The Art Kitchen 2026
A free weekly drop-in for artistic expression, healthy snacks and feel-good community vibes.
Macaulay Village Park
This program is returning on June 1, 2026! The Art Kitchen is a free weekly drop-in artmaking group at Macaulay Village Park on London Avenue, Picton (The Heights) every Monday from 4 to 6 PM until the end of September. Creative expression, healthy snacks and feel-good community vibes. Plus free books from County Kids Read! Bring a creative project to work on or make use of our art supplies. Don’t know what to work on? Our team of artists are happy to help guide you through a project. This is an all-ages group, kids and teens most welcome!
Supported by
Flowering Wild
Immersive floral installations rooted in seasonality and place!
Flowering Wild is a collective of independent florists, growers, and land-connected creatives, convened through Studio Free Folk who come together to create immersive floral installations rooted in seasonality, place, and community care. We gather around a shared belief that flowers are both art and offering—ephemeral, expressive, and deeply tied to the land.
On Sunday, July 19, Flowering Wild presents its latest site-specific installation at a private heritage farm in Prince Edward County. This restored location, celebrated for its land stewardship and adaptive reuse of historic agricultural buildings, serves as the canvas for a collaborative floral exhibition.
The installation features the distinct voices of:
Alysia Ausubel (Begonia Moon Flower Studio)
Alexis Bouma (Alexis Joy Florals)
Sarah Crawford (East Lake Farm)
Marilou Perron (Early Grey)
Bethany Puttkemery (Smells Like Flowers)
Lori Richards (Lori Richards)
Kate Turkington (Westbriar Floral)
Interactive programming throughout the day:
The Department of Illumination: Family-friendly creative activities inviting youth to engage with art and ecology.
Kenhte:ke Seed Sanctuary & Learning Centre: Insights into Indigenous seed stewardship, seed rematriation, and community-based food systems.
Both organizations will be onsite accepting donations to support their vital community work.
Tickets include access to the floral installation, all guest programming, and a chance to wander the heritage farm property. Due to the nature of the property, there’s only 30 tickets available per viewing.
Tickets are VERY limited and are on sale now. Get yours here!
BIG FIRES 2026
A solstice party at Slake Brewing
BIG NEWS! We’re delighted to welcome Slake Brewing as this year’s Premier Season Sponsor AND we’re having an epic party to celebrate! Mark your calendars for BIG FIRES, a Solstice party at Slake Brewing on Saturday June 20. Eight hours of music, family-friendly activities, delicious food and drink and all the groovy festival vibes you can handle as we celebrate the longest day of the year and raise some money for The Department of Illumination.
BIG FIRES - JUNE 20, 2026
SCHEDULE:
1 PM - 4 PM Kids costume-making
1 PM - 6 PM Make a flower crown
1:30 PM - 2:10 Andy Forgie (Special Performance for the Young and the Young at Heart)
2:10 - Race of the Mythical Creatures
3 PM - 3:40 Matthew “Doc” Dunn (Roots and Blues)
3 PM - 6 PM Typewriter Poetry
4 PM - Costume parade
4 PM - DJ Ombudsman (Global Grooves)
4:30 - PM Race of the Mythical Creatures
6 PM - MaSHeNKa (Dream Pop)
7 PM - Hayley and The Pirate Queens (Punky Roots)
8 PM - Sandwich Spirits (Psychedelic Jams)
Andy Forgie
Andy Forgie is a beloved Belleville, Ontario-based musician, entertainer, and arts educator. Active since the mid-70s, he is best known as the lead vocalist for the Capitol Records band Photograph, as the frontman of the international Beatles tribute All You Need Is Love. Additionally, Andy is widely respected for his therapeutic music sessions for seniors and for delivering experiential learning and arts education to elementary students.
Matthew “Doc” Dunn
Matthew Dunn is a revered name in underground music circles. A relatively recent PEC transplant, The polymath multi-instrumentalist has toured the globe while appearing on countless recordings and producing a prolific body of work spanning solo releases, as well as collaborations with Jennifer Castle, Kevin Morby, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Woods, Lido Pimienta, Sandro Perri, John Zorn and many more.
DJ Ombudsman
An active DJ for over 20 years, Ombudsman has played venues as diverse as the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (M.O.C.C.A.), the Solstice Festival (OM Reunion Project), the Firelight Lantern Festival (Department of Illumination), The Commissary at Base 31, and Decoy Bar (Toronto). Ombudsman is celebrated for his eclectic, multi-genre sets that seamlessly transition between various global and electronic sounds. Their musical repertoire spans House, Reggae, Funk, Jazz, Rock, Disco, Downtempo and Global Grooves.
maSHeNKa
maSHeNKa splits her time between PEC and Montreal, where she writes, records, and self-produces her original music. MaSHeNKa blends dream pop and alternative textures with cinematic electronic production, creating eclectic songs that explore themes of altered states and psychedelia in a style that is hypnotic and easy to get lost in.
Hayley and The Pirate Queens
Hayley Austin, a native of Portsmouth England, has been writing and refining her songs for many years now. She has joined forces with bassist Tim Hadley and drummer Nathan Mahaffy to form Hayley and the Pirate Queens. They are working hard, carving out a unique place in the alt-roots landscape
Sandwich Spirits
Sandwich Spirits is an instrumental jam band based out of Belleville, ON, heavily active in the Prince Edward County and Bay of Quinte music scenes. Every Sandwich Spirits show is unique, combining ambient soundscapes, psychedelic jams, and funky grooves. The band frequently integrates light and art into their performances. When you attend one of their shows, you are always guaranteed to be asked their signature, defining question: "What's your favourite sandwich?"
Kids' Fashion Workshop
Where young designers bring their wildest costume ideas to life!
This Kids' Fashion Workshop, where young designers bring their wildest costume ideas to life, took place for the second year as part of Picton Fashion Week 2026!
Sunday, June 1, 1–4 PM
DOI Studio, lower level of the Armoury, Picton
FREE! No registration needed, kids under 12 must bring an adult
Sponsored by Experience Picton and Picton Fashion Week
Safer Spaces with Myles Sexton
Learn how to build more inclusive spaces. May 20th, 2026.
Learn how to build safer, more inclusive spaces for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. In this training, Myles will guide everyone through diversity and inclusion training covering topics like pronoun use, and the difference between gender identity and sexuality as well as breaking down the meaning and history of what 2SLGBTQIA+ means. We will also go through easy ways you can make changes within your business or organization to make it a safer environment for everyone!
Myles does all this through storytelling, creating a safe space for everyone to ask uncomfortable questions and teaching from their lived experience as a sober HIV-positive non-binary person.
Wednesday, May 20, 6 PM - 7:30 PM
DOI Studio, Lower level of the Armoury, Picton
FREE! Register HERE.
The Department of Illumination is hiring!
Apply for our Canada Summer Jobs position
Studio Assistant: June 29 - August 30
This position is funded by Canada Summer Jobs. Candidates must:
Be between ages 15 - 30
Be a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident, or someone to whom Refugee Status has been granted/conferred.
Have a valid SIN
International students, and those who are here in Canada on a work, youth, or visitor visa/permit are not eligible.
PAY: $17.60/hr
HOURS: 30 hours per week. Some weekends and evenings will be required
APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 1, 2026
We’re looking for someone with a strong interest in the visual and/or performing arts. Most importantly we are looking for someone who is curious, a good communicator, and willing to learn and try new things. This role is highly variable, and we require someone who can work well with others as well as independently. This summer we will be mostly working in our Picton studio, but also at Macaulay Village Park and several summer festivals. This person will either perform in or work backstage at The Delhi Park Pageant, a large-scale community play.
We strongly encourage applications from those who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, a Person of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, and those living with disabilities.
To apply please email krista@deptofillumination.org
Cardboard Creativity Lab
Discover the joys of creating with cardboard with our Artistic Director Krista Dalby. May 30th 2026
Presented by The County Museums - Prince Edward County
Drop in to the Cardboard Creativity Lab, open to all kids and their grown-ups!
Join artist Krista Dalby from The Department of Illumination for this outdoor workshop, and discover the joys of creating with cardboard.
Pack your imaginations and let's see where they take us!
This drop-in workshop will take place at Wellington Heritage Museum (290 Main St. Wellington) on Saturday, May 30th, from 11am-2pm.
While this workshop is free to attend, donations to the museum are appreciated.
The Delhi Park Pageant 2026
The exciting return of a community favourite! August 22nd, 2026.
The Delhi Pageant Returns August 22 2026
Watch this space for details!
The Delhi Park Pageant was the culmination of our residency in the park in the Summer of 2025. Together, our cast and crew of 50+ people told the story of the park through story and song. It was a magical love letter to Picton’s green gem and was presented on August 23, 2025, to a crowd of upwards of 400 people. Due to enthusiastic demand, we will be remounting the pageant in 2026!
WRITER, DIRECTOR, DESIGNER Krista Dalby
STAGE MANAGER Carla McCormick
PROJECT COORDINATOR Hri Neil
Kanyen’kehá:ka perspective Erica Gray
CHOREOGRAPHER Allison Nichol
CHOREOGRAPHER'S ASSISTANT Jocelyn Wattam
COMPOSERS & MUSICIANS Lisa Bozikovic & Annelise Noronha
CHOIR DIRECTOR & MUSICIAN Sam Hirst
DRUMS Heather Kirby
PRE-SHOW MUSIC Matthew Doc Dunn
PROPS & COSTUMES
Nella Casson
Tomas Del Balso
Bear Epp
Susanne Larner
Andrea Piller
Tim Snyder
Jan Swaren
WARDEN OF THE WILDS Stephanie Rose
KEEPERS
Eloise Bergeron
Frank Hannan
Sharon Hart
Ryan Henderson
Catalin Ivan
Angela Lavender
Sarah Selecky
Emmylou Warner
CHOIR
Andrea Dawes
Janet Jephcott
John Lai
Sally McCubbin
Stacey Michener
Keri Nelson
Galen Newman
Jessica Pelchat
Jess Posgate
Lois Russell
Melissa Warren
THE RACCOONS Pierre Bouchard, Kat Burns
THE DOGS Lenny Epstein & Gavin North
THE SQUIRRELS Emberly Doherty, Beth Easton, Artemus Emu, Barbara Leitermanar
THE DEAD Thom Harrison & Nancy Kish
DRAGONFLIES
Elora Faircloth
Hazel Faircloth
Joni Greig
Alice Hanmer
Rumi Hobbs
River Keast
Eden Vreugdenhil
THANK YOU
Christine Renaud
County of Prince Edward
Feral Folc
PECIsh
Picton Home Hardware
PEC Field Naturalists
South Shore Joint Initiative
All our volunteers
Photos by Michelle Beaudette
The Delhi Park Pageant is SUPPORTED BY
Firelight Lantern Festival 2026
A cherished Prince Edward County tradition. Two magical evenings of arts and music, November 6 & 7, 2026.
14th annual Firelight Lantern Festival
November 6 & 7, 2026 ~ Crystal Palace, Picton
The Department of Illumination lights up the night with The Firelight Lantern Festival, a cherished Prince Edward County tradition since 2013. Two magical evenings of arts and music will unfold at the Crystal Palace in Picton, Ontario. November 6 & 7, 2026. Friday night’s musical headliner is Grievous Angels and Saturday night’s headliner will be Cue The Funk! Save the date!
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6 ~ 7 PM to Midnight
Ages 19+ - Join us for the art party or the year!
Headliners are alternative Country band The Grievous Angels. Engage with installations from DOI artists, an illuminated performance from North Fire Circus, and as always, a few creative surprises throughout the evening.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7~ 6 PM to 11 PM
Headliners are hometown heroes Cue the Funk
The outdoor portions of the festival are FREE, but please consider dropping a donation into one of our donation boxes to support the festival.
EVENT SCHEDULE
6 PM - Gather at Benson Park. Giant puppets, handmade lanterns and a performance by The Aurora Borealis Community Choir at 6:30. Dress warmly!
7 PM SHARP - Community Processiondeparts towards the Crystal Palace accompanied by Spencer Evans & the Goat Steppers. Doors open at the Crystal Palace at 7 PM in case you don’t want to or are unable to do the parade. BTX CRVTT spins tunes while you take in the art installations made by Department of Illumination artists and play a game or two!
7:30-8:30 - Kids craft inside the Crystal Palace with Sharon Hart
7:40 - Fire show by North Fire Circus outside Crystal Palace
8:30 - 10 PM - Cue the Funk - Main Stage Crystal Palace. My Son the Hurricane is a multi-horn, multi-drummer, multi-singer brass funk band bringing their massive musical energy all the way from Niagara. Get ready to have your socks knocked off!
WHAT TO WEAR: Dress up in whatever wild and wonderful costume you wish – especially if it’s illuminated!
WHAT TO BRING: A lantern! Our lantern workshops have concluded, and our lantern kits are sold out, howeverwe have handmade lanterns for sale at Kelly’s Shop, while supplies last.
EAT & DRINK: Both evenings are licensed inside the Crystal Palace; bar service by County Cider Co. and Kaleidoscope Catering is serving from their food truck all night long.
PLEASE DONATE: The Lantern Parade and outdoor performances are all FREE, however donations are greatly appreciated and help keep this event going!
TICKETS
NEW! LOWER PRICES AND TICKETING SYSTEM FOR 2025!
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
TICKETS FOR FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6 (19+) - All tickets just $20 (HST inc). Buy wristbands at Kelly’s Shop (cash preferred - 197 Main St. Picton). Tickets available at the door while they last; no online tickets available.
TICKETS FOR SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7 - Adults $25, kids $5. Buy wristbands at Kelly’s Shop (cash preferred - 197 Main St. Picton). Saturday tickets online/at door: $30 adults, $10 kids. Watch here for a link for online tickets.
The Firelight Lantern Festival draws inspiration from traditions of many lantern festivals throughout the world which use light as a symbol to bring people together. The timing of our festival in mid-November coincides with the European tradition of Martinmas which originated in France in honour of St. Martin, a friend of children and patron of the poor. Martinmas is celebrated throughout Europe, its signature being children’s lantern processions. As fall ends and the darkness of winter descends upon us it is easy to feel isolated, especially living in a rural community. Our festival acts as a beacon to encourage our residents, both adults and children, to conjure their own light, bringing it into their hearts and homes to sustain them through the darkness. Making a lantern is a literal application of this metaphor, but in gathering people together to make lanterns in town halls, schools and living rooms, our camaraderie grows and we feel the warm glow of making beautiful things with our hands alongside friends and neighbours.
2025 EDITION SUPPORTED BY
Society of Stitchers 2026
An embroidery club gathering for community, craft and the love of stitching. Led by Nella Casson.
A galaxy of patches! Thank you for all these small but mighty contributions to @societyofstitcherspec this year! I can’t wait to add these to the quilt!
This program has concluded for 2026. Watch out for it again in the winter months of 2027. The Society of Stitchers! SOS is our annual winter embroidery club led by artist Nella Casson, where we open up our magical studio for the community to gather and get creative. We’ll also be hosting some guest speakers to spark our creativity! No experience required and all are welcome; kids, too!
Your registration fee includes 12 sessions, all supplies & instruction, snacks & tea, and all the good vibes you can handle! Come to as many or as few sessions as you’d like.
PRICE: $45 + HST = $50.85 (that’s just $4.23 per session!) If this price is a hardship for you, please pay what you can. If you would like to “pay it forward” for another participant to take part at a reduced cost, please indicate at time of payment.
TO REGISTER: etransfer krista@deptofillumination.org
LOCATION: The Department of Illumination Studio: lower level of the Armoury, 206 Main St. Picton. Enter via rear doors on Mary St. near Luso Bites. This program has concluded for 2026
A special thank you to our Society of Stitchers Sponsors!
Springfest
Food, Games, Fun!
This event has been cancelled due to the rainy forecast. Stay tuned for a new date!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Base31, Dunrose Distribution, Picton Recreation Committee, Wellington Home Hardware and the Prince Edward County Lions Club.
Delhi Then & Now
Learn about Picton’s oldest neighbourhood & how a new vision for Delhi Park will shape its future
You are invited “over Delhi” (as the saying goes) on Saturday, February 21 at 2 pm, to learn about the origins and development of Picton’s oldest neighbourhood, and how a new vision for Delhi Park will shape the future of Picton. First, we’ll gather in the old church at Macaulay Heritage Park for presentations and refreshments. Then join with The Department of Illumination and The Aurora Borealis Community Choir in a procession to Delhi Park, to light up the park with sound and colour!
$15 + fees in advance through Ticketscene or $20 cash at the door or PWYC.
This event is part of Flashback February presented by PEC Heritage Conservancy and Friends of Delhi Park and made possible thanks to funding from The Picton BIA.
Mask Making
Learn how to make your very own mask with our Artistic Director Krista Dalby
This workshop has concluded, we hope to offer it again in the future, stay tuned!
Make your very own large-scale mask over the course of three workshops led by Artistic Director Krista Dalby. You'll be introduced to a variety of materials and techniques, and you'll create a dramatic mask of your own design. Think BIG! Think WEIRD! This workshop is for adults and youth aged 15+, no prior experience required. Workshops take place at the magical DOI studio in Picton.
You’ll walk away with a unique mask ready for parades, festivals, or display in your home. The techniques that you’ll learn are scalable to create everything from small sculptures to giant puppets. Krista has more than 20 years experience working with simple materials to create imaginative creatures large and small.
Price: $150 + HST, includes all materials and instruction.
DAY 1: Introduction to various mask-making techniques. You’ll learn how to do a “quick sculpt” using cardboard and other recycled materials and found objects. You’ll be guided through a design process and launch into making!
DAY 2: Finish sculpting and papier mâché
DAY 3: Painting and finishing, then… PHOTO SHOOT!
Annual Tree Lighting
Bring your festive cheer!
An tradition we look forward to every year! Decorating the tree and celebrating its lighting at the Picton cenotaph. We sing carols with the ABC Choir, enjoy be free cookies and hot chocolate, and facilitate the sharing of free books from County Kids Read!
Wear a Santa hat and bring your festive cheer!
Tree lighting at 5 PM sharp!
Thank you to the Picton BIA and Dan Claxton Electric for supporting us in this annual tradition!
Firelight Lantern Festival 2025
A cherished Prince Edward County tradition. Two magical evenings of arts and music, November 7 & 8, 2025.
13th annual Firelight Lantern Festival
November 7 & 8, 2025 ~ Crystal Palace, Picton
Wow! Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our 13th Firelight Lantern festival!
Those who volunteered, attended lantern workshops, came out in their PLAYful looks and our incredible sponsors! Thank you all for your contributions and support.
This weekend was perfect! From the breathtaking performances in Benson Park with the Aurora Borealis Community Choir to the mesmerizing fire show by @northfirecircus , and the electric vibes on the dance floor in harmony with the incredible @mysonthehurricane … every moment was filled with wonder and warmth.
Watching the lanterns light up the night alongside incredible music and fiery artistry was unforgettable.
Here’s to a weekend that brought our community together in a celebration of creativity, light, and connection.
We can’t wait for the next one!
Video by @storiedmarketing
The Department of Illumination lights up the night with The Firelight Lantern Festival, a cherished Prince Edward County tradition since 2013. Two magical evenings of arts and music will unfold at the Crystal Palace in Picton, Ontario. November 6 & 7, 2026. Friday night’s musical headliner is Grievous Angels and Saturday night’s headliner was My Son The Hurricane!
The Firelight Lantern Festival draws inspiration from traditions of many lantern festivals throughout the world which use light as a symbol to bring people together. The timing of our festival in mid-November coincides with the European tradition of Martinmas which originated in France in honour of St. Martin, a friend of children and patron of the poor. Martinmas is celebrated throughout Europe, its signature being children’s lantern processions. As fall ends and the darkness of winter descends upon us it is easy to feel isolated, especially living in a rural community. Our festival acts as a beacon to encourage our residents, both adults and children, to conjure their own light, bringing it into their hearts and homes to sustain them through the darkness. Making a lantern is a literal application of this metaphor, but in gathering people together to make lanterns in town halls, schools and living rooms, our camaraderie grows and we feel the warm glow of making beautiful things with our hands alongside friends and neighbours.
2025 EDITION SUPPORTED BY
10x10 Show
The biggest show of small art!
It's the biggest show of small art in the County! The fourth annual 10 x 10 art show and fundraiser took place at the County Arts Lab in the Armoury, from Thursday November 13 and ran until November 22. All works were for sale for $110 plus HST. Sales are divided between the DOI ($60), County Arts ($20) and artists may receive $30 or donate their portion to the DOI.
L.e.a.f. Initiative
Your kind words could make the difference to our application!
If you encountered us this summer, you probably saw our beautiful new trailer which we've converted into a solar-powered mobile studio. We have great dreams for where this trailer will take us, and all the magic that it will help create, but we are in need of a dedicated vehicle to tow it. As we'd like to make a sustainable choice, we would love to get an electric truck. To that end, we have applied for funding to the Commonwell LEAF Initiative. That's where you come in. Do you have a couple of minutes to share a comment, photo or story about why we'd be deserving recipients of this funding? With your input we can make our application stand out, bringing us one step closer to that precious funding! Please visit their website to support our project!
Lit Up: Oeno after Dark
An illuminated wonderland with over 40 sculptures lit against the night sky!
This Thanksgiving weekend, join us for LIT UP: Oeno After Dark On October 11th, Oeno Gallery’s Sculpture Garden transforms into a 3-acre illuminated wonderland with over 40 sculptures lit against the night sky Wander winding paths as firecones blaze, sculptures shine, and performances fill the air with sound and magic Powered by The Department of Illumination, we’re deLIGHTed to present our ABC Choir, and you can also take in performances from North Fire Circus, interactive percussion by Jesse Stewart, and pioneering electric violinist Dr. Draw. Tickets on sale now!
Play Dolls With Us
Help us stitch doll clothes for an installation at The Firelight Lantern Festival
Like playing with dolls? Join The Department of Illumination at the Picton Town Hall Farmers Market on Sunday October 19 from 9 AM to 2 PM and help us stitch doll clothes for an installation at The Firelight Lantern Festival. Doll hair stylists also welcome! This is part of Common Grounds PEC, a pop-up residency program that invites artists, performers, writers, and cultural workers to engage with our community at the Picton Farmers Market.
Houndoween
Dogs and their humans are invited to dress in costume and join us for an adorable mini-parade!
You all loved our weird & wonderful Houndoween event last year, so we're bringing it back! Dogs and their humans are invited to dress in costume and join us on Saturday October 25. Gather at the Giant Tiger parking lot in Picton at 3:45; at 4 PM we will have an adorable mini-parade on Main Street to Benson Park, where the Picton Recreation Committee is having a costume celebration and a pre-carved pumpkin contest. And yes, there will be prizes for canines and their humans.
Photo: Logan Somers