Join us on November 29 at Grace United Church for a fantastic Christmas performance by Canada’s renowned fiddler, Scott Woods.

Known as ‘The Flippin’ Fiddler’ for his energy and performance stunts, this concert is too good to be missed!  The Scott Woods Band will perform a two-hour concert featuring old time fiddle & country music, seasonal songs, inspirational stories, sensational step dancing, trick fiddling and more. This seasonal show is sure to be fast paced and an uplifting delight to audiences of all ages.

The 13 year-old step dancing sensation Amanda MacInnis and Guitar Virtuoso Steve Piticco are scheduled to make a  special appearance as well.  The Scott Woods Band travels across Canada each year performing up to 150 concerts, almost all of which help to support churches, charities and other community groups.

Tickets are on sale now and available at multiple locations; Grace United Church Office, This, That and Everything, or call toll free 1-855-SCOTTWOODS (1-855-726-8896)

So don’t miss because these will sell quickly.

Tickets

Advance tickets $20 for adults

Kids 12 and under $10

Kids 5 and under get in free

All September long The Cove Country Inn is having weekend dinner specials.

Every Saturday is an all you can eat roast beef dinner spread with all the fixings, this event starts Saturday September 7, 2013 and ends Saturday September 28, 2013. The all you can eat roast  beef dinner is $23 a plate, and runs from 5:30-8:30pm.

Every Sunday in September there is a prime rib dinner with all the fixings, this event starts Sunday September 1, 2013 and ends Sunday September 22, 2013. The prime rib dinner is $26 plate, and runs from 5-8pm.

Come down to The Cove this September and enjoy incredible food and foliage.

Photo by

graur codrin

Kick off your summer fair tour at the Lansdowne Fair from, July 19-21, 2013. Gates open at 3pm, daily pass price list is as follows:
Adults $8.00
Kids (7-13) $3.00
Children under 6 free

Events include:

• Poultry Competition  (registration Thursday evening, on display all weekend)
• Country Costume Contest  (Friday)
• Toilet Bowl Races  (Friday)
• Talent Show  (Friday and Sunday)
• Beef/Ham/Pork BBQ with Homemade Pies  (Saturday 4:30: $12 Adults, $6 Kids)
• Pancake Breakfast   (Sunday: $4 Adults, $2 kids – 8:30am)
• Gospel Sing-a-Long   (Sunday)
• Chainsaw Challenge  (Sunday)
• Motorcycle Show & Shine  (10 – 4 Sunday)
• Truck & Tractor Pulls  (Sunday)
• Chicken BBQ with Homemade Pies  (Sunday 4:30: $10 Adults, $5 Kids)

Then come and celebrate 183 years of Fair traditions at the Delta Fair from July 25-28, 2013. Gates open Thursday, daily passes price list is as follows:

Thursday: Ages 5 to 12 years-$2;

13 years & over-$8

Friday: Ages 5 to 12 years-$2;

13 years & over-$10

Saturday: Ages 5 to12 years-$2;

13 years & over-$10

Sunday: Ages 5-12 years-$2;

13 years & over-$8

Parking: $2.00 – William Street Lot

Special events include crafts display, agricultural showcase, and mid way.

For more information call: 613-928-2800

End your summer fair entertainment by coming to the Lombardy Fair August 2-5, 2013.

There will be fun and entertainment for all with the Mid Way, Crafts Display and Agricultural Showcase on all weekend. Everyday there will be entertainment on the Park Stage and special events for all ages.

• Western Team Penning (Saturday-Sunday)
• Kids Day (Sunday)
• Junior Fair Ambassador Contest Show (Friday)
• Baby Show (Sunday)
• Mutt Show (Monday)
• Land of Lake Tunis Shrine Clowns (Saturday-Monday)
• Horse and Pony Pulls (Friday Evening)
• Antique Tractor Pull (Saturday)
• Local Boys’ 4×4 Pickup Truck, Licensed Modified Street (Sunday)
• Lawnmower Races (Sunday)
• Demolition Derby (Monday)

For a price list of daily passes call: 613-284-2640 for more information.

Looking for something to do that is close to home, but can take you miles away? Support your local theatre groups by coming out and watching a local play this summer.

In your area are productions by:

• The Driftwood Theatre, The Odyssey, August 8, 2013.
• The Classical Theatre Festival, The Star-Spangled Girl, from July 9-August 4, 2013.

You can also take in some of Canada’s up and coming talent by going to a summer musical festival in your area. All summer long there will be a variety of musical festivals and events that you and your family can enjoy. In your area this sumer there is the sumer musical stage at The Patio, where Shawn McCullough will be playing multiple dates, July 19 and 26, 2013, and August 2, 9, 23, and 30, 2013  from 6-9pm.

Also in your area there are these musical events to enjoy:

• Jazz Night every Thursday night all summer long from 9-11pm
• Music Westport Kick Off Party with Zal Sissokhn, August 16, 2013, from 8-11pm
• Music in the Park at Hanna Park, August 17, 2013 from 6:30-8pm
• 2nd Annual Voice of Rideau, singing competition of the Rideau/Westport area, Auguat 17, 2013. All ages singing competition behind The Cove starts at 10am, festival starts at noon with ten bands on three stages on the pond side of the Cove Country Inn, August 17, 2013, from 11am-7pm
• Spoon River, August 20, 2013, from 9-11pm
• Coming Home Tour with Sam Skoryna, August 21, 2013, from 9-11pm
• Acoustic Blues with The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer, August 26, 2013, from 6-11pm

This summer there will be exciting events at the Old Stone Mill as we celebrate the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremnoy at the newly renovated Town Hall, Friday, July 19th, 2013 at 11am. There will be special appearances by guests: Steve Clark, MPP; Betsy Heately, OTF representative and Ron Holman, Mayor of Rideau Lakes Township. Come down and experience the transformation of this great heritage building. All renovations were supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

From June 24-August 24 there will be a bilingual exhibit of the Canadian Flour Industry with historical links of flour’s past in France to flour’s present in Canada. Admission is free, so come on down and enjoy a trip through time with the Mill River and Flour Exhibit at the Mill.

It’s time to bring Seeley’s Bay Community together again in its annual Seeley’s Bay Frost Fest. Taking place on Feb. 1 to 3, 2013, a series of fun events are organized for families to celebrate the winter season.

The Frost Fest Fireworks will kick off the Winter Festival on Friday Night. Saturday events include the Frost Fest Craft Show which will display beautifully hand-crafted quilts from Seeley’s Bay Community Hall to Masonic Lodge, Skate the Oval Challenge and the Frosty Fun Scavenger Hunt. Ball hockey at the Tennis Court and Gospel Fest are among the scheduled activities on Sunday. The Frost Fest 2013 ends with the Community Sponsored Roast Beef Dinner.

More activities are stored for you. For more details, just log on to their site www.seeleysbayfrostfest.com. Remember to bring your Frost Fest 2013 Button. Your Frost Fest 2013 button is required for admission to all events and a chance to win great button prizes. Winning button numbers will be drawn and posted at the Penguin Centre Saturday, February 2.

With only two weeks left to before the Rideau Lakes Cup kicks off at Newboro, organizers currently find themselves in a bind that’s all too familiar.

The Rideau Lakes Cup dog sled races, which takes place on the 20^th and 21^st of February is in danger of being postponed, due to a lack of snow. In 2009, organizers of the annual event were forced to cancel the race after only one day of competition due to the poor snow conditions.

Brian Patterson, head organizer of the Rideau Lakes Cup dog sled races, commented in a recent interview that they’ll give the weather a shot until the 17^th of February. If things don’t improve, he said, they’ll have to postpone the race.

He added that in order for the riders and their dogs to race safely, they need to have six to eight inches of snow. The Rideau Lakes Cup features a 25-mile course that covers a variety of topography, and Patterson wants to ensure all the participants don’t get into any unwanted accidents.

The main section of the trail however, is perfect for sledding, but another 10 miles of trail is in poor condition.

With hundreds of local residents buzzing about the race, Patterson hopes things look up over the next few days.

Bikers and cycling enthusiasts listen up! If you’re from around the Rideau Lakes area and are interested in competitive cycling, then here’s news of an event that just might be the one you’re looking for.

Taking place on the 5th and 6th of June 2010 is the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour, undeniably the biggest and most looked-forward-to Spring cycling tournament in the Rideau Lakes area. The Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour will features over 2000 riders racing from Ottawa, to Perth, then to Kingston on day 1, Saturday. The riders then go back the same route to Ottawa on day 2, Sunday.

Whether you’re a beginner or experienced rider, the tournament has everything for you. The Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour features 4 routes specifically designed for varying skills.

Thousands of local riders, as well as enthusiasts from Ontario, Quebec and other Canadian provinces are expected to turn up for the big event. Competitors from the US are sure to join as well. What’s more, organizers have also invited international riders to compete here, adding more of a challenge to the locals.

The Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour is fully supported by Ottawa Bicycle Club. For details on registration and the race route, logon to www.ottawabicycleclub.ca.

If you’re around the Rideau Lakes area this coming February, you might want to check out a great and unique event before the winter season ends.

Come the 20th and 21st of February, the village of Newboro, which is situated along the Rideau Canal, will be hosting the 3rd Rideau Lakes Cup Dog Sled Races.

For 3 years now, a group of dedicated volunteers have worked hard to reach their goal of organizing the region’s own dog sled race. And it looks like that dream has a come true, as dog sledding has become a big thing in the Township of Rideau Lakes in such a short period of time.

Dog sled teams from all parts of Canada like Quebec, Ontario, even some northern parts of the United States will be converging in Newboro to conquer the 80 kilometer course. While mushing through the snow, sledders get to enjoy the picturesque trails filled with big pine trees, and scenic waterways. The first 40 kilometers of the race will take place on February 20, with the next half happening the next day.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars! If you’ve yet to see a real dog sled race, then this is your opportunity.

City officials from the Rideau Lakes region are off to a great start this year, as the area’s 200-year-old Delta Mill will now be featured on a new stamp due for circulation next week. The old mill is one of the five historic mills scattered throughout the country to be featured on Canada Post’s 2010 Flags Over Canada series.

The stamp will be officially unveiled to the public on Monday next week at the site of the mill itself. Monday will also be the stamp’s first day of sale to the public.

For years, Rideau Lakes’ officials have requested Canada Post to feature the Delta Mill on a postage stamp. The agency’s approval could not have come at a better time, as the Delta Mill is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.

The old stone mill is recognized as a historical landmark that was built 2 centuries ago in 1810. Today, it’s been converted to a National Historic Site that house artifacts and different items from the past.

Paul George, curator of the mill, comments that the Delta Mil Society is both honored and excited by the prospect of the landmark being featured on stamps used by thousands of Canadians for their letters.