Highway 7 · KM 270 from Ottawa

Peterborough

Name: A Circus Nutcracker
Start: 2026-12-18
End: 2026-12-19
Location: Peterborough

The western bookend — canoes, the Lift Lock, and the Kawarthas beyond.

The western end of our corridor. Peterborough has its own full tourism apparatus, so we cover it lightly — but two stops deserve a mention before you point the car home:

The Canadian Canoe Museum, in its new waterfront home, is legitimately world-class — National Geographic put it on a global best-of list, and it earns it. And the Peterborough Lift Lock — a National Historic Site since 1979, and the highest hydraulic lift lock on earth — has been raising boats twenty metres in one astonishing motion since 1904, part of the Trent–Severn Waterway.

Heading back east? Norwood is 30 km behind you, and the chip trucks await.

Coming up in Peterborough

Wed, Oct 21 – Fri, Oct 23 · 7pm
Eerie Ashburnham Ghost Walk: East Side Stories
Trent Valley Archives walks the east side after dark, from the haunted history of the Lift Lock to the Peterborough Theatre Guild's resident ghost and the sightings at the old St. Joseph's Hospital. Meet in the museum parking lot 5 to 10 minutes early. The route climbs Armour Hill and runs rain or shine. $20 on Eventbrite.

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Sat, Oct 24 · Trick-or-treating 4–6pm; Goosebumps screening 6:30pm
Halloween in the Booro
The downtown business association's Halloween afternoon. Kids trick-or-treat at shops downtown and in East City, with a costume contest and photo booth at Peterborough Square, then a free outdoor screening of Goosebumps in the square. Bring a lawn chair; the film is off if it rains.

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Wed, Oct 28 – Thu, Oct 29 · 7pm
Downtown Ghost Walk
A Halloween tradition since 2003. Costumed Trent Valley Archives guides lead a lantern-lit tour of downtown Peterborough's most haunted buildings, starting in front of the cenotaph (come 5 to 10 minutes early). Some of the stories are hard going. Rain or shine, $20 on Eventbrite.

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Sat, Nov 7 · 7pm–10pm (doors 6pm)
Paddling Film Festival at the Canadian Canoe Museum
An evening of paddling films picked by museum staff from the touring festival's selection, now in its twentieth year. Tickets are $27.50 and include a raffle ticket; beer and wine are on sale.

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Sun, Nov 8 · 2pm
Honouring Our Military History at Little Lake Cemetery
Trent Valley Archives' walking tour of the cemetery, led by local historian Don Willcock, telling the stories of Peterborough people who served in wartime. Meet in front of the chapel a few minutes early. Twenty dollars, rain or shine.

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Wed, Nov 11 · 10am to about 11:20am
Remembrance Day Parade and Service
Organized and hosted by Royal Canadian Legion Branch 52. The parade goes south on George, east on Hunter, north on Water and west on McDonnel, then back to the Memorial for the service. To lay a wreath, order one from the branch at 705-745-6361.

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Market Hall 21 shows · from Fri, Oct 23

Fri, Oct 23 · 8pm, doors 7pm
illScarlett
Ontario ska-punk band illScarlett at Market Hall.

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Sat, Oct 24 · 8pm, doors 7pm
UK Calling
UK Calling live at Market Hall.

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Fri, Oct 30 – Sun, Nov 1 · 7:30pm Fri, 3pm & 11pm Sat, 4pm Sun
Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show
The cult stage musical gets four performances at Market Hall over Halloween weekend.

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Wed, Nov 4 · 8pm, doors 7pm
Jason Blaine and Josh Melton
Ottawa Valley country singer Jason Blaine with Josh Melton at Market Hall.

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Thu, Nov 5 · 7pm, doors 6pm
Cancer Takedown 2026
The fifth annual variety night for anyone touched by cancer, hosted by Linda Kash and Megan Murphy, with Melissa Payne, Kate Suhr, Kate Brioux, Beau Dixon and The Weber Brothers. Proceeds go to cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

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Fri, Nov 6 · 8pm, doors 7pm
The Hip Experience
A Tragically Hip tribute at Market Hall.

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Sat, Nov 7 · 8pm, doors 7pm
The East Pointers (evening)
The PEI trad trio play a second, evening show at Market Hall.

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Sat, Nov 7 · 3pm, doors 2pm
The East Pointers (matinee)
The PEI trad trio play an afternoon show at Market Hall.

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Sun, Nov 8 · 2:30pm, doors 1:30pm
Peterborough Concert Band - Legends and Lore
The Peterborough Concert Band's big fall concert, music drawn from folk tales and myths from Canada and around the world, with two world premieres by young composers the band commissioned.

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Mon, Nov 9 · 8pm, doors 7pm
Matthew Good and His Band
Matthew Good and His Band with Kevin Fox and His String Quartet at Market Hall.

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Fri, Nov 13 · 8pm, doors 7pm
Lowest of the Low
The Toronto band behind Shakespeare My Butt at Market Hall.

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Sat, Nov 14 · 7:30pm, doors 6:30pm
Four of a Kind - Four Magicians, One Show
Four magicians share one stage, with card tricks, mind reading, stand-up and a good deal of audience help. An all-ages night out.

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Sun, Nov 15 · 7pm, doors 6pm
Casey and Diana (staged reading)
New Stages presents a staged reading of Nick Green's play about Princess Diana's visit to Casey House, Toronto's first AIDS hospice, with Sean Arbuckle, Laura Condlin, Linda Kash and Ordena Stephens-Thompson. For ages 14 and up.

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Thu, Nov 19 · 7:30pm, doors 6:30pm
Bodies Under Siege - New Works by Allison Cummings and Kate Story
A double bill of new dance and movement works on living through a cancer diagnosis. Kate Story's funny, sharp Hysterical, and Allison Cummings' Opponent, danced by Peterborough-raised Christy Stoeten.

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Fri, Nov 20 · 8pm, doors 7pm
Basia Bulat
Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat at Market Hall.

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Sat, Nov 21 · 7:30pm, doors 6:30pm
REIGN - The Queens of Blues, Soul and Rock 'n Roll
REIGN bring their queens of blues and soul revue to Market Hall.

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Mon, Nov 23 · 7pm, doors 6pm
Royal Wood - Benefit for Our Daughters' Home
The songwriter plays a benefit for Our Daughters' Home, a group of Peterborough families building supportive housing for their adult daughters with developmental disabilities. Ollie Mae opens.

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Wed, Nov 25 · 8pm, doors 7pm
Priyanka - The Small Town Girl Tour
The winner of the first Canada's Drag Race brings her pop tour to Market Hall. A dollar from each ticket goes to Rainbow Railroad.

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Fri, Nov 27 · 7pm, doors 6pm
Lennie Gallant - The Innkeeper's Christmas
The PEI songwriter's Christmas show at Market Hall.

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Wed, Dec 9 – Sun, Dec 13 · 7pm; 2pm matinees Sat and Sun
A Christmas Carol Comedy
Katie Leamen's two-hander returns, with Linda Kash as Scrooge and Kerry Griffin as everyone else. Six shows, for ages five and up.

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Fri, Dec 18 – Sat, Dec 19 · Fri 7pm, Sat 3pm
A Circus Nutcracker
The Nutcracker told with ballet, circus and aerial acts, following Clara through the enchanted forest, with live music.

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Things to do in Peterborough

Beavermead Park

The city's only supervised beach, on Little Lake — lifeguards daily from late June through August. Rogers Cove nearby is the unsupervised alternative if the main beach is busy.

2011 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough · Checked Jul 2026 · City of Peterborough parks list

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Canadian Canoe Museum

World-class, and named to National Geographic's global best-of list — over 100 canoes and kayaks telling Canadian and Indigenous history through the lens of the boats themselves.

2077 Ashburnham Drive, Peterborough · Checked Jul 2026 · museum's own site (canoemuseum.ca)

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Cox Terrace (National Historic Site)

A Second Empire-style residential terrace built in 1884, designated a National Historic Site in 1991 — a quieter architectural footnote a short walk from the canoe museum and the Lift Lock.

332-344 Rubidge Street, Peterborough · Checked Jul 2026 · Parks Canada Directory of Federal Heritage Designations

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Peterborough Lift Lock (National Historic Site)

The highest hydraulic lift lock in the world, raising boats nearly 20 metres in one motion since 1904 — a National Historic Site since 1979, and part of the Trent–Severn Waterway. Watching a boat go through is free and genuinely astonishing.

Checked Jul 2026 · Parks Canada

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Rotary Greenway Trail

The city's north-running multi-use trail — roughly 7 km of paved 3-metre path to Trent University, then crushed limestone on toward Lakefield — passing the Peterborough Lift Lock, the highest hydraulic lift lock in the world.

Ashburnham Dr north toward Lakefield · Checked Aug 2026 · Rotary Club of Peterborough and Ontario Trails Council

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Places to stay in Peterborough

Liftlock Guest House

Two ground-level suites on the Trent-Severn by the Lift Lock, each with an ensuite, a mini-kitchen and a fireplace. Guests can fish off the dock, swim in the heated pool, borrow a canoe, or walk the 66 acres next door. Alpacas live on site.

810 Canal Rd, Peterborough · Checked Oct 2026 · Peterborough County tourism listing (thekawarthas.ca/businesses/liftlock-bed-and-breakfast, listed as Liftlock Bed and Breakfast) and its own site, which now calls it Liftlock Guest House

Map Website

Live & stay around Peterborough

Waterfront, rentals, and the questions the listings won't answer.

Area guide — lakes, prices, commutes, internet