Our Favourite Picks for Summer 2017

Must marvel

The Caledon Garden Tour boasts eight stops with inspiration stations that include English country gardens, stone sculptures and walls, fruit trees, herbs and veggies – plus ponds and water features galore. Prepare to be green with envy and come prepped with questions for the hosts and volunteers at each stop. The self-guided tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, rain or shine in northwest Caledon. Tickets are at BookLore and Glen Echo Nurseries. Visit gardenontario.org/site.php/caledon

If you just can’t stop ogling blossoms and greenery, the Primrose Meditative Garden Tour is Sunday, June 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Head to shelburneprimroseunited.weebly.com for info.

The Hidden Gems Garden Tour reveals eight gardens on Forest Park Road (in historic midtown Orangeville) on Thursday, July 6, 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets include evening tea. Get them at BookLore, Orangeville Flowers, Dufferin Garden Centre and monthly meetings of the Orangeville & District Horticultural Society. Details at orangevillehort.org.

Not to be left out, Creemore is abloom with Open Garden in Creemore. There are seven gardens to explore Saturday, July 22 and Sunday, July 23 from 9 to 4, and it’s free to feast your eyes on all of them. Learn more at creemoregarden.ca.

Must party together

To say there will be lots going on for Canada’s 150 Celebrations come Saturday, July 1st would be an understatement. SuperDogs in Orangeville, pioneers in Erin, bouncy castles in Shelburne, axe throwing at Island Lake, strawberries in Caledon and ball hockey in Creemore are just a few of the events and activities on offer. There will also be photo booths, trains, games – oh, and lots of fireworks, food and fun, of course! Check out our online What’s On listings for these and more birthday celebrations.

Must get literary

Books stimulate the mind and feed the soul. Book festivals do all that and more. The 2nd annual Dunedin Literary Festival – dubbed “Words in the Woods” this year – is on Saturday, September 9 and features a workshop and lunch with local farmer, author and jack-of-all-trades Brent Preston, author of The New Farm. Ten years ago Brent and Gillian Flies picked up and left Toronto with their two young children in tow to live and work on a farm just outside Creemore. The New Farm is his honest, passionate and lively account of their change in careers, lifestyle and, most important, way of thinking.

Beloved author Nino Ricci, who penned CanLit classic Lives of the Saints, will be the keynote speaker. Other featured authors include Trevor Cole and Cecily Ross (for an excerpt of her new book The Lost Diaries of Susanna Moodie). For more, go to wordsinthewoods.com.

For some practical small business marketing talk, check out In The Hills Presents: A Conversation with Terry O’Reilly at Westminster United Church in Orangeville on Monday June 26. The CBC host and author of This I Know: Marketing Lessons From Under the Influence hits the stage at 5 p.m. for a session that will be lively and educational. Come for the marketing “aha!” moments, stay for the book signing and snacks. Tickets are available online at inthehills.ca/ITHpresents.

Must play

Summer is festival season, so why not let the kids loose on one designed just for them? The Creemore Children’s Festival is all about fun and getting back to the basics of play on Saturday, August 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival is free and full of interactive and creative offerings with a foundation of musical acts and artistic pursuits. A favourite minimalist testimonial from a little festival goer last year? “I saw a turtle.” There you have it – music, art and wildlife to boot. For info, visit creemorechildrensfestival.com.

Must nosh

Top chefs, mad skills and loads of flavour are on the menu at the Wine and Food Festival at Alton Mill on Saturday, July 22 from noon to 6 p.m. Come ready to nibble local food and sip homegrown beer, wine and cider (including GoodLot Farmstead Brewing Co., Caledon Hills Brewing Company, Pommies Cider and Adamo Estate Winery) against the artsy backdrop of the gallery-rich mill. There are talks to take in, musical entertainment and the chance to admire (and shop) artistic creations courtesy of Alton Mill makers. It’s all in support of the Millpond Rehabilitation Project, a community-based endeavour to improve the water quality and fish habitat of Shaw’s Creek. Tickets are available at Alton Mill.