Music, Theatre and Summer Nights Return to Traill College Amphitheatre

By Scott Arnold

Free live performances will once again fill downtown Peterborough this summer as Traill College unveils its 2026 William and Nona Heaslip Foundation Summer Festival lineup.

summer music and theatre returning to catharine parr traill college (photo via trent university)

Trent University’s Catharine Parr Traill College has announced the return of its free weekly summer music and theatre series, running from June through August at the Jalynn Bennett Amphitheatre on Dublin Street.

The outdoor festival features a mix of theatre, folk, jazz, improv, classic rock and storytelling performances, with shows moving indoors to Bagnani Hall if weather becomes an issue. Refreshments will also be available for purchase on-site.

The season opens June 4 with Munsch Goes Wild, presented by New Stages Theatre, featuring actor M. John Kennedy performing energetic adaptations of Robert Munsch stories geared toward audiences young and old.

Comedy takes over June 11 as improvisers Linda Kash and Kerry Griffin headline Kash & Kerry & Friends: An Improv Variety Show alongside special guests.

The musical lineup includes classic rock band Four Lanes Wide on June 18, contemporary folk artist Irish Millie on June 25 and the Peterborough Concert Band on July 30.

Other performances throughout the summer include jazz group Carpe Noctem, songwriter and poetry collaboration Dueling Disciplines, folk-rock act I, the Mountain and a theatrical Summer Soiree presented by New Stages Theatre to close out the festival Aug. 20.

One of the festival’s featured performances arrives Aug. 13 with Footnote to Freedom, a new Canadian musical written and performed by Beau Dixon and Lance Dixon. The production tells the story of their grandfather, Private George Dixon, who served in Canada’s first and only all-Black battalion during the First World War.

Organizers say the annual festival continues to provide an accessible and welcoming opportunity for the community to experience live arts and entertainment throughout the summer in downtown Peterborough.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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