Lineup For 2025 William and Nona Heaslip Foundation Summer Festival Announced

Trent University’s Catharine Parr Traill College has announced the lineup for the new William and Nona Heaslip Foundation Summer Festival running from June through August, announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

The concerts are a free, weekly music and theatre series at Traill’s outdoor Jalynn Bennett Amphitheatre in downtown Peterborough.

A partnership with New Stages Theatre allowed this year’s season to expand beyond music to include four theatrical performances.

“The Summer Festival is a dynamic new addition to Traill College’s seasonal programming,” said Dr. Michael Eamon, Catharine Parr Traill College principal. “Our collaboration with New Stages Theatre opens up new possibilities to engage the larger Peterborough community in exciting ways. This year’s diverse lineup reflects the richness of our local arts scene, and we cannot wait to welcome friends and families to share in this experience at one of the most distinctive outdoor venues in the city.” 

The performances begin on June 5 and run nearly every Thursday evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. until Aug. 28.

In the event of inclement weather, performances will be moved indoors to Bagnani Hall. All performances are open to the public and free of charge. Refreshments will be available for purchase on-site.

The Summer 2025 lineup is as follows: 

June 5 

Fireside Munsch, presented by New Stages Theatre 

Stories by Robert Munsch, adapted and performed by M. John Kennedy 

For the young and young at heart! Experience this highly acclaimed (nominated for eight Dora Mavor Moore Awards) theatrical re-telling of classic Robert Munsch stories like Paperbag Princess and Mortimer, presented by Peterborough’s M. John Kennedy. 

June 12 

Story Slam, presented by New Stages Theatre 

Megan Murphy 

An open invitation to all to take the stage and share a true, personal story that connects, inspires, makes us laugh, and moves us forward. Each storyteller will have five minutes to present, based on the theme “Great Escapes”. No advance sign-up required. 

June 19 

Portraits of Peterborough 1825 to 2024, presented by Folk Music 

Glen Caradus 

An innovative audio-visual experience blending story, historic images of Peterborough, and folk music. 

June 26 

Peterborough Concert Band 

Marches, Big Band, Pops 

Always a crowd pleaser, for over 150 years the Peterborough Concert Band has delighted audiences with their mix of big band music, marches, movie soundtracks, and pop. 

July 3 

An Evening of Jazz 

Victoria Yeh and Special Guests 

See Peterborough’s premier jazz violinist in action. Classically trained, Victoria combines the purity of her musical heritage with the edginess of progressive fusion. 

July 10 

Exploring Agamemnon 

The Electric City Players  

Watch Trent English Professor Andrew Loeb’s company take on traditional Greek theatre for contemporary audiences. 

July 24 

I, The Mountain 

Folk-Rock 

Don’t miss what will be a feel-good show of folk-rock musicians playing a mix of their own music and some familiar toe-tapping tunes. 

July 31 

Carpe Noctem 

Jazz Quintet 
A popular local jazz quintet that often plays the club scene, now in the open air of the amphitheatre. 

August 7 

Clarintella and the Peterborough Dixieland Septet 

Clarinet Quintet and Dixieland 

Half the show will be an innovative and crowd-pleasing clarinet ensemble, followed by one of Peterborough’s favourite Dixieland groups.  

August 21 

Kash & Kerry: A Night at the Improv, presented by New Stages Theatre 

Linda Kash and Kerry Griffin 

The two stars of New Stages’ Christmas Carol Comedy in December 2024 reunite for an evening of inspired improvisation. With no scripts or rehearsals, improvisers and comedians Linda Kash and Kerry Griffin, along with special guests, will have you laughing and marveling at how they do it. 

August 28 

Magic Lies: An Evening with W.O. Mitchell, presented by New Stages Theatre 

Orm and Barbara Mitchell 

A staged reading featuring Martin Julien and the music of Rob Phillips. 

Written by long-time Peterborough residents, authors, and former Trent faculty, Orm and Barbara Mitchell, this play is a fond remembrance of the life and brilliant work of beloved Canadian writer W.O. Mitchell – Orm’s father. 

Many of the acts feature performers from the Peterborough community, Trent alumni and even some Trent staff and faculty. Funding for the series was provided by the William and Nona Heaslip Foundation, which supports the arts and education.

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Arts Advocate Made Honorary Fellow of Traill College

David Goyette was made an Honorary Fellow of Catharine Parr Traill College at a ceremony at Trent University's downtown Peterborough campus.

One of the founding colleges of Trent University, Traill College is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Photo courtesy of Victoria Pearce.

Traill Principal Dr. Michael Eamon inducted Goyette as part of the annual Traill College Scarf Ceremony and was the only person to be inducted this year. An Honorary Fellow carries the status of College faculty and is recognized for exemplary service to the College or the community.

Goyette was recognized for his community service and long-standing support for the arts. In 2021, he was inducted into the Peterborough and District Pathway of Fame and named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International in 2023.

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PTBOCanada Review & Pics: Dave Bidini Reading From "Writing Gordon Lightfoot" At Traill College Last Night

Last night, Canadian musician and author Dave Bidini read from his new book, Writing Gordon Lightfoot: The Man, The Music, and The World in 1972. It's Bidini's 10th book.

As he described to those in attendance at Scott House, Traill College, it's the first time he's written a book about one person.

Previous books have covered Canadian Rock during the fledgling years of Bidini's former band The Rheostatics, as well as his other love—sports. Those books told stories about hockey and baseball from Bidini's unique Canadian perspective. 

Last night Bidini read one chapter from the book, regaled with interesting and entertaining anecdotes before taking questions. It turns out, Lightfoot does not do interviews, preferring to not look back on his history.

Bidini, working without any help from the subject, wrote the book based on interviews with those who were around Lightfoot during a pivotal week in 1972, piecing together the story of this Canadian songwriting legend during what must have been a meteoric rise in fame.

 

The storyline builds from the 1972 Mariposa Folk Festival, where legends Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Lightfoot were seemingly drawn together in one place, at one time.

Based on Bidini's talk last night, this will be a highly informative read. The book was launched two weeks ago and should prove to be a fun read for those who have a soft spot for Canadian music and pop culture.

Lightfoot fans are sure to be pleased.

[Text and pics by PtboCanada's Jeffrey Macklin]

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