Bay of Quinte Country http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog All things Quinte Wed, 16 May 2012 16:12:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Long Live the Queen in Bay of Quinte http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=195 http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=195#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 11:20:07 +0000 BOQC http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=195 Victoria Day is our ‘Queen Day’, the holiday that falls on Monday making it a long weekend and falls prior to the Memorial Day weekend of the USA.  Most Victoria Day weekends arrive at the title  ‘May 2-4′ by way of the number of bottles of beer in a case, and that it is close to May 24th.  It more accurately commemorates Queen Victoria’s birthday and the current Queen Victoria II, Canada’s Official Sovereign’s, birthday celebrated since before Canada was formed.

Love live the Queen, and Long Live May 2-4.

Here is what is on this weekend in Quinte!

Frankford Riverfest Weekend: Family entertainment, big screen outdoor movie, family carnival rides, interactive displays, vendors village, buskers and so much more!  Local favorite Ambush is playing Friday Night.  Frankford is located in Quinte West and all events are at the Frankford Tourist Park.  Fireworks 9:30pm on Saturday!  More info at www.quintewest.ca

Whigfield – Lost and Found – The Empire Theatre

Wingfield: Lost and Found

Wingfield Lost and FoundWritten by Dan Needles

In the seventh instalment of the much-loved saga of former Bay Street broker-turned farmer Walt Wingfield, there is a record drought, and a search to locate a new well on Wingfield Farm ensues. Wingfield Lost and Found is a whimsical reminder that searching can turn up more than what is lost and teach us the value of more than what is found.

Show Dates:
Tuesday May 15 @ 8 p.m.
Wednesday May 16 @ 2 p.m. – ORDER ONLINE
Thursday May 17 @ 8 p.m. – ORDER ONLINE
Friday May 18 @ 8 p.m. – ORDER ONLINE
Saturday May 19 @ 8 p.m. – ORDER ONLINE
Sunday May 20 @ 2 p.m. – ORDER ONLINE

Ticket Pricing:
Regular – $29.50 + HST + ticket service fee
Student (18 and under) – $20.00 + HST + ticket service fee
Group tickets – $27.50 + HST + ticket service fee – Please call Box Office to book.

Tyendinaga Caverns and Caves: Official opening this weekend.  Click Here for the website.


The Cove is Open!



The Beaver Dam has been replaced with The Cove BBQ and Patio at the Belleville Morch Waterfront (right behind the Harbour Club).  Come check it out!!

The World of Bugs at The Quinte Mall:

This weekend at Quinte Mall: INCREDIBLE WORLD OF BUGS!!
SEE IT! BELIEVE IT! A spectacular exhibit of hundreds of insects from around the world – the beautiful, the unusual

The Mustang Drive In:  Movies this weekend


]]> http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=195 0 Belleville Yardmen Arena to host NHL Game for Stirling Hockeyville: Leafs vs. Bluejackets http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1347 http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1347#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 19:57:24 +0000 BOQC http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1347 Stirling-Rawdon to bring Kraft Hockeyville game to Belleville
NHL® pre-season game to be played at Yardmen Arena, allowing more people in the community to experience live NHL action
Stirling-Rawdon, ON – May 9, 2012 – The Township of Stirling-Rawdon, winners of Kraft Hockeyville 2012, announced today that the 2012-2013 NHL® pre-season game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets will be played in Belleville, Ontario at Yardmen Arena on October 3, 2012. Members of the Stirling-Rawdon Local Organizing Committee made the decision, in collaboration with the Kraft Hockeyville partners, to move the game to Belleville to allow a greater number of people from the community to celebrate the win and enjoy the game live.
As the Kraft Hockeyville 2012 winning community, Stirling-Rawdon won the right to host the NHL preseason game and will receive $100,000 for arena upgrades from Kraft Canada, $10,000 in food bank donations and a visit from CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada.
“Each and every member of our community deserves the opportunity to celebrate this incredible achievement because they all played a role in making Stirling-Rawdon Kraft Hockeyville 2012,” said Cindy Brandt, head of the Stirling-Rawdon Local Organizing Committee. “Hosting the game at the Stirling District Recreation Centre would have been a thrill, but one that would have denied far too many people an opportunity to share in the revelry.”
“This is a win-win situation for our community. Stirling-Rawdon is getting $100,000 in much needed upgrades to our beloved arena, and by playing the game in Belleville more people can enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Rodney Cooney, mayor of the Township of Stirling-Rawdon. “The members of the committee have made the right decision, one that will give back to those that have demonstrated such passion for the community and for the sport of hockey.”
“We are honoured that our neighbours to the North have chosen to make Belleville a part of its Kraft Hockeyville celebrations,” said Neil Ellis, Mayor of the City of Belleville. “The opportunity to help bring a 2012-2013 NHL® pre-season game to as many people as possible in such a hockey-passionate community like Stirling-Rawdon is one that we wouldn’t dream of passing up. Needless to say, the people of Belleville were firmly behind the Stirling-Rawdon bid.”
Members of the Stirling-Rawdon Local Organizing Committee will reveal ticket information at a later date, along with details surrounding the numerous festivities and fan celebrations that will take place in the community of Stirling-Rawdon leading up to the game. Having just concluded its seventh year, Kraft Hockeyville is a nationwide movement that enables Canadians to showcase their community and the role local arenas play in bringing friends and family together to celebrate our nation’s favourite sport – hockey. This year, Stirling-Rawdon’s tireless passion, effort and creativity earned it the title of Kraft Hockeyville 2012.
NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHLPA and NHLPA
logo are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League Players’ Association. CBC, Hockeyville and
CBC and Hockeyville logos are official marks of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. All Rights
Reserved.

S

]]> http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1347 0 A Strange Animal he’s Not – Gowan Interview http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1336 http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1336#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:54:25 +0000 Barbers Blog http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1336 Lawrence Gowan has been a full-fledged member of the legendary rock group Styx since 1999, and has toured the world with this band, playing more than 100 dates a year.
Back in 2009, he was encouraged to revisit his extensive and very successful solo career in Canada, and did so with the issuing of a commemorative 25th anniversary edition of his breakthrough album Strange Animal, and a small number of exclusive concerts in 2010.  This year, he is marking the 25th anniversary of his third album, Great Dirty World, which contained his biggest hit single Moonlight Desires. And in 2012, he is again playing a small number of solo shows, including Tuesday, April 3, at The Empire Theatre in Belleville.
www.bayofquintecountry.com blogger Jim Barber spoke with Mr. Gowan about his solo work, and his ongoing commitment to Styx:
Q: So are you rehearsing with your solo band right now, in preparation for the short run of dates in Ontario.
LG: Yeah, rehearsals and a little bit of recording, actually. I don’t want to really talk about it, but I guess I’ll tell you, just don’t make a huge deal out of it. I am going to Woodstock, NY because I am recording some solo stuff with Tony Levin and Jerry Marotta. But that’s down the road stuff. That’s the team from Strange Animal.
Q: Let’s catch up with some Styx information first, and I am looking at your touring schedule, and as usual, the band is all over the place, playing so many dates, is it the same this coming year.
LG: Yeah, pretty much. I think we did 109 last year, and I did seven Gowan shows, so for me it was 116 shows, in total. But, the problem, Jim is that there aren’t enough days in the year to fill all the Styx shows that we are being ask to perform all around the world. And that’s an absolutely very fortuitous dilemma for a band to have, especially a band that is so strong live. And that’s basically the best way to continuously connect with people.
We are all over the map intentionally, and that’s probably how we will continue along for the foreseeable future, which in rock is about a week. LOL
Q: It’s been like this every year, and I imagine you sit down at the beginning of every year and wonder, well is this the year that it’s going to slow down, and it never does.
LG: It doesn’t, and that’s a fantastic thing. In fact, this lineup of the band has played more shows that any previous lineup ever.
Q: And I think one of the reasons why, is because there are younger and younger people who are getting into the music. And these fans know the music and lyrics as well as I do.
LG: That’s the beauty of it. I am going into my 14th year next month with Styx, and I have witnessed the audience get younger and younger and not older and older, which is the exact opposite to what I would likely have predicted. There are just generations, and that’s why we did the two Regeneration albums, that have discovered the band through whatever band they have done so, and they come to shows, and they get addicted to it and they keep coming back.
They are really the driving force as to why we’re on the road so much. They are the ones that are making the loudest demands and they’re being heard, so it’s great.
Q: It must be odd knowing that there are lots of younger people coming to see Styx who don’t know any other singer/keyboardist in the band but Lawrence Gowan.
LG: Tons. They know me as the singer of Styx, and its only through doing a background search, maybe through the FBI database, that they find out, oh look at this, he had this long solo career, that got to a greatest hits package level, and maybe we’ll go investigate that now. And what’s funny is, I know that, for example the Parry Sound show that I am doing on April 2, its a charity show, and I spoke to the promoter and he said that the first 50 tickets went to Americans. LOL So, I said, yeah, there’s a reason for that.
Q: And we talked about this last time we spoke, but your Gowan audience is kind of split three ways. There’s the fans who were fans back in the day and saw you play at Kingswood Music Theatre in Toronto and places like that, there’s new Gowan fans who have discovered your music in recent years through retro radio, and then there are the Styx fans who are discovering your solo catalogue.
LG: That’s precisely it. Whereas in the past, if they wanted to see what I did in my spare time, it would be playing hockey, now my spare time is reinvigorating and remounting the whole Gowan experiences. And that’s why I am bringing the whole band. That’s the inspiration behind that idea, to keep as much of what people saw in the 1980s continuing on as strongly as possible, and at the moment, that’s what I want to do. Anyone who saw me in the 1990s would have seen me touring solo with just me and a solo piano, and maybe one day I will get a chance to do that again. But for now, I love the fact that I can bring the Styx drummer, Todd Sucherman with me. And I bring half the crew from the Styx tour with me, the lighting director, and my keyboard technician becomes my touring production manager, we have my monitor guy, and Todd and his wife Taylor, who sings with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.And we have a couple of guys from my 1980s band; my brother Terry, and Peter Nunn, who was my keyboard playing back in 1985, and then I have this young guitar player, and when I say young, I think he’s around 32, Danny J. Just the letter J.
Q: How did it make you feel when you were asked to re-record classic Styx songs for the two Regeneration albums?
LG: At first I wondered why we were going to do that and not do another new record, because we’ve got the material and we want to do that, we just finished one new song, Difference in the World, but then we realized, it’s an absolute necessity because there are generations of Styx fans who are buying the records or a band that they don’t know, that they’re unfamiliar with that lineup. Like what you were talking about at the top.  So it is necessary to give them what we have done with the songs, in a studio format. So I can tell you that was not easy. It was like making an album and doing a forensic investigation at the same time, because I realized that I had to resurrect all the old analog gear, so a real Steinway piano, a real Hammond B3, a real Oberheim, and get out all my vintage stuff and get it all brought up to specs. Because that was the only way we could match as much of that sound of the original record as was necessary to make it sound authentic. And then of course what’s new is my voice, and of course Todd being on drums and Ricky on bass, the songs have that beefier delivery that we have honed in the live shows over the last 13 years.
Q: It wasn’t surprising that Styx did that, because Journey also did it, and Foreigner just did it last year too.
LG: And that’s the other thing. We tour with those bands, so there always all sorts of chat between the bands, and they said, ‘how come you guys haven’t done this yet?’ And once we got into it, we loved it, but it was a challenge. As was doing that DVD that we just put out, where we did Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight live.
I think that’s our strongest work so far, honestly. I think it really was the biggest challenge we took on, for me anyway, as the keyboard player. I had to get all the songs completely mapped out in the order of the albums. And that’s an odd arc to follow when you’re playing a live show. But we were able to do it, and we shot that show at the end of the tour in Memphis. And the DVD entered Amazon at number 2 in the first week, and that was like the day after Adele won six Grammys and she was at number one.
And remember two years ago it was the return of the Strange Animal, doing that full record from top to bottom at Fallsview Casino … Styx had been talking about doing Grand Illusion about five years ago, and it kept getting shoved back and shoved back, and then I did the full Strange Animal, and our manager, from Atlanta came to that show and he said, ‘oh this is great, playing the whole record. We should do that this year.’ And that’s how it happened, and we decided it was time to do Grand Illusion and then of course they decided to do Pieces of Eight too.
Q: It’s interesting to note that it was actually the Styx management and the other guys in the band who encouraged you do do more solo stuff.
LG: Entirely. It really came from JY (Styx founding member James Young) saying to me at the 10 year mark, that it’s been long enough, and he encouraged me, and said I think you should do this, and part of it as well was that the people who run Fallsview, we played there in 2009, and played there a lot, and in 2009, they came and said to me, we had as many calls this year, wondering if there was going to be a Gowan solo show as we did about the Styx concerts. Would you consider doing that?
And I just said to them, you’re timing is astounding, because next year is the 25th anniversary of Strange Animal and I want to do at least one or two shows, so he booked the two shows there, and that was the beginning of me resurrecting the Gowan experience of Ontario Place, Kingswood and the Belleville arena. LOL
Q: There must be pressure for you to do more, because with the changes in radio formats and the new BOOM station and 1980s oriented radio, more and more people are hearing your music.
LG: And that’s part of what has instigated a lot of this. Because as soon as Boom and that network of stations came along, suddenly I am getting played more, and I can see it because of the SOCAN royalty cheques. I see oh look at that Moonlight Desires and All The Lovers in the World, and Strange Animal, and Guerrila soldier and Criminal Mind and Cosmetics are suddenly making money again. And they’re being played everywhere. And Q107 picked them up and started playing them again, so that’s a whole other group of stations. So this is a very lucky thing.
Now I have to say that it didn’t completely blindside me, because I figured my career is probably about 10 years behind Styx in the coming of new generations, because there were so many people who went and saw those bands in the 1980s, like Loverboy, and Speedwagon and all the great Canadian 1980s bands that suddenly people want to reconnect with. And, again, I am finding younger people who are saying they love 1980s music.
In fact, one of the last conversations I had with Kenny McLean of Platinum Blonde before he passed, I was friends with him since the 1970s believe it or not, I said to him, in the next few years I could see an onslaught of people interested in 1980s bands, you should get back together with Platinum Blonde because you’re going to be wanted out on the road again, and we might end up touring together. And he was like, yeah that could happen. And that was one of our last conversations. About a year later the Boom stations came along and that resurgence began. So it was inevitable and justified. You know we sold a lot of records. They sold a ton.
Q: So you’re re-releasing Great Dirty World this year to mark the 25th anniversary.
LG: That comes out next month. I did the anniversary re-issue because it contains my most played song ever, Moonlight Desires, that’s the only one that has reached classic status in Canada so far, although Strange Animal and Criminal Mind are just a few thousand spins away. But Great Dirty World, it was a very successful record, and a lot of people say its their favourite Gowan record.
And to add to the re-issue, I took three songs from the record, and did solo piano versions of them, so that’s added to it. And redid the entire package, and added lots of photos, and enhanced the package, mainly based around the video that we did for Moonlight Desires on the Mayan pyramids. And the coincidence of that being 25 years ago was not lost on me with the whole Mayan Calendar thing for 2012. LOL
Linus/True North is putting it out.
Q: Are you going to be playing the entire album?
LG: Not on this tour. We’re going to be doing well over half the record. We will do probably six of the songs from Great Dirty World, mixed in with a bunch of Strange Animal songs. But also there’s all the other hits, like All The Lovers in the World, Soul’s Road, Dancing on My Own Ground, those will all be in the show as well. I want to get in as much of a cross section as possible, because I do so few of these shows a year. But we will focus a lot on Great Dirty World on this run.
Q: Back in the day, did you feel any great pressure to follow up Strange Animal with another big hit album?
LG: Strange Animal was triple platinum, and they wanted to match that again, and Great Dirty World ended up being a double platinum record, but its lousy to talk about this now, but that’s when the whole crisis happened in my career with whether I could get a proper release in the United States. And that was a clash when CBS became Sony, and it took a few years for that to be resolved, and then I ended up back with them and we were happy again.
It’s amazing how things wash away quickly. Like now everyone gets a worldwide release. Back in the 1980s, just because you were deserving of a worldwide release, doesn’t mean you were going to get one, unless all the proper hands had been shaken and babies had been kissed. LOL. It was a difficult period because there was such high expectations.
When I made Strange Animal I was completely left alone to make it, because I kind of thought it was going to be the end of my recording career. It was my second album, they were giving me this one last shot, and then all of a sudden I had this pretty remarkable success, and so there was a lot of focus on Great Dirty World. And when the video for Moonlight Desires got to number one almost immediately, and then following up with Awake the Giant, and then I just remember all the fights between CBS in Canada and CBS in the States, and our management, Ray Danniels who manages Rush, all of that quagmire, I know that word means something else today LOL … it became one big ball of giggity-goo. So it was a fantastic period for me to be making music, but I saw first hand how the music industry can suddenly get quite vicious, so the album was appropriately titled Great Dirty World, because that’s where my life was suddenly thrust into, in professional terms.
But oh my God, the gigs here in Canada were spectacular, all through 1987, and really the most memorable were the two nights were did in Massey Hall in Toronto, it was a dream of mine to play there, and since then I have done a live album there with Styx, and I did a live album there in the 1990s with Ronnie Hawkins. So a lot of fantastic memories surround that record, and revisting a few of the songs in the studio was great.
Q: How did you get Jon Anderson of Yes involved in both the song and video for Moonlight Desires?
LG: He was recording stuff for the movie Legend. He was doing the title track for that, and at the time David Tickle had moved from England, he was the producer for both Strange Animal and Great Dirty World, to Los Angeles. And he was mixing something on Legend. And when he was in the studio, Jon Anderson was there, and he put on Strange Animal just to get used to the room they were mixing in. And when John heard it, he really liked it and asked who it was. And Tickle told him that we were starting the record and just working on some stuff now. So we went out to dinner, and I got invited and Jon and I struck up a great conversation, just about music in general, and a bit about sports and bit about where we came from, I’m originally from Glasgow and he’s from the north of England.
So we just had a fantastic little chat. And then on the way home, David put on what we had for Moonlight Desires so far, and Jon said, oh was a great song this is, and he just started riffing on top of it, almost like a guitar lead would do … and I thought this guy is the Eddie Van Halen of vocals, and I just asked him, do you want to put that on the record, and right on the spot he said sure. And I remember perfectly, that was all on a Sunday, and then on the Tuesday, he recorded the whole thing and then on the Wednesday, we went to a Los Angeles Dodgers game. LOL So that’s how that happened.
And a few months later, once the concept for making the Moonlight Desires video came together on the Mayan pyramids, I remember saying, wow, you know what the drag is, when we come to Jon’s vocal solo, in the middle, what are we going to put there in the video? I am trying to put a storyboard together I thought, I will just phone him and ask him if he wants to do it. So he was in England and I called him and said, ‘do you want to come to Mexico and do the video for Moonlight Desires? And he said, I know I have to do that, because I just had a session with a channeler who said someone is going to invite you to a warm climate, and you must go. So that’s part of how it all came together. It just seemed meant to happen, and it was a great experience.
Q: Knowing you’re musical background and your affinity for progressive rock bands like Yes, were you pretty excited to be working alongside this legend?
LG: I was, but fortunately two years before that I had been in Ringo Starr’s house for six months and had him popping into the studio all the time, like I was in Hard Day’s Night or something. So I had become accustomed, not blase, about holding a conversation with my heroes, and not tripping myself out too much.
Once you talk to anyone you find out they’re people. I remember looking side stage one night at a Styx show in LA and Wayne Gretzky was standing at my keyboard rig. And we’re in the middle of a show, and he’s digging the show and he apparently met JY back in the 1970s, but I come sidestage and there’s Wayne standing right by my rig, and he’s just standing there and said, ‘hey, great show man.’ And I just said, hey one time I did a charity bowling thing with your parents. So it was a quick and easy exchange, and that’s usually how things go when you meet someone you are in awe of, and you kind of get on with it.
Q: So tell me about the new material you are working on.
LG: It’s Gowan solo. Let’s see how things go. I started recording solo stuff again last year. And its come to a point now where I don’t want to stop and continue doing that and see how I can do this and Styx at the same time, and keep all the plates spinning in the air. Because one of the main questions I would get asked especially when I do this with any Canadian journalist is, do you miss it? Of course I miss it because it was such a fantastic central part of my life for such a long time. But, I am in this fantastic band that occupies a very large part of the year, and every moment I spend on stage with that band, I am totally proud to be in what I consider to be possibly the best live band on the planet. And that sounds like I am bragging but our standards kind of measure up to that kind of boastful thing to say.
I love being in Styx, but I have to do whatever I can to revisit my solo stuff as well, because that’s who I am at my core.
Q: And this new material is all with the blessing and encouragement of the guys in Styx?
LG: For sure. When we write, like when we wrote the Cyclorama album, we wrote those songs together. I had a couple of things that were pretty much completed, but then they became Styx songs, and that’s not to say that I am not going to record something solo right now that might not be heard by the band and they say let’s do it as a Styx song. It’s just that we have so little time off in the year, that the way I want to spend my time off is to look at my Gowan stuff again, and that’s about getting out and seeing how audiences respond to it live, and has been a fantastic thing.
So now I am trying to branch out and play a few other places outside of Fallsview, like Belleville, and we’re discussing where I can fit in a Fallsview date later in the year.
I am reluctant to play the new stuff right now, because people coming to the show really want that Gowan experience that they were familiar with in the 1980s, I want to give them as much of that as I possibly can. And, you know something, it’s a lot to learn that many songs to go out and play a short tour. So if I throw something new in there, I think it’s going to overwhelm both the band and the audience because they’re not that easy songs to play, to make them sound the way they’re supposed to sound.
- Jim Barber is a Napanee resident and the editor of The Napanee Guide and Kingston This Week. Contact him at jim.barber@sunmedia.ca.
]]> http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1336 0 Big Music Fest Back with a Vengence http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=370 http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=370#comments Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:22:50 +0000 Barbers Blog http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=370 Big Music Fest returns to Belleville.  June 16, 2012’s BMF features a ton of great talent including 3 Days Grace, Metric, The Arkells, The Sheepdogs, Marianas Trench, Dragonette, and the New Cities.  Buy tickets now at www.bigmusicfest.com

]]> http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=370 4 Trenton Scottish Irish Festival listed Among the Best in Ontario http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1321 http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1321#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:53:10 +0000 BOQC http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1321 SCOTTISH IRISH FESTIVAL LISTED AMONG THE BEST IN ONTARIO
Quinte West, ON – This past weekend at the Festivals and Events Ontario Conferencein Niagara Falls, the Trenton Scottish Irish Festival received the coveted title of being named one of the Top 100 Festivals in Ontario.
“The Committee works hard year after year to grow the event and we are so happy to see it pay off for both them and our sponsors that make it possible each year,” comments Festival Chair, Beth Cleaton. The event, which celebrated its 21st anniversary in 2011, takes place each year on the second weekend in September in Quinte West’s Centennial Park. In 2011, attendance was estimated at over 10,000 with visitors flocking to the Quinte Area to celebrate the culture and heritage with traditional entertainment, dancers, the popular massed bands, heavy events, themed food and fare.
“We are thrilled to receive this award and designation,” notes Jaclyn Grimmon, Manager of Recreation & Tourism for the City of Quinte West. “The community has really embraced and supported this event which continues to provide substantial economic stimulus each year to the entire Bay of Quinte region”, Grimmon adds.
This year’s event will take place September 7 & 8 in Centennial Park. For more information, please visit www.trentonscottishirish.com or “like” Trenton Scottish Irish Festival on Facebook HERE:
]]> http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1321 0 A Maple in the Countylicious http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=840 http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=840#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:09:43 +0000 BOQC http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=840 The first true sign of Spring in Quinte is not a Robin – but a Tree Tap, and this year it comes with a bib.  Two of Prince Edward County’s main events are combined around the same month, as Taste the County presents Countylicous and Maple In the County starting the last week of March.

Nine of Prince Edward County’s restaurants will take part in the County’s popular promotion from March 28 to April 21.

This year’s edition will feature $30 and $35 menus as well as accommodation packages for those visiting the County from the Quinte region’s surroundings.

Dinner menus, created exclusively for Countylicious, will include a starter, entree and dessert as well as featuring local and seasonal products. The restaurants for 2012 include Amelia’s Garden at the Waring House, The Bloomfield Carriage House Restaurant, Claras at the Claramount Inn, East and Main Bistro, Gazebo Restaurant at Waupoos Estates Winery, The Inn at Huff Estates, Merrill Inn, and Pomodoro (coming Soon).

Maple in the County starts the same weekend.  visitors will celebrate and enjoy some good ol’ fashion fun at the award-winning 11th Annual Maple in the County Festival with trips to sugar bushes, farms,wineries, restaurants and shops across the area on Saturday, March 31stth and Sunday, April 1st.

A full list of activities, events and locations can be found at the Maple in the County website, www.mapleinthecounty.ca, by calling 613-393-2796 or in the brochure and map available at any one of the Maple in the County participating locations.
Spring is here!  Enjoy it, get Sap Happy, and come to the Quinte Region!
]]> http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=840 0 MMA Discipline Coming to Bay of Quinte http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1302 http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1302#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:24:26 +0000 BOQC http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1302 We are incredibly excited to have Mixed Martial Arts coming to the Bay of Quinte region on April 27, 2012.

DISCIPLINE MMA is proud to announce an event of epic entertainment event in Bay of Quinte. This event will be hosted on Friday April 27th, 2012 at The Yardmen Arena in Belleville.

Tickets for this event will go on sale February 29th, 2012 at The Yardmen Arena in Belleville as well as online at  www.disciplinemma.com and www.bellevillebulls.com.

The fights are set for 5:30 PM for prelim and 8:00 PM for main venue through to 11:00 PM.

Five dollars from each ticket sold will be donated to “The Afghanistan Repatriation Memorial Highway of Heroes Fund”.   In addition to the stacked seven-bout card, the all-ages event will include a silent auction, merchant vendors area, prize giveaways, celebrity guest appearances, autograph signing and photo opportunities.  It is hoped to raise over $40,000 for this fund.

For more information on the Afghanistan Memorial Campaign, go here: http://www.afghanistanmemorial.ca/campaign

Tickets for this event are priced to meet every ones budget starting at $ 58.50. For Corporate sponsorship packages and VIP Seating please contact Discipline at 1-855-945-2345 or www.disciplinemma.com.

Main fights are set and will feature the main event with 60 fight UFC veteran Rich Celmenti

TBA / All though the card has been put together the OAC must give final approval before it is officially posted.

Accommodation and Packages for this event can be purchased also through www.bayofquintecountry.ca and includes package options such as fishing, golfing, and Prince Edward County Wine Tours.

In Addition:  MMA Discipline will be filmed for a 26 episode tv program that will be aired in over 250 million homes and 46 countries and hosted by Rachelle Wilde and Dave Mair.

VENUE SEATING



]]> http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1302 0 Hanson, Cuddy, and The Pink Floyd Experience Highlight February at The Empire Theatre http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1257 http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1257#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:44:27 +0000 BOQC http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1257 The Empire Theatre is back.  2012’s performances highlight a growing yearly season for this great Theatre in Quinte!  Here is what February has to offer for The Empire Theatre!

Harry Manx

Harry MaxThursday February 2, 2012 @ 8:00 p.m.

Harry Manx speaks to the soul with his calm spirituality and distinctive sound. Dubbed the essential link between the music of East and West, he is a master of the musical short story that seamlessly weds the tradition of the ‘earthly’ American Blues with the depth of classical ‘heavenly’ Indian ragas. From an early age, Manx was on the road … as a sound man in the blues clubs of Toronto, busking on street corners from Brazil to Japan, studying meditation and music in India .. and all these influences shine through in his music. A dedicated performer, Manx has put out nine CDs in eight years, garnered a serious stack of awards and toured extensively across Canada, the US, Australia and Europe, playing in soft seat theatres, prestigious festivals and first-rate blues clubs. A modern day troubadour, Manx sings with an intimate, quiet warmth that makes his shows mesmerizing. The subtle interplay between the haunting notes of the sitar and the gentle, rhythmic groove of the blues gives his songs a beautiful sensuality that defies comparison.

Ticket Pricing:
$35.00 (including HST) + ticket service fee
Order Online

The Jim Cuddy Band “Skyscraper Soul Tour 2012″

Jim CuddyFriday February 3, 2012 @ 8:00 p.m.

With the release of his third solo album “Skyscraper Soul”, Jim Cuddy is hitting the road with The Jim Cuddy Band.  The band includes Colin Cripps, Bazil Donovan, Joel Anderson, Steve O’Connor, Anne Lindsay and a number of Toronto’s top horn players and strings players.  In 1998,  Jim released “All In Time” which went on to sell Gold in Canada.  His next album, 2006′s “The Light That Guides You Home”, was released to critical acclaim and won the Juno for Adult Alternative Album of the Year.  With “Skyscraper Soul”, Cuddy has never sounded better and proved once again that his songwriting ranks with the best Canada has to offer.  A fan favourite … book early.

Doug Paisley

Special Guest:  Doug Paisley

[ Watch "Everyone Watched The Wedding"
video on our blog ]

Ticket Pricing:
$44.00 + HST + ticket service fee
ORDER ONLINE

Hanson “Shout It Out Tour 2012″

HansonThursday February 9, 2012 @ 8:00 p.m.

Native sons of Tulsa, Oklahoma – Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson have been making music together for nearly two decades. Unaffected by charts or fads they continue to build a fan base worldwide, fuelled by the energy and craftmanship of their music. Hanson has developed in to a classic 70′s style mid-west rock band. Gritty guitars, vintage keys and melodic songs. They burst on the scene in 1997 with their international hit record “MMMBop”, which was nominated for three Grammy awards. Hanson has sold 15 million records over 10 album releases. The Village Voice calls Hanson “The finest straight-up rock band in America”. Their most recent release “Shout It Out” contains funky, rock and soul, alongside passionate piano driven ballads mixed with their trademark vocal harmonies.

[ View Hanson on our EMPIRE BLOG: "MMMBop" and "Give A Little" ]

Carly Rae JepsenSpecial Guest: Carly Rae Jepsen.
From Canadian Idol to solo hit maker, Carly Rae Jepsen is blasting up the charts with her hit “Call Me Maybe”.
[ View Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" on our Empire BLOG ]

Ticket Pricing:
Premium – $42.95 + HST + ticket service fee
Regular – $35.95 + HST + ticket service fee
ORDER ONLINE

Dogs of War

Dogs of WarFriday February 24 @ 8 p.m.

Without question, Pink Floyd remains one of the most influential rock bands of all time. Their record-breaking status is legendary. Now, get ready for the Canadian Pink Floyd experience, DOGS OF WAR, complete with an audio and visual experience that will blow your mind and leave you comfortably numb. All of Pink Floyd’s greatest hits are performed live including such favourites as: Wish You Were Here, Have A Cigar, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Another Brick in the Wall and the entire Dark Side of the Moon album. See Dogs of War LIVE! A brain damaging Pink Floyd experience.

[ View Dogs of War Promo video on our Empire BLOG ]

Ticket Pricing:
$34.95 + HST + ticket service fee
ORDER ONLINE

And check out these upcoming great acts at The Empire Theatre:

March Break Music Theatre Camp

The Moonpath Academy of Theatre ArtsMarch 12 to 16, 2012

[ Click to view full details ]

Gowan

GowanTuesday April 3, 2012 @ 8:00 p.m.

Lawrence Gowan, award winning singer/songwriter and electrifying showman, performs his classic hits “A Criminal Mind”, “You’re A Strange Animal”, “Moonlight Desires”, “All The Lovers In The World” and more. His last visit was to Empire Square Live…where rocked thousands with STYX. Now he brings his solo concert to The Empire, up close.

[ Watch Gowan's "A Criminal Mind" video on our blog ]

Ticket Pricing:
$31.00 + HST + ticket service fee
ORDER ONLINE

Lights

LightsThursday April 12, 2012 @ 8:00 p.m.

Electro-rock sensation, Lights, first hit the music scene is 2008. She went on to win the Juno award for Best New Artist and her debut album went Gold. Lights won Indie awards as Favourite Solo Artist and Favourite Single during Canadian Music Week in 2009. Her 2011 release “Siberia” continues to push the envelope of what is being called anti-electro, dream-step and grit pop. Songs … “February Air”, “The Listening”, “Saviour” and more.

Ticket Pricing:
$28.00 + HST + ticket service fee
Order Online

]]> http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1257 0 Sweetheart Deals for February in Bay of Quinte http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1245 http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1245#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:50:33 +0000 BOQC http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1245 Love is in the air!  Valentines isn’t just a day anymore, it’s a season!  Check out these great ways to come to Quinte and show your Quintessential love for your sweetheart.

Huff Estates – St. Valentine’s Menu Friday February 17th, and Saturday February 18th.

Call 613-393-1414 or 866-484-4667 for reservations!


The Hoy at Huff Valentine’s Day Menu

$53 per person

(tax and gratuities not included)

Overnight Accommodations with Dinner – $210 per couple in a Deluxe Room or $260 per couple for a Suite.

Polish Salon and Day Spa, Earl and Angelos, and Best Western Belleville, Sweethearts Package:  613-969-1112  bw.belleville@sympatico.ca


Treat your sweetheart to a great lover’s package available all February!  A 60 minute – couples chocolate or warm shea butter massage, OR a couples hot stone massage at Polish Day Spa and Salon and a night at Best Western in Belleville with Champagne, hot breakfast in the morning, indoor pool and hot tub for only $134.00 per person.  Add a dinner package to Earl and Angelos, including complimentary limo to and from the restaurant and a 3 course Table’dote for only $50.00 per person.  Book now at 613-969-1112

Earl and Angelo’s Menu for Valentine’s Day:  613-962-1182

From the Farm Cooking School:  http://www.fromthefarm.ca/ cynthia@fromthefarm.ca
“Calling all chocolate lovers”


Our Chocolate Delights Workshop still has a few openings. Learn how to make decadent truffles and chocolate decorations for your Valentine. Sue Burgess, owner of Copper Kettle Chocolate Company will provide instructions and tips on the art of chocolate making.

Create one dozen truffles to take home!

Saturday, February 11th
1:00 to 4:00pm $85/pp

Stirling Festival Theatre presents Second City’s I-Love Saturday February 11th

From The Second City, the legendary comedy theatre, comes a play about relationships in the age of social networking. There are Plenty of Fish in the sea, but  can we all live in eHarmony?  Or are our lives too much of an open (Face)book?  Valentine’s Day, love it or hate it, this is perfect for date night or girls’ night out!
Saturday  Feb. 11   8:00 pm     All Seats $35.50      Early Bird & Groups 20+ $32.50
Dinner and Show Package – $67.50 (tax & gratuity incl.)  Catered by Sans Souci!

L’Auberge de France Valentine’s Menu:  $75.00 613-966-2433

Kaylay’s Seafood:  Valentine’s Menu:  613-962-3535

Batawa Ski Hill: A Taste of France  613-965-6568

Rosehall Run: A PASSION FOR PINOT – PAST & PRESENT


Uncover your Passion for Pinot Noir

Saturday and Sunday February 18th and 19th

11am to 5pm

The Tasting Room, Rosehall Run Vineyards

1243 Greer Road, Wellington, Prince Edward County

www.rosehallrun.com

1-888-399-1183

Festival Players Funding Gala February 11:  www.festivalplayers.ca


The Festival Players of Prince Edward County will be hosting its first event of the year on Saturday, February 11th, 2012 at The Waring House. Well-known Canadian star of stage and screen Sonja Smits will emcee, guiding guests through an elegant Valentine-themed evening filled with romance, good food, County wine and live entertainment by some of our local theatre’s best-known performers. The evening’s festivities begin at 6 pm, tickets are $100 per person (includes a $50 charitable tax receipt). Details online at www.festivalplayers.ca

The Old Carriage House – Stirling – Valentine’s Package:  613-395-5251

The Old Carriage House in downtown Stirling is pleased to offer a

Special Valentine Package

Saturday February 11th, 2012
Accommodation in the Royal Suite, two tickets to i love.com at the Stirling Festival Theater, plus breakfast $ 160

Waring House and Clara Mount Inn and Spa – Prince Edward County (800) 621-4956

Valentine’s Dinner in Amelia’s Garden at The Waring House

- Feb. 11 and 14, 2012

A wonderful 5-course meal $45/person, plus tax

Call 613-476-7492 for more details

Waringhouse.com

Valentine’s Romance Package at The Waring House

- Feb. 11 and 14, 2012

$443/couple, plus tax

Includes

· fresh flowers in vase awaiting you in your room

· your choice of available room for one night

· a full breakfast for two

· our special five-course Valentine’s dinner for two

· a 30-minute couple’s massage

· a cheese and fruit plate in your room

· a bottle of wine from one of our fine local wineries in your room

Call 613-476-7492 for more details

Waringhouse.com

At Claramount Inn and Spa

Valentine’s Package
available on February 10 and 11, 2012

Starting at $388 per couple, plus HST, includes:
An overnight stay at Claramount Inn with European breakfast for two,

a 3-course dinner for two at Clara’s Restaurant (excluding alcohol),
Champagne Back Bliss treatments for two, and
Strawberries and a bottle of Champagne.

Please call 613-476-2709 for more information or visit us at claramountinn.com

Boston Pizza Belleville:  613-966-2444

Capers Restaurant Belleville – 613-968-7979

]]> http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1245 0 Canadian Golf Tour: The Great Waterway Classic coming to Quinte Region! http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1239 http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1239#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:11:02 +0000 BOQC http://www.bayofquintecountry.com/blog/?p=1239 We are very pleased to announce that the Canadian Golf Tour is coming to the Great Waterway, and the Quinte Region.  The Great Waterway Classic starts in 2012 at Smuggler’s Glen Golf Course in Gananoque before heading to Upper Canada Golf Course in Morrisburg  in 2013, and then Loyalist Golf and Country Club in Bath 2014 and Black Bear Ridge in Belleville 2015.

It’s been a lot of work getting to this point but Dave Dargie and Martin Noe are happy guys today. As this story is posted, Dargie, the Director of Tournament Development for Evolution Golf & Management, and Noe, the CEO of Evolution, are revealing the name of the new Canadian Tour event that they will be running for at least the next four years. Their company is a full-service event management business headquartered in Brockville, Ontario that was founded by them to bring a series of Canadian Tour events to Eastern Ontario.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AT FLAGSTICK.COM HERE:   http://www.flagstick.com/teeshots/?p=4938

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