South Frontenac – The Lakes and Trails Festival

2022 Lakes and Trails Festival Report

This post contains the final report on the 2022 Lakes and Trails Festival, a history of the Festival and some of the possible suggestions for future Festivals. Please read and comment with your suggestions. The last paragraph of the report says:

“There is great potential for a Festival built around these themes – South Frontenac’s natural beauty, history and active lifestyle . It showcases the area and fits into broader discussions on some of the strengths of South Frontenac. It attracts both residents and visitors. There is a volunteer base to do the work on the day, it just needs central organizing help.

lakes-and-trails-2022-tables-report Download

Bike Tune-up Clinic Registration Opens

Registration for the bike tune-up clinic at the Lakes and Trails Festival, July 16 in Sydenham, has opened.

Bring your bike, your children’s bikes, any bike, and get them tuned up by Cycle Kingston’s professional mechanics.

There is a suggested donation of $30 per bike, all proceeds will go to GearUp Kingston, a social enterprise that employs youth and sells recycled bicycles at an affordable price. You can register to save your spot today or drop-in with your bike, first come first served. Payments and donations will be accepted at the event by cash or card.

The professional bicycle tune-up service is one of many activities at the Festival including: group cycling activities, a children’s entertainer (11am), a self-guided historical mystery adventure in Sydenham, and the Natural Heritage Expo featuring over 25 exhibitions and booths.

You can also donate your old bike and GearUp will renovate it as part of their program.

The Natural Heritage Expo: 24 Exhibitions and Counting

Many organizations will be coming to the Natural Heritage Expo at the 2022 Lakes and Trails Festival. They will showcase the wonderful natural features of South Frontenac: what they are, how to enjoy them, and how to improve them.

Included among the booths are: 20180714_095611

A pop-up library and giant lawn games from the Kingston-Frontenac Public Library.
A pickleball demonstration by the Frontenac Pickleball Club.
A “Collect and Protect” contest run by the Wolfe Lake Association to protect our lakes and wildlife from lead tackle. Everyone is encouraged to go through their tackle boxes, bag up any lead sinkers, jigs, etc., (we will also accept lead shot) and bring them to our booth. Please label your bag with contact information because prizes will be awarded to those turning in the most lead by weight. There will also be information on the deadly impacts of lead fishing tackle on wildlife, such as loons and bald eagles. Thank you for helping to protect wildlife. Let’s Get the Lead Out!
Information on development processes, the Official Plan, Zoning, Building and Sewage approvals from the Township Development Services Department
An obstacle course run by Elements Fitness & Wellness.

There will be booths, displays, maps, and people to talk with about South Frontenac’s natural wonders. Discover where you can hike, canoe or bike. Learn more about the natural environment, the local plants, animals and aquatic life. Find out about how to improve your property, help the environment, and much more. These organizations will be part of the Natural Heritage Expo:

Battersea Loughborough Lake Association
Cataraqui Canoe Club
Cataraqui Conservation/Cataraqui Trail
Dog & Cranberry Lake Association
Early-On Program
Eco Adventure Day Camp
Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre
Elements Fitness and Wellness
Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network
Frontenac County/ K+P Trail
Frontenac Provincial Park
Girl Guides of Canada
Inverary Lake Association
KF Public Library
Kingston Field Naturalists
Kingston Hockey Development Centre
Lake Ecosystem Advisory Committee
Queen’s University Research – Detecting Invasive Species
Queen’s University Research – Road Salt Runoff
South Frontenac Museum
South Frontenac Township Planning and Building Department
Southern Frontenac community Services
Sydenham Lake Association
Watersheds Canada
Wolf Lake Association

The Lakes and Trails Festival is an annual community Festival celebrating South Frontenac’s natural beauty, history and active lifestyle. Other featured activities include biking events and a walking tour of historic Sydenham.

Come on out and join us on Saturday, July 16 from 9am to 1pm at The Point Park in Sydenham. Check out our website or Facebook page for more details and updates. All events are free and family friendly.

Cycling at the 2022 Lakes and Trails Festival

Cycling will again be a main activity at this year’s Lakes and Trials Festival, July 16 , 2022.

The Around-the-Lake bike, a 21-kilometre route on an off-road trial and low speed country roads, will circle Sydenham Lake. Guides will lead the group. It is a Festival favourite.

The Family-Cycle, an 8-kilometre route on a flat off-road trial bedside Sydenham Lake, is a great opportunity for families, and new cyclists to enjoy the Cataraqui Trail, scenic Sydenham Lake and find their cycling legs. Two experienced guides will go with the group.

Maps for longer bike routes, suitable for more experienced cyclists, will be available at the Festival.

Get your bike tuned up by a professional bike mechanic at a Tune-Up Clinic run by Cycle Kingston. The Clinic provides a valuable service , getting your bike running smoothly, and raises money for Gear-Up a social enterprise to train youth in the skills and business of cycling. There is a suggested donation for this service of $30.

Nature Heritage Expo Coming to the Lakes and Trails Festival

The Natural Heritage Expo is coming to the 2022 Lakes and Trails Festival.

The Expo will showcase the many wonderful natural features of South Frontenac: what they are, how to enjoy them, and how to improve them.

Many organizations will be present with booths, displays, maps, and people to talk with about South Frontenac’s natural wonders. Discover where you can hike, canoe or bike. Learn more out about the natural environment, the local plants, animals and aquatic life. Find out about how to improve your property, help the environment, and much more.

Have Your Bike Tuned-up in Sydenham

A bike tune-up service is being offered at this year’s July 17^th Lakes and Trails Festival. The service is being provided by Gear Up! Kingston.

Gear Up! Recycled Bikes is a social enterprise founded in 2016 and operated by Cycle Kingston. They provide youth with life skills and foundational employment skills, while providing less expensive transportation options for people living in the region.

Bike tune ups take about half an hour and will be offered from 9am to 12:30. Please per-register online: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/lakes-trails-2021-tickets-159996819795.

Make sure and scroll down for the later times.

The service is pay-what you can. A suggested donation of $30 for one bike or $20 per bike for a family, would help off-set the cost of materials and labour.

The Lakes and Trails Festival, and the tune-up service, will be held in the Point Park, Sydenham. Other activities include Family and Round-the-Lake bike rides, canoeing and kayaking on Sydenham Lake and a historical scavenger hunt in Sydenham village.

Lakes and Trails Festival Registration Opens

Online Registration for all group events and the bicycle tune-up clinic at the July 17 Lakes and Trails Festival is now available at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/lakes-trails-2021-tickets-159996819795.

Registration is open for the:

9:30am and 10:30am Family Cycle: an 8-kilometre route on a flat off-road trail beside Sydenham Lake. Suitable for all ages and abilities.
9:00am and 10:00am Bike-Around-the- Lake: a 21-kilometre route on trails and quiet country roads going around Sydenham Lake.
9:00am long paddle circumnavigating Sydenham Lake, about 3 hours.
10:00am short paddle on Sydenham Lake, about one hour
bike tune-up/ repair station in half hour intervals running from 9:00am to 12:30 run by GearUp Kingston.

Scroll down the registration page for all events.

All activities are free. The tune -up clinic is pay what you can with a suggested donation of $30 for individuals and $20 per bike for families to help cover the costs of materials and labour.

Self-guided, any-time, activities include:

a cycle route up to Desert Lake, 35 kilometers on hilly country roads suitable for advanced riders.
a historical scavenger hunt to identify Points of interest around Sydenham.

All events start at the Point Park in Sydenham, South Frontenac.

Participants in the Festival will receive a festival ball cap on completion of their activity and be invited to pick-up lunch and shop at the many stores and restaurants in South Frontenac. The Festival is a community celebration of South Frontenac’s natural environment, active lifestyle and history.

Donations are welcome and volunteers needed.

Sydenham Walkers Group to Leads a Hike at the Lakes and Trails Festival

The Sydenham Walkers Group, a tireless, unstoppable, group of South Frontenac Resident’s who walk every morning at 6:45, will, be leading a group walk at the third annual Lakes and Trails Festival: Saturday, July 20, at the Point Park, Sydenham.

The group, lead by Vicki England, will meet at the Festival registration table at 9am: walk along the Cataraqui Trail to Harrowsmith (with great views of the Wilton Creek valley) and back. It will be a leisurely walk with plenty of good company and local history. People are also welcome to join the hike at Harrowsmith: leaving the corner of Hwy 38 and the Cataraqui trail about 10 am and returning to the Festival. The one-way walk is 5.5 kilometres.

After the Walk participants can stay and enjoy the other Festival activities: share a free community lunch, go for a swim, take a boat out for a paddle, walk historic Sydenham, listen to live music, and visit the booths.

The Lakes and Trails Festival is a community celebration of South Frontenac’s active lifestyle, natural beauty and history. It focuses on walking, paddling and cycling activities and includes a live outdoor music concert and free community lunch. Everyone is welcome to attend. Registration starts at 9am at the Point Park in Sydenham, South Frontenac. Come anytime until two pm. There is no registration fee.

For more information go to the Festival’s website, https://lakesandtrailsfestival.org/, or visit the Lakes and Trials Festival Facebook page.

Gary Raspberry, Children’s Performer, Returning to 219 Lakes and Trails Festival

Gary Raspberry, who played to a rapt audience of about 50 children at last year’s Lakes and Trials Festival, will return this summer.

Gary is a well-known local children’s entertainer. More on Gary can be found at: http://garyrasberry.com/.

Among other local activities Gary volunteers to help out at New Leaf Link program for adults with disabilities. We are very excited to have Gary back for another year.

The third annual Lakes and Trails Festival is on July 20 from 9am to 2pm in the Point Park, Sydenham, South Frontenac. Everyone is welcome, all event are free.

Third Annual Festival Planning Started

The Organizing Committee has had its first meeting to start planning the 2019, third annual, Lakes and Trails Festival.

All the core activities will be there to celebrate our natural history and active lifestyle: Frontenac Outfitters new and exciting boats to try on the lake, the cycling activities and the historic walk of Sydenham.

We hope the Dragon Boat will return with a War Canoe, the Sydenham Walking group is planning a hike to Harrowsmith and back on the Cataraqui Trail and there will be live music on the point for children and adults.

And, of course, we will again have a large community lunch for everyone who participates. All events will continue to be free and donations before or at the event are welcome.

We have an initial flyer to get the word out. If you have an event where we could distribute the flyers, please contact us. We look forward to seeing everyone on July 20th. 20190204_110545 (1)