The Great Ontario Communities Series (Buckhorn)

 

During the past few years Judi and I have visited over 150 Ontario community festivals and events. The majority have been planned and managed by dedicated community volunteers. As a salute to these wonderful communities and their hard-working residents, I will be writing a series of blogs entitled “Great Ontario Communities”. These blogs describe the communities we have visited and will tell you about some of the interesting things we have experienced and the people we have met. The fourth article will be about Buckhorn, the home of the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival.

BUCKHORN – I have written about Buckhorn before. It was one of four communities featured in my recent “Friendly Places” Blog. Judi and I love Buckhorn. In fact, we lived for a few years about 10 km south of Buckhorn on Chemung Lake. During that time, we became very familiar with the community of Buckhorn and its people. Buckhorn is a 20-minute drive north of Peterborough and is located at Lock 31 on the Trent-Severn Waterway. I think Buckhorn may be best known for it annual Fine Art Festival. From this wonderful festival many other events have sprung, especially ones that are held at the Buckhorn Community Centre! Here is a list of some of them: Dinner Theatre (held in the spring and fall), Spring Craft Show (held in May), Canada Celebrations (held July 1), Fiesta Buckhorn (held in July), Buckhorn Fine Art Festival (held in August), Harvest Craft Show (held Thanksgiving Weekend) and In the ‘Nick’ of Time (held in late November). Other great events are held in the region and add to the popularity of the area. A few include the Buckhorn Maplefest held at the McLean Berry Farm in March. It’s hard to believe that so many great events can be run by a community of so few people. But then again, that’s the charm of this community, dedication and enthusiasm! It never ceases to amaze me, when I talk to one of the many volunteers, of just how much energy they possess! People and events is not all that Buckhorn offers. Not surprising there are several great art galleries located in the area, including Bayside Boutique and Art Gallery, the Whetung Ojibwa Centre and Gallery-on-the-Lake. The area is also home of several well-known artists, including internationally recognized and collected, Michael Dumas. If it’s fishing or boating that you are interested in, Buckhorn is located between two fabulous lakes, Lower Buckhorn to the east and Upper Buckhorn to the west. These two lakes are great because they form part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. This versatile area has a lot of other things to see and do. There is the City of Peterborough 35 km to the south and Bobcaygeon 24 km to the west. No matter what time of year you choose to visit Buckhorn, you will never be at a loss for something to do.