Dean Brody, Jade Eagleson and The Reklaws to Perform at Second Annual Kawartha Country Music Festival

The Reklaws, Bailieboro’s Jade Eagleson and headliner Dean Brody are performing at the second-annual Kawartha Country Music Festival at Kawartha Downs for Canada Day weekend this Saturday and Sunday.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with the show starting at 6:30 p.m. for both days. Brody, Eagleson and a surprise artist kick off the Saturday event. A fireworks show will follow the concert scheduled for 10:30 p.m. Artist Sacha opens things for Sunday with the Reklaws and the James Barker Band. The latter made a surprise appearance in last year’s event and are officially recognized as an act this year according to Summer Nickerson-Hagen, Kawartha Downs marketing director.

“It’s just so great that we have them performing at this year’s festival,” she said. “We feel very lucky to have such a fantastic lineup.”

VIP Experiences packages/add-ons are ticket options that include a pre-show dinner with a Jade Eagleson appearance for Saturday and The Reklaws for Sunday. Photos and videos are permitted to be taken with the acts during the experience. They also get priority event entry, a free t-shirt, semi-private bar access, semi-private washrooms and a designated VIP viewing area.

VIP tickets are available at half-price until Friday at midnight with the code ‘VIP50.’

Tickets can be purchased online at ticketweb.ca and kawarthadowns.com.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Country Music Star Jade Eagleson Speaks Ahead of the Kawartha Country Music Festival on July 1

Country music singer Jade Eagleson speaks with PTBOCanada’s Felicia Massey ahead of his performance at the Kawartha Country Music Festival at Kawartha Downs July 1.

Eagleson discusses growing up just outside of Peterborough, breaking through in the country music scene and his upcoming show at Kawartha Downs.

Get your tickets for the festival at https://www.ticketweb.ca/venue/kawartha-downs-fraserville-on/513515!

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Destruction Is Imminent With Kawartha Smackdown Impact Motorsports Demolition Derby At Kawartha Downs This Saturday

Crashes, collisions and destruction are coming to Fraserville as Impact Motorsports is bringing their Kawartha Smackdown Demolition Derby to Kawartha Downs for June 17.

Photo courtesy of Impact Motorsports.

The event runs from noon to 5 p.m. and features fast-paced figure 8 racing, followed by a two-man team of full-size V8 cars, stock trucks and a new class called windshield class.

Admission includes a pit party where ticket holders can come down to the track and meet the drivers, get their autographs and take pictures with the cars.

Power Wheels Kids are featured as demolition derby trainees to kickstart the event after the pit party.

Impact’s Points Champions, Kent Taylor, Figure 8 Champion as well as Jason DuPont, Derby Champion are in attendance for the event. The derby will have drivers appearing from all over Ontario, Quebec and the United States.

A total prize purse of $20,000 will be handed out to these drivers on June 17.

A second derby is scheduled for Aug. 5 with a new class of vehicles scheduled for the show.

Tickets can be purchased online at the Kawartha Downs Events website.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Kawartha Downs Announce Lineup For Kawartha Country Music Festival For July 1-2; Dean Brody to Headline

Kawartha Downs has announced its lineup for its annual Kawartha Country Music Festival, featuring several Canadian country artists for July 1 and 2 announced on Wednesday.

Facebook Photo.

Multi-platinum-selling artist Dean Brody is the headliner for the festival as he will be joined by The Reklaws, James Barker Band, Jade Eagleson and Sacha.

"We are thrilled to bring back our annual country music festival to Kawartha Downs," said Summer Nickerson-Hagen, marketing director. "This year's festival will be bigger and better than ever, with an amazing lineup of talented country artists at a great price. We look forward to bringing back our signature fireworks show on Canada Day Weekend as well."

Pre-sale tickets begin Wednesday morning and through Thursday at 10 p.m. with the pre-sale code KCMF2023.

General tickets are available on Friday at 10 a.m. and all tickets can be purchased through ticketweb.ca and direct links can be found at Kawartha Downs’s website in the ‘What’s On Calendar’ section.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Kawartha Downs Announces New General Manager and Future Event Details

The ownership and management of Kawartha Downs has introduced the new full-time general manager of Kawartha Downs Daniel D’Ercole at a press conference on Tuesday.

new general manager Daniel D’Ercole. Photo by Felicia Massey.

A Southern Ontario native, D’Ercole brings a strong education in Human Resources, Sports, Entertainment and Marketing that is bolstered by an MBA from Schulich School of Business. Over the last six years, D’Ercole has honed his skills in finance consulting, brand development, customer satisfaction and marketing strategy in a variety of roles.

He has a particular love of sports, notably hockey, and had an impressive career in the Ontario Junior Hockey League before shifting his focus to the business of entertainment.

This summer, Kawartha Downs Events plans to surpass expectations set by last year’s groundbreaking season as a premier event and entertainment centre. On May 20, Kawartha Downs will host its annual opening day celebration. The Lions Club classic car show will begin in the morning of opening day, kids activities in the afternoon and multiple bands will perform before harness racing post time of 7 p.m. The monster truck show June 3-4 will be the largest in the area.

“2022 was a record-breaker for Kawartha Downs and the surrounding community, and we are very proud of our last summer’s events,” said Richard Weldon, president of Kawartha Downs. “We got straight to work planning an evening bigger, more exciting season in 2023.”

The Country Music Festival on Canada Day Weekend has been highly anticipated by locals, and the entire artist lineup will be announced in the near future.

Recently details for the first ever Kawartha County Fair have been solidified. The fair will be a multiple day event consisting of your classic midway experience, a huge tractor pull, demolition derby and a concert featuring at least four local bands and a headliner. Kawartha Downs’ signature fireworks show will be put on every night of the fair.

“It is evident how tight-knit the surrounding community is with Kawartha Downs, and I plan on strengthening that relationship,” says D’Ercole. “As general manger, my priority is to implement strategic initiatives that will create a connection with people and businesses, and a connection to this community.”

“I know this venue has the potential to host some of Ontario’s largest events, and it is my goal to make Kawartha Downs one of the most successful destinations for entertainment in Ontario,” he continued.

For more information visit the website.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Kawartha Downs Launches Their 2023 Event Program; Monster Trucks, Demolition Derby and Tractor Pulls

Kawartha Downs has launched their event program for 2023 featuring events such as the Monster Madness Tour, Kawartha Smackdown, Country Music Festival and more announced at their racetrack on Friday morning.

DRIVERS JOHN LOUWS (LEFT) AND BARB COCHRANE (RIGHT) were TWO FEATURED DRIVERS FOR THE AUG. 6 demolition derby this year. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI.

Richard Weldon, Kawartha Downs managing director says these events help ensure the venue becomes an entertainment hub for the surrounding community and aid in tourism.

“(Kawartha Downs) It's an unbelievable location,” he said. “It's been underutilized. It was always good for harness racing and for casinos and so forth but we thought, since the people were already here, why don't we get more entertainment for them to spend more time here? It's a facility that should be used more often.”

The following is a list of special events for harness racing that runs from May 20 until Sept. 23.

• May 20 - Grand Opening Celebration

• June 10 - Take Mom to the Races

• June 17 - Father’s Day

• July 15 - Kids Night

• July 29 - Bring a Friend Night

• Aug. 19 - Own a Horse for the Night

• Sept. 16 - Memorial Night

• Sept. 23 - Customer Appreciation Night

Kawartha Downs has released their schedule for their 2023 event program with several acts currently in contract discussions, to be announced at later dates:

• May 20: Opening Day

  • Classic Car Show: Noon to 4 p.m.

  • Concert (TBA): 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

  • Harness Racing: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• June 3/4: Monster Madness Tour

  • Pit Party: 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

  • Monster Trucks and Freestyle Motocross: 2:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

• June 17: Kawartha Smackdown

  • Pit Party: 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

  • Power Wheels: 1:30 p.m.

  • Demolition Derby: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

  • Concert (TBA): 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

  • Harness Racing: 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

• July 1/2: Country Music Festival

  • Concert (TBA): 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. (July 1)

  • Concert (TBA): 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. (July 2)

• July 22/23: Truck and Tractor Pull

  • Details TBA

• Aug. 4/5/6: Kawartha Fair

  • Tractor Pull (Aug. 4)

  • Demolition Derby (Aug. 5)

  • Concert (TBA) (Aug. 6)

• Aug. 12/13 Retro Concert Weekend

  • Concert (TBA): 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. (Aug. 12)

  • Concert (TBA): 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. (Aug. 13)

• Sept. 2/3: Truck and Tractor Pull

  • Details TBA

The Downs says more events will be announced for 2023.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Peterborough Exhibition Not Relocating to Kawartha Downs Says Peterborough Agricultural Society

The Peterborough Exhibition is not moving to Kawartha Downs after the Peterborough Agricultural Society (PAS) released a statement saying details have not been confirmed for a move announced on Tuesday.

Kawartha Downs had tractor pulls during thier 50th anniversary weekend on Aug. 5 and 6. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Kawartha Downs had distributed a press release regarding the possible move according to PAS but continued to say they have ‘incorrectly implied’ the exhibition’s relocation.

PAS has released the following statement:

A release that was issued on November 21, 2022 by Kawartha Downs incorrectly implied that the Peterborough Exhibition is relocating to Kawartha Downs. The Peterborough Agricultural Society, organizers of the annual Peterborough Exhibition, has not authorized the use of the name Peterborough Exhibition by Kawartha Downs.

The Peterborough Agricultural Society has held events at Kawartha Downs during the pandemic and have had discussions with Kawartha Downs about the possibility of holding a small selection of events at their facility. Details for the 2023 season are not confirmed. Furthermore, Kawartha Downs is in no way associated with the Peterborough Exhibition or the Peterborough Agricultural Society.

A multi-day monster truck show and multi-day retro concert were some events mentioned by Kawartha Downs in their press release but additional details and details will be announced at a media conference on Dec. 2.

The four-day exhibition took place at Morrow Park annually since 1885 but was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The exhibition did not run this year due to an ongoing dispute between the PAS and the City of Peterborough. It involved the construction of the Arena and Aquatics Complex being built on the west side of the park near Park Street.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Kawartha Downs Donates $25,000 Towards Construction Completion of Peterborough Animal Care Centre

Caring about more than just horses, Kawartha Downs Raceway has donated $25,000 towards the Peterborough Humane Society (PHS) to help complete construction of the Peterborough Animal Care Centre (PACC) announced on Wednesday.

The Peterborough Animal Care Centre will be over 24,000 square feet and include a state-of-the art Animal Adoption & Education Centre, Publicly Accessible & High-Volume Spay/Neuter Clinic and a Provincial Dog Rehabilitation Centre. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Humane Society.

In recognition of the donation, a dog adoption suite will be named in honour of Kawartha Downs and will also be recognized on the Donor Wall located in the lobby of the new PACC.

“Kawartha Downs provides entertainment for families and supports the community. We are also all animal lovers her,” shared Summer Nickerson-Hagen of Kawartha Downs. “Kawartha Downs would like to recognize the hard work and dedication of the Peterborough Animal Care Centre in caring for our community’s most vulnerable pets.”

“Support from local businesses like Kawartha Downs is extremely important to the success of this project,” said Shawn Morey, PHS executive director. “This new Centre will set a new standard in animal wellness and care, Peterborough will be part of a Canadian-first, which will support our local businesses and community.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Kawartha Downs Continues Revving Its 50th Anniversary With Tractor Pull and Demolition Derby

The festivities continue for Kawartha Downs’s 50th anniversary with a tractor pull and demolition during the Aug. 5/6 weekend.

Fair atop his “Executioner” to be one of the many tractors featured at the pulls. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The tractor pull is held on Aug. 5 that boasts a new asphalt track, new bleachers — with a seating capacity of around 2,500 people — and pullers hailing from all over the province and Quebec.

"We've got the best clay track in Ontario," said Dan Fair, Executioner Sled Team operator, "This track is every bit as anything that they run.”

The garden tractor pull starts at 4 p.m. and the truck and tractor pull at 7 p.m. Several antique tractors will be on display throughout the day.

Other attractions include a lamb and rabbit show, live music from a cover band to be announced, vendors and food trucks from Sammy’s Roadhouse & Grill from Cavan-Monaghan. Spectators can access the pit area and get autographs signed from the drivers.

Drivers John Louws (left) and Barb Cochrane (right) are two featured drivers for the Aug. 5/6 weekend. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Aug. 6 features a demolition derby on an asphalt track instead of a traditional mud track. The former allows for a faster-paced derby according to Jim Grant of Ontario Demolition Derby Limited.

“The cars cannot get stuck,” he said. “The cars can tear out a rear axle and still keep on going. They do not get bogged down in the mud, they slip and slide around, they can have four flat tires and keep going so they're always in the action until the car dies.”

Grant believes that Kawartha Downs is the perfect venue to host the event considering the success of past demolition derbies in Peterborough.

"Peterborough used to do 4,000 people for theirs,” said Grant. "We would fill the grandstands at Lakefield and Port Hope had a crazy amount of people. People love demo derby so to come and see it on pavement is awesome.”

There is a total of $10,000 in prize money for the demolition drivers for each respective derby. Categories include figure-8, mini, midsize, junk run, full-sized cards and full-sized trucks.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Bailieboro's Jade Eagleson Will Return To His Old Stomping Grounds For Kawartha Downs First Ever Country Music Festival

Bailieboro - raised, country music star Jade Eagleson will return to his old stomping grounds at Kawartha Downs on July 3 for ‘Kawartha Country Music Fest’.

Photo by Austin Chaffe, Starseed Entertainment.

“I've driven by Kawartha Downs thousands of times, it’s right down the road from where I grew up so it's really cool to be playing there,” said Eagleson.

Eagleson grew up helping out on his grandparents farm, raising livestock and growing crop.

“Growing up I thought I was going to be a farmer, but I ended up not being too good at it.”

He notes that growing up in the country, he was surrounded by music and his upbringing heavily influenced the music he plays now.

“I’m so lucky to be from an area that has a great music scene that I got to be a part of,” he said. “My mom was a musician growing up and then there’s Jimmy Bowskill, he was a huge influence.”

Bowskill, who is also from Bailieboro, is a guitarist in popular rock band The Sheepdogs.

Eagleson will take the stage at Kawartha Downs with The Reklaws and Nate Haller.

“I think this is going to be one of my favorite shows,” he said. “I haven't been back home in a while.”

When asked if he thinks he might know a few people in the audience he says he thinks he will know everyone in the audience.

“I have so many friends and family members back home it will be so nice to see familiar faces in the audience.”

As for playing alongside The Reklaws, this isn’t a first for Eagleson and he says he’s looking forward to it.

“They’re such sweet human beings and their show is just magnificent the have such an energy.”

Joining the two Canadian acts on stage will be Nate Haller, from Waterloo.

“I can promise you now he’s going to hit it big,” said Eagleson. “He was made for this . He’s got that energy , the sky is the limit for that guy.” 

Kawartha Country Music Fest will take place at Kawartha Downs July 3. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the show starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are available online.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.