Life is good in the Kawarthas. Come summer, The Festival of Lights concert series, on Little Lake in the center of Peterborough, is a highlight and focal point of the area with music, lights and fireworks twice weekly.
Festival of Lights Concert in Crary Park
Just 90 minutes outside of Toronto, Peterborough offers the calm of small city life and a gateway to some of Canada's most coveted cottage country. With a natural wealth of clean, sparkling lakes and rivers and varied landscapes, it's easy to see why the First Nations people called this area Kawartha (Land of Shining Waters). Today, hundreds of years later, the same waterways and open spaces continue to enchant nature-lovers, inspire artists and provide a habitat for countless species of wildlife. Interwoven with this natural beauty you'll find a host of other pleasant surprises.
The beauty of The Kawarthas
Nestled along the banks of the Otonabee River, the City of Peterborough offers many venues for arts, culture and recreational activities. Step outside the vibrant downtown core and the surrounding picturesque towns and villages welcome you with still more unique possibilities: indoor and outdoor galleries and theatres, historic parks, ideal places to picnic, swim or sail, cottages, fishing ... and the list goes on.
Peterborough is home to Trent University, Canada's Outstanding Small University, set along the wooded banks of the Otonabee River, and Sir Sandford Fleming College.
Little Lake, in the heart of downtown PeterboroughThe city is also known for the Trent Severn Waterway, a canal that runs through a series of lakes from Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay and boasts the largest hydraulic lift lock in the world. In winter, one of the biggest attractions is our Peterborough Petes junior hockey team, which has a storied tradition and a long roll call of players who became NHL stars.
Perhaps more than anything else, Peterborough trades on its relationship with the nearby Kawartha Lakes country, filled with gorgeous lakes, woods and cottages.
Otonabee River TrailThere are beautiful little villages in the Kawarthas, many with art galleries showing local wildlife work, and numerous Provincial Parks within driving distance. The surrounding area is full of picturesque communities and villages set in an alluring rural landscape. Those who live here enjoy a multitude of recreational opportunities against a constantly changing natural backdrop. From picnics to pubs, swimming to sailing, angling to antiquing - it's all here in the Kawarthas.
Petroglyphs Provincial ParkSince the days of pioneer writers Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill, the Kawarthas have provided inspiration for some of Canada's most creative minds. Indeed, few places so close to nature can also boast such a vibrant arts community. Many musicians, actors, playwrights, painters, writers and craftspeople call the Kawarthas home.
Whether you're looking for adventure, entertainment or just a place to relax and let go.
