm. Pick up this month’s book at the circulation desk.

Book Lovers Book Club

The Book Lovers Book Club will meet at the Charlottetown Library, 97 Queen St, on August 19 at 6 pm for an informal, conversation-style gathering. Participants can chat about what they’re reading, share favourites, offer recommendations, and celebrate their love

of books with fellow bibliophiles. No assigned reading, no pressure, and no registration required.

Summerside Book Club

The Summerside Book Club meets for lively discussions of today’s most thought-provoking books. Pick up the latest selection at the circulation desk. The next meeting is August 23 at 2 pm at the Summerside Library (57 Central St).

Summer reading closing party

Celebrate the end of summer reading with a party at the Summerside Library, 57 Central St, on August 25 at 10:30 am.

Call for submissions: Holy Stories Anthology

The Acorn Press invites submissions for an anthology of holiday writing by PEI writers with a focus on holiday seasons such as Christmas, Yule, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Eid, Diwali, Chinese New Year, and Kwanzaa. This will be a successor to the anthology Snow Softly Falling: Holiday Stories from Prince Edward Island published by Acorn Press in 2015. There is no requirement for “Island” content; stories may be set anywhere. Writers may submit unpublished short stories, poems, and/or creative non-fiction, like personal essays. Potential contributors must have a significant PEI connection, such as being born or raised on PEI, lived on PEI for six months of the past two years, or another strong connection, such as summer residence. Potential writers should indicate their connection to PEI in the cover letter. Submission guidelines: Writers may submit up to two works of fiction and/or creative non-fiction, with a maximum of 3500 words per story. For poetry, up to five poems may be submitted, totaling no more than 10 pages. All submissions must be typed and emailed as a Word document—prose should be double-spaced, and poetry single-spaced. Submissions should also include a covering letter with the Island connection indicated, as well as an email address and phone number. Send submissions by email to Lee Ellen Pottie (lpottie@upei.ca) and Richard Lemm, co-editors. The submission deadline is February 20, 2026.

A gift of Island Poetry

ONLY THIS

and maybe high tide at the end of Wharf Road.

And a chocolate lab and golden lab in the water with their people.

And me, swimming for Nova Scotia on the most perfect afternoon of the summer, water exactly skin temperature.

Every single thing in every direction is true— the wetlands backgrounded by farms, a lowering sun, the sea.

—Deirdre Kessler

Deirdre Kessler is a Prince Edward Island poet and writer who likes to follow red clay roads that end at the shore.

Each month Bren Simmers selects a poem by an Island poet for The Buzz

Double book launch

Bookmark hosts Steven Mayoff and Hollay Ghadery

Bookmark, Charlottetown’s independent bookstore, welcomes Steven Mayoff and Hollay Ghadery for the double launch of their new books at Beaconsfield Carriage House on August 11 at 7 pm. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Steven Mayoff’s Swinging Between Water and Stone is a collection of poems comprising four sections that represent the four stages of the never-ending reincarnation cycle: birth, life, death, and rebirth. These themes recur in each section, propelling the poems the way smaller wheels turn within larger wheels. Settings, both urban and rural, imaginary and real, domestic and distant, terrestrial and astral, create a kind of existential road trip where the reader comes across signposts that lead to both the familiar and the inexplicable. The stories in Hollay Ghadery’s Widow Fantasies deftly explore the subjugation of women through the often subversive act of fantasizing. From a variety of perspectives, through a symphony of voices, Widow Fantasies immerses the reader in the domestic rural gothic, offering up unforgettable stories from the shadowed lives of girls and women.

Celtic Heritage Fair

Three-day celebration at the Irish Hall in Charlottetown

On April 18, 2025, the Benevolent Irish Society of PEI marked its 200th anniversary. Founded at the Wellington Hotel in Charlottetown, it is one of the Island’s oldest organizations on PEI, established to support Irish immigrants arriving in search of a new life.

To mark its 200th anniversary and long-standing contribution to PEI’s culture and prosperity, the BIS has been planning a series of events since 2021. These have been unfolding across the Island since April and will continue through mid-August. Among them is a family-friendly, three-day Celtic Heritage Fair at the Irish Hall in Charlottetown, running from 12 noon to 5 pm daily, August 8–10, with activities inside and outside the Hall.

Organizers are confident visitors will be intrigued by the demonstrations and learn from the historical displays inside the Irish Hall.

Indoor activities include Irish storytelling, an ancestry demonstration,

Steven Mayoff is a Montreal-born writer who has lived on PEI since 2001. His fiction, poetry, and lyrics have appeared in journals across North America and abroad. His books include Fatted Calf Blues, Our Lady of Steerage, Leonard’s Flat, and The Island Gospel According to Samson Grief. He also co-wrote Dion: A Rock Opera, which premiered at Toronto’s Coal Mine Theatre.

Hollay Ghadery is a multi-genre writer based in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario on Anishinaabe land. Her work has appeared in numerous literary magazines. She is the author of Fuse, a memoir, and Rebellion Box, a poetry collection. Hollay is also a book publicist, Poet Laureate of Scugog Township, and a leader within the League of Canadian Poets.

book readings by local authors, and demonstrations of quilting, Celtic appliqué, Clones lace, Aran knitting, and Irish crochet. Set dancing will be performed twice daily.

Visitors can also enjoy film clips with sound—The Lady Constable Famine Ship Disaster, History of the St. Patrick’s Play, The Great Fire of 1951, and The Honorable Edward Whelan Irish Cultural Centre—alongside PowerPoint displays on The Role of Women at the BIS, Long Service Awards, and major anniversaries at the BIS. Historical video clips include the UPEI 1978 Irish Exhibit and the 2010 St. Patrick’s Parade.

Outside, there will be Irish fiddle music and step dancing under the tent, the Cavendish Fry Truck, coffee and tea with traditional Irish baking, 200th-anniversary merchandise, and a prize spinning wheel for kids.

Visit benevolentirishsocietyofpei. com for more August events and info.

Thursday, August 14th

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Steven Mayoff and Hollay Ghadery

PEI BOOKS

3 Doors

Emily Ledwell

Gender-based violence happens behind closed doors—but doors can also open to home and healing. Firsttime author Emily Ledwell launches her poetry chapbook, 3 Doors, on August 22 at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown, alongside a visual art installation. The installation will be open from 1–5 pm, with a reading at 2 pm. All are welcome.

With care and artistry, 3 Doors explores violence, trauma, healing, and family through poems and videos set behind three doors from three times and places in the narrator’s life. Truthful, heartbreaking, and hopeful stories unfold from silence—reflections for survivors, and for everyone who knows survivors. And everyone does, whether they know it or not.

Admission is free. Donations to PEI Family Violence Prevention or PEI Rape and Sexual Assault Centre are welcome.

Email 3doorspoetry@gmail.com for more information.

Civil@Work:

The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Soft Skills for Business Success

Virginia McGowan PhD

Island author Virginia McGowan released her book, Civil@Work: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Soft Skills for Business Success, in July.

In a business world increasingly defined by complexity, change, and automation, one factor is proving more essential than ever: civility. In her new book, Civil@Work, Dr. McGowan, a Certified Workplace Relational Skills Practitioner and Trainer, makes a compelling, evidence-based case for why relational skills must become a core focus for forward-thinking organizations.

Drawing on years of experience as a workplace civility advocate and expert in developmental mentoring, Dr. McGowan explores how everyday incivility is silently costing businesses billions—through disengagement,

absenteeism, turnover, and lost productivity. Yet, as she argues, these costs are avoidable when companies prioritize what she calls essential skills: social and cultural intelligences, civility and citizenship, change and continuous learning, collaboration, communication, thinking skills, and adaptability/resilience.

Civil@Work outlines a practical framework for business leaders to foster civility and develop critical interpersonal competencies. With insightful case studies, personal reflections, and interactive thought experiments, the book illustrates how modern leaders—especially those managing multigenerational, multicultural, and geographically distributed teams—can foster trust, inclusion, and innovation. civilatwork.co

Mikey’s New Friends

Steve Giddings

Steve Giddings has released Mikey’s New Friends, the follow-up to his hit children’s book Mikey’s Place. This new adventure sees Mikey meeting a whole new crew of musical pals and learning about friendship, inclusion, and making music together.

Alongside the book, Giddings has created a Mikey Colouring & Activity Book, packed with fun games, creative prompts, and ways for kids to dive even deeper into the Mikey universe. But it doesn’t stop there—fans can also explore Mikey’s Beats, a free beatmaking app, and an interactive flipbook edition of Mikey’s Place that features 200 tappable sounds and seven instructional videos.

To celebrate the new release, Giddings is hitting the road with a series of pop-up book events across PEI. These family-friendly gatherings will include signings, hands-on activities, and plenty of musical fun for kids and grown-ups alike. Keep up to date with these events @Mikey’s Place (Children’s Book) on Facebook. Get the book and learn more at stevesmusicroom.com/mikeys-place.

Island author and music teacher

Mi’kmaq storytelling

Series at Basin Head Fisheries Museum

Join the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI at Basin Head Fisheries Museum this summer for the Mi’Kmaq storytelling series celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Basin Head Marine Protected Area.

This unique series celebrates the deep connection between the Mi’kmaq people and the land, highlighting the importance of preserving our marine environment.

Experience traditional Mi’kmaq performances and cultural activities, such as music, dance,

TALKS

Lunch and Lecture Series at Macphail Homestead

Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead’s Lunch and Lecture series will run on Sundays at 1 pm in August. The events feature a lunch and Island speakers presenting unique topics such as: “The PEI Women’s Institute (WI)” with Sheila Gallant (Aug 3); “The Genealogy of Janetta Macphail” with Brian Corbett and Sandra Martin (10); “A History of PEI from the Air” with Dr. Josh MacFadyen (17); and “British Home Children” with Sara Underwood (24). 271 MacPhail Park Rd, Orwell. Reservations are required at macphailhomestead.ca or 902-651-2789.

BIS 200th Anniversary Lecture Series

The Benevolent Irish Society (BIS) of PEI is celebrating 200 years of service to Islanders. Among its many events is a lecture series featuring experts on the history of the Irish on PEI and around the world, all taking place at the BIS Hall on North River Road in Charlottetown. The lineup of topics and guest speakers includes: “A Song for Edward Whelan” The Life, Death, and Afterlife of a Tragic Hero” with Dr. Ed MacDonald on August 4; “Owen Connolly (PEI’s most famous Irish Entrepreneur)” with Leonard Cusack on August 5; “The Music of Place: From Kitchen Hearth to Ceili Hall ... What the Musicians Say” with Dr. John Flood on August 6; “Lord Shelburn” with Dr. Rory Cornish on August 7; “Like the Flowering Grass” Songmaking and Singing in Prince Edward Island” with Dr. Tiber Falzett on August 11; “The Irish-language Revival Movement and Canada, 1891–1915” with Dr. Padraif O Siadhail on August 12; “A Woman’s Place is in the Home?” Women, Nationalism and the Irish Constitution”

storytelling, drumming, and crafting. For the full schedule and event details, visit mcpei.ca/events.

with Dr. Susan Brown on August 13; and “The Search for Arthur Delaney: Brendan O’Grady’s Labour of Love” with Dr. Thomas O’Grady on August 14. Admission is free, however, a good-will offering can be made. Info: benevolentirishsocietyofpei.com

History talks at Bedeque Museum

The Bedeque Area Historical Museum will host two talks on historical topics this month in the William Callbeck Centre, 950 Callbeck St, in Central Bedeque on Mondays at 7 pm. Talks include: “The Climate of Prince Edward Island from the first days of Human Habitation to the Present” with climatologist and author Don Jardine on August 4, and “Time and the Island: Islanders’ Relationships with Time and Clocks over Three Centuries” with author Dr. Doug Sobey on August 11. There is no cost to attend and all are welcome. Donations accepted.

TechNTalk

Returning for its second year and offered in communities across PEI this August, TechNTalk is a series of free information sessions aimed at empowering older Islanders to better understand their technological devices. At each TechNTalk session, adults aged 55 and older will receive a short presentation about technology by staff from Social Development and Seniors, followed by one-on-one support from student volunteers with strong tech skills. Sessions focus on everyday tech like cellphones, tablets, and laptops, as well as tips on using social media and the internet. This initiative supports the Department’s mission to help seniors age well in place by building digital confidence and independence. Sessions are free, but registration is strongly recommended. Info/register: princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/social-development-and-seniors/ techntalk

COMMUNITY #1

Natal Day 2025

Charlottetown is celebrating its 170th birthday with events on Natal Day 2025 weekend, July 31–August 3. Celebrations include a community bike ride, a pancake breakfast, a concert, and a birthday party for Charlottetown mascot, Charlie Town. Info: Charlottetown.ca/natalday

Courtside Black Culture

Bursary registration

Registration for the Courtside Black Culture Bursary opens September 8. Sponsored by Courtside Sneakers, the Courtside Black Culture Bursary awards $1000 each to three Black Prince Edward Island post-secondary students. Visit bcspei.ca for more information.

PEITN Trans+ Gardening Club

Transplants and Blooms is a project in collective tending, growing, and community-building based in PEI/Epekwitk, by and for 2S/TNBGD Islanders. TwoSpirit, Transgender, Non-binary, and Gender-diverse gardeners—and their support people—of all ages and any skill or knowledge level are welcome to join weekly club sessions. These take place at Legacy Gardens behind the PEI Farm Centre, 420 University Ave, Charlottetown, on Sunday mornings from 10 am–12 noon. Activities include workshops on gardening, climate, and community-building. Gardeners work on shared plots (#105 and #106) and learn about a different garden-related topic each week through hands-on activities. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather, as sessions are held outdoors. Some sessions may be weather-dependent. Info: kbethke@peitn.com

55+ Summer Games registration

The 55+ Summer Games will be held September 8–14 in the Town of Three Rivers. Registration is open now at pei55plusgamessociety.ca. Visit 40 Enman Crescent in Charlottetown or call 902-368-6570 for more info.

Senior of the Year

nominations open

Islanders have an opportunity to recognize a deserving resident for their contributions to the community with open nominations for the 2025 Senior Islander of the Year Award. The award celebrates the many contributions of Island seniors and promotes positive images of aging and active involvement in efforts to improve communities. Examples of contributions may include community activities and engagement, volunteering, fundraising, education, research, fitness, and recreation. Nominees must be 65 years of age or older, residents of PEI at the time of their nomination and while making their contributions, actively contributing to their community, and willing to participate in the communication and promotion of the award. Past recipients and posthumous nominations are not eligible. Visit princeedwardisland.ca/ senioroftheyear to nominate.

Camp Abegweit golf fundraiser

Camp Abegweit is holding a golf tournament fundraiser at the Rustico Resort Golf & Tennis Club on September 20. All proceeds will go towards supporting Camp Abegweit. The registration fee includes food and a $50 tax receipt. Each team will also be provided with a shared power cart. Info: golf.campabegweit.ca

Gold Cup & Saucer race

The annual Gold Cup & Saucer harness race takes place at Red Shores in Charlottetown from August 7–16. Presented by Atlantic Lottery, the trials take place on August 9, culminating in the Gold Cup & Saucer final on August 16. The grand prize is $100,000. Info: redshores.ca, 902-620-4264

Island Peace Committee

The Island Peace Committee will commemorate Hiroshima Day with a leafleting campaign. Islanders and visitors are welcome to join at 11 am on August 6 in Boulder Park, located

behind the Coles Building on Grafton Street in Charlottetown. The Island Peace Committee objects to the senseless killing of civilians in any part of the globe. Info: 902-368-7337

PEI Quilt Hang Out Day

Following the lead of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, people across PEI are invited to share and celebrate their love of quilts by displaying them outdoors for Community Quilt Hang Out Day on August 2. Quilts can be hung on a clothesline, from a deck or porch, in a window, on a lighthouse (with permission), at a business, or in any other creative location. Quilts may be the maker’s own creation, or made by a friend, family member, or someone else—whether a gift, a purchase, or a cherished find. Participants are encouraged to photograph their displayed quilt(s) and share the images on the PEI Quilt Hang Out Day Facebook and/or Instagram pages to spread the beauty. The rain date is August 4. Info: peiquilthangoutday@ gmail.com

Point Prim Lighthouse 180th anniversary

The Point Prim Lighthouse Society is hosting its annual open house and barbecue at Point Prim Lighthouse on August 16, starting at 11:30 am, in celebration of the lighthouse’s 180th anniversary. The day will include remarks from dignitaries, a history of Point Prim, a lecture on the Belfast Riot of 1847 by Professor Callum Beck, entertainment by Gordon Belsher, displays of historical banners and 150th anniversary coins, and door prizes. There will also be a community barbecue, mussels, and cake. Ice cream and strawberries will be served by the Point Prim and Mount Buchanan Women’s Institutes. A Ham Radio Activation event will be taking place throughout the day. Everyone is welcome to this free celebration. 2147 Point Prim Rd, Belfast.

Souris Genealogy Day

The 6th Annual Souris Genealogy Day, hosted by the PEI Scottish Settlers Historical Society, will be held at Silver Threads Seniors Club, 75 Main St, in Souris on August 16 at 2 pm. Myrna

Babineau will present “A Scottish Heroine: Flora MacDonald (1722–1790).” Refreshments will be served. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome.

Colonel Gray High School Class of 1980 Reunion

A drop-in celebration for the 45th reunion of 1980 Colonel Gray High School graduates takes place at the Haviland Club, 2 Haviland St., in Charlottetown on August 2 at 7 pm. The reunion will feature popular tunes from the ’70s and ’80s, a slideshow, and a few special guests—including former teachers. Father Guido Sarducci, of Saturday Night Live fame and a regular on the school’s morning announcements in 1979–80, may make an appearance. All 1980 grads are encouraged to join for a few hours of fun, reconnecting, and reminiscing. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling Barb MacLeod at 902-940-5553. Follow @Colonel Gray High School Class of 1980 Reunion on FB for updates.

Dinosaur Discovery

Families and kids of all ages can join Tim Jeffries in the auditorium of the Charlottetown Library at 97 Queen St on August 24 at 1 pm for an interactive journey into the heart of the past. Jeffries will share mind-boggling facts about dinosaurs and showcase a collection of fascinating fossils he personally excavated in the Alberta Badlands—including part of a T. rex skull. Learn the art of telling rocks from bones and uncover the answers to burning dinosaur questions.

CHANCES Park Days

CHANCES Family Centre is hosting Park Days every Thursday in August at Victoria Park from 10 am–1 pm. This free program is for parents and caregivers with children from birth to six years old. Children and their older siblings can join in for fun activities, art and sensory experiences, and a bilingual music and movement class with Madame Abbey from The Nest. A healthy snack is included. Pre-registration is recommended at chancesfamily.ca or @CHANCES Family Centre on FB.

Mental health impacts of coastal erosion survey

Lucy Li, a Master of Environmental Sciences student at UPEI and a member of the UPEI Climate Smart Lab, is seeking participants for a survey study on the mental health impacts of coastal erosion. Li is asking Islanders to complete the anonymous, five-minute online survey (forms.gle/38nLPjQ5SyyWEQpf8) by September 30. By identifying common mental health challenges and resilience strategies, Li’s project aims to inform adaptation policies and mental health services that are better aligned with the needs of at-risk coastal communities. The findings will contribute to interdisciplinary climate change discourse and help prioritize psychological resilience in coastal adaptation strategies. Info: lli6706@upei.ca; 902-316-2813

Fifty and still curious

Explore new horizons with the Seniors College of PEI

The Seniors College of PEI is preparing for a new season of courses for adults 50+. Registration opens September 3 at 9 am. Early registration is recommended to secure a spot in the most popular classes.

All course details and schedules will be available online by August 1. With over 140 courses to choose from, there is something for everyone—from literature to science, painting to carpentry. This year, there will be 30 new courses, including even more art classes.

The Seniors College of PEI isn’t a typical classroom experience. The program offers non-credit courses with no exams, papers, or requirements—just pure, pressure-free learning. Courses run anywhere from 1–8 weeks.

Members enjoy the social aspect of the Seniors College, often highlighting the welcoming, no-pressure atmosphere. Many appreciate the chance to meet new people, return to a classroom setting, and learn something new. They also consistently praise the diverse courses, skilled instructors, and engaging guest speakers.

The program operates across Queens, Kings, and Prince Counties,

making quality learning accessible throughout PEI. The one-time fee gives members unlimited access to courses over three terms.

It isn’t just about the content—it’s also about the connections. As a member said, the Seniors College is special because of “friendships that developed, interactions with presenters and students, [and] new ideas presented and explored.” Or, simply put by another: “Seniors College is awesome!”

Visit seniorscollege.ca to explore course offerings, review the “How to Register” guide, make selections, and prepare for registration day. Anyone over 50 who wants to join can pay their membership before August 27 to be entered in a membership refund draw.

For more information, call 902-8942867 or email seniorscollege@upei.ca.

Annual Mawio’mi

Lennox Island—Aug 23 & 24

from August 23 to 24 at the

This cultural gathering continues to honour the enduring legacy of the Mi’kmaq Nation through traditional drumming, dancing, and storytelling.

The Mawio’mi is a time of unity and celebration, bringing together members of Lennox Island First Nation and visitors from across Canada to share in this powerful tradition.

Visit lennoxisland.ca or follow @ lennoxislandfirstnation on social media for updates and more information.

The Lennox Island First Nation annual Mawio’mi is taking place

Lennox Island Cultural Grounds.

COMMUNITY #2

Show & Shine fundraiser

A Show and Shine fundraising event will be held at the Charlottetown Events Grounds on August 2 from 9 am–4 pm. Hosted by Sparrow Landing Tiny Homes Inc., this family-friendly fundraiser will feature automobiles of all makes and models, activities, food, a 50/50 draw, and prizes. Admission is free for kids under 12. All proceeds will go to the non-profit organization Sparrow Landing Tiny Homes to help create a tiny home community for individuals in recovery and at risk of homelessness. Email sparrowlandingtinyhomes@gmail.com for more information or to register a vehicle.

Cake & Conversation

The PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. All are welcome to drop in from 1–3 pm at the Fortune Community Centre, 220 Fortune Wharf Rd, in Souris on August 6, or at Revilo Cakes & Coffee Shop, 102 Water St, in O’Leary on August 7, for cake and refreshments. For more info, visit peistatusofwomen.ca.

Splash Week

Miltonvale Park is hosting Splash Week, a series of water-related activities to help kids cool off from the summer heat, from August 4–8 at 12 noon. Families and children are invited to stop by the park and enjoy fun, refreshing water activities. The park is located at 413 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Miltonvale.

Teen Volunteer Club

Teens interested in earning volunteer hours and joining the Teen Volunteer Club at the Charlottetown Library are invited to attend weekly meetings. The group meets on Mondays from 4–5 pm in the community kitchen to brainstorm and discuss new library programs.

Community fridges

Betty Begg-Brooks of Gifts From The

in Charlottetown, the West Royalty Community Centre, and the Stratford No Frills parking lot. Food donations can be dropped off on weekdays from 9 am–5 pm at the nearest location. Training is provided for those interested in volunteering. Shifts run from 9 am–1 pm or 1–5 pm. Monetary and food donations are also accepted during the week at the Charlottetown office (10 Maple Hills Ave). Call Betty at 902-393-0171 for after-hours drop-offs, to volunteer, or to register as a client.

Seniors Navigator

The Seniors Navigator will be at the Charlottetown Library for drop-in assistance on August 6 and 20 from 9:30 am–3:30 pm. The Seniors Navigator helps older adults access programs and services from community organizations, as well as municipal, provincial, and federal governments, more efficiently.

EAL Conversation circle

The Immigrant & Refugee Services Association PEI hosts EAL conversation circles for adults on Tuesdays at 6 pm at the Summerside Library (57 Central St), and on Thursdays at 6:30 pm and Saturdays at 10 am at the Charlottetown Library (97 Queen St). Adults interested in practicing their English language skills are encouraged to join for informal conversation. No registration is required.

PEI Autistic Adults—Peer Support Group

PEI Autistic Adults is an online and in-person peer-support group for autistic adults and seniors on PEI to talk about autism, share experiences of navigating PEI as autistic adults, and support each other. The website, peiautisticadults.com, has a public blog where members can share their views, a private discussion forum, private chat functionality, and links to their social media. PEI Autistic Adults was started by an autistic senior and currently has over 150 members ranging from students to seniors. Those who wish to participate in the meetings

but who do not wish to interact online can email peiautisticadults@gmail.com.

PEI Autistic Adults is not affiliated with any organization.

Breastfeeding information and support meeting

Pregnant individuals and new parents are invited to a breastfeeding information and support meeting on August 26 from 4:30–5:30 pm at Beaconsfield Carriage House, 2 Kent St, Charlottetown. Hosted by accredited leaders of La Leche League PEI, the session will cover topics such as preparing to breastfeed and managing challenges. All are welcome. Follow @lllc. pei on FB for updates. Info: 902-316-2167

PEI Sociable Singles

PEI Sociable Singles is a social group for individuals aged 50 and over who are separated, divorced, widowed, or unmarried. It offers members an opportunity to get out and take part in healthy group activities such as barbecues, games, meals, and outings—day or night. The group is not a dating club. Those interested in joining can attend a meet-andgreet at Gifts From the Heart, 10 Maple Hills Ave, Charlottetown, and participate in all activities for a one-month free trial. There is a yearly membership fee. Info: sociable_singles@yahoo.com

ADHD monthly meeting

A monthly discussion about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will take place at the Charlottetown Library on August 20 at 7 pm. This is a supportive space where peers can share personal experiences, seek advice on specific topics, or simply connect with others who understand the challenges of living with ADHD.

AA Secular 12-Step Group

The Alcoholics Anonymous Secular 12-Step Group meets every Thursday at 6:30 pm at the Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown. The group discusses excerpts from Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life by Joe C, using science-based content to guide informal conversations about getting and staying sober. Books are provided. Meetings last one hour, and all are welcome.

Summer is the ideal time to focus on your well-being. Make the most of your coverage this summer.

We support Individuals, Couples, First Responders, & Veterans with: Psychotherapy, Psychological Assessments, EMDR, Neurofeedback, Mindfulness, Biofeedback, DBR, and Creative Therapies.

Week Without Driving

Transit Matters

Charlottetown invites residents in and around Charlottetown to participate in this year’s Week Without Driving campaign. How would daily life change without access to a personal vehicle for a week? The Week Without Driving experience was created to give those who have the option to drive a better understanding of the daily barriers and challenges faced by non-drivers—individuals who rely on alternative forms of transportation due to disability, age, economic factors, or personal choice. Participants are encouraged to carry out all their usual activities without driving themselves, using any other form of transportation instead. The goal is that, through this experience, drivers and non-drivers alike can work together to help create a more accessible Charlottetown. Info/register: transitmatterschtown.ca

Tech Help

Tech help is available on Saturdays from 2–4 pm at the Charlottetown Library. Teen volunteers assist visitors with their devices and questions.

New program for PEI’s horticulture industry

A new Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) program is now available to PEI horticulture producers to help diversify crops, adapt to changing climates, and increase the supply of Island food products in markets across Canada. The Horticulture Diversification Program supports a variety of growth and capacity opportunities, including expanding greenhouses and controlled environment agriculture production, adopting technologies and processes to increase efficiency and productivity, as well as expanding and improving crop storage to extend the marketing season. This program is part of a suite of Sustainable CAP initiatives available to PEI producers. To learn more about the Horticulture Diversification program eligibility and guidelines, visit princeedwardisland.ca. To learn more about what else Sustainable CAP offers producers and agriculture operations on PEI, visit: scappei.princeedwardisland.ca.

The Cove Journal by JoDee Samuelson

No. 1 summer visitor

Our first summer visitor has arrived. She has been here before and may I say she is the perfect guest? Self-contained. Needs no entertainment. Helps out in the kitchen. Likes to weed and mow. Brought her own bike and violin.

She has turned us on to the Tour de France, the 112th version of this cycling spectacle being underway right now. Also, Netflix has a new series highlighting the past three seasons, and for superior bedtime entertainment I recommend lying on the couch cheering on Jonas and Tadej as they race 3500 km in the heat, up 10% grades through the snow-capped Pyrenees, around hairpin turns, through villages with red tiled roofs and cobblestone streets.

It’s exhausting. I get tired biking on our almost-level Rail Trail … where I can stop and snack on saskatoons if I want to. Or answer the call of nature.

Enough sports. Must take time for seasonal crafts. Our visitor has introduced us to the glory of Flower Pounding. Here’s how: wash and dry a white cotton shirt. Assemble equipment: a smooth wide board (e.g. cutting board), rubber mallet, parchment paper, a multitude of fresh juice-filled flowers and leaves.

Place board inside shirt. Lay one flower artistically on top, cover with parchment paper and pound lustily. When things get flat and splatty, remove paper and flower and admire. Repeat. Here are flowers that really worked: St. John’s wort, cosmos, cranesbills, pansies, violets and rose petals. Leaves: parsley (the best), vetch, timothy grass, fern tips. We found this out by experimenting on old pillowcases.

When you think you’re done, stop. We ironed our shirts and have no idea if the colors are set or not. Probably not, as we by-passed mordants and other

vital steps. Check out Flower Pounding for yourself and become an expert. I plan to pound more parsley leaves on my shirt as needed.

On the subject of plants, we’ve been waiting for flower petals to appear on our chamomile. Now it has become apparent that we are tending a lusty patch of pineapple weed. Oh well. Pineapple weed makes a mild relaxing tea so all is not lost.

We’ve had several garden failures, including carrots, beans, corn and basil. Replanting has been in vain and we blame the voracious almost-invisi ble flea beetles. Grr.

Fortunately, negative gardening thoughts can be banished by a trip to the Cove. Yesterday was spectacular— spectacular in a different way from the Pyrenees but just as compelling. The tide was out, sandbars had been turned into tent cities, and the warm spar kling water held enough hermit crabs to satisfy every child with a bucket. Contentment reigned.

We swam out till we couldn’t touch bottom, then floated around admiring the sky blue sky, thinking about noth ing. What had I been worried about? Couldn’t remember.

On our way back in, my swimming companion said, “Shall we go to the Strawberry Social tonight?” Great idea. Our summer visitor would like that too.

“I think I’ll wear my new flower t-shirt. Shall we bike there? It’s only five kilometres down the road.” Perfect.

August 14

Neil Bennett Birding Classic

Island Nature Trust and Nature PEI host 31st annual event

This fall, Island Nature Trust (INT) and Nature PEI will hold the 31st annual Neil Bennett Autumn Birding Classic on September 27 (rain date: September 28). This important citizen science event and fundraiser will see teams gather pledges and head out in the early morning to find as many bird species as possible in a 24-hour period. Species observed during autumn migration are documented, and results are published in the Island Naturalist to help researchers track changes over decades on PEI.

All funds raised will support INT’s conservation efforts on the Island. To help meet science and fundraising goals, supporters can pledge to a participating individual or team, or form a team—whether a backyard bird count group or a field team—and collect pledges in support of natural areas conservation. Those who don’t know a team but still wish to contribute are encouraged to donate to INT in honour of the Classic.

NATURE

Macphail Woods events

August can be a lovely time to escape the summer’s heat under the shade of trees or in a cool Nature Centre. Macphail Woods is offering two free events this month to help beat the heat. Participants are asked to register at macphailwoods. org. On August 2, a Family Scavenger Hunt will be held in the forest. Pets, kids, and friends are all welcome for this engaging activity on the Macphail Woods trail—a great way to explore local flora and fauna and enjoy time outdoors with the community. Jen Woods will lead the activities, starting at the Nature Centre at 10 am. Participants are encouraged to bring bug protection and water. Then on August 9, a workshop on Coastal Habitats and Krummholz Forests will take place. Daniel McRae, who has carried out extensive research on these unique ecosystems, will lead the session. Growing along exposed shores, these gnarly and fascinating forests are vital habitats for native species and serve as the Island’s natural shield against

To register or donate, visit: islandnaturetrust.ca/bennett_birding. For more information, email admin@islandnaturetrust.ca or call 902-892-7513.

coastal winds, waves, and flooding. Daniel’s presentation begins at 10 am in the Nature Centre. The walks and volunteer morning are part of a series of community activities offered year-round at Macphail. Attendees are encouraged to dress for the weather, as events go ahead rain or shine.

PEI Untamed with Kate MacQuarrie

Learn, explore, and reconnect with nature at PEI Untamed with Kate MacQuarrie. Upcoming sessions include: Edible & Medicinal Plant Walk in Coleman on August 16, Foraging with the Beach Goats in St. Chrysostome on August 18, Intro to Edible Plants Talk in Milton on September 15, Forest Ecology Walk in New Glasgow on September 20, Species and Spaces of PEI Talk in Charlottetown on September 23, and Intro to Fungi Talk in Milton on September 29. For registration details, and new original content each week, visit pei-untamed.com.

Island Nature Trust AGM

The Island Nature Trust will hold its Annual General Meeting in the Rotary Auditorium of the Charlottetown Library on September 23 from 6–8 pm. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Members and supporters alike will have an informative and inspiring evening. The event will reflect on the year’s accomplishments and look ahead to future exciting milestones in conservation. Kate MacQuarrie, renowned biologist, author, and former Executive Director of INT, will be the special guest speaker. Email admin@ islandnaturetrust.ca to submit questions for the meeting.

DANIEL MCRAE

A typical krummholz along the north shore

ETHAN HAAKMAN

Palm Warbler, Greenwich

The Nature of PEI

by Gary Schneider

A western swing

I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the western part of the province early in July. Whenever I make the trip, I wonder why I don’t do it more often. At a workshop in June, a very kind soul had asked if I would want to walk her property, as it had lots of interesting plants that I would appreciate. So, off I went.

I didn’t find the elusive ironwood trees, as post-tropical storm Fiona had made finding our way to that part of our woods impossible. But we did cross paths with lots of eastern white cedar, white ash, and round-leaved dogwood (one of our rarest native shrubs). One native plant that I actually wish was a little less common was all along the trail. I’m not a fan of poison ivy, though I assume it has a role to play in our ecosystem. Unfortunately, I’ve come out on the losing end of a few encounters with this plant.

The old saying “leaves of three, let it be” makes sense as a general scare tactic to keep people safe from this plant (though there are harmless plants with this leaf configuration). But my most humiliating encounter with this plant occurred many years ago when no leaves were present. It was on a Christmas bird count in December, when there was no catchy phrase to help me avoid doing damage to myself.

I came upon a plant with dry yellow berries, which were unfamiliar to me. As always, I collected them without knowing what they were. Not long afterwards, my arms were blistered from the chemical that seems to be in all parts of the plant. It was a painful lesson that taught me to be more careful when collecting.

While up west, I paid a visit to Black Marsh, one of my favourite places in

SALES

PEI Witch Market: Pride Edition

The PEI Witch Market: Pride Edition takes place on the Beaconsfield Carriage House lawn (2 Kent St) in Charlottetown on August 2, from 12–4 pm. Attendees can wander through a vibrant gathering of local witches, weirdlings, and wonder-makers celebrating magic, identity, and community. The market features tarot, astrology, and palm readings; creepy crafts; whimsical wares; cottagecore curios; Pride-inspired goods and queer-owned vendors; spells, potions, and more. Come for the magic, stay for the energy. All are welcome.

PEI Potters Studio Annual Fundraising Pottery Sale

the province. The very walkable, 5.5 km trail starts at the Wind Test Site at North Cape and meanders below the windmills. About half the trail is a boardwalk, making the experience extra special, and runs into an unusual natural area. Most bogs are in low-lying areas, whereas Black Marsh is perched on cliffs well above the shoreline. It is a great place to watch a wide variety of birds, from woodland warblers to sea ducks.

The gorgeous grass pinks and rose pogonias were in their glory, while the pitcher plants were a bit past their prime. But I was seeking a different quarry—bakeapple. Also known as cloudberry, this small member of the rosaecea family is famous in Newfoundland and Labrador. The plant looks like a low-growing raspberry, except that the fruit is orange. They are prized for using in jams, jellies, pies, and even cheesecakes.

I’ve only found this plant on one other property in the province and am hoping to make this lovely native a little more common. I collected fruits a few years ago, brought them back to the Macphail Woods nursery, cleaned the seeds, and planted them in a bed. Almost immediately afterwards, I came across two research papers on cloudberry describing how difficult they were to propagate. Another example of leaping before I looked. But somehow we had a germination rate of about 80 percent, higher than many of the other species we propagate. We’ll try again this year and see if we can replicate that success.

As I tell anyone who’ll listen, a visit to Black Marsh should be on everyone’s bucket list, and I suspect that as always, the closer you look, the more you will see.

The PEI Potters Studio, a not-for-profit co-op, will hold its annual fundraising sale at a new location this year: the Farm Centre (420 University Ave) in Charlottetown on August 16, from 11 am to 3 pm. Work by studio members, students, and professional potters will be available at reasonable prices. Sales are cash only. Funds raised will help the studio provide opportunities for children and adults to learn about—and enjoy— working with clay. For more info, visit peipottersstudio.ca.

Giant yard sale

Central Queens United is holding its annual giant yard sale on August 23 from 8 am–12 noon. A wide variety of items and treasures will be available at affordable prices. All proceeds support church projects. The sale goes ahead rain or shine. 19848 Rte 2, Hunter River.

Church Mouse Thrift Shop

The Church Mouse Thrift Shop (391 Nelson St, Crapaud) holds a sale every Saturday from 9 am–2 pm until the end of October. Each week features new items, including rotating selections of adult and children’s clothing, books, housewares, bedding, small furniture, collectibles, and more. Proceeds go to St. John the Evangelist Church in Crapaud. Info: 902-658-2995; @stjohnsanglicanchurch on FB

Bakeapple

TOURS

Naturalization Gallery Tour

The Cornwall and Area Watershed Group (CAWG) will give a tour of the Naturalization Gallery on August 2 at 12 noon. The Naturalization Gallery is a walking trail within the Terry Fox Sports Complex. It preserves the history of the Wabanaki–Acadian forest and showcases the native forest that once covered the Island, now sadly reduced to less than 10 per cent of PEI’s land use. The tour offers a unique chance to experience all of PEI’s native trees while walking comfortably on a gravel path. Attendees can join the CAWG crew for a tree ID lesson in addition to the tour. The gallery is located at 79 Hilltop Dr (Dream Park parking lot at Eliot River Elementary School), Cornwall.

Summer Garden Tours

The Summerside and Area Garden Club’s Summer Garden Tours showcase 18 gardens over five weeks, every Sunday from 1–4 pm. The final tour on August 3 will visit the Prince County Hospital Healing Garden (65 Roy Boates Ave, Summerside). All tours are free and open to the public. A weekly donation box supports upkeep of the Prince County Hospital courtyard garden. For details, follow the club on FB, email summersidegardenclub@gmail.com, or call 902-786-1348.

Past-Port Summerside

Founded this year, Past-Port Summerside is the city’s only dedicated historical walking tour, offering visitors and locals a chance to step back in time and explore the city’s rich heritage. Highlights include the history of iconic buildings like Town Hall and the Holman Homestead, as well as the broader story of Summerside itself. Owner and guide Brendan Ronahan brings a passion for storytelling and deep knowledge of local history, inspired by his work with the Summerside Historical Society in 2015 and 2016. Tours run Tuesday–Saturday at 10 am, 3 pm, and 6 pm, starting at the Lefurgey Cultural Centre (205 Prince St, Summerside). past-portsummerside.ca

Haunted Tours of Yeo House

Peer beyond the veil—and the exhibition ropes—with the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation’s Haunted Tours of Yeo House at the Green Park Shipbuilding Museum. Held on Tuesdays and Fridays in August, participants will learn about Victorian mourning customs, meet the Foundation’s haunted object “Wheelie,” and explore eerie legends and lore of this Victorian-era home—guided by staff who have experienced the hauntings firsthand. This program is for ages 12 and up. peimuseum.ca

Holman Island Tours

The Bedeque Area Historical Museum is offering guided walking tours of Holman Island in Summerside Harbour on August 20 and 21. During the 3 km walk at low tide, a tour guide will share the history of human activity on the island and in the surrounding harbour over the past three centuries. Booking is required at bedequemuseum@gmail.com or by calling 902-887-3009.

Summer tour program at Government House

Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor, continues its summer tour program in August. Visitors will get a glimpse of what ladies who lived in the majestic heritage house wore around 1864. The display features beautiful dresses—including day dresses and ball gowns—created by Arnold Smith, who graciously loaned them to the house for the summer. Among them is a day dress made for Mrs. Dorothy Lewis, wife of former Lieutenant Governor the Honourable Frank Lewis, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Tours are available in English and French and led by knowledgeable guides. The House is open for guided tours Monday–Friday, 10 am–3 pm, until August 29, except on provincial holidays or dates when it hosts private functions or ceremonies. Although tours are free, donations are welcome.

Summerside Heritage District

Culture Summerside brings local history to life with an engaging outdoor

exhibit along historic Water Street. This fifteen-panel display highlights the unique architectural elements that define Summerside’s Heritage District and shape the city’s built character. Take a stroll through the downtown core to explore features like balconies, towers, columns, and roundhead windows. Each panel offers insight into the form, function, and fascinating origins of these timeless details, revealing how they contribute to the city’s visual charm. At the heart of the exhibit is the Summerside Heritage District. To complement the exhibit, an interactive architectural scavenger hunt offers a fun, educational experience. Free leaflets are available at the Lefurgey Cultural Centre (205 Prince St) and the MacNaught History Centre and Archives (75 Spring St). The exhibit runs until fall. Admission is free, and all are welcome.

Historic Walking Tours

Confederation Centre of the Arts is offering historic walking tours of downtown Charlottetown. From the Island’s first inhabitants to Confederation and beyond, these tours offer a blend of Canadian history, cultural landmarks, intriguing facts, and architectural gems. The tours are led by the Heritage Players, a troupe of enthusiastic guides in period costume who bring history to life. Three tours are on offer: The Historic Great George Tour (available in English or French) explores PEI’s role in shaping Canadian history; The Ghost Tour, led by a mysterious gravedigger, is full of spooky tales from Charlottetown’s haunted past; and Inside Island History, new this year, is a cabaret-style presentation sharing fascinating Island stories. Each tour is approximately 75 minutes. For the full schedule and to book tickets, visit confederationcentre. com or call 1-800-565-0278.

Historic Irish Tours

The Benevolent Irish Society of PEI is celebrating its 200th anniversary with a series of unique events across PEI. One such event is the Historic Irish Walking Tour of Charlottetown, which highlights locations tied to Irish heritage. According to the 2021 Census, over 41,000 of the Island’s 154,000 residents claim Irish ancestry. The tour begins at the gazebo at the west end of Sydney Street (behind the Culinary Institute of Canada) and follows the boardwalk to the Irish Settlers Memorial. It continues to Bourke’s House, the dock where the Island’s only “famine ship,” The Lady Constable, arrived, the Connolly Warehouse, and 17 more historic sites. The tour lasts 1.5–2 hours at a leisurely pace and includes a souvenir booklet. It’s one of four tours offered as part of the celebration, each with its own brochure: Historic Irish Charlottetown Walking Tour; St. Patrick’s Ancestral Church Cemetery Tour; SelfDriving Historical Irish Tour of Eastern PEI; and Self-Driving Historical Irish Tour of Western PEI. The Charlottetown Irish Walking Tour and the Cemetery Tour were piloted in 2024 to enthusiastic audiences. Multiple tour dates are planned for 2025. Tickets: locarius.io/ organizations/56

Talking from Experiences by

Ashleigh Tremere

A wheel of a time

Unless you lived with me when I was eighteen, you wouldn’t know that I used to rip around on a skateboard. By rip around I mean, went from point A to point B in a very basic fashion. It was a means of travel, and one that could be taken right inside, so it never got stolen—like my bike. Though I was never any good, I still have this nostalgic spot in my brain for all things skate-related. Plus, it’s wicked cool watching folks who are skilled. Which is why I was stoked to go check out the Lot Party collaboration that happened outside Red Island Cider in Charlottetown.

The skate, cider, and art communities came together to throw an all-ages party in the parking lot. WISE Skate was there, which, if you haven’t heard, is a non-profit that offers lessons for ages 3 to 18—building inclusivity and confidence through mentoring and the positive benefits of skateboarding. A few friends whose children have been involved with their program rave about how stellar it is. They are expanding in the fall to a bigger space. Watching the wee folk get to show off their skills was pretty endearing and frankly, reminded me just how basic my skills ever became.

The place was absolutely packed. We got there about a half an hour after it started and there were already droves of folks. Sipping ciders and non alcoholic bevies, feasting on Sneaky Cheats’ delicious eats. Painting and tagging boards with supplies provided by my favourite Island Art supply store, Blank Canvas. If you have any creative urges or a person in your life with artsy leanings, you really need to go check out Blank Canvas. Their new

Sport Day on the Beach

Hosted by PEERS Alliance at Brackley Beach—Aug 16

Sport Day on the Beach, hosted by PEERS Alliance, will take place on August 16 from 10 am–4 pm at Brackley Beach PEI National Park. This event is open to all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and their allies.

Participants can enjoy a variety of casual games at their leisure, including frisbee, ring toss, bottle bash, paddleball, toss and catch, bocce ball, and more fun games to play while soaking up the sun.

Sports will also be available, such as a game of soccer on the sand, casual football, catch with baseball mitts, and a volleyball net will be set up for multiple sport use.

Attendees are encouraged to bring sunscreen, a towel, a chair, plenty of water, snacks, and beachwear suitable for a full day outdoors.

Riding to fight kids’ cancer

Mona Reck, a resident of Stratford, PEI, is planning to ride 200 kilometres and raise $1000 in August for The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in support of its 10th annual Great Cycle Challenge Canada.

Founded in 2016, Great Cycle Challenge Canada has grown to become one of the biggest cycling events in the country. Over 150,000 riders from all provinces and territories have ridden 27.9 million km, raising more than $54 million for research, care and the development of better treatments and cures for childhood cancer.

“This is the sixth time I have participated in Great Cycle Challenge,” says Mona. “During those years, I rode 2003 kilometres and raised $15,034.82. This year, I am aiming to raise $1,000 and ride 200 kilometres.”

To learn more about Mona’s Great Cycle Challenge Canada and to make a donation, visit greatcyclechallenge.ca/ riders/monareck. To participate, visit greatcyclechallenge.ca.

location is in the Confederation Court Mall and it’s beautiful. Their prices definitely rival the big box stores too. They are also excellent supporters of a lot of local community events, so go support them.

Queen Wasp was offering their cool faceless portraits. I got one of my son a while back, a precious keepsake.

In between watching tricks and live painting from other local artists, I scored a sweet, handmade leather bracelet from Chris Skinner Leatherwork. Definitely some top quality craftsmanship. Cold, hard cash was up for grabs in trick comps too. Which is a pretty sweet way to make a buck if you’re feeling confident in your grind.

I love seeing a community collaboration come together like this. Community is built through expanding relationships after all. When you take your interest or your expertise in an area and share it with folks, new connections are made. Offering space for growth and engagement with people of all ages and backgrounds is something I think really needs to be fostered. Maybe even fought for more these days. The Island’s tiniest taproom extended that space and Islanders showed up in the hundreds. I venture to say, this was an inaugural event and you should keep your eyes open for the next one.

redislandcider.com

wiseskateboarding.com

blankcanvasartsupplies.ca

@sneakycheatspei

@queenwaspart

@cskinnerleatherwork

GAMES

Charlottetown Scrabble Club

The Charlottetown Scrabble Club meets on Tuesdays from 5–8 pm at the Charlottetown Library (97 Queen St). All skill levels are welcome. Scoresheets, strategy tips, and cheat sheets are provided. Enjoy prizes and snacks. Admission is free.

Auction in Dunstaffnage

The card game Auction is played weekly on Fridays at 7:30 pm at Dunstaffnage School Centre. Admission is at the door. 13529 St. Peter’s Rd, Dunstaffnage.

AFL Sundays at Village Green

Drop in to Village Green Brewery on Sundays at 4 pm for Aussie Rules Football (AFL). Catch the Sydney Swans and learn about the Atlantic AFL League. 30 Church St, Cornwall.

Pokémon party

Kids of all ages can share their knowledge and learn more about Pokémon in the auditorium at the Charlottetown Library on August 6 and 20 at 1 pm.

Crokinole

Drop in to play a game of crokinole on August 13 and 27 at 2 pm at the Summerside Rotary Library.

Board Game Café

Bring family and friends to the Summerside Library on August 25 at

6:30 pm for an evening of board games. Bring a game or play one from the library’s collection.

Teen Summer Challenges

At the Charlottetown Library, teens can drop in throughout August to earn scratch tickets by checking out books and attending programs. Each ticket enters them into a grand prize draw or allows them to vote for a charity the library will donate to. At the Summerside Library, teens can take part in a travel-themed scavenger hunt. Find all seven planes, trains, and automobiles to reveal the secret word.

Eptek scavenger hunt

Visitors of all ages are invited to test their skills at Eptek Art & Culture Centre’s scavenger hunts. Try to find all 20 images. 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside.

ISSUE# 380 • AUGUST 2025

buzzpei.com @buzzpei

Editor: Yanik Richards

Editor: Michelle Ollerhead Website: Nakeesa Aghdasy

Partners: Maggie Lillo (Ruby Square Graphic Design), Carly Martin (Hawthorne House Media)

Contributors: Mike Bernard, Julie Bull, Dennis Ellsworth, Deirdre Kessler, Olga Oresanya, Sean McQuaid, Takako Morita, Tara Reeves, JoDee Samuelson, Gary Schneider, Bren Simmers, Ashleigh Tremere

Office: 160 Richmond Street, Charlottetown

Mail: P.O. Box 1945, Charlottetown, PE C1A7N5

Phone: 902-628-1958

E-mail: info@buzzpei.com

Social Media: @buzzpei

The Buzz is published monthly by Little Kit Bag Inc.

The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff. Compensation for errors in advertising copy which are the proven responsibility of the publisher is limited to a maximum of the cost of the placement of the advertisement.

Little Kit Bag Inc., operating as The Buzz, acknowledges that we are located on and operate on Mi’kma’ki, the traditional unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people who have lived here for many thousands of years, and who continue to live here.

COVER:

Beauty of the Island, acrylic on canvas, 16”x 20” by Olga Oresanya.

Olga Oresanya was born in Tver, Russia, and from a very young age, she was passionate about art. After high school, she pursued formal training at an art college and graduated as an art teacher with a specialization in painting. In 2002, she relocated to Lagos, Nigeria where she worked as an art teacher in primary schools for 17 years.

Outside the classroom, Oresanya developed a love for ceramics and spent a great deal of time honing her skills in a pottery studio. In 2019, she and her family moved to PEI. She reignited her passion for painting and has been actively creating art ever since.

Olga primarily focuses on painting Canadian landscapes and florals, working with acrylic paints. Her work is characterized by bold colours and heavily textured surfaces.

To see more of Olga’s art visit olgaoresanyaart.ca or on Instagram @olgaoresanyaart.

SEPTEMBER BUZZ DEADLINE

Submissions and advertising booking deadline for the September issue: Thursday, Aug 14

Advertising: sales@buzzpei.com

Editorial: info@buzzpei.com

Anniversary of St. John’s Anglican in St. Eleanor’s

St. John’s Anglican on South Drive in St. Eleanor’s is the oldest Anglican place of worship on PEI. This year marks its 200th anniversary.

To kick off the celebrations, a Memorial Hymn Sing and Flower Service will take place on August 17 at 7 pm. The weekend-long celebration

begins on August 22 at 7 pm with a Meet-and-Greet featuring special guest The Right Reverend Sandra Fyfe, Bishop of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and PEI.

On August 23, starting at 11 am, there will be a free community barbecue with games, cemetery tours, historical talks, and heritage displays. From 7–9 pm, enjoy a free evening concert with local singer-songwriter Danny Drouin.

The weekend concludes on August 24 with a service at 10 am with Bishop Fyfe, followed by cake and ice cream. For more information, call 902-8882234 or visit stmaryandstjohn.com. Celebrating 200 years

WALK/RUN/BIKE

Cornwall Run Club

The Cornwall Run Club hosts a social run every Wednesday at 6 pm, covering approximately 5 km. Runners of all skill levels are welcome. The run starts and ends at Village Green Brewery (30 Church St, Cornwall). Follow @ CornwallRunClub on FB.

Coasting Run Club

The Coasting Run Club is a free, social running group that meets on Thursdays at 7 pm in Charlottetown for a 4–5 km run, followed by a social hangout. Runners and walkers of all paces and experience levels are welcome. Follow @CoastingRunClub on IG to see the weekly route.

Brookvale Canada Cup

PEI will host its first-ever Brookvale Canada Cup at the Brookvale Activity Park, part of the Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park in North Wiltshire, from August 8–10. Known as PEI’s mountain biking mecca, the park features 22 km of single-track trails and will welcome riders of all levels from across the country. The challenging 4 km XCO course combines ski trails with technical single track, short climbs and descents, and plenty of action for spectators at the biathlon stadium. Info: cyclingpei.org/calendar

PEI Gran Fondo 2025

The PEI Gran Fondo 2025, taking place August 22–23, is a coast-to-coast cycling event featuring scenic routes, timed climbs and sprints, and distances for all levels. Rides start at the Eastlink Centre, 46 Kensington Rd, Charlottetown, at 8 am. Riders can sign up for one or both days. Friday offers three ride options with lunch included, while Saturday features a 150 km Gran Fondo and a 100 km Medio Fondo, complete with support vehicles, nutrition zones, and a post-ride banquet of fresh Island cuisine. Since 2014, the PEI Gran Fondo has welcomed riders from around the world to experience Atlantic Canada’s first Gran Fondo. Info/register: cyclingpei.org/events/ pei-gran-fondo-2025

Dusty Red Gravel Grinder

The fourth annual Dusty Red Gravel Grinder takes place on August 24 from 9 am–1 pm. Organized by Ted’s Bicycle Studio, this popular event has become a late-summer tradition for cycling enthusiasts. Riders can expect a fun day, starting at Ted’s Bicycle Studio, 41 Hollis Ave, Unit 4A, in Stratford, then heading onto PEI’s scenic red dirt roads, with multiple route options to suit different abilities and goals. Final ride distances and details will be announced soon.

Info/register: cyclingpei.org/events/ dusty-red-gravel-grinder-2025

Strathaganza 2025

Now in its 8th year, Strathaganza 2025 returns to Strathgartney Provincial Park on August 29 at 5 pm. This muchloved enduro race is all about good times, great trails, and a welcoming community of riders. What started with a simple goal—ride bikes, have fun, and hang out—still defines the spirit of the event. Everyone is welcome. Info: cyclingpei.org/events/ strathaganza2025

PEI Mussel Tear

The PEI Mussel Tear, a self-supported 430 km gravel cycling event, takes place August 30–31, starting at 10 am. The ride spans the province from end to end, beginning at the North Point Lightstation and ending at the East Point Lighthouse. Riders will pass through popular tourist spots, which will serve as re-supply points. The rest of the route offers little more than red dirt, farmland, and the sound of freewheeling. Info/register: cyclingpei. org/events/the-pei-mussel-tear

Marathon of Hope

The Terry Fox Foundation and Confederation Bridge present the Terry Fox Run on the Confederation Bridge on September 21, marking the 45th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope. For this occasion, the bridge will be exceptionally open to runners and walkers. Registration is now open and free of charge; however, advance registration is required, as no on-site registration will be available. Participants are welcome to walk or run, and parking will be provided on both sides of the bridge. To learn more, volunteer, create a team, or register to participate and fundraise, visit terryfox.org/confederationbridge.

Hope Walk for Pulmonary Fibrosis

The Charlottetown Walk for Pulmonary Fibrosis takes place at Kiwanis Field in Victoria Park, Charlottetown, on October 4. Check-in opens at 10 am, with the walk beginning at 11 am. This family-friendly event is designed to raise awareness and funds for Canadians living with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a progressive and currently incurable lung disease. The day includes lunch and entertainment, community booths and sponsor recognition, and an opportunity to connect with others affected by PF. Funds raised will support the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (CPFF). Info: p2p.onecause.com/cpffwalks/ event/charlottetown-walk-for-pf

masonry fireplace and chimney builds

factory built stainless steel chimneys and liners

wood stoves and fireplace inserts sweeps and WETT Inspections

Caisse populaire

Mario Robichaud (with: Pascal Miousse & Peter Arsenault) Joe H Henry (NS)

Arsenault, Helen Bergeron,

(with: Evelyn, Leo & Wilson)

Adrienne Gallant (with: Mylène Ouellette, Rob Doucette & Natalie LeBlanc)

Marie-Jo Thério

Melissa Gallant, Megan Bergeron & Rémi Arsenault

Richard Wood

Fiddlers’ Sons

(with: Eddy Quinn, John B. Webster & Allison Giggey)

Aubin pi la S.C.B., Trailside Music Hall (photo: Mike Bernard Photography)

DINNER THEATRE

La Veillée au Village

Village musical acadien presents La Veillée au Village dinner theatre in AbramVillage this summer. The show features comedy, music, singing, dancing, a four-course meal, and dessert. Starring Anastasia DesRoches, Dawson Arsenault, Caroline Bernard, Yves Arsenault, Jason Turbine, and Rémi Arsenault, this show is presented in French. Upcoming performance dates are July 30 and 31, and August 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 19, and 20. Admission is free for preschool children. Visit villagemusical.ca for tickets.

Believe in Your Country

New this year at the Stompin’ Tom Centre in Skinners Pond is Believe in Your Country, a Stompin’ Tom-themed dinner theatre production. Written by Erin Dunn-Keefe, this show features classic Stompin’ Tom tunes and plenty of laughs. The cast features Chad Matthews as Tom, and Danalee Lynch-Veinotte, Kurk Bernard, and Josee Gallant. Shows run every Tuesday and Thursday through August 26. For tickets, schedule, and more info, visit stompintomcentre. com, email info@stompintomcentre.com, or call 902-882-3214.

The Charlottetown Festival

Performances continue until the end of August

The 2025 Charlottetown Festival at Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown continues with performances of Chase the Ace, The Creator’s Plan, Becoming Dolly, Tell Tale Harbour, and Million Dollar Quartet

Written by Canadian playwright Mark Crawford, Chase the Ace is a solo comedy show featuring 17 colourful characters in a story of greed and small-town lottery fever. Directed by Charlottetown’s Charlotte Gowdy, the show follows a big-city radio personality forced to take a job managing a rural station after losing his position. During his first week, a global pandemic begins, and he finds himself chasing a story of municipal corrupChase the Ace opens July 30 and runs until August 9 at The Mack.

Based on the book written by Lennox Island’s Richard PellissierThe Creator’s Plan explores his coming of age as a Mi’kmaq. Richard grew up looking different from other Indigenous children, but his mother continually reminded him that he was part of the Creator’s plan and empowered him to embrace his culture, no matter what he looked like. Performed by the Mi’kmaq Heritage Actors, this story of encouragement and identity is

presented in an interactive show for all ages. The Creator’s Plan closes August 1 at The Mack.

Island performer Jessica Gallant returns with the heartfelt and high-energy cabaret show Becoming Dolly, playing at The Mack from August 13–30. Gallant takes audiences on a musical journey through the life of country music legend Dolly Parton, with toe-tapping renditions of iconic hits like “9 to 5,” “Coat of Many Colours,” “Jolene,” and more.

Alan Doyle stars in the homegrown show Tell Tale Harbour, playing at the Sobey Family Theatre until August 29. This original Canadian musical comedy is about a small Atlantic fishing harbour willing to do anything to save its community. When the opportunity arises to bring a state-of-the-art frozen french fry facility to town, there’s just one major obstacle: to secure the factory, the town must have a full-time resident doctor. Realizing this might be their last chance, the townspeople come together to charm an interim doctor into staying. Full of East Coast pride, the musical is co-written by Doyle—one of the nation’s most treasured songwriters.

The popular jukebox musical Million Dollar Quartet continues until August 30 at the Sobey Family Theatre. Set on December 4, 1956, this show recounts the extraordinary true story of the day Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins came together at Sun Records in Memphis. Their first and only time playing together became one of the greatest jam sessions in rock and roll history. The show brings that legendary night to life in a tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal, and celebration. The score features iconic songs that defined an era, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “I Walk the Line,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and more. For tickets, visit the Centre’s box office, confederationcentre.com/festival25, or call 1-800-565-0278.

Tell Tale Harbour in performance at Sobey Family Theatre

Victoria Playhouse

Victoria Playhouse is celebrating its 43rd season with programming until September 8. The 2025 lineup includes comedy, theatre, music, storytelling, and more.

Willie Nelson—A Celebration of the Man & His Music, featuring Nudie and Bobby McIsaac, is on stage this summer on select dates until August 20, with matinees at 2 pm and evening shows at 7:30 pm. An Island favourite, Nudie has toured widely across North America, performing in venues of all sizes. A natural raconteur, he’ll share the stories behind Willie’s songs and life—along with personal tales of busking and going backstage during Nelson’s 2006 Canadian tour. Joined by Bobby McIsaac on guitar and vocals, the show features a mix of Willie’s biggest hits and lesser-known gems—creating an evening of music and storytelling.

deep Island roots, from Acadian and Celtic origins to present day influences. This established group’s latest show is a cultural adventure.

and serving up cold drinks and sweet treats. All are welcome.

Sarah Hagen brings Perk Up, Pianist! to the Playhouse this summer, with performances on August 15 at 7:30 pm, and August 24 and 31 at 2 pm. Often called the next Victor Borge, Hagen has transformed her award-winning role as “concert pianist” into a stand-up—well, sit-down— comedy. Blending road stories with favourite pieces by Chopin, Debussy, and Liszt, she offers a heartfelt, humorous look inside the life of a classical musician navigating challenging times.

August also features a new work from PEI Poet Laureate Tanya Davis, part of the Playhouse’s first-ever Playwright In-Residence program. During Tanya’s two-week residency, readings will be held on August 22 and 29 at 7:30 pm. Inspired by the power of words and the impact of banning them, the play will be followed by a Q&A and discussion with Tanya.

The Ross Family Ceilidh will be presented on Mondays at 7:30 pm until September 8. Through song and story, music and dance, siblings Stephanie, Johnny, and Danielle explore their

In addition to the mainstage offerings, the Playhouse is also hosting a number of free events to help foster community and connection, including the second annual Summer Social on August 10, and the Patio Tunes series, which continues on August 30 at 1 pm with a performance by Scott Parsons at the historic Victoria Community Hall. The concession will be open

Campfire Singalong with Tunes & Tall Tales takes the stage August 23 at 1 pm. Inspired by a traditional campfire, this musical adventure features the Tunes & Tall Tales Band leading a scavenger hunt, camp setup, marshmallow roasting, songs, and stories. Kids are welcome to sing, dance, and join the fun. No gear or bug spray needed— just imagination.

Visit victoriaplayhouse.com or call 902-658-2025 for tickets and schedule.

Scott Parsons performs in the Patio Tunes series at Victoria Community Hall on August 30

Photo: Jeff Topham

THEATRE

Young at Heart Theatre auditions

Young at Heart Theatre is seeking musicians and singers for its newest production, Fascinating Country Ladies. The show will highlight female and non-binary artists who not only made their mark on the music scene but also advanced women’s and gender rights through their music and activism. While the focus is on country and folk music, artists of all musical backgrounds are welcome to apply. A commitment of 7–8 weeks will be required, beginning in mid-March 2026. The show will tour across PEI, visiting long-term care homes, community care facilities, and small halls throughout the spring. Applicants must be able to sing, play at least one instrument, and be comfortable with spoken dialogue in English. Three artists will be selected for a paid contract. Additional responsibilities include loading and unloading the tour van, setting up and tearing down a small set and instruments at each venue, and socializing with audience members after each performance. Young at Heart Theatre is committed to inclusion and equitable selection, promotion, recognition, and support of members of equity-deserving groups who lead and deliver programming. To apply, send a

resume and cover letter to catherine@ yahtheatre.com. Include contact information, number of instruments played and your level of proficiency, as well as vocal and performance experience. The application deadline is August 15. Info: yahtheatre.com

Havenwood Studios auditions

Havenwood Studios is looking for adults and kids aged eight and up to audition for Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas on August 16. All experience levels welcome. Those wanting to join can send a recent photo of themselves and a short resume or letter of interest to info@havenwoodstudios.ca.

Feast Dinner Theatres auditions

Feast Dinner Theatres will run auditions for its winter dinner theatre on August 26 at 10 am. Book an audition time or send a virtual submission to ccameron@ qualityinnpei.com by August 25 at 2 pm. Info: 902-314-3600

Acazing Amateur Night

Acazing Amateur Night takes place August 28 at 7 pm during the Evangeline Area Agricultural Exhibition and Acadian Festival. Sing a song, step dance, perform a monologue, or act out a skit— everyone is welcome. All participants will receive a prize. Spaces are limited. Register now by calling Marcia Arsenault at 902-432-0769 or emailing lpmarsenault@gmail.com.

Island Fringe Festival 2025

Save the date. The Island Fringe Festival is making a seasonal shift. For the first time ever, the 2025 edition will take place October 8–12. This year’s lineup features ten diverse productions—five from PEI, three from across Canada, and two from the United States. True to Fringe form, audiences can expect an eclectic mix of styles and genres, including dance, drama, comedy, and puppetry. Follow the Island Fringe Festival at islandfringe. com and on social media @islandfringe for the latest updates, show schedules, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and a few fun surprises.

Review by Sean McQuaid

A tale of two harbours

Tell Tale Harbour

Charlottetown Festival, Sobey Family Theatre

June 21, 2025

Some critics believe the iconic movie Casablanca (1942) gets much of its enduring allure from the sheer likeability of its characters. Apart from the Nazis almost everyone in that film is appealing, even the cads and crooks.

Sheer likeability is also part of the secret sauce that makes Charlottetown Festival musical Tell Tale Harbour so delicious, and with no Nazis to dilute that flavour—heck, no villains at all, really. Just a bunch of nice folks trying to save a nice little town from a not-sonice fate, singing some fun songs along the way.

Launched in 2022 and remounted in revamped form this summer after workshopping & rewrites, Tell Tale Harbour has returned en route to bigger things: this year’s show is a collaboration with elite theatre company Mirvish Productions, who are bringing the musical to Toronto in September after its Charlottetown run closes.

Co-created by Festival Artistic Director Adam Brazier, East Coast music icon Alan Doyle, Festival Music Director Bob Foster, and writer Edward Riche, the musical is a cheerfully reimagined adaptation of The Grand Seduction, a 2013 film about a remote Newfoundland town manipulating a physician into moving there.

The musical stars Doyle as irrepressible rascal Frank, who schemes to save his shrinking, titular hometown by attracting a frozen french fry factory; but the deal requires a local fulltime physician, so the town tries to trick visiting British doctor Chris (played by Kale Penny) into staying. Frank’s acerbic shopkeeper niece Kathleen (Melissa MacKenzie) scorns all this chicanery but falls for the sweetly awkward doctor despite herself.

“a bunch of nice folks trying to save a nice little town”

new additions AP Bautista, Karen Burthwright, Joel Cumber, Gabrielle Jones and Daniel Williston, sustaining the air of joyful community pioneered by the original cast.

A couple of new songs have been added and the script revised somewhat, but it’s largely the same charming story as before (including, alas, a silly faked-death subplot that still makes no sense and nudges the characters near implausible cartoon territory for a bit). As revised by the show’s creators and directed by Brian Hill, the 2025 show is sweeter, warmer, feistier and funnier than before.

The 2025 production is also far more ambitious as spectacle. The 2022 stage was dominated by a big stack of crates, boxes and fishing traps that housed props and backdrops and doubled as several different settings—an ingenious and versatile design, albeit a bit static and drab. It’s been replaced by set/ prop designer Michael Gianfrancesco’s ever-shifting array of independent flats, furniture, signs and bigger, fuller backdrops, plus a charming cluster of miniature houses that offer some colourful surprises with the deft aid of lighting designer Davida Tkach.

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AUG. 26-

Born showman Doyle is still the perfect Frank, and other key returning cast members include the warmly engaging Alison Woolridge as Frank’s long-suffering wife Barbara, a crowd-pleasingly over-the-top Stephen Guy-McGrath as local goofball Gord and the always-entertaining Laurie Murdoch as softhearted curmudgeon Yvon.

New romantic leads Penny and MacKenzie have charming chemistry and solid musical chops as Chris and Kathleen; Susan Henley has sharp comic timing as Yvon’s saucy soulmate Vera; Jacob Hemphill is hilarious and endearingly hapless in the nicely tweaked role of socially maladroit corporate killjoy Charles “Chip” Russet; and the rest of Tell Tale Harbour’s folksy eccentrics are capably played by

The result is a show that looks and feels bigger and brighter, more vividly evokes its varied settings and gives its cast much more room to move, so there’s more dancing and physical motion in general courtesy of choreographer Robin Calvert and company. This more kinetic staging pairs well with the show’s often high-energy music, still mixing catchy Celtic party tunes like “Payday” and “You Never Looked So Good” with softer, sweeter songs like “My Family” and “Maybe it’s Moonshine.”

Growing up as I did in a tiny PEI village getting steadily tinier, much of Tell Tale Harbour hits close to home— so perhaps I’m an easy mark for its heartfelt tale of plucky smalltown underdogs; but no matter where you come from, this earnest ode to home and family wrapped in wacky farce and rollicking music should resonate with any audience.

Performances of Tell Tale Harbour run until August 29. For tickets, visit confederationcentre.com or call the box office at 902-566-1267.

The Rainbow Fish Musical

Austin Zumbro play directed by Morgan Naylor Wagner

The Rainbow Fish Musical, written by Austin Zumbro and directed by Morgan Naylor Wagner, will be performed at Beaconsfield Carriage House, 2 Kent Street in Charlottetown, on August 6, 12, and 13 at 2:30 pm.

Adapted from the book by Marcus Pfister, this heartwarming musical is fun for the whole family. Audience members will follow the Rainbow Fish on her journey to discover that it’s far better to be admired for kindness than for beauty.

The show features members of Dance Umbrella’s Senior Musical Theatre class, with songs performed by young Island vocalists. It is produced

by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc of the United States. Tickets are available at the door.

Matt Wright & Shawn Hogan

Two nights of comedy—Aug 14 & 16

Newfoundland’s Matt Wright and Prince Edward Island’s Shawn Hogan bring the laughs with two nights of comedy: at the Courthouse Theatre in St. Peters on August 14 at 7:30 pm and Copper Bottom Brewing in Montague on August 16 at 8 pm.

Matt Wright has performed at galas for Just For Laughs, CBC, and CTV, written for six seasons of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and opened for Jerry Seinfeld at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival. A Canadian Screen Award nominee and two-time JUNO-losing comedian, he also plays The Weatherman on Son of a Critch and continues to be one of the sharpest voices in Canadian comedy.

on CBC’s Laugh Out Loud, SiriusXM’s JFL Originals, and the Halifax Comedy Festival. Most recently, he was handpicked to open for Gerry Dee on his national Best Medicine tour.

Shawn Hogan has been featured

For more information, visit coppebottombrewing.com and courthousetheatre.ca.

Performers from Dance Umbrella’s Senior Musical Theatre class

Comedians Shawn Hogan (left) and Matt Wright

DANCING

Latin social dance

Downstreet Dance is hosting a Latin social dance on the first Saturday of every month from 8–10 pm. The next event is August 2. From Salsa to Bachata, Samba to Merengue, all Latin dance styles and levels of ability are welcome. No partner necessary. Participants are encouraged to bring water and wear dancing shoes or socks. Dancers may also catch a special performance or demo class. 101 Grafton St, 2nd floor, Charlottetown. downstreetdance.com

Lorne Valley Square Dances

A square dance will take place at Lorne Valley School every Wednesday in August at 7:30 pm. Music will be provided by Allan, Ward, and Hailee MacDonald and Friends. A 50/50 draw will be held, and refreshments will be served. 922 Lorne Valley Rd, Rte 355, Lorne Valley.

Silent Disco Groove™️

Silent Groove in the Park takes place from 5:30–6:30 pm every Wednesday this summer at Victoria Park in Charlottetown until Thanksgiving. Everyone is welcome, and dancers of all abilities can join in with fun, easy steps at their own pace. Headphones and simple instructions are provided to keep everyone moving to the same groovy playlist. Text 902-327-1035 to reserve a spot. Info: getgrooved.com

Downstreet programming

Dance classes at Downstreet Dance continue in August. Tuesday classes include Beginner Bellydancing at 6:30 pm and All Levels 1940s Swing at 7:30 pm. Saturday’s class is Zumba at 10:30 am and a Blues Weekend Event (Aug 16). Sunday’s class is drop-in Tango Practica at 2 pm. 101 Grafton St, Charlottetown. downstreetdance.com

Blues Weekend Series

Downstreet Studio will host a Blues Weekend Series on August 15 and 16 with guest instructor Jill Grant from Halifax West Coast Swing. Slow drag, jukin’, and ballroomin’ styles will be

explored. This style of dance is often improvisational and reflects the blues music style of play. Some lessons will include footwork, history and development of the style, and partnering. A partner is not necessary to participate. Bring water and dancing shoes. 101 Grafton St, 2nd floor, Charlottetown.

Downstreet social dance

This month’s Downstreet social dance takes place on August 16 from 8–10 pm at 101 Grafton St, 2nd floor, Charlottetown. All dance levels and styles are welcome. Participants are encouraged to bring water and wear dancing shoes or socks. Attendees may also catch a special performance or demo class.

Volunteer at Downstreet

Volunteers are needed to keep things running smoothly at Downstreet Dance, a non-profit studio in Charlottetown. There will be a new volunteers meeting on September 10 at 6 pm. The studio offers a variety of adult classes yearround and aims to build an inclusive, active community through cultural and social dance practices. Volunteer hours can count toward various programs and may also be exchanged for free dance classes. Fill out a volunteer form at downstreetdance.com. Info: downstreetdance@gmail.com

Stand-up in the Comedy Cave

Featuring a lineup of East Coast talent—Aug 2

Stand-up in The Comedy Cave in Charlottetown is back on August 2 from 8–9:30 pm.

Hosted by Jalen MacLeod, the show features East Coast comedians Callum Mews, Scott MacLean, and Albert Coombes.

Doors open at 7 pm. The Comedy Cave is located in the lower level of The Factory, 189 Kent Street, Charlottetown.

Review by Sean McQuaid

Letter perfect

Dear Jack, Dear Louise Watermark Theatre, North Rustico July 11, 2025

Reviewing plays is a job. Not a very steady or lucrative one, but a job all the same. You take the money and you do your best to meet the deadline, stay within the word count, engage with the subject respectfully and give readers some information and insight regarding each show, ideally with a pinch of textual pizzazz.

That said, reviewing is also a privilege, a gift. You get to see a lot of shows, often for free, and you’re exposed to a wider range of actors, stories, styles and subject matter than you might ever see as a plain vanilla theatre patron, partly because you attend many plays as a reviewer that you might never have paid to see. This can lead to delightful surprises.

Watermark Theatre’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise is one such delight. The hit 2019 play penned by Tony-winner Ken Ludwig has a good reputation, and Watermark is a lovely venue with a history of excellence; but I’m not a big romantic comedy guy and the show’s concept of exchanging love letters sounded limiting, so if I hadn’t been assigned to review it, I’m not sure I would have seen it. That would have been my loss, because Watermark’s take on Ludwig’s play is a captivating treasure.

Set during World War II and based on the real-life correspondence courtship of Ludwig’s parents, DJDL features U.S. Army Captain Jack Ludwig (played here by Feast Dinner Theatre veteran Brandon Stafford), a military doctor stationed in Oregon who becomes pen pals with Louise Rabiner (played by New Brunswick native Caroline Bell), an aspiring actress and dancer in New York City. Their parents were friends and had suggested the pair might hit it off. Exchanging letters for years, the duo forms a strong emotional bond; but Jack’s wartime duties keep them apart, imperiling their nascent romance.

I’ll pause here to confess what a silly old man I am, a suggestible sentimentalist beneath my decades-deep veneer of professional detachment. This being the Ludwigs’ real-life courtship, we know Jack and Louise end up together and Jack survives the war; but the script and the superb performances of Bell & Stafford pulled me into their world and made me forget, on occasion, that the destinies of Jack and Lousie were largely settled. You feel for this couple, care for them, root for them.

Ludwig’s script doesn’t transcribe his parents’ many love letters—his

“smart, fun, often moving”

late mother burned them, deeming them too private to share—so Ludwig has lots of latitude for invention and reconfiguration, albeit all rooted in his family’s oral history. That textual freedom helps some of the couple’s intersecting letters often sound more like something akin to dialogue—an organic and oft-lively exchange, not just isolated recitation.

Having great actors bring those lines to life is another plus. Stafford leans convincingly into Jack’s stiffly subdued military medical man persona at first, broadening his emotional palette as the couple get closer and Jack loosens up via the charms of Louise and the pressures of war. It’s a smart, fun, often moving performance which Bell matches and then some.

Bell’s genuine, hilarious, heartbreaking and infinitely expressive Louise is a joyous, unpredictable marvel. Her propulsively feisty delivery has the period-appropriate, rat-a-tat rhythm of a 1940s Warner Brothers contract player—and the assertive oddball charisma of an Amy ShermanPalladino heroine, to use a more modern reference. Bell’s the best part of an altogether great production.

Other notable parts include designer Sabrina Balliana’s credible period costumes and impressive, deftly detailed split-stage set (half Louise’s home, half Jack’s barracks, with decorative handwritten letters papering the edges of the playing spaces); sound designer Rehan Lalani’s effective mix of period music and atmospheric sound effects; Ryan Rafuse’s adroitly articulate lighting design; and director Robert Tsonos ably masterminding the whole shebang, including animated, coherent blocking that uses the whole space while nimbly navigating the Watermark thrust stage’s competing sight lines.

The cherry atop this theatrical sundae, the clincher, the show’s secret weapon, is the Watermark itself. The intimacy and immersive immediacy of such a compact venue heightens the intensity of this potently emotional, irresistibly charming production, a show to be not just seen but experienced—and there’s no finer theatrical experience on PEI this summer.

Performances of Dear Jack, Dear Louise run until August 30. For tickets, visit locarius.io/organizations/26 or call the box office at 902-963-3963.

Two Tellers and Tunes

Storytellers Gary Evans and Alan Buchanan are bringing their popular show, Two Tellers and Tunes, to Florence Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown. The anecdote- and music-filled performance features The Irish Scots—Norman Stewart, Maxine MacLennan, and Courtney Hogan Chandler—and will take the stage at 7:30 pm on August 11 and 18, and September 29.

For tickets, visit hollandcollege. com/about/FSPH, email info@ticketpro.ca, or call 1-888-311-9090.

Patrick Ledwell & Friend

Comedy plus one at Trailside Music Hall

Patrick Ledwell & Friend, the best in Island stand-up comedy, takes the stage at Trailside Music Hall in Charlottetown with performances at 8 pm on select dates until August 26.

Ledwell presents the newest and best material from over a decade on stage. From the Island Summer Review to CBC’s The Debaters, he has spent years crafting hilarious stories drawn from PEI life and news headlines. Each night offers a unique mix of stand-up comedy, graphic projections, maybe a song, and a very special guest.

The July 28 and 29 performances also mark the launch of his new comedy recording, Live on P.E.I. Guests include Jenn Grant (July 28) and Vintage 2.0 (July 29).On August 4 and 5, Ledwell will be joined by his Island Summer Review partner Mark Haines, followed by Liam Corcoran and Nick Doneff of Two Hours Traffic on August 12, Shawn Hogan on August 19, and Tanya Davis on August 26.

Tickets are available at trailside.ca, by phone at 902-367-3311, or in person at Back Alley Music in Charlottetown.

Florence Simmons Performance Hall

Alan Buchanan (left) and Gary Evans

Spirited Conversations

Reading of one-act play by Kathleen MacMillan

Dr. Kathleen MacMillan, a retired Professor of Nursing, author, and former Board member of the Macphail Foundation, has written a one act play, entitled Spirited Conversations Set on the Macphail Homestead, the play presents an imagined dialogue between the ghosts of three women: Georgina (Burland) Macphail; Lucy Maud Montgomery; and Margaret MacMillan.

The play explores how women’s lives in Canada changed from the late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, focusing on the impact of class, education, careers, childcare, and marital relationships in defining their roles. These changes are examined through the lives and experiences of three women—each connected to Prince Edward Island and Canadian literature—who never met in real life.

Georgina Macphail (1869-1902) was married to Sir Andrew. She died young leaving two small children. The daughter of a wealthy Montreal businessman, her short life was circumscribed by

fixed expectations for upper middle-class women of the 19th century with firm ideas about women’s roles and acceptable social behaviour.

Lucy Maud Montgomery (18741942), the famous writer of Anne of Green Gables displays an air of sadness and regret. She is proud of her literary accomplishments and fame as an author. She strides the 19th and 20th century roles for women and, as such, was challenged and often resentful as she tried to balance ambition and cultural expectations for a woman of her time.

Margaret MacMillan (1889-1974) was born in the USA and married to an Islander. She came of age in the early days of a new era and had many opportunities and advantages that helped develop her self-confidence and independence.

These three women have an imagined conversation through a fictional contemporary woman who makes her living hosting seances. The setting is a tea party attended by these women and highlights the influence the times have had on women.

The play will be performed/read by the actors in the Great Room of the Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead on August 6 and 13 at 1 pm. The reading will be followed by tea and sweets. Reservations can be made online at macphailhomestead.com or by calling 902-651-2789.

Review by Sean McQuaid

A haunting in North Rustico

Woman in Black Watermark Theatre, North Rustico July 14, 2025

I’ve always liked ghosts. I may have met one once, a long time ago in a place that no longer exists; but mostly I just see them in books, movies, dreams—and sometimes, on stage. Theatres are perfect places for ghosts, dark spaces steeped in imagination and thick with memories of innumerable stories, characters and performers.

The Watermark (originally the Montgomery Theatre) is relatively young, so it hasn’t as many real-life ghost stories as some of its older peers, like the historic Kings Playhouse in Georgetown; but its North Rustico stage has hosted some of my favourite spectral spectacles, like 2011’s hauntingly superb An Inspector Calls or Rex McCarville’s indelibly chilling 2015 turn as Jacob Marley’s ghost in A Christmas Carol

“the moment is disturbingly effective”

Sabrina Balliana (set/costumes), Rehan Lalani (sound) and Ryan Rafuse (lighting). It’s a deft, atmospheric rendering of the Hill/Mallatratt tale, albeit more often eerie than scary.

The underlying story remains a solid chiller—Kipps visiting a seaside country town to settle the estate of a recently deceased reclusive old widow, her weird old misty marshland house reachable only by a causeway that disappears at high tide, the house and town haunted by a bleak, black wraith of “desperate, yearning malevolence”—but the Watermark version’s horror feels a bit muted in spots.

VISUAL ARTS

CHORAL MUSIC

The venue has fielded further phantasms since then—ACT’s West Moon and The Weir, multiple versions of A Christmas Carol—and is swooping back into supernatural territory with this summer’s The Woman in Black, an enduringly popular theatrical ghost story.

Originally a 1983 gothic horror novel by UK writer Susan Hill, The Woman in Black was adapted repeatedly for TV, radio and film. Hill’s tale of a young lawyer’s supernatural travails at an isolated English country estate was adapted for the stage in 1987 by Stephen Mallatratt. The show’s West End run lasted 33 years and over 13,000 performances before giving up the ghost in 2023.

Mallatratt’s adaptation boils the story down to a tiny cast in a single set by converting Hill’s plot into a playwithin-a-play staged at a Victorian theatre. In this version, many years after his ghostly misadventure, lawyer Arthur Kipps teams with an unidentified professional actor to stage a play about it in hopes of putting his fears behind him. “I cannot carry the burden any longer,” says Arthur. “It must be told.”

In this play-within-a-play, the actor plays Kipps and the real Kipps plays the supporting roles. Since their rehearsal fills most of Mallatratt’s text, the professional actor is identified as “Kipps” in the script and in the Mallatratt play’s credits, while the script and credits call the real Kipps “The Actor” in an odd reversal or blending of their true identities.

Watermark’s production, starring Brandon Stafford as “Kipps” and Paul Van Dyck as “The Actor,” is directed by Rahul Gandhi and designed by

The Watermark’s small playing space is a factor, but only slightly; Mallatratt’s play has graced widely varied venues, after all, and was first staged in a British pub. As “Kipps” tells the real Kipps regarding parts of the story they lack the resources to show, the key is the imagination of both performers and audience. Stafford excels in this regard. When as “Kipps” he struggles desperately to save a dog from drowning in the marsh, there’s no dog, no marsh, no nothing, just Stafford flailing and pleading, but the moment is disturbingly effective because he sells it with such anguished feeling.

Stafford is the show’s strongest asset in this vein, reinforcing the story’s tenuous meta-theatrical reality through sheer, vivid force of personality, whether as the cocky unnamed actor or the callow fictional “Kipps.” Van Dyck is often quite good as the sympathetically sadder-but-wiser true Kipps, though his supporting parts as “The Actor” blur together a little at times.

The thrust stage’s conflicting sight lines feel a bit tangled, but the show is technically strong for the most part: the set’s understatedly creepy mix of theatre and haunted house elements, the well-deployed fogs and mists, the period costumes, the evocative lighting, a menacingly lush soundscape, some old-fashioned jump scares and low-key special effects all dial up the spookiness. And who or what is that dark lady we glimpse in the shadows? As “Kipps” warns us, “Such things one must face.”

Performances of The Woman in Black run until August 29. For tickets, visit locarius.io/organizations/26 or call the box office at 902-963-3963.

400th Island Jazz show

Celebrating 9 years of weekly performances

On August 7, Island Jazz presents its 400th live jazz show at Baba’s Lounge. Since 2016, Island Jazz has showcased the value of live improvisation and spontaneity in music. For nine seasons now, Island Jazz has presented weekly shows every Thursday night at Baba’s, featuring musicians from a variety of backgrounds performing original music, jazz standards, pop hits, and favourites from a wide range of genres and styles.

Island Jazz casts a pretty wide definition of jazz—the focus is on improvisation in any genre. Audiences hear music by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, and Pat Metheny, but also music by James Taylor, Tom Waits, Motown, The Beatles, Radiohead, Vulfpeck, Scary Pockets, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Simon, Gene MacLellan, Billy Joel, and more. Musicians listen intently to each other live on stage, opening up the forms for organic improvisation.

Island Jazz provides opportunities for a wide variety of players—from regional jazz stars to local pros and emerging student musicians—to perform for an appreciative local audience in an intimate setting. Every show features a different group performing in a wide variety of styles—classic and modern jazz, but also R&B, soul, funk, rock, singer-songwriter, roots, gypsy, Latin jazz, and more.

Across 400 shows, Island Jazz has provided more than 2000 performance opportunities for PEI musicians, and has presented top-tier Canadian talent on tour. Notable guests include Chet and Jim Doxas; Michael Occhipinti from Ontario; Angela Verbrugge and Ashley Wey from BC; Chad Bell, Glen Deveau, Denis Surrette, and Joel Miller from NB; and Sam Wilson and Andrew Jackson from NS.

Baba’s Lounge has partnered with

Island Jazz since the first Thursday in 2016. Baba’s has been an incubator of live music for over 30 years.

“We are so happy that we can contribute to the jazz scene in Charlottetown,” says owner Ryan Abdallah. “[Island Jazz] is a celebration of the wonderful musical talent in PEI and Atlantic Canada.”

Featured local artists have included Ian Toms, Ken Fornetran, Dan Rowswell, Sean Ferris, Alan Dowling, Deryl Gallant, Kelley Mooney, Mark Haines, Groove Company, Sean Kemp, Jacob Reddin, Chris Corrigan, Lucia Dostal, Ceili Gallante, Liam Corcoran, Dan Doiron, Trio from Mars, Adam Hill, Paulina Hernandez, Jordan Taylor, Carlie Howell, and many more, along with numerous music university, college, and high school students.

Baba’s Lounge is located at 181 Great George Street in Charlottetown.

Island Jazz at Baba’s starts just after 8 pm every Thursday night and runs until around 10:15 pm. For more information, visit @islandjazzpei on social media or call 902-388-6042.

(L–R): Island Jazz at Baba’s Lounge in 2019: Ian Toms, Dan Rowswell, and Chris Martel; missing from photo: Mat MacEachern

Route 15, Brackley Beach, PEI Only 15min. from Charlottetown

PERFORMANCE

music, theatre, dance, comedy...

Mondays | 8 pm

Rat Tales Comedy Night

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

›› until Aug 1

The Creator’s Plan

The Mack, Charlottetown

›› until Aug 14 | select dates

Highland Storm

Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

›› until Aug 20 | select dates

La Veillée au Village

French language dinner theatre. Village musical acadien, Abram-Village

›› until Aug 26 | Tues/Thu

Dinner Theatre: Believe in Your Country

Stompin’ Tom Centre, Skinners Pond

›› until Aug 28 | select dates

Inside American Pie

Harmony House, Hunter River

›› until Aug 29 | select dates

The Woman in Black Watermark Theatre, North Rustico

›› until Aug 29 | select dates

Tell Tale Harbour

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

›› until Aug 30 | select dates

Million Dollar Quartet

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

›› until Aug 30 | select dates

Dear Jack, Dear Louise

Watermark Theatre, North Rustico

›› until Sept 6 | select dates

Ladies of the Canyon

Ft. Brielle Ansems, Joce Reyome, Alicia Toner, and Keelin Wedge. Harmony House, Hunter River

›› until Oct 15 | select dates

Anne & Gilbert—The Musical

Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

July 30 | 7:30 pm

Montreal Guitar Trio (MG3)

The Courthouse Theatre, St. Peters Bay

July 30 | 7:30 pm

Shoreline Showgirls Drag

Show Kings Playhouse, Georgetown

July 30– Aug 9 | select dates

Chase the Ace

The Mack, Charlottetown

July 31 | 6:30 pm

Fraggle Rockers

Morell Summer Concert Series. Leo Rossiter Park Pavilion, Morell

July 31 | 7:30 pm

James Mullinger Live!

The Courthouse Theatre, St. Peters Bay

July 31 | 7:30 pm

The Burning Hell & Shotgun

Jimmie: Never Work

Souris Show Hall, Souris

July 31 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Nathan Wright with Corduroy

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

July 31 | 8 pm

Kelley Mooney and Route 225

Tribute to Bonnie Raitt. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

July 31–Aug 3

The 2025 River Clyde Pageant

New Glasgow

Aug 1 | 7 pm

Polky

Double Hill Cidery, Calendonia

Aug 1 | 7 pm

Hezron: Man on a Mission Tour

Royal Canadian Legion, Souris

Aug 1 | 7 pm

Sunset Outdoor Concert:

John Connolly, Nick Gauthier

With Norman Stewart, Sheila MacKenzie, and Abbie Bell. Selkirk Scottish Heritage Centre, Belfast

Aug 1 | 7:30 pm

Midsummer Magic: Measha Brueggergosman-Lee

Under the Spire, Kensington

Aug 1 | 8 pm

Quittin’ Time

Tribute to Zach Bryan. Trailside Music Hall

Aug 1 | 8 pm

Irish Mythen

The Fiddling Fisherman Lookout, Souris

Aug 1–2 | 7:30 pm

A Kind of Magic: A Night of Queen

Craig Fair Productions. Kings Playhouse, Georgetown

Aug 2 | 7 pm

Kiwi Jr.

With special guests Absolute Losers and Heather. PEI Brewing Company, Charlottetown

Aug 2 | 8 pm

Brooke & Brad Play Country Classics

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 3 | 7 pm

Mont-Carmel Music Series

Ft. Mario Robichaud (with Pascal Miousse & Peter Arsenault); Joe H. Henry; and Gilbert Arsenault, Helen Bergeron, and Samantha & Nick Arsenault. Mont-Carmel Parish Hall, Mont-Carmel

Aug 3 | 7:30 pm

Lawrence Maxwell

Rock Barra Artist Retreat, Souris

Aug 3 | 7:30 pm

Midsummer Magic: Julie Nesrallah

Under the Spire, Kensington

Aug 3 | 8 pm

Richard Wood & dancers

Stompin’ Tom Centre, Skinners Pond

Aug 3–5

Festival Route 11

Union Corner Park Road, Mont-Carmel festivalroute11.com

Aug 3, 10, 17 | 2 pm

Aug 6, 13, 20 | 7:30 pm

Willie Nelson–A Celebration of the Man and His Music

Ft. Nudie. Victoria Playhouse, Victoria

Aug 3, 17, 24, 31 | 8 pm

The Summer Side of Lightfoot: A Celebration of the Man and His Music

Ft. Nudie. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 4 | 7:30 pm

Sophie Ogilvie, Jeanne Marceau & Shane Pendergast Beaconsfield Carriage House, Charlottetown

Aug 4 | 8 pm

Half Moon Run

PEI Brewing Company, Charlottetown

Aug 4–5 | 8 pm

Patrick Ledwell and Friend

With guest Mark Haines. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 4, 11, 12

The Old Blue Bus

On the Road to a Dream. Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Aug 5, 6

Janey-Lynn Perrier and Leo Marchildon

Pipe Organ Concert Series.

Aug 5, 1 pm: St. Dunstan’s Basilica, Charlottetown

Aug 6, 7 pm: St. Simon and St. Jude, Tignish

Aug 5, 12, 19, 26 | 7:30 pm

Kings Ceilidh–A PEI Kitchen Party

Kings Playhouse, Georgetown

Aug 6 | 2:30 pm

The Rainbow Fish Musical Beaconsfield Carriage House, Charlottetown

Aug 7 | 12:10 pm

Nathan Wright and Jacob Reddin

Recital series (saxophone and trombone). Kirk of St. James, Charlottetown

Aug 7 | 7:30 pm

Richard Wood & Friends

Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Aug 7 | 7:30 pm

Montuno Cubano Duo With Luisa Güiza. Souris Show Hall, Souris

Aug 7 | 8 pm

Island Jazz Show #400 Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Aug 7–9 | 8 pm

Life in the Fast Lane: A Night of The Eagles

Craig Fair Productions. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 7–10

Cloggeroo

Various venues, Three Rivers cloggeroo.com

Aug 8 | 7:30 pm

Meaghan Smith

The Lil Red Schoolhouse Music Series. PEI Fox Den, North Bedeque

Aug 8 | 7:30 pm

The Ennis Sisters

Under the Spire, Kensington

Under the Spire

World-class

music at Historic St. Mary’s

This August, audiences are invited to enjoy an unforgettable musical experience at Under the Spire, one of PEI’s most beloved concert venues. Located just outside Kensington, this historic space transforms every performance into something truly special.

The August lineup celebrates the richness of live music. Folk highlights include performances by the Ennis Sisters, Rose Cousins, Heather Rankin, Inn Echo, and an Acadian Kitchen Party to bring down the house.

For classical music fans, the month begins in spectacular fashion with

Midsummer Magic Weekend

1 and 3, featuring celebrated Canadian vocalists Measha BrueggergosmanLee and Julie Nesrallah. Later in the month, audiences can look forward to soprano Tracy Cantin, the Maritime Brass Quintet, and a special program by the Bayfield String Quartet reimag ining East Coast favourites.

Now in its 30th season, Under the Spire continues to support and showcase the best in Canadian and international music. Full concert listings and tickets are available at underthespire.ca or by calling 902-836-3733.

Pipe organ concert series

Tuesday afternoons and Wednesday evenings

The pipe organ summer concert series showcasing two of the Island’s magnificent pipe organs returns in August. On Tuesday afternoons at 1 pm at St. Dunstan’s Basilica in Charlottetown, and again on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm at the Church of St. Simon and St. Jude in Tignish, people can enjoy the beauty of these churches while listening to the enveloping sound of dramatic organ music along with the voices of accomplished singers.

The first concerts take place August 5 and 6 and feature Newfoundland soprano Janey-Lynn Perrier, a graduate of the UPEI music program who has recently been selected to represent PEI in the National Music Festival in Sackville, NB.

Tignish-born soprano Robyn Perry

explores the myriad expressions of “love” through art song on August 12 and 13.

On August 19 and 20, local conductor, teacher, and vocalist Travis Boudreau presents an eclectic selection of music for voice and organ ranging from the known to the unconventional.

All three of these concerts are accompanied by Basilica organist Leo Marchildon, who will be performing at least one of the great organ masterworks at each concert.

Finally, on August 26 and 27, Leo’s former student Jason Chen showcases his progress as a young professional concert organist in an eclectic program ranging from Bach to Vierne. Concerts last about an hour and admission is by donation.

Julie Nesrallah (left) and Measha Brueggergosman-Lee

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

(L–R): Jason Chen, Janey-Lynn Perrier, Leo Marchildon, Travis Boudreau, and Robyn Perry

Pr o gr am Hi ghlig ht s Pr o gr am Hi ghlig ht s

Provincial Horse Pulling Championship Provincial Horse Pulling Championship

National Acadian Day

Celebrations in Charlottetown—Aug 15

Rubber Boot Throwing Competitions

Rubber Boot Throwing Competitions

Lobster Eating Competition Lobster Eating Competition

Woodsmen and Fishermen Competitions

Woodsmen and Fishermen Competitions

Parade at p.m.

Parade at 12 p.m.

Potato Peeling and Knitting Competitions

Potato Peeling and Knitting

Judging of grains, roots & vegetables, fruits & flowers, Judging grains, roots & vegetables, fruits & flowers, arts & handicrafts, and domestic sciences

arts & handicrafts, and domestic sciences

Presented by the Société Nationale de l’Acadie (SNA), in partnership with the Carrefour de l’Isle-Saint-Jean and Productions du Milieu, the 2025 National Acadian Day celebrations will take place on August 15 at the PEI Convention Centre in Charlottetown. The nationally televised concert on Radio-Canada will spotlight a lineup of artists reflecting the richness of Acadian culture, including: Zachary Richard, Marie-Jo Thério, Louis Michot, Baie, Marc à Paul à Jos, Vishtèn, Denique Leblanc, Lilianne Cormier, Sirène et Matelot, and Port-aux-Poutines.

Acadian Festival Road Race

Acadian Festival Road Race

Acazing Talent Show Acazing Talent Show Horse Shows Horse

Holstein Futurity Show Holstein Futurity Show

4-H Competitions 4-H Competitions

Co-hosting the evening are two well-known Acadian personalities: Marcella Richard and Patricia Richard.

PEI Youth Talent Competition Finals

PEI Youth Talent Competition Finals Cow Bingo Cow Bingo Bingo Bingo

Festivities begin with the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade. A lively Acadian Tintamarre will join the parade, featuring community members, Acadian-themed floats, and the distribution of small Acadian flags.

Art Richard – Tintamarre – Kids Show!

Art Richard – Tintamarre – Kids Show!

Acrobatic and circus show with Vague de Cirque

Acrobatic and circus show with Vague de Cirque

Friday Night Dance with Daniel Hébert

Friday Night Dance with Daniel Hébert (Danny & The (Danny & The Boys) Boys), followed by Aubin pi la S.C.B. , followed by Aubin pi la S.C.B.

Saturday Afternoon Music show with Nick Arsenault and

Saturday Afternoon Music show with Nick Arsenault and his musicians, followed by Karine Gallant and family his musicians, followed by Karine Gallant and family

Saturday Night Dance with Beauxmont

Saturday Night Dance with Beauxmont

Sunday Afternoon Fiddling and Stepdancing Show

Sunday Afternoon Fiddling and Stepdancing Show

Sunday Night Closing Concert with various musicians

Sunday Night Closing Concert with various musicians

ACADIAN FEAST WITH LOBSTER & ENTER TAINMENT

This bilingual family-friendly lobster supper features traditional Acadian dishes, and high-energy musical entertainment by Jonathan and Louise Arsenault!

August 29th at 5:30 p.m. at the Village musical acadien. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

From 12:30 pm, Confederation Landing Park will host a free family celebration with live music (La fin du siècles, Mama et les boys, Nathalie Arsenault et Aubin pis la SCB), animation, games, food, and the unmistakable Acadian joie de vivre. The official event t-shirt will be distributed before and during the event. An oversized Acadian flag will be on display for attendees to sign with their hometowns. This symbolic flag will later be carried to the evening concert.

At 5:15 pm, the official ceremonies will take place, including the raising of the Acadian flag and speeches by

community leaders and elected officials. This will be followed by the traditional tintamarre at 5:55 pm, starting from Confederation Landing Park and ending at the Delta Hotel.

Starting at 7:45 pm, the public will gather at the Delta Hotel Convention Centre for an exclusive pre-show featuring Louis Michot and special guests. At 9 pm, the televised concert will be broadcast on ICI TÉLÉ and ARTV, followed by a festive after-party with Vishtèn and guests—a modern take on the classic “kitchen party” to close out the day.

More than just a concert, this event is a national celebration of Acadian culture—televised and accessible to audiences across the country.

Mont-Carmel Summer Music

Sunday concert series continues in August

The Mont-Carmel Summer Music Series concerts continue on Sundays in August at 7 pm at the Mont-Carmel Parish Hall.

The August 3 concert will feature performances by Mario Robichaud (with Pascal Miousse & Peter Arsenault); Joe H. Henry (NS); and Gilbert Arsenault, Helen Bergeron, and Samantha and Nick Arsenault.

The August 10 performance will feature Adrienne Gallant (with Mylène Ouellette, Rob Doucette & Natalie LeBlanc); Jordan LeClair (with Evelyn, Leo & Wilson); and Luka Hall &

Karson McKeown.

On August 17, the performers are Marie-Jo Thério (NB); Lawrence Maxwell; and Melissa Gallant, Megan Bergeron, and Rémi Arsenault.

The August 24 concert will feature Hirondelles (NS); Fiddlers’ Sons (with Eddy Quinn, John B. Webster & Allison Giggey); and Richard Wood.

Visit cooperativeculturelledemontcarmel.com for more information or to purchase tickets. Admission is free for preschoolers.

The hall is located at 5786 Route 11, Mont-Carmel.

Zachary Richard

Jazz duo performance

Kirk MacDonald and Bruce Barth at St. Paul’s—Aug 13

Island Jazz presents saxophonist and composer Kirk MacDonald in a duo with acclaimed NYC pianist Bruce Barth for a concert at St. Paul’s in Charlottetown this month.

Kirk MacDonald is joining forces with renowned New York pianist, composer, and educator Bruce Barth for a series of performances across Canada, with the duo performing in PEI on August 13 at 7:30 pm. St. Paul’s is one of the best-sounding venues for jazz in Atlantic Canada.

Kirk MacDonald is one of Canada’s most acclaimed jazz saxophonists and composers, a two-time JUNO Award winner with over 60 recordings to his name, including 18 as a leader. His accolades include an ECMA Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Toronto Musicians’ Association, and honours from the Montreal Jazz Festival and Humber College, where he is a celebrated educator. MacDonald has performed and recorded extensively with top musicians across

Noon Hour

Recital Series

Weekly performances continue at The Kirk

The Kirk’s Noon Hour Recital Series continues in August with performances on Thursdays from 12:10–12:50 pm. Music Director Frances McBurnie will serve as piano collaborator for each recital, with the exception of August 14.

The recital on August 7 will feature Jacob Reddin (trombone) and Nathan Wright (saxophone), with Frances McBurnie on piano.

On August 14, Janey-Lynn Perrier (soprano) and Josie Thibodeau (trombone and euphonium) will perform, with Morgan Saulnier on piano.

On August 21, Alexandra Sorensen (soprano) will perform, with Frances McBurnie on piano.

Canada, the US, and Europe, touring globally and appearing at major jazz venues like Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Ronnie Scott’s, and Duc des Lombards.

Bruce Barth has been a major force in the New York jazz scene since the late 1980s, performing with legends like Stanley Turrentine and Terence Blanchard. He has played leading venues worldwide, including the Kennedy Center and the Village Vanguard, and recorded over 135 albums, including 17 as a leader. A long-time member of the Terell Stafford Quartet, Barth has also worked with artists such as Tony Bennett, Phil Woods, and Branford Marsalis. He teaches at Temple and Columbia Universities and is known for his global master classes and deep commitment to jazz education.

Advance tickets are available at eventbrite.ca. For more information, visit kirkmacdonald.com, brucebarthmusic.com, or follow @islandjazzpei on socials.

Soprano Alexandra Sorensen

The final recital, on August 28, will feature Shaw Nicholson (trumpet), with Frances McBurnie on piano.

Admission is free. Donations to the Kirk’s Choral Scholarships are greatly appreciated.

The Kirk of St. James is located at 35 Fitzroy Street, Charlottetown.

SING

Interested?

confederationcentre.com/choir

SUBMITTED

Bruce Barth (left) and Kirk MacDonald

PERFORMANCE

music, theatre, dance, comedy...

…continued from page B10

Aug 8 | 7:30 pm

For The Girls

Ft. Whitney Rose. Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlotteown

Aug 8 | 8 pm

Beolach

The Fiddling Fisherman Lookout, Souris

Aug 8 | 8 pm

Comedian Allyson June Smith

With host Tanya Nicolle. The Old Triangle, Charlottetown

Aug 9 | 7:30 pm

An Evening with Elvis: Remembering The King

Milton Community Hall, North Milton

Aug 9 | 7:30 pm

John McDermott: Raised on Songs & Stories

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Aug 9 | 8 pm

Joey, Jamie, & Kurk Band

Stompin’ Tom Centre, Skinners Pond

Aug 9, 14 | 8 pm

Richard Wood & Friends

Presented by Benevolent Irish Society. Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 10 | 2 pm

The Bachelorette Party Courthouse Theatre, St. Peter’s Bay

Aug 10 | 2:30 pm

Island Jazz at the Movies: Chicago 1927

Milton Community Hall, Milton

Aug 10 | 3 pm

Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes

Benefit for Darcy Thibodeau. Stompin’ Tom Centre, Skinners Pond

Aug 10 | 7 pm

Dino and the Harmonies

Gospel concert. Winsloe United, Winsloe

Aug 10 | 7 pm

Mont-Carmel Music Series

Ft. Adrienne Gallant (with Mylène Ouellette, Rob Doucette & Natalie LeBlanc); Jordan LeClair (with Evelyn, Leo & Wilson); and Luka Hall & Karson McKeown. MontCarmel Parish Hall, Mont-Carmel

Aug 10 | 7:30 pm

Shane Pendergast

Rock Barra Artist Retreat, Souris

Aug 10 | 7:30 pm

Jen Chapin

Souris Show Hall, Souris

Aug 10 | 7:30 pm

Tracy Cantin & Friends

Under the Spire, Kensington

Aug 10 | 7:30 pm

Watermark Music Series:

Swingin’ with the Rat Pack Watermark Theatre, North Rustico

Aug 10 | 8 pm

Nolan Compton with band Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 11 | 7:30 pm

Two Tellers and Tunes

Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 11 | 8 pm

Housewife with Moira and Claire

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 12 | 7:30 pm

Richard Wood & Friends

Presented by Benevolent Irish Society. Souris Show Hall, Souris

Aug 12 | 8 pm

Patrick Ledwell and Friend

With guests Liam Corcoran and Nick Doneff. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 12–13 | 2:30 pm

The Rainbow Fish Musical Beaconsfield Carriage House, Charlottetown

Aug 12, 13

Robyn Perry and Leo Marchildon

Pipe Organ Concert Series. Aug 12, 1 pm: St. Dunstan’s Basilica, Charlottetown

Aug 13, 7 pm: St. Simon and St. Jude, Tignish

Aug 13 | 7:30 pm

Georgetown Hootenanny

Hosted by Taylor Johnson. Kings Playhouse, Georgetown

Aug 13 | 8 pm

Kirk MacDonald Bruce Barth Duo

Presented by Island Jazz. St. Paul’s, Charlottetown

Aug 13 | 8 pm

An Evening with the Ellis Family Band & Fiddlers’ Sons Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Aug 13–30 | select dates

Becoming Dolly Mack Theatre, Charlottetown

Aug 14 | 12:10 pm

Janey-Lynn Perrier and Josie Thibodeau

Recital series (soprano and trombone/euphonium). Kirk of St. James, Charlottetown

Aug 14

Terry Kelly: Tunes and Tales from the Songwriter’s Heart Box Car Pub & Grill, Emerald

Aug 14 | 7:30 pm

David Francey Souris Show Hall, Souris

Aug 14 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Caedda Enright and Sean Ferris

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Aug 14 | 8 pm

Slowcoaster and Umbrella Collective

With DMayne Event. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 14–16 | 7:30 pm

Yesterday: The Magic of The Beatles

Craig Fair Productions. PEI Brewing Company, Charlottetown

Aug 14, 16

An Evening of Comedy with Shawn Hogan and Matt Wright

Aug 14, 7:30 pm: Courthouse Theatre, St. Peter’s Bay

Aug 16, 8 pm: Copper Bottom Brewing, Montague

Aug 15 | 7:30 pm

Rose Cousins Trio Under the Spire, Kensington

Aug 15 | 7:30 pm

The Liverpool 4 Canada’s Tribute to The Beatles. Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Aug 15 | 8 pm

After Hours Band

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 15 | 8 pm

Dave Gunning

The Fiddling Fisherman Lookout, Souris

Aug 15 | 12:30 pm/9 pm

National Acadian Day

12:30 pm: Ft. La fin du siècles, Mama et les boys, Nathalie Arsenault et Aubin pis la S.C.B. Confederation Landing Park, Charlottetown

9 pm: Nationally televised concert ft. Zachary Richard, Marie-Jo Thério, Louis Michot, Baie, Marc à Paul à Jos, Vishtèn, Denique Leblanc, Lilianne Cormier, Sirène et Matelot, and Port-aux-Poutines, with co-hosts Marcella Richard and Patricia Richard. Delta Hotel Convention Centre, Charlottetown

Aug 15–16 | 8 pm

Dancing Queen

Tribute to ABBA. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 15 | 7:30 pm

Aug 24, 31 | 2 pm

Sarah Hagen: Perk Up, Pianist!

Victoria Playhouse, Victoria

Aug 16 | 7:30 pm

Feeling Bublé Show

Tribute to Michael Bublé. Kings Playhouse, Georgetown

Aug 16 | 7:30 pm

Side Hustle Live Improv The Guild, Charlottetown

Aug 16 | 7:30 pm

Welcome to the Island— Here’s Your Fiddle!

With Mark Haines and Brad Fremlin. Courthouse Theatre, St. Peter’s Bay

Aug 16 | 8 pm

Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys

Stompin’ Tom Centre, Skinners Pond

Aug 17 | 6 pm

Many Journeys

Hall fundraising concert. Crapaud Community Hall, Crapaud

Aug 17 | 7 pm

Mont-Carmel Music Series

Ft. Marie-Jo Thério; Lawrence Maxwell, Melissa Gallant, Megan Bergeron, and Rémi Arsenault. Mont-Carmel Parish Hall, Mont-Carmel

Aug 17 | 7:30 pm

Emilea May and Justyn Thyme

Rock Barra Artist Retreat, Souris

…continued on page B18

Watermark Music Series

Final two performances of the series—Aug 10 & 24

The 2025 Watermark Music Series, a summer concert series curated by Sarah Segal-Lazar, brings together a wide range of musical styles performed by PEI artists. This series offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience world-class musical storytelling in an intimate and acoustically rich venue in the heart of North Rustico.

The next concert in the series, Swingin’ with the Rat Pack, takes the stage on August 10 at 7:30 pm. It’s a tribute to the golden age of cool— reimagined in an acoustic setting. Spotlighting the hits of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr., this concert strips back the big band swing to reveal the heart and soul of these classic songs. Featuring 2025 Music PEI Award winners Hikado and Carlie Howell, along with multilingual artist Jorge Peña, audiences will experience the swagger and sophistication of the Rat Pack in a whole new light.

The series finale, Golden Year: Hits of 1975, happens on August 24 at 7:30 pm. It’s a journey back to a musical

revolution where rock, folk, and pop collided in unforgettable ways. From Fleetwood Mac’s dreamy harmonies to Stevie Wonder’s electrifying melodies and Bob Dylan’s poetic grit, this concert reimagines the biggest hits of 1975 in a stripped-down, acoustic style. Featuring PEI powerhouses Brielle Ansems, Nick Doneff, and Luisa Güiza, audiences can expect to soak up the spirit of ’75—when music was bold, the vibes were free, and every song told a story that still echoes 50 years later.

“This series is designed to celebrate the music that has shaped our cultural landscape, while offering a stage for exceptional artists to reinterpret and revive these timeless works,” says Sarah Segal-Lazar. “Each performance invites the audience on a journey — whether through the poetic heart of Canadian folk, the smooth charm of the Rat Pack era, or the transformative soundscape of 1975.”

Tickets are available at locarius.io/ organizations/26 or by calling the box office at 902-963-3963.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

(top): Jorge Peña, Carlie Howell, and Hikado (bottom): Luisa Güiza, Brielle Ansems, and Nick Doneff

PERFORMANCE

music, theatre, dance, comedy...

…continued from page B14

Aug 17 | 7:30 pm

Champagne Weather

Under the Spire, Kensington

Aug 18 | 7:30 pm

Two Tellers and Tunes

Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 19 | 7:30 pm

The Bachelorette Party Courthouse Theatre, St. Peter’s Bay

Aug 19 | 8 pm

Patrick Ledwell and Friend

With guest Shawn Hogan. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 19, 20

Travis Boudreau and Leo Marchildon

Pipe Organ Concert Series. Aug 19, 1 pm: St. Dunstan’s Basilica, Charlottetown

Aug 20, 7 pm: St. Simon and St. Jude, Tignish

Aug 21 | 12:10 pm

Alexandra Sorensen

Recital series (soprano). Kirk of St. James, Charlottetown

Aug 21 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Canadian Jazz and the Music of Pat Metheny

With Island Jazz Late Night Jam at 11 pm. Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Aug 21–23 | 7:30 pm

Yesterday: The Magic of The Beatles

Craig Fair Productions. PEI Brewing Company, Charlottetown

Aug 22 | 8 pm

Basia Bulat Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 22 | 8 pm

JP Cormier

The Fiddling Fisherman Lookout, Souris

Aug 22 | 7:30 pm

Tanya Davis: Playwright

In-Residence Performance

Victoria Playhouse, Victoria

Aug 22, 23 | 7:30 pm

Heather Rankin

Aug 22: Under the Spire, Kensington

Aug 23: Kings Playhouse, Georgetown

Aug 23 | 1 pm

Campfire Singalong with Tunes & Tall Tales

Victoria Playhouse, Victoria

Aug 23 | 7 pm

Danny Drouin

St. John’s Anglican Church, St. Eleanor’s

Aug 23 | 7:30 pm

Dark Side of the Moon Live!

Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Aug 23 | 8 pm

J.P. Cormier

Stompin’ Tom Centre, Skinners Pond

Aug 24 | 7 pm

Mont-Carmel Music Series

Ft. Hirondelles (NS); Fiddlers’ Sons (with Eddy Quinn, John B. Webster & Allison Giggey); and Richard Wood. Mont-Carmel Parish Hall, Mont-Carmel

Aug 24 | 7:30 pm

Maritime Brass Quintet

Under the Spire, Kensington

Aug 24 | 7:30 pm

Songs for a Small Planet

Songwriters Circle for Summer Concert Series finale. Rock Barra Artist Retreat, Souris

Aug 24 | 7:30 pm

Watermark Music Series:

Golden Years: Hits of 1975

Watermark Theatre, North Rustico

Aug 25 | 7:30 pm

Rhonda Vincent & The Rage

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Aug 26 | 8 pm

Youth Artist Scholarship

fundraising concert

Harmony House, Hunter River

Aug 26 | 8 pm

Patrick Ledwell and Friend

With guest Tanya Davis. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 26, 27

Jason Chen

Pipe Organ Concert Series. Aug 26, 1 pm: St. Dunstan’s Basilica, Charlottetown

Aug 27, 7 pm: St. Simon and St. Jude, Tignish

Aug 27–30 | 7:30 pm

Super Trouper: A Night of ABBA

Craig Fair Productions. PEI Brewing Company, Charlottetown

Aug 28 | 12:10 pm

Shaw Nicholson

Recital series (trumpet). Kirk of St. James, Charlottetown

Aug 28 | 7:30 pm

Alexandr Misko Live

The Guild, Charlottetown

Aug 28 | 7:30 pm

The Bachelorette Party Courthouse Theatre, St. Peter’s Bay

Aug 28 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Collective 40 ft.

Isaiah Sealy

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Aug 28–30 | 8 pm

Nashville Songwriters Festival

Hosted by Ben Chase. Stompin’ Tom Centre, Skinners Pond

August 28–31

2025 Evangeline Area

Agricultural Exhibition and Acadian Festival

Evangeline Recreation Centre, Abram-Village expositionfestival.ca

Aug 29 | 7 pm

Montuno Cubano

Double Hill Cidery, Calendonia

Aug 29 | 7:30 pm

Lennie Gallant

Album release. Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 29 | 7:30 pm

Inn Echo

Under the Spire, Kensington

Aug 29 | 7:30 pm

Tanya Davis: Playwright

In-Residence Performance

Victoria Playhouse, Victoria

Aug 29 | 8 pm

The Chaisson Family

The Fiddling Fisherman Lookout, Souris

Aug 30 | 7 pm

Diana Delirio & Tropicale

Double Hill Cidery, Calendonia

Aug 30 | 1 pm

Patio Tunes: Scott Parsons

Victoria Community Hall, Victoria

Aug 30 | 8 pm

Brother’s McPhee: Nirvana

Unplugged in New York

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Aug 31 | 7 pm

Dino and the Harmonies

Gospel concert. Winsloe United, Winsloe

Aug 31 | 7:30 pm

Acoustic East Coast: A String Quartet Experience Under the Spire, Kensington

Sept 1 | 7 pm

Steve Hofstetter: Kill The Butterflies

Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlotteown

Sept 4 | 7:30 pm

Shane Pendergast & Luka Hall

Souris Show Hall, Souris

Sept 4 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Paul Tynan Trio Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Sept 5 | 7 pm

Press Play: Volume 2

Victoria Playhouse fundraising concert. Victoria Playhouse, Victoria

Sept 5 | 7:30 pm

Lawrence Maxwell Trio Under the Spire, Kensington

Sept 5 | 8 pm

The Funky Monks

Tribute to Red Hot Chili Peppers. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Sept 6 | 7:30 pm

Blaze of Glory

Tribute to Bon Jovi. Scott MacAulay

Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Sept 6 | 8 pm

140 Smooth Bore Reunion

Stompin’ Tom Centre, Skinners Pond

John McDermott

Raised on Songs and Stories at Harbourfront Theatre

John McDermott takes the stage at Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside on August 9 at 7:30 pm. Raised on Songs and Stories is an evening celebrating the music and traditions of the Isles with the beloved IrishCanadian tenor.

McDermott is known for his rich, emotive voice and heartfelt interpretations of traditional Irish, Scottish, and folk songs. He rose to fame in the 1990s with his stirring rendition of “Danny Boy” and has since touched hearts around the world.

Over his remarkable career, McDermott has released more than 25 albums. As a founding member of The Irish Tenors, he helped introduce Celtic music to a global audience, while his solo career has showcased his gift for blending classical crossover with deeply personal storytelling.

violinist Drew Jurecka, this evening promises a heartfelt journey through ballads, folk tunes, and rich stories.

David Francey

Folk musician brings tour to Souris Show Hall—Aug 14

Canadian folk musician David Francey is bringing his new album and tour to the Souris Show Hall on August 14.

Joined by guitarist Jason Fowler and

Visit harbourfronttheatre.com to purchase tickets.

Francey released MAPS in July. The album reflects on a songwriting journey spanning more than five decades. This poignant and powerful collection includes both fan favourites and deeply personal selections—plus one brand-new track, “Corpus Christi.”

“I have been writing songs for more than 50 years,” says Francey. “Each song is a map that helped me navigate through the ups and downs life put in my way. I’d have been lost without them.”

Francey is a Scottish-born Canadian carpenter-turned-songwriter, often described as “one of Canada’s most revered folk poets and singers” (Toronto Star). Since releasing his debut album Torn Screen Door in 1999, he has become a fixture on the folk music scene, known for his unflinching honesty, poetic songwriting, and deep reverence for everyday life.

With four JUNO Awards, numerous international accolades, and songs covered by artists such as The Del McCoury Band, The Rankin Family, James Keelaghan, and Tracy Grammer, Francey’s influence stretches far beyond Canadian borders.

Visit sourisshowhall.com for tickets.

PEI RECORDINGS

COMEDY

Live on P.E.I.

Patrick Ledwell

P.E.I. is his first comedy album.

The recording presents a full hour of his most popular stand-up pieces— stories drawn from more than 15 years performing as a comedian on the Island and for programs such as CBC’s The Debaters.

Recorded over two nights at Trailside Music Hall in Charlottetown, PEI, the album captures the laughter of a summer audience responding to favourite stories. Listeners will discover why they should never admit they like rhubarb within earshot of Islanders—and the perils of growing up around Rainbow Valley waterslides and free-range ganders.

“I grew up listening to comedy, in the car,” comments Ledwell. “I hope this album is fun for listeners ages 9 to 95, listening together, maybe during a summer road trip on PEI.”

Live on P.E.I. was recorded and edited by Daniel Ledwell of Echo Lake Studios, with album photography by

Story Thorburn. The album is now available on all streaming platforms, and for sale as a CD with digital download at Ledwell’s summer shows and Back Alley Music. For additional details, visit patrickledwell.net.

Album launch shows will take place on July 28 and 29 at Trailside Music Hall, as part of the summer series Patrick Ledwell & Friend. For tickets, visit trailside.ca or call 902-367-3311.

SINGLES

“The Show”

Julia Robichaud

PEI-based singer-songwriter and musician Julia Robichaud released her new song “The Show” on June 28. It is available on all streaming platforms.

Robichaud’s music is known for its emotional intensity and a sense of urgency in her writing, which she weaves into each performance. She uses her music and platform to raise awareness about mental health in the music industry.

After graduating from the School of Performing Arts at Holland College, Julia released several songs, including “Jealous,” which was nominated for Music PEI’s New Artist of the Year in 2024. She continues to create songs that are deeply personal and filled with passion—inviting others to listen and, hopefully, relate.

Follow @robichaudjulia on IG and @juliarobichaud.official on FB.

“Agora Anunciando”

Borboleta

The debut single from Charlottetown electronic artist Borboleta was released in July. Combining elements of experimental electronica and glitchy textures with downtempo grooves and an IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) approach, “Agora Anunciando” is music for listening just as much as dancing.

While the name may be new to PEI

audiences, the artist behind it has been making music on the Island for years. Borboleta is the alter ego of bassist and composer Adam Hill, well known to Islanders as a member of Atlantic String Machine and the founder of the Charlottetown Improvisation Laboratory. Taking its name from the Portuguese word for “butterfly,” Borboleta marks a metamorphosis in Hill’s music-making on PEI.

But electronic music is not entirely new to Hill. He has been experimenting with technological approaches to sound for quite some time. His compositions—which combine live acoustic instruments with electronic sounds and processing—have been performed at the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, Electronic Music Midwest, and the Electroacoustic Barn Dance. Other electronic works have been featured at the Third Shift Arts Festival, the Lumière Festival, and the Charlottetown Film Festival.

The new track is available now on all streaming services. Follow the journey on IG @musicbyborboleta.

“Johnny Hallyday”

Sirène et Matelot

PEI’s Acadian duo Sirène et Matelot (Lennie Gallant and Patricia Richard) released the song “Johnny Hallyday,” an excerpt from their latest album Un monde de dissonance

The song was commissioned by American songwriter Jimmy Buffett, a close friend of French rock star Johnny Hallyday. Both spent part of the year residing on the island of Saint-Barthélemy in the French West Indies. As Lennie Gallant explains: “Jimmy Buffett had ancestors from Eastern Canada and was always trying to improve his French. His friendship with Johnny Hallyday certainly contributed to this interest. Hallyday’s death in 2017 deeply upset him, and that’s what prompted him to ask me to

help him write a song in his honour.” Buffett, knowing Gallant had spent time in Saint-Barthélemy, shared videos of Johnny’s grave—now a place of pilgrimage—along with landmarks and personal memories to inspire the song.

“Johnny Hallyday” was written by Buffett, Gallant, Richard, and Mac McAnally, with music by Buffett, Gallant, and McAnally. The recording features Gallant (vocals, guitar), Richard (vocals, mandolin), Davy Gallant (guitar, banjo, backing vocals), Gilles Tessier (electric guitar), Simon Blouin (percussion), Rémy Malo (bass), and Gabriel Ethier (keyboard). Produced by Davy Gallant with Sirène et Matelot, the song was released on the Acadian label Le Grenier musique.

“Fauque ça groove” Aubin pi la S.C.B.

Acadian rock ’n’ roll band Aubin pi la S.C.B., from Abram-Village, PEI, has released the single “Fauque ça groove” (Acadien for “It’s gotta groove”)—a high-energy track with an irresistibly swinging groove, now available on all streaming platforms.

The song marks the band’s return to the studio following their 2022 album Yousque l’hell, recorded when they were primarily a studio-based project in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Since 2023, the group has been based on PEI, performing across the Island and in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Nunavut.

The band includes Riel Gallant (vocals, guitar), Shane Arsenault (drums, backing vocals), Dawson Arsenault (bass, backing vocals), and Robbie Gallant (guitar, backing vocals). The single was recorded and mixed by Robbie Gallant at the Rec Room studio in Abram-Village, and produced by Robbie and the band.

The official music video, directed by Riel Gallant, features fan-submitted footage, reflecting the band’s strong community spirit and sense of togetherness.

In 2025, the group received the Prix de l’Acadie, recognizing them as PEI’s Francophone Artists of the Year—an honour celebrating their impact on the province’s Francophone music scene.

“Fauque ça groove” is the first single from their upcoming album, set for release in the coming months.

Visit aubinpilasbc.com or follow @ aubinpilascb on socials for updates.

Patrick Ledwell’s Live on

Evangeline and Area

2025 Agricultural Exhibition and Acadian Festival

The 2025 edition of the Evangeline Area Agricultural Exhibition and Acadian Festival returns August 28–31 at the Evangeline Recreation Centre in Abram-Village. Music, singing, and dance performances will take place on both the main stage inside the Recreation Centre and the outdoor stage.

The Festival welcomes three new bands for its evening concerts—Daniel Hébert (NB), Aubin pi la SCB (PE), and Beauxmont (NB)—along with daily entertainment from local artists.

Friday’s Festival Reunion Night begins at 8:30 pm with Daniel Hébert, accompanied by musicians Jean-Luc Boudreau, Reg Allain, and Richard Bourque. Hébert has performed mainly country and Acadian music since the age of 12, learning from his father, aunt, and uncle. Over the years, he has played at festivals, bars, the Pays de la Sagouine in Bouctouche, and in Quebec and the Magdalen Islands.

The evening continues at 10:30 pm with the high-energy Acadian rock ‘n’ roll band Aubin pi la S.C.B. (Sea Can Band), featuring Riel Gallant, Robbie Gallant, Shane Arsenault, and Dawson Arsenault. Their live show is loud, funny, and energetic—guaranteed to get the crowd moving. Winners of the Prix de l’Acadie at the 2025 EI Music Awards, the band released their debut album Yousque l’hell in 2022 and are excited to unveil new music this summer.

The Évangéline et Gabriel Dance on Saturday evening at 9 pm will showcase the vibrant sounds of New Brunswick’s Beauxmont band. Beauxmont stands out for its ability to refresh the traditional Acadian repertoire while remaining true to its roots. The six-member group— Félix Belliveau, Chris Cormier, Justin Doucet, Patrick Dugas, Jesse Mea, and Jonathan Mpunge—brings a rich musical heritage with a Louisiana flair. They offer a unique blend of Acadian, Cajun, and Celtic influences with their powerful vocals, accordion, violin, guitars, and drums.

Additional performances throughout the Festival include: Acazing Talent

Night on August 28 at 7 pm; a minishow by local musicians on August 29, followed by the PEI Youth Talent Competition Provincial Finals at 2:30 pm; Acadian singer-songwriter Nick Arsenault and Friends on August 30 at 1:30 pm, followed by the GallantMacInnes Family at 2:30 pm; a traditional fiddle and stepdancing show on August 31 at 2 pm, followed by the Festival’s closing show at 7 pm.

To participate in Acazing Talent Night, contact Marcia Arsenault at lpmarsenault@hotmail.com or 902-4320769 no later than August 8. Talents may include singing, instrumental music, dancing, comedy monologues or skits, or other performing arts.

Evenings events are 19+. Tickets are available at the door, with advance packages also available. expositionfestival.ca

The Ross Family Ceilidh

In a new format this summer at Victoria Playhouse

The Ross Family takes a deep dive into authentic PEI music, interpreted through the lens of their family’s roots and current influences. This carefully arranged show marks a departure from the early years of this long-running ceilidh’s format; it is now centred around vocal songs and storytelling, supported by fiddle sets, PEI/World dance fusion, and playful piano shenanigans.

The new show retains the high energy and creativity the band is known for, while showcasing the depth and maturity they’ve developed through years of performing and songwriting together.

It features original songs that blend folk, country, and soul, along with select covers from inspirational Island songwriters and a journey through traditional sounds. Most songs are presented in English, though the group also honours the Scots-Gaelic language of their paternal ancestors and the French of their Acadian heritage on the Arsenault side of the family.

Siblings Stephanie, Johnny, and Danielle perform every Monday at 7:30 pm at Victoria Playhouse in Victoriaby-the-Sea until September 8. victoriaplayhouse.com

Fundraising concert

Crapaud Community Hall

The Crapaud Community Hall will host a fundraising concert on August 17 from 6 to 8 pm, featuring original folk music by Many Journeys. Tickets will be available at the door, with all proceeds supporting the hall. 36 Route 13, Crapaud.

The Benevolent Irish Society of PEI is celebrating 200 years of service to Islanders. As part of the ongoing celebrations, three free ceilidhs will be held this month: in Tignish on August 3 featuring Fiddlers’ Sons, in Emyvale on August 5 featuring Breakwater, and in Kinkora on August 10 featuring Fullerton’s Marsh. Visit benevolentirishsocietyofpei.com for more details.

PHOTOS

Beauxmont (top-left), Aubin pi la S.C.B, and Daniel Hébert

(L–R): Stephanie, Johnny, and Danielle

Terry Kelly

Tunes and tales at The Boxcar Pub—Aug 14

Newfoundland native Terry Kelly will perform live at The Boxcar Pub & Grill in Emerald on August 14 in a special fundraising concert for St. Elizabeth’s Church in Springfield.

Kelly, a celebrated singer-songwriter, has released seven full-length albums, earning seven East Coast Music Awards and nominations for four Canadian Country Music Awards and a JUNO. Best known for his inspirational anthem “A Pittance of Time,” Kelly has performed around the world—including with symphony orchestras, for international troops, and in venues across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. He is a recipient of the Canadian Country Music

Richard Wood & Friends

Four shows at three Island venues in August

The Benevolent Irish Society presents four headlining shows featuring Richard Wood & Friends at venues across the Island, as part of its 200th anniversary celebrations this summer.

Richard Wood & Friends: Live in Concert kicks off on August 7 at the Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre in Summerside. The fiery fiddling continues at the Florence Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown on August 9 and 14, and at the Souris Show Hall in Souris on August 12.

The ensemble includes Brent

Double bill

The Ellis Family Band and Fiddlers’ Sons

PEI favourites The Ellis Family Band return to the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside on August 13 at 8 pm, joined by PEI folk group Fiddlers’ Sons. The Ellis Family from Summerside, PEI, grew up surrounded by music. As kids, brothers Brian, Rick, Steve, and Dave were exposed to a wide range of musical styles. Traditional “Island” fiddle music was introduced to them by their father and band founder, Russell Ellis—a well-known fiddle player. That traditional style, blended with popular

Association’s Humanitarian Award and a member of the Order of Canada.

The concert will take place at 1910 Nodd Road, Emerald Junction. Tickets are available at the door. For more information, contact Beryl at 902-4309428 or Ken at 902-888-9616, or email berylcarr@eastlink.ca.

Chaisson (guitar), Kimberly Holmes (keyboard), Roger Stone (vocals), fiddling by the Queens County Fiddlers, Irish set dancer Laban Rua, and the Diaga Performance Group from Halifax, N.S.

Visit TicketPro and Locarius online for tickets.

music from the 1970s, helped shape the unique sound that defines The Ellis Family Band’s performances today. They are joined onstage by longtime family friend and musical colleague Greg MacDonald.

Since forming in 1997, Fiddlers’ Sons have built a legacy to rival any traditional music group in the Maritimes. With eight recordings, multiple Music PEI Awards, and performances alongside icons like John Allan Cameron, Lennie Gallant, and Rawlins Cross, the group continues to do what they do best: entertain. They’re keeping traditional music alive, sharing new stories with each song, and bringing people together across the Island and beyond.

Visit harbourfronttheatre.com to purchase tickets.

Rhonda Vincent

Returning to Harbourfront Theatre—Aug 25

Following a sold-out concert at Harbourfront Theatre in 2022, Rhonda Vincent returns to the stage in Summerside with her band, The Rage, on August 25 at 7:30 pm.

From humble beginnings in the tiny town of Greentop, Missouri, Rhonda’s musical heritage traces back five generations of the Vincent family. Her life of music evolved into a successful career in bluegrass after being discovered by Grand Ole Opry star Jim Ed Brown. She later spent what she calls her “musical college years” recording for Giant Records and learning the music business from Nashville veterans such as James Stroud, Jack McFadden, and Stan Barnett.

Vincent is a multi-award-winning artist, with a 2017 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, Entertainer of the Year (2001), Song of the Year (2004), and seven consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association (2000–2006), along with an eighth win in 2015.

Her lifelong dream was realized

Evening of folk

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Sophie Ogilvie headlines a spellbinding evening of folk music at the Beaconsfield Carriage House on August 4 from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. She will be joined by songwriters Jeanne Marceau and PEI’s own Shane Pendergast.

Beaconsfield Carriage House is located at 2 Kent Street, Charlottetown.

when she was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry on February 28, 2020, and officially inducted as a member on February 6, 2021.

Her powerful vocal style transcends the boundaries of bluegrass music, as evidenced in her 2018 collaboration with Dolly Parton on the Elton John / Bernie Taupin tribute project Restoration Visit harbourfronttheatre.com to purchase tickets.

Summer Side of Lightfoot

Nudie & The Sundowners at Trailside Music Hall

The Summer Side of Lightfoot: A Celebration of the Man & His Music with Nudie & The Sundowners takes the stage at Trailside Music Hall in Charlottetown on Sunday evenings at 8 pm—August 3, 17, 24, and 31.

This evening of music honours legendary Canadian troubadour Gordon Lightfoot, featuring Nudie & The Sundowners performing the iconic songs that have defined generations. From the heartbreaking “If You Could Read My Mind” to the epic “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” the show promises a heartfelt tribute to Lightfoot and his timeless catalogue.

From the sweet folk licks of his early work to the sultry electric guitar riffs and grooving bass lines of Sundown, lead guitarist Bobby McIsaac, bassist Serge Bernard, and host Nudie on vocals and guitar capture the spirit of Lightfoot’s music with both style and reverence.

For tickets, visit trailside.ca.

SUBMITTED

Sophie Ogilvie

Richard Wood

Sophie Ogilvie headlines at Beaconsfield Carriage House

Stompin’ Tom Centre

Festival series continues in Skinners Pond

The Stompin’ Tom Centre presents daily live music, weekly concerts, a songwriters festival, dinner theatre, and more in Skinners Pond.

The Stompin’ Tom Festival Series continues through October 10. This month features live concerts on Saturdays and select Sundays at 8 pm, including: Richard Wood on August 3, Joey, Jamie & Kurk Band on August 9, Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes Benefit for Darcy Thibodeau on August 10 (at 3 pm), Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys on August 16, and J.P. Cormier on August 23.

The Centre also offers free, live entertainment daily from 1–2 pm, and Believe in Your Country, a Stompin’ Tom-themed dinner theatre production, runs every Tuesday and Thursday through August 26.

The Nashville Songwriters Festival, hosted by Ben Chase, runs from August 28–30. Chase has curated a lineup of seasoned and emerging songwriters for this three-day festival of song circles and meet-and-greet events. Visit stompintomfest.com or call 902-882-3214 for more information.

Lennie Gallant

In concert at Florence Simmons Performance Hall—Aug 29

PEI songwriter Lennie Gallant will play a special performance in Charlottetown on August 29 at Florence Simmons Performance Hall.

The 19-time ECMA Award winner and member of the Order of Canada will be celebrating the release of his 16th album, Shelter From The Storms. Gallant will showcase brand new songs, along with select excerpts from his multimedia hit show Searching for Abegweit

He’ll be joined by his band, featuring multi-instrumentalist Patricia Richard, fiddler/bassist Keelin Wedge, keyboardist Julien Robichaud, and some very special guests. The album is available at lenniegallant.com.

Says Gallant, “My band and I are so looking forward to showcasing the new album at this concert, but also performing some multimedia selections from my Searching for Abegweit show

due to the many requests.”

Named the 2025 Parade Marshal, Gallant will lead the Gold Cup Parade in Charlottetown on August 15. He and his band will also perform in Murray River later this summer.

For tickets and more updates, visit lenniegallant.com.

MUSIC FESTS

August 3–5

Festival Route 11

Maukin, The Backyard Devils, JeanFrancois Berthiaume, Louis-Simon Lemieux, Vishten, Polky, Steve Riley, The Mamou Playboys, Fiddle Summit, Irish Mythen, and Mary Frances Leahy. Union Corner Park Road, Mont-Carmel. festivalroute11.com

August 7–10

Cloggeroo

Josh Ritter, Jenn Grant Trio, Quote The Raven, Garrett Mason, Elliott Brood, Roxy & The Underground Soul Sound, KINLEY, Carson Downey Band, Nick Gauthier, Joe Murphy & The Water Street Blues Band, Koconut Kings, Tiffany Liu, Absolute Losers, Steve Somers & the Red Wing Blackbirds, Max Keenlyside, Hello Mischief, Luka Hall, and Karson McKeown.

Three Rivers. cloggeroo.com

August 28–31

2025 Evangeline Area

Agricultural Exhibition and Acadian Festival

Daniel Hébert, Aubin pi la SCB (PE), Beauxmont, Nick Arsenault and Friends, Gallant-MacInnes Family, Acazing Talent Night, PEI Youth Talent Competition Provincial Finals, and more. Evangeline Recreation Centre, Abram-Village expositionfestival.ca

September 13–14

Sommo Festival

Hozier, Alanis Morissette, Jamie Fine, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Michael Marcagi, Alice Merton, Ducks Ltd., Campbell & Johnston, Cameron Whitcomb, Valley, Rich Aucoin, Goodnight Sunrise, Gizmo, Alex Warren, Pvris, Hollow Coves, Chiara Savasta, Brooks & Bowskill, Hunter Metts, IchiBons, King Cruff, Billianne, Charlie Houston, and Customer Service. Cavendish Beach Events Centre, Cavendish. sommofest.com

September 26–27

Goolaholla!

BAHAMAS, Becka Viau, Breen-RynneMurray (IRE), Coyote, DeeDee Austin, Digging Roots, DNCTHNG, Fundance, Georgia Mooney (AUS), Julie Pellissier Lush, Lucy Farrell, Kiara Ra, Mi’kmaq Heritage Actors, Mo Kenney, Monica Lacey, Neon Dreams, Tunes and Tales, and The East Pointers. Rollo Bay Fiddle Grounds, Rollo Bay. goolaholla.com

Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys (above) and J.P. Cormier

ONGOING MUSIC

ceilidhs, dances, series, sessions...

Back Home Tonight

The concert series continues at the air-conditioned Stanley Bridge Women’s Institute Hall on Monday evenings at 7:30 pm through September 22. After a sold-out opening show as part of the PEI Festival of Small Halls—and a segment filmed by a Japanese TV crew for an upcoming PEI promotional program—Back Home Tonight is looking forward to August. Along with host Gordon Belsher and his son-in-law Todd MacLean, the month’s lineup includes PEI’s “red-headed fiddler,” Courtney Hogan-Chandler, on August 4; Cynthia MacLeod’s final appearance of the season on August 11; Keelin Wedge on August 18; and a return performance by Courtney Hogan-Chandler on August 25. All shows also feature step dancer Alexis MacLaren. Audience members can expect a rollercoaster ride of singable songs, lively jigs and reels, beautiful airs, poignant ballads—and a few surprises. Doors open at 7 pm. Seats can be booked at gordonbelsher.com. Cash, debit, and credit are accepted at the door. 4897 St. Marys Rd, Stanley Bridge.

Ceilidh in the City

Now in its 15th season, Ceilidh in the City runs every Wednesday evening at the Jack Blanchard Centre, 7 Pond St, Charlottetown. The air-conditioned venue opens at 6:30 pm, with showtime at 7:30 pm. Admission is cash-only at the door. Upcoming shows are: Country Legends: “Men of the Century” with special guests Blake Crockett and Eddy Quinn on July 30; “Back By Popular Demand” with Todd MacLean and Gordon Belsher on August 6; the annual Old Home Week Rock n Roll Ceilidh with Niall MacKay, Jimi Platts, Gary Cudmore, David Altass, and Heather MacAulay on August 13 and 15; fiddler Billy MacInnis and Leon Gallant on August 20; and Singalong Jubilee with Unity on August 27. Weekly 50/50 draws support local charities. Bar and canteen service is provided by 4S Catering.

Ceilidhs at the Irish Hall

The Benevolent Irish Society hosts ceilidhs on Friday evenings featuring local performers at the Irish Cultural Centre. To celbrate their 200 year anniversary, BIS will feature two special ceilidhs on August 1 and 15 from 8–10:30 pm, with multiple guests. August 1 will have performances by Fiddler’s Sons, Fullertons Marsh, Luka Hall, and Lana Quinn with step dancer Janelle Banks. August 15 will feature Laura, Jim & Paddy Farrell, Margie Carmichael, Tip Er Back, and Morgan Wagner. Regular 7:30–9:30 pm ceilidhs resume on August 22. The lineup includes: Fiddlers’ Sons, featuring Eddy Quinn, John B. Webster, Keelin Wedge, and Fiona MacCorquodale on August 22; and Liam Corcoran and Nick Doneff on Aug 29. Tickets are available at benevolentirishsocietyofpei.com or at the door. 582 North River Rd, Charlottetown.

Ceilidhs of Crapaud

The Crapaud Community Hall presents the Ceilidhs of Crapaud. The next ceilidh, on August 3 at 2 pm, will feature music by the LeClair Family Band and guests. A 50/50 draw will take place, and a light lunch will be served at intermission. Admission is at the door. The hall, located at 36 Rte 13, Crapaud, is air-conditioned.

Close to the Ground

The Close to the Ground concert series, hosted by Fiddlers’ Sons, is held at Hillcrest United in Montague every Thursday at 8 pm, until September 25. Fiddlers’ Sons—featuring Eddy Quinn, Keelin Wedge, and John B. Webster— welcome fiddlers Fiona MacCorquodale or Cynthia MacLeod on select dates. The group also invites a different musical guest each week for a night of PEI roots music and storytelling. This year’s guests include ECMA Award winners and nominees, Music PEI Award winners, veteran performers, and rising talent. The upcoming lineup includes: Emery Kennym, Carter MacLellan, and Ben Mitsuk on July 30; Nick Doneff with Josh and Sam Langille on August 7; Billy McInnis and Leon Gallant on August 14; Remi Arsenault and Family on August 21; and the Ross Family on August 28. Admission is at the door. There are no advance ticket sales. The church is located at 50 Wood Islands Rd, Montague.

C’mon In! Kitchen Party

Robbie Doherty and Pierce Clarke, along with their seven-piece band, present C’mon In! at Trailside Music Hall on Wednesdays at 8 pm until August 27. This high-energy show celebrates East Coast music with a dynamic mix of traditional folk, sea shanties, and contemporary favourites—featuring songs by Stompin’ Tom, Anne Murray, Great Big Sea, and more. Robbie and Pierce rely on audience participation and improv to create a unique experience every time. C’mon In! captures the spirit of a true East Coast kitchen party—lively, welcoming, and full of music. 155 Kent St, Charlottetown. trailside.ca

Come to the Ceilidh

A vibrant new ceilidh featuring singer-songwriter Shane Pendergast, chanteuse and dancer Olivia Blacquiere, and fiddler Flora MacLaine takes place at the Brackley Beach Community Hall every Monday through August at 7:30 pm. The trio brings a fresh, youthful energy to this grand old tradition. 3330 Brackley Pt Rd, Brackley Beach.

Concerts in the Garden

The City of Summerside and ADL present the Concerts in the Garden series, featuring local musicians and

bands on the outdoor stage of the Wyatt Heritage Properties in Summerside. The series runs on Wednesday evenings until August 20 from 6:30–8:30 pm. The upcoming lineup includes: Three’s Company with fiddler Steve Perry on July 30, Whitecap on August 6, Bluezone on August 13, and Not All There for the finale on August 20. Wyatt homemade ice cream will be sold during intermission. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs. Admission is by donation. Info: culturesummerside.com or 902-432-1298

Cymbria Lions Club Ceilidhs

Ceilidhs take place at the Cymbria Lions Club on Sundays at 7:30 pm.

The upcoming lineup includes: Johnny & Stephanie Ross on August 3, The Arsenault Trio (Louse, Johnathan & Shane) on August 10; Eddy Quinn & Fiddlers’ Sons on August 17; Kim Albert Trio (Mike Arsenault & Peter Doucette) on August 24; and Shane Pendergast & Allison Giggey on August 31. There will be a 50/50 draw and canteen service. The venue is accessible and air-conditioned. Admission is at the door, which opens at 6:30 pm. 2184 Church Rd, Rustico. Info: 902-963-2166; cymbrialions.ca

Dunstaffnage Ceilidh

A ceilidh hosted by Road Masters Band with guest entertainers is held at the Dunstaffnage School Centre on the first Sunday of each month at 7 pm. There is a 50/50 draw and admission is at the door. The venue is accessible and air-conditioned. 13529 St. Peter’s Rd, Dunstaffnage.

Island Jazz

Jazz on Thursdays at Baba’s Lounge features top local musicians performing original music, standards, jazz and pop favourites. Each show features a different group and two sets starting at 8 pm. The upcoming lineup includes: Nathan Wright with Corduroy on July 31; Island Jazz Show #400 on August 7; Double Header featuring Caedda Enright and Sean Ferris on August 14; Double Header featuring Canadian Jazz and the Music of Pat Metheny, plus an Island Jazz Late Night Jam (11 pm) on August 21; and Collective 40 featuring Isaiah Sealy on August 28. Admission is by donation. 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Kings Ceilidh: A PEI Kitchen Party

Created and directed by John Connolly, Kings Ceilidh: A PEI Kitchen Party showcases the unique blend of celebration and performance that defines a true Island kitchen party. The show features an all-Island cast of musicians— including Cynthia MacLeod, Lawrence Maxwell, Brooke MacArthur, Luka Hall, and Todd MacLean—serving up Island favourites, East Coast classics, and lively fiddle tunes. The show runs weekly on Tuesdays until August 26. Tickets are available by calling 1-888-346-5666, at kingsplayhouse.com, or at the door one hour before showtime. 65 Grafton St, Georgetown.

Love Local Live

The concert series in the Lil Red Schoolhouse at the PEI Fox Den continue in August on Sunday afternoons at 3 pm. The series features local artists including Max Keenlyside, Erica Panter, Dakota Oliver, Ava Gallacher, Bryson Guptill, and more. Admission is by donation. 2852 1A, North Bedeque. Info: 902-3038327; @lilredschool on IG

Michael Pendergast & “Uncle” Tom McSwiggan

Enjoy family-friendly entertainment featuring Celtic and Maritime music, traditional and local songs, lively fiddling, step dancing, and plenty of amusing stories with hosts Michael Pendergast and “Uncle” Tom McSwiggan. They’re joined by Shane Pendergast (vocals/guitar), Andy Doucette (fiddle), and Veronica Murray (step dance). Malpeque Ceilidhs run on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm to August 27 at Malpeque Hall (Rte 20). Stanley Bridge Ceilidhs run on Thursdays at 7:30 pm to September 25 at Stanley Bridge Hall (4897 St Marys Rd, Stanley Bridge). Island strawberries and ice cream are available at intermission. Admission is cash only at the door, which opens at 7 pm. Info: 902-836-4310

Morell Concert Series

Presented by the Morell and Area Development Corporation, free musical performances are held Thursday evenings from 6:30–8:30 pm until September 4 at Peter Gordon Memorial United. The lineup includes: the Fraggle Rockers on July 31, Breanna MacAdam on August 7, The MacDonald Sisters (Doris and Marie) on August 14, Tom and Brooklyn Vail on August 21, Abi Marie on August 28, and Jacinta MacDonald on September 4. The church is located at 14 Church St, Morell.

Richard Wood: An Evening of Celtic Music

PEI fiddler Richard Wood returns with his high-energy concert series, Richard Wood: An Evening of Celtic Music, most Saturday evenings through September at the Sterling Women’s Institute Hall in Stanley Bridge. Known for his electrifying performances and deep Island roots, Wood leads audiences through traditional and original Celtic tunes with his fiery fiddle style. Upcoming concerts this month take place on August 2, 16, 23, and 30 at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 7 pm. Enjoy a 50/50 draw, strawberries and ice cream, lively step dancing, and more. The hall is air-conditioned. Tickets are available in advance at rwood.ca/events or at the door. 4897 St. Mary’s Rd, Stanley Bridge. Info: rwood.ca

Ross Family Ceilidh

The Ross Family perform every Monday at 7:30 pm at Victoria Playhouse until September 8. Siblings Stephanie, Johnny, and Danielle take a deep dive into authentic PEI music, interpreted through the lens of their family’s roots and current influences. This show marks a departure from the early years of this long-running ceilidh’s format; it is now centred around vocal songs and

storytelling, supported by fiddle sets, PEI/World dance fusion, and playful piano shenanigans. Most songs are presented in English, though the group also honours the Scots-Gaelic language of their paternal ancestors and the French of their Acadian heritage. Visit victoriaplayhouse.com or call 902-658-2025 for tickets. 20 Howard St, Victoria.

St Margaret’s Sunday Night Kitchen Parties

Join the Chaisson Trio—Kevin Chaisson (piano), Louise Chaisson-MacKinnon (vocals and guitar), and Sheila MacKenzie (fiddle)—for an all-ages kitchen party at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish Hall. These lively gatherings take place on Sundays at 7:30 pm and feature traditional Island fiddling, songs, square dancing, and more. This warm community event includes homemade biscuits and lunch served at intermission, along with Northside tea and coffee, and a 50/50 draw. Admission is cashonly at the door. 11394 Northside Rd, St Margaret’s.

Schooner Sessions

Sessions with Mark Douglas and friends take place weekly on Thursdays at 7 pm at The Old Triangle, 189 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Stanley Bridge Hall Ceilidhs with the Chaisson Trio

Experience a PEI Ceilidh, summer’s must-do Island tradition, and step into the intimate setting of Stanley Bridge Historic Women’s Institute Hall. Every Wednesday at 7:30 pm until September 17, the Chaisson Trio hosts a lively celebration of traditional music at the historic Stanley Bridge Hall. The evening connects the musical traditions of PEI and Cape Breton Island through stories, fiddling, heartfelt songs, laughter, and step dancing. Performers Kevin Chaisson, Louise Chaisson-MacKinnon, and Sheila MacKenzie, are joined by a special guest fiddler and step dancer each week. The upcoming lineup includes: Nova Scotia fiddler and piano player Troy MacGillivray on July 30, and August 20 and 27; Cape Breton fiddler Andrea Beaton on August 6 and 13; and Cape Breton step dancer Gerard Beaton on September 3, 10, and 17. PEI step dancers will also join the performances, with Taylor MacBeath on July 30, and August 6 and 13, and Grace SulisChaisson on August 20 and 17. Visit peiceilidhs.com for tickets. 4897 St. Mary’s Rd, Stanley Bridge.

Stratford and Area Lions Club

A monthly Ceilidh is held on the second Sunday of every month at the Cotton Centre in Stratford. Admission includes a light lunch. Info: Erma Rose 902-569-3956

Sturgeon Ceilidh

A ceilidh featuring live local music and entertainment takes place at St. Paul’s Parish Hall at 6:30 pm. The next ceilidhs are on August 3, 17, and 31, and September 14 and 28. There is a 50/50

draw, biscuits, jam, and tea and coffee at intermission. Admission is by donation. Rte 17, Sturgeon.

Summer Cabaret at Village musical acadien

The Village musical acadien in AbramVillage showcases some of PEI’s best country, rock, and folk singers during its summer series, the 2025 Summer Cabaret, held Friday evenings from 8–11 pm until August 22. Performers are backed by The Cabaret Band—guitarist Danny MacNevin, drummer Rodney Arsenault, and bassist Rémi Arsenault— joined each week by a guest fiddler. Presented in the Acadian Festival Barn, right next to the Village musical acadien, the program continues August 1 with country singer-guitarist Cory Gallant with singer Crystal Paynter; August 8 with modern country singer Nolan Compton; August 15 with country-folk singer-guitarist Jonny Ray Arsenault; and August 22 with father-and-son duo Urban and Blu Gillis. Snacks and bar service are available. These are 19+ events. 1745 Rte 124, Abram-Village.

Summerside Kitchen Party

A matinee kitchen party featuring classic country and old rock ‘n’ roll with Back in Tyme (Blair Coughlin, Peter Burke, George MacPhee, Bob Gagnon) is held at the Summerside Legion on Saturdays, August 2, 16, and 30, from 2–5 pm. Admission is at the door. 340 Notre Dame St, Summerside.

Tunes on Tap

Copper Bottom Brewing in Montague offers a weekly dose of traditional music on Sundays from 3–5 pm. August performers are: Karson McKeown on August 3; Nick van Ouwerkerk on August 10; André Mackula on August 17; Hailee, Romy & Ward on August 23; and Thomas Harrington on August 31. Free admission. 567 Main St, Montague.

Sunday Session

An afternoon Tune Session featuring traditional music and craic with host fiddler Roy Johnstone takes place weekly on Sundays from 2–4 pm at The Old Triangle. 189 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Trad Night at Village Green

An Irish Trad Night is held every Thursday in the taproom at Village Green. Enjoy free, live music from 7–9 pm. Space is limited. Located at 30 Church St in the old post office/dental clinic in Cornwall.

Very Best of Up West

Artist and songwriter Blair “Arnie”

Gaudet, joined by bass player Wade Carragher, presents a monthly music series in collaboration with the Albert & Crown Pub. Once a month (Aug 8) the pair will feature a different artist performing live in a fun-filled, jam-style atmosphere at the pub. Reservations are recommended by calling 902-853-0000. Info: @albertandcrownpub on FB. 480 Main St, Alberton.

Concerts in Caledonia

Double Hill Cidery is alive with the sound of music

Double Hill Cidery in Caledonia launched a new concert series in late July with a mix of blues, latin, jazz, classical, and world music, as well as a traditional Argentinian Asado (meat lovers BBQ).

The series continues on August 1 with Canadian Folk Music Award-winner Polky.

Latin Weekend on August 29 and 30 will feature performances by Montuno Cubano (featuring Jorge Peña) on August 29 and Diana Delirio & Tropicale (featuring ECMA and Music PEI Award winners and nominees) on August 30.

In September, the Bluesberry Weekend, sponsored by the PEI Wild Blueberry Growers Association, will feature concerts by EMCA and Nova Scotia Music Award winner Charlie A-Court on September 19, with Mango Street Trio (featuring Holland College SoPA graduates) performing on September 20.

The series concludes with When Lightning Strikes: Collaborations and Compositions by multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator, and curator Carlie Howell from September 26 to 28. The weekend lineup includes:

Bass & Drums with Carlie Howell & Elini Morales on September 26; Forro & Fiddles with Carlie Howell, Elini Morales, and special guests on September 27; and Fall Flavours: PEI Symphony with Carlie Howell on September 28.

The Double Hill Cidery Concert Series is produced in partnership with Transform Events & Consulting. There will also be a traditional Argentinian Asado (meat lover BBQ) & tango dancing on August 8 at 6 pm. All concerts begin at 7 pm. Tickets available at Eventbrite.

doublehillcidery.com

Montano Cubano

SUBMITTED

Cloggeroo Family Day

Annual festival offers fun for all ages

Get ready for an afternoon of music, creativity, and community at Cloggeroo Family Day—happening August 9 from 1–3 pm on the deck of the Kings Playhouse in Georgetown.

This pay-what-you-can event is packed with fun for the whole family, rain or shine.

Enjoy live music from Hello Mischief, a female-led folk band from PEI. Then dance at the Family Silent Disco, featuring a live vinyl set from DJ Logan Roach.

Creative spirits will love the volunteer-led tie-dye station—bring your own white cotton clothes or grab some Cloggeroo merchandise on-site to colour up. The local family resource centre Families First will offer games and activities for kids of all ages while Inclusions East will be serving up baked goods and coffee.

There will also be a 50/50 draw and festival-goers are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket and basket to kick back and soak up the vibe. This is a licensed event.

Cloggeroo Family Day is always a day of celebrating music, families, and community. After 3 pm, Cloggeroo’s festival afternoon continues with four

The Magic of The Beatles

A journey through the music at PEI Brewing Company

Craig Fair Productions presents Yesterday: The Magic of The Beatles at the PEI Brewing Company, running August 14–16 and 21–23 at 7:30 pm.

Yesterday takes audiences on a journey through the music of the most legendary group of all time—The Beatles. From their very first album to the iconic finale of Abbey Road, the show offers a nostalgic trip through the songs that changed the world.

This brand-new tribute brings The Beatles’ greatest hits to life in a high-energy performance filled with heart, harmony, and timeless melodies. From “Hey Jude” to “Let It Be,” the concert invites audiences to sing along, sway to the rhythm, and relive the soundtrack of a generation.

Featuring more production elements than any Craig Fair Productions show to date, Yesterday: The Magic of The Beatles breathes new life into the

An Evening with Elvis

With The Fabulous Blue Suedettes at Milton Hall

An Evening with Elvis: Remembering The King debuts at the Milton Community Hall on August 9 at 7:30 pm. Starring Jonah Anderson as Elvis and featuring Jennifer Carson and Marylynn Côté as The Fabulous Blue Suedettes, audience members will enjoy the hits and experience Jonah’s authentic and passionate tribute to the King of Rock and Roll— complete with professional backing tracks, rich harmonies, and yes, real hair and sideburns.

Advance tickets can be booked by e-transfer to miltoncommunityhall@

extraordinary catalog of a band that transformed the face of music forever.

More than 60 years later, their magic still moves audiences—and this show reminds us all why. Visit craigfairproductions.com for tickets and more information.

gmail.com (include your name in the subject line). Tickets will also be available for purchase by cash at the door. The Hall is located at 7 New Glasgow Road, Route 224, North Milton.

Cover of The Beatles album Abbey Road

Jonah Anderson as Elvis

Arcade by Dennis Ellsworth

Dan Rowswell

Dan Rowswell’s idea of Island Jazz began in 2013 with a string of shows at what was then called Globe World Flavours. It wasn’t until January 2016 when this Charlottetown live music staple really rooted itself and began to grow.

Island Jazz has consistently performed at Baba’s Lounge, every Thursday night, for nine years. Unless they are sidelined by bad weather or by a significant holiday falling on a Thursday, you will find them on stage giving Charlottetown a heavy dose of jazz music. On August 7, Island Jazz will celebrate this remarkable run with its 400th show.

Dan Rowswell and his family moved from Toronto to PEI in 1998. Dan joked that when he was a new dad, he played his saxophone for his young child and it was not so well received, and that led to him putting his sax on the shelf. In reality, it was just life that unintentionally got in the way. He never intended to put his musical endeavors on hold for 16 years, but despite encouragement from his friends and family, that is what happened.

Festival Route 11

A weekend of food, music and art—Aug 1 to 3

The fifth anniversary edition of Festival Route 11 runs from August 1–3 at Union Corner Provincial Park. Known for its programming of trad-folk heavy-hitters and awe-inspiring art installations, the festival has also been celebrated for the culinary creations served up to festival-goers.

Pivoting to a new Cinq à Sept dining format, festival-goers will roam through various stations, each featuring a dish whipped up by an Island chef. Moules frites, Creole bokits, grilled skewers, and fresh local salads are just a few of the items on the menu.

The mainstage line-up will not disappoint, featuring award-winning trad, bluegrass, and folk musicians from near and far, including Maukin, The Backyard Devils, Jean-Francois Berthiaume, Louis-Simon Lemieux,

Vishtèn, Polky, Steve Riley, Mamou Playboys, Fiddle Summit, Irish Mythen, and Mary Frances Leahy. Family Day on August 2 is a free-admission day at the park with activities starting at 11 am, including the Jack Pine Folk Club under the little tent. Visit festivalroute11.com for more information.

After a performance at a family wedding and his son’s heart to heart nudge for him to start playing music again, Dan began easing his way back in. During this period, he was musically adrift. He hadn’t conceived of Island Jazz and he was playing sporadically around town, to varying self-critical reviews.

In 2010, his friend Kim Dunn was coming to Charlottetown for the East Coast Music Awards and asked Dan to sit in with him for his show at The Haviland Club, and Dan obliged. Between the invite from Kim, the nudge from his son, and that wedding performance, he suddenly found himself wanting to play again and he started dreaming of what that could look like.

In 2015, while Dan was working at Home Depot, Ryan Abdallah came in to buy countertops. After business had been conducted, Ryan asked Dan, “You’re a jazz guy, right?” Ryan had been looking for someone to lead a jazz night at Baba’s and this chance encounter proved to be the thing that Dan was searching for and he quickly began planning and rounding up musicians to get a jazz series going at Baba’s.

At its core, Island Jazz strives to showcase the value of improvisation. Organically driven, musical confluence and the ability to listen to your stage mates and improvise are very important components to the spirit of jazz and this crew is passionate in their pursuit of it. Their definition of jazz is a very wide, almost genreless one. To some, jazz can be a scary word, but Island Jazz’s approach softens it and opens the door to anyone. Their sprawling definition creates a warm and welcoming environment where alongside standards, you will be treated to jazz driven interpretations of songs by James Taylor, The Beatles, Radiohead, Gordon Lightfoot, or Motown. Each week is a revolving door of local, national or international talent, bringing you a unique and limitless performance, rooted in spontaneity and flow.

Island Jazz has become a brand and it has branched out over recent years to include presenting and promoting international touring jazz acts in various venues around the Island, as well as its new series called Island Jazz at the Movies, in conjunction with Roving Picture Shows. In this exciting and interesting concept, they provide an original, improvised, live soundtrack to silent films in small halls or alternative venues around Prince Edward Island.

If you’d like to see one of Island Jazz’s unique performances, you can always do so on any Thursday night of the year at 8 pm at Baba’s Lounge. For further details you can follow them on Facebook at IslandJazzPEI.

Goolaholla!

Another barn burner in Rollo Bay in September

The East Pointers have rolled out this year’s Goolaholla! festival line-up, and it’s looking like another barn burner.

Running September 26 and 27 at the Rollo Bay Fiddle Grounds, the lineup features BAHAMAS, Becka Viau, Breen-Rynne-Murray (IRE), Coyote, DeeDee Austin, Digging Roots, DNCTHNG, Fundance, Georgia Mooney (AUS), Julie Pellissier Lush, Lucy Farrell, Kiara Ra, Mi’kmaq Heritage Actors, Mo Kenney, Monica Lacey, Neon Dreams, Tunes and Tales, and The East Pointers in their only Island play of 2025.

Organizers have also promised the return and expansion of some of festival-goers’ favourite side hustles: Goolaholla! Comedy (which this year includes a breakfast slot), local artists in the Pop-Up Goola-ry, an expanded vendor programme in Saturday’s Momentary Markets, craft beer and tastings programme, the free, highly competitive Goolaholla! Games, and special events still to be announced.

people) and will sprawl over into the new woods-based Lord of the Flies programme, which makes use of the 60 acre property where Goolaholla! makes its home.

Billed as a 36-Hour-Party and slang for “Good Times,” Goolaholla! is an artist-driven event, the brainchild and labour of love of The East Pointers.

“We had this idea…to make something that lived beyond the line-up,” says Tim Chaisson, festival co-director. “That it would be the vibe of the festival that keeps people coming back.”

As a family-friendly event, the childrens’ area has expanded beyond the GoolaHollow space (which features theatre, a library, games and activities curated by children and young

Goolaholla! is at the Rollo Bay Fiddle Grounds, 961 Veterans Memorial Highway, Rollo Bay, PEI/ Epekwitk, on September 26 and September 27. Tickets are on sale now at goolaholla.com.

Music

DARRELL THEERIAULT

BAHAMAS

Polish folk band Polky

DARIA PEREV

Trailside Music Hall

A sampling of the many performances on offer in August

Housewife and Moira & Claire

August 11 ›› 8 pm

Housewife is the Canadian indie rock/ pop solo project of Brighid Fry, a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter with two CBC Top 20 hits to her name— including “Work Song,” which recently climbed to #8.

Born on one side of Canada and now based on the other, Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Moira & Claire craft lighthearted indie folk-pop that resonates with East and West Coasters alike— and everyone in between. The sisters have been singing together since long before their professional careers began, their harmonies steeped in the kind of familial magic only a lifetime of shared moments can create.

Slowcoaster and Umbrella Collective with DMayne Event

August 14 ›› 8 pm

Since 2000, Slowcoaster has been spreading their unique brand of East Coast Canadian danceable rock-reggae around the globe. The band features Mike Lelievre on bass, Steven MacDougall on guitar and lead vocals, and Jordan Bruleigh on drums.

The Umbrella Collective is a sixpiece band based in PEI, featuring (Siddu) Siddhu Sachidananda (keys, samplers, vocals, producer), Loic Niyonsenga (lyricist, MC), Tamara Steele (bass, vocals), Mark Steele (guitar), Jonathan Holmes (drums), and Charles Ruth (lyricist, MC). They released their debut album Welcome to Studio UC! in 2023.

DMayne Event is a versatile and eclectic DJ, who has refined his mixes to only the most beloved throwbacks, curveballs, and guilty pleasures.

Basia Bulat

August 22 ›› 8 pm

Montreal-based singer-songwriter

Basia Bulat offers a distinctive voice and artistry that draws as much from gospel and soul as it does from classic folk. In addition to her powerhouse vocals, Bulat is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, recording and performing on electric guitar, piano, autoharp, ukulele, bass, and charango.

Her new album, Basia’s Palace, was mixed by Tucker Martine (Beth Orton, Neko Case, The National) and features string arrangements by Grammynominated composer Drew Jurecka (Dua Lipa, Metric, Alvvays).

Trailside Music Hall is located at 155 Kent Street in Charlottetown. Showtimes are 8 pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm. For tickets and info visit trailside.ca or call 367-3311.

LIVE MUSIC

bars, lounges, cafés...

Albert & Crown Pub

Joey Doucette (July 31 @8 pm); Bruce & Robert Jones (Aug 1 @6 pm); Joey Doucette (7/14/21/28 @8 pm); Very Best of Up West (8 @8 pm); Crystal Paynter & Cory Gallant (9 @7 pm); Floyd Gaudet (15 @6 pm); Blair Gaudet (22 @6 pm); Blake Crockett & Jon Dykerman (23 @7 pm). 480 Main St, Alberton.

Baba’s Lounge

Tuesdays (9 pm), Fridays & Saturdays (10 pm): Westelaken (July 29); Mango Street (Aug 1); DNCTHNG & Tully (2); Full Throttle (ON) (5); Ryan Vanwinkles Sellouts (9); Laid Back Ivan Mack (12); BraedenV Hip Hop Night (16); Magnolia (19); Omnivide (NB) (22); 90’s Night with DJ Alleycat (23); Siddhu (29); Sam O (30). Open Mic with KINLEY on Wednesdays (9 pm). Island Jazz on Thursdays (8 pm). 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Bogside Brewing

Fridays & Saturdays (6:30–9:30 pm) & Sundays (2–5 pm) (*unless noted): private function (Aug 1); Taylor Johnson (2); Adam MacGregor (3); Cloggeroo (8/9 *ticketed); Boggeroo (10 *ticketed); Barry O’Brien (15); Nathan Carragher (16); Ryan Merry (17); Lisa Birt (22); Brian Dunn (23); Margarita Wayne (24); Carter MacLellan (29); Jon Matthews (30); Dan Doiron (31). 11 Brook St, Montague.

Brothers 2

Thursdays (7–9 pm) & Fridays (7–10 pm): Nick Hann (July 31); Logan Maddix (Aug 1/7); Todd & Chris (8); Nick Hann (14); Marc Coughlin (15); Dan Dorion (21); D’Arcy & Moe (22); Ryan Merry (28); Danny Drouin (29). 618 Water St, Summerside.

Charlottetown Beer Garden

Daily (6–10 pm): Brad Milligan Duo (Sun); Isaac & Kiera (Mon); Vintage 2.0 (Tue); Richie Bulger Duo (Wed); Kim Albert Trio (Thu); Adam MacGregor & The Foes (Sat). Live DJ on Fridays (11 pm): Novah (2); Duff (9); Method (16); Derek (23); Douce (30). 185 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Charlottetown Legion

Saturdays (9:30 pm–12:30 am): Roundabout (Aug 2); Wrecking Crew (9); Rustlers (16); Miller Creek (23); Kim Albert (30). 99 Pownal St, Charlottetown.

Copper Bottom Brewing

Fridays (5–8 pm): Katie McGarry (Aug 1); Lawrence Maxwell (15); Nick Doneff (22); Shane Pendergast (29). Tunes on Tap trad music on Sundays (3–5 pm). 567 Main St, Montague.

The Deckhouse Pub & Eatery

Saturdays (6–9 pm): Rod & Blake (Aug 2); Acoustic Brothers (9); Scuttered

(16); Dave Doyle Duo (23); TBA (30). Spinnakers’ Landing, 150 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside

Evermoore Brewing

Tuesdays (6–8 pm): Geoff Charlton (July 29); Nick Doneff (Aug 5); Blu Robin Music (12); Julie Stella & Allyson Blush (19); Jordan Leclair & Tyler McDonell (26). Irish Traditional Session with Geoff Charlton on Saturdays (1:30–4 pm). 192 Water St, Summerside.

The Factory

Country Night Line Dancing with JJ on Fridays (10 pm). Live DJ on Fridays & Saturday (11 pm): Douce (2/12/25); Method (5/18/26); Derek (11/19). 189 Kent St, Charlottetown.

The Fiddling Fisherman Lookout

Pub Night on Thursdays (7 pm): Byron Spelrem (Aug 7); Nick Gauthier (14); Daniel Bushey (21); TBA (28). 13 Lower Rollo Bay Rd, Souris

FiN Folk Food

Mondays & Wednesdays (6–8 pm): Brothers MacPhee (July 30); Nathan Carragher (Aug 4/11/18/25); Brothers MacPhee (6/20/27); Lawrence Maxwell (13). 106 Beach Rd, Grand Tracadie.

Founders’ Food Hall & Market

Monday to Saturday (12–2 pm/5–7 pm) & Sundays (12–2 pm/2:30–4:30 pm): Barry O’Brien/Fraser McCallum (July 29); Emily Hughes/Andree Mackula Music (30); Martin Watson/Jordan Taylor & Patrick Nabuurs (31); Marli Trecartin/ Trash Bling Sisters (Aug 1); Joseph MacMillan/Hype Department Band (2); The Castles/Patrick Nabuurs & Aiden Salvati (3); Iván Garnica/Dan Paynter (4); Grace Sulis & Flora Maclean/Carter MacLellan (5); Kendra & Iván/Brian J Dunn (6); Grant Pye/Charlotte Russell (7); Luka Hall & Syndey Thompson/ Mike Stratton (8); Adam MacGregor/ Dr Zoo (9); Alex Castillo/Brooklyn Vail (10); Sonoma & EmmettSteve Zaat (11); Colin MacDonald/Somerset Dancers (12); Kari Lyn/Michael Sigouin (13); Brothers MacPhee/John MacAllar (14); BraedenV/Tiantian Liu & Vivian Qiao (15); Trev and Ron/Gillespie Collective (16); Mark & Spencer Phillips/Somerset Dancers (17); Chris Burke/Margarita Wayne (18); Mr. Jo/Julia Cerisano (19); Jordan Cameron/Nathan Carragher (20); Pierce Clarke/Brooke MacArthur (21); Patrick Nabuurs/Kelley Mooney (22); Reade Gauvin/Miel Afanes (23); Marius Lavoie and Guests/Emi Smith (24); Unity/Kari Lyn Blacquiere (25); Spencer O’Brien/Ryan Merry (26); Grant Pye/Gordon Butler (27); Em Peters/ Barry O’Brian (28); Dan Paynter/Isabelle

The Umbrella Collective

Slowcoaster

Brighid Fry (Housewife)

McNeill (29); Gary Milligan/Jacob Reddin & the Striped Shirt Band (30); Carter McDevitt/Emi Smith (31). 6 Prince St, Charlottetown.

Gahan House

Fridays & Saturdays (9–11 pm). 126 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

The Hub Lounge

Wednesday & Fridays (6–9 pm) & Saturdays (1–4 pm) (*unless noted): Steve Zaat (July 30); Sam Ramsay (Aug 1): Steve Zaat (2); Taylor Buote (6); John & Liam (8); Dave Connolly (9/23); Brian Dunn (13/20/27/30); David Woodside (15); Nathan Carragher (16); Dan Paynter (21 *Thu @12 pm): Geoff Warren & Nick Clow (22); David Woodside (29). Andersons Creek Golf Club, 68 North Rd, Stanley Bridge.

Hunter’s Ale House

Isaac & Kiera (July 31 @11 pm); Donovan & Laura (Aug 5/12/19/26 @10 pm). Open Mic with Travis on Mondays (10 pm). Corner of Kent & Prince Sts, Charlottetown.

Kettle Black: Stratford

Open Mic with NiQi Deveaux & Brian Bradley on Sundays (1–4 pm). 17 Glen Stewart Dr, Stratford.

Lone Oak Brew Pub

Thursdays (6–8 pm): Mike Stratton (July 29); Stratton & Kays (Aug 2); Fraser MacCallum (9); Nathan Carragher (16); Michael Butz (23); Ryan Merry (30). Live DJ on Fridays (6–9 pm). 15 Milky Way, Charlottetown.

Lone Oak Brewing Co

Satrudays (1–3 pm). 103 Abegweit Blvd, Borden-Carleton.

Lone Oak Cavendish

Thursdays (6 pm) & Saturdays (7 pm): Taylor Buote & Dennis Dunn (July 31/ Aug 7/14/21/28); Jordan Cameron (9); David Woodside (16); Jeffrey Morris (23); Shane Pendergast (30). Avonlea Village, 8779 Rte 6, Cavendish.

Next Door @ The Merchantman

Thursdays (6–8 pm), Fridays (12–2 pm/6–8 pm) & Saturdays (12–2 pm/5–7 pm): Brooke MacArthur (July 31); John MacAllar/Adam McGregor (Aug 1); Brian Dunn/John MacAllar (2); Brian Dunn (7); Wayne Gallant/Mike Stratton (8); Ben Jarvis/Curtis MacDonald (9); Gordon Butle (14); Kev McPhee/ John MacAllar (15); Adam McGregor/ Sydney Thompson & Luka Hall (16); Wayne Gallant (21); Keira Loane/Mike Stratton (22); Ben Jarvis/Ryan Merry (23); Rodney Perry (28); Wayne Gallant/ Brian Dunn (29); John MacAllar/Sydney Thompson & Luka Hall (30). 23 Queen St, Charlottetown.

North Rustico Lions Club

Saturdays (8–11 pm): Kenny Pearl And The Oysters (Aug2 ); The Rustlers (9); No Turmoil (16); TBA (23); Hache (30). Jam Night on Tuesdays (7 pm start). 17 Timber Ln, North Rustico.

The Old Triangle

Sunday to Wednesday (7–10 pm), Friday & Saturday (8–11 pm): Rodney Perry (July 29); Adam MacGregor (30); Saul Good Duo (Aug 1/22); Jon Matthews & Liam Kearney (2); Nick Doneff (3); David Woodside (4/18); Jon Matthews (5/19); Adam MacGregor (6/20); Steve Zaat (8/12/29); Rodney Perry Duo (9); Roger Stone (10/31); Brian Dunn (11/25); Dan Doiron (13/23); Carter MacLellan (15); Breakwater Acoustic (16); Kelley Mooney (17); Barry O’Brien (24/27); Rodney Perry (26); Roger Stone (30/31). Schooner Session with Mark Douglas and friends on Thursdays (7–10 pm). Sunday Session with Roy Johnstone on Sundays (2–4 pm). 189 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Olde Dublin Pub

Robbie Doherty (July 29 @7 pm); Richie and Trevor (30 @7 pm); Vintage 2.0 (31 @8 pm); Cian O’Morain & Mary McGillvray (Aug 1 @6 pm); Wrecking Crew (1 @10 pm); Gordon Butler (2 @6 pm); Caboose (2 @10 pm); Gordon Belsher & Courtney Hogan Chandler (3/10/14 @7 pm); Lawrence Maxwell (4/11/18/15 @7 pm); Robbie Doherty (5/12/19/26 @7 pm); Taylor Johnston & Dan MacAulay (6/20 @7 pm); Vintage 2.0 (7/14/21/28 @8 pm); Gordon Butler (8 @7 pm); TBA (8 @11 pm); Thatcher MacKay (9 @6 pm); Gypsy Soul (9 @10 pm); Old Home Week Kickoff Party with Boney Oaks (11 @10 pm); Richie & Trevor (13/17 @7 pm); Adam MacGregor & Liam Kearney (15 @6 pm); Wrecking Crew (15 @10 pm); Boney Oaks (16 @10 pm); Gordon Belsher & Allison Giggey (17 @7 pm); Dino Dunsford & Judy Yeo (22 @7 pm); Carter MacLellan (22 @11 pm); Gordon Butler (23 @6 pm); Main Street Bullies (23 @10 pm); Ella Campbell (29 @6 pm); Adam MacGregor & The Foes (29 @10 pm); Ella Campbell (30 @6 pm); Neon Country (30 @10 pm); Gordon Belsher & Todd MacLean (31 @7 pm). 132 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

Peake’s Quay

Daily (7–10 pm): Holy Hannah (July 29); Thatcher MacKay (30); Billy White (31); (Aug 1/8/15/22/29); Sarah Jenkins/ Magic 93 (2); “We 3” (3/10/17/24/31); Pierce Clarke (4/11/18/25); Holy Hannah (5/12/19/26); Thatcher MacKay (6/13/20/27); Billy White (7/14/21/28); Robbie & Pierce (4/11/18/25); Brian Dunn (9/30); Acoustic Brothers (16); Mike & Karen Penton (23). 11 Great George St, Charlottetown.

PEI Brewing Company

Acoustic Tuesdays (4–7 pm): Brothers MacPhee (July 29); Fraser McCallum (Aug 5); Adam MacGregor (12); Ethan MacPhee (19); Brothers MacPhee (26). 96 Kensington Rd, Charlottetown.

PonyBoat

DJ Gufaah & DJ Mando on Fridays and Saturdays (11 pm). 157 Kent St, Charlottetown.

RCAF Wing Summerside

Fridays (7 pm), Saturdays (9 pm), and Sundays (2–5 pm): Neon Country (Aug 2); Still Kickin (3/10/17/24/31); Nightshift (9); Chris & Roger A’Hearn (15); Roundabout (16); Marc Coughlin & Jim

Williams (22); Dunk River (23); Cathy & Perry (29), TBA (30). 329 North Market St, Summerside.

Red Island Cider

Sarah Segal-Lazar on August 22 (5–7 pm). 101 Longworth Ave, Charlottetown.

Salvadore Dalí Café

Dueling Pianos with Craig Fair and Ben Aitken on Aug 9 (10 pm–12 am). 155 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Slaymaker & Nichols

Nick Gauthier on Fridays & Sundays (2–5 pm). 82 Fitzroy St, Charlottetown.

Summerside Legion

Back in Tyme on August 2, 16 & 30 (2–5 pm). 340 Notre Dame St, Summerside.

Tekila

Acoustic blues with Dan Doiron on Sundays (6–8 pm). 165 Prince St, Charlottetown.

For updates throughout the month visit buzzpei.com

Hezron: Man on a Mission

Tour celebrates Jamaica’s Independance Day in Souris

Internationally acclaimed reggae artist Hezron will bring the community together for a celebration of unity, diversity, and inspiration at the Royal Canadian Legion in Souris on August 1 at 7 pm.

Presented by Dreammakers Entertainment Inc., the show is part of Hezron’s Canadian tour, Man on a Mission, in celebration of Jamaica’s Independence Day. This uplifting event harnesses the transformative power of music to inspire positive change, foster connection, and celebrate diversity—highlighting music’s profound impact on individuals and communities alike.

SUBMITTED

BUZZ IFIEDS

PROFESSIONAL ART

PRODUCTS If you are a serious painter, you need to shop here! Expert advice to go with perfect, professional products. ONLINE: professionalart.ca. STORE (Bailey Studio Gallery): In Little Sands. 902-962-3642.

SHOP SUSTAINABLY WITH RECYCLED RUNWAY, offering size-inclusive thrifted and vintage women’s fashions. Follow us for Thrift Thursday drops on Instagram and shop in-person by appointment or at events! Instagram: @ recycledrunwaypei

ORGANIC VEGGIE DELIVERY

Home delivery (year-round) of fresh local organic veggies, fruit, and other foods and products. $25 / $40 / $50 Veggie Boxes or custom orders. Aaron Koleszar 902-659-2575, aaron@organicveggiedelivery.com, www.organicveggiedelivery.com

MUSIC

Bilingual music and movement classes

The Nest is offering French bilingual music and movement classes to babies and their caregivers every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 95 Capital Dr, Charlottetown. No experience with French or music is necessary. Info/register: thenestpei.com/drop-in

DNTS recruiting members

Definitely Not the Symphony (DNTS), PEI’s orchestra for all players at all levels, is recruiting new members. DNTS plays classical, contemporary, pop, and broadway selections and is always looking for new members. DNTS is especially looking for string players but other instruments are also welcome. If interested, or even curious, email dntsstratford@gmail. com to inquire.

Informal jam session for adults

The next jam sessions for adults at the Summerside Library (57 Central St) will be held on August 11 and 25 at 6:30 pm. Bring an instrument or borrow one from the library and join other musicians for an informal evening of playing music.

Live band karaoke

Take the Mic’s next show at The Pourhouse in Charlottetown is set for August 30. Take the Mic puts a fresh spin on live entertainment, offering a fully live band karaoke experience where the audience takes centre stage. Led by four veteran musicians with decades of experience, this high-energy act trades karaoke tracks for real instruments and transforms guests into lead singers. Take the Mic band members are Todd MacLean, Deryl Gallant, Adam MacGregor, and Liam Kearney. Advance tickets and song sign-ups are available at takethemicband.ca.

TEXT ONLY BUZZIFIEDS

30 words for $25 (+tax). Buy in bulk to save—6 months for $125 (+tax).

BRIDGE TO GO 1! Five week bridge course with Irene and Carol. For absolute beginner and novice players. Starting Wednesday, Sept 17, 6:30–8:30 pm at the Haviland. Max 20 participants. $100. Register: sheila.bacon22@gmail.com.

SILENT DISCO at Victoria Park w/ Groove™️PEI. All welcome, suitable for all abilities. Text for next day/time & to reserve your headset $10. 902327-1035. Private group bookings also available. #getgrooved

SEPTEMBER

BUZZ DEADLINE

Submissions and advertising booking deadline for the September issue: Thursday, Aug 14

Advertising: sales@buzzpei.com

Editorial: info@buzzpei.com

Seeking drummers

The Belfast Pipe and Drum Band is looking for interested drummers to join the band. Info: heatherjoudrie@gmail.com

Confederation Centre choral season registration open

Registration is now open for the 2025–26 choral season at Confederation Centre of the Arts. The Junior Youth Chorus (ages 8–10), the Intermediate Youth Chorus (ages 10–18), and the Confederation Singers (ages 18+) are welcoming new singers. Members will explore a variety of musical styles, develop their vocal and musical skills, and connect with a supportive choral community. Interested individuals are welcome to sit in on a rehearsal to see if it’s a good fit. Info/register: confederationcentre.com/choir

Sunday morning kitchen parties for children

Children 10 and under and their caregivers can join a Maritime morning kitchen party with live music, dancing, and puppets at The Nest, 95 Capital Dr, Charlottetown on Sundays at 9:30 am. Info/register: thenestpei.com/drop-in

New degree pathway for music students

Holland College and Humber Polytechnic have announced a new academic partnership that creates a direct pathway for Holland College Music Performance graduates to earn an honours degree. Under the terms of the agreement, graduates of the Music Performance program who achieve a minimum average of 65 percent will be granted two years of credit toward a Bachelor of Music degree at Humber Polytechnic. This significantly reduces the time and cost required to complete the degree. The partnership formally recognizes the strong alignment between the two programs and reflects both institutions’ ongoing efforts to develop academic pathways that support student mobility and acknowledge prior learning. With this new pathway, emerging musicians can begin their studies at Holland College and continue—and complete—their degree at Humber, earning their academic credentials, expanding their networks, and preparing for a promising future in the music industry. Info: hollandcollege.ca, humber.ca

Cornwall Community Choir

The Cornwall Community Choir is planning to resume practices this September on Wednesdays from 12:30–2:15 pm at West River United, 10 Church St, in Cornwall, under the direction of Lisa Stead. New and returning members are welcome for the autumn term beginning September 17. The choir practices traditional and contemporary music that is fun to sing. No experience is required. New members are asked to pre-register by September 1 by contacting Nancy Jack at nmcjack@gmail.com or 902675-3838. Pre-registration ensures that binders and music are sorted and ready for the first practice. Fees are payable by cash or cheque and are due before the first practice.

Gold Cup Parade

Led by 2025 Parade Marshal Lennie Gallant

Charlottetown’s streets will come alive with rhythm, creativity, and community spirit as the Gold Cup Parade returns on August 15 at 10 am. This year’s theme, Let the Music Move You, invites participants to celebrate the power of music through float design, performance, and energy. Leading the celebration will be none other than Island music icon Lennie Gallant, named the 2025 Parade Marshal.

The Parade Marshal is an honorary title awarded to someone who has made a positive, lasting impact on the Island community and serves as a strong ambassador for PEI. As one of Atlantic Canada’s most celebrated songwriters, Lennie has released fifteen albums of original songs, earning a host of awards and nominations from

KARAOKE

Boonoonoonoos

Saturdays (9–11 pm) with KiiKii Rose & DJ Selecta Chevron. 177 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Baba’s Lounge

Mondays (10 pm). 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

The Factory

Thursdays (10 pm) with Jack Day. 189 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Montague Legion

Fridays (8 pm) with Gloria. 15 Douses Rd, Montague.

North Rustico Lions Club

Aug 8 & 22 (8 pm) with Tammy Campbell. 17 Timber Ln, North Rustico.

The Pourhouse

Take the Mic live band karaoke on Aug 30 (7:30–10 pm). Advance tickets/sign-up: takethemicband.ca. 189 Great George St, Charlottetown.

RCAF Wing Summerside

Sundays (7–10 pm). 329 North Market St, Summerside.

Summerside Legion

Thursdays (7:30 pm) with Lesa Coughlin. 340 Notre Dame St, Summerside.

Salvadore Dalí Café

Queeraoke on Aug 2 (11 pm–1 am) with Jenn and Hannah. 155 Kent St, Charlottetown.

the JUNOs, Les Prix Éloizes, and the ECMAs. His song “Peter’s Dream” was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and his work has even orbited the Earth aboard the International Space Station. With a career rooted in powerful storytelling and unforgettable melodies, Lennie truly embodies this year’s parade theme.

“It’s quite an honour to be asked,” says Gallant, who grew up with harness racing playing a role in his childhood. “One of my dad’s best friends was Alyre Pineau, who was a big part of the racing scene at the Charlottetown track. His son David and I often snuck into the Old Home Week events in the back of Alyre’s big truck along with a couple of the horses he was slated to race that night.”

Returning to the Gold Cup Parade this year is the oldest and largest youth marching band in Canada, the Burlington Teen Tour Band. The parade also coincides with National Acadian Day, and attendees will be treated to a lively tintamarre and several musical floats showcasing PEI’s vibrant Acadian community. goldcupparade.ca

Attention Residential Tenants and Landlords

The Residential Tenancy Office invites written comments in French/English from tenants and landlords on the maximum allowable rent increase for 2026.

Deadline for comments is Thursday, August 14, 2025.

Comments can be emailed to: MaximumAllowable@peirentaloffice.ca (or)

Mailed/Delivered to:

Residential Tenancy Office 5th floor, National Bank Tower

134 Kent Street, PO Box 577 Charlottetown, PEI C1A 7L1

For information on previous allowable increases go to: peirentaloffice.ca/allowable-rent-increases/

Jiayu Su

Dave Brosha

Dave Brosha