Online Auction 2026
Online Auction in Support of The Delhi Park Pageant
The Delhi Park Pageant returns to Picton August 22, 2026!
In order to support the production of this year’s pageant we partnered with a who’s who of local businesses and artists to create an online auction. There was an amazing range of products, experiences, art and services all available to the highest bidders!
Thanks to all of the members of our community that stepped up to support us by bidding on the lots in our auction, we surpassed our Goal of $5000 and raised just under $6500 to support the production of the 2026 production of the Delhi Park Pageant.
Thanks again to all of our wonderful auction donors for their generosity and support!
Agrarian Market
Andrea Piller
Anice Jewelry
Beau Bistro
BIGLAKE Festival
Birding with Rick
Bloomfield Beauty Co.
Cabin Fever Kayak
Caddy Shack Mini Golf
County Stage Company
Half Kanga
Honey Pie Hives & Herbals
Jed. Design Fabrication
Karlo Estates Winery
Mary Street Vintage
Nell Casson
Ontario Street Pottery
Paper Kite Farm
Pedego Electric Bikes
Prince Edward County Chamber Music Festival
Prince Edward County Jazz Festival
Prince Edward County Lavender Farm
Serendipity Yoga
Shannon Warr-Hunter
Sip Saunas
Spiritual Alchemy Wellness
The County Foundation
The Hayloft Dancehall
The Love Loft
The Regent Theatre
The Studio PEC
The Salon
Traynor Family Vineyard
Wild Lot Farm Distillery
Unofficial Wine Tours
Zest Kitchen Shop
MAKE A LANTERN
Making a lantern is fun and creative, and is suitable for most ages and skill levels
Join us in our studio for a lantern-making workshop! Making a lantern is fun and creative, and is suitable for most ages and skill levels, although younger ones will need assistance. Your lantern can be as simple or as complex as you wish, but it’s best to budget at least a few hours’ time to make one. No need to pre-register, just drop in when you wish on one of the following dates!
2026 Workshops:
October 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 & Nov 1
10 am - 5 pm
We are located in the lower level of The Armoury, 206 Main St, Picton, all the way at the end of the hall. Please park on Main Street or the Mary Street parking lot.
The price is $15 + HST per lantern and we’ll provide you with all materials and instruction. You can also buy a lantern kit from us if you’d like to make one at home.
Can’t make it to a workshop? Maybe you’re coming from out of town? We’ve made some tutorials below so you can make a lantern at home with readily-available materials. There are lots of other types of lanterns, too - the only kind we don’t like are sky lanterns - they are polluting and a fire hazard.
Make sure to display your lantern in the lantern gallery when you arrive at the Crystal Palace!
Flowering Wild 2026
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, 2026 Flowering Wild presented 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 featured 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.
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 - 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.
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?"
The 5th Annual 10x10 Show (2026)
The biggest show of small art!
The biggest show of small art in the County Returns for the fifth year! The 10 x 10 art show and fundraiser takes place at the County Arts Lab in the Armoury, from Thursday November 19th until November 29. All works are 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.
If you would like to make a piece for inclusion in the exhibition, panels are currently available for purchase at our studio on the lower level of the Armoury building, 206 Main St. W. Picton, Mondays and Wednesdays between 10 and 4, or by chance or appointment. If you need to make an appointment to purchase a panel, please contact hri@deptofillumination.org
