Peterborough
Around Peterborough
Photo: Municipal Affairs and Housing · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Metro area · Ontario · 128k people
Peterborough
Locals say Kawarthas · “Electric City”, “'Boro”
Where every road leads to water
Peterborough Petes maroonKawartha green
Welcome to the Kawarthas! Whether you're here for the lakes, the hockey, or the cottage vibe, you'll feel at home. Grab a Kawartha Dairy cone and enjoy the local rhythm.
Clubs for Peterborough
No clubs for Peterborough yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Peterborough. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Peterborough. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Peterborough Lift Lock World's highest hydraulic lift lock.
- Trent-Severn Waterway Scenic lock-and-lake system.
- Kawartha Lakes Chain of lakes for boating and cottaging.
- Canadian Canoe Museum Largest canoe collection in the world.
- Peterborough Memorial Centre Home of the Peterborough Petes.
- Trent University Nature trails and river views.
- Outdoors Canoeing or kayaking on the Kawartha Lakes
- Outdoors Hiking the Trans Canada Trail
- With kids Visit the Canadian Canoe Museum
- With kids Spend a day at Riverview Park and Zoo
- Evenings Catch a Peterborough Petes game
- Evenings Live music at The Venue
- Locals love Cottage rentals
- Locals love Boat launches
Through the year
- Peterborough Musicfest summer Free summer concerts at Del Crary Park.
- Peterborough Folk Festival September Folk music and community arts downtown.
- Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival June Races and family fun on Little Lake.
- Peterborough County Fair September Agricultural fair with exhibits and midway.
- Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour October Open studios across the region.
Humid continental with four distinct seasons. Best time to be out is summer for lakes and fall for colours. Best: Summer for lakes and fall for colours.
Talk like a local
- “Ptbo”
- Short for Peterborough
- “the Patch”
- Nickname for Peterborough
- “the Kawarthas”
- The region itself
- “cottage country”
- Lake country area
Getaways
- Kawartha Lakes More lakes and cottage country.
- Port Hope Historic downtown and Ganaraska River.
- Cobourg Beach and waterfront park.
- Oshawa City amenities and Canadian Automotive Museum.
Local flavour
Teams
- Peterborough Petes OHL
- Peterborough Lakers MSL
- Trent University Excalibur U Sports
Eat and drink
- Kawartha Dairy ice cream Local chain with a cult following across cottage country
- Butter tarts Classic Canadian pastry, a staple at local bakeries and markets
- Pickerel (walleye) Freshwater fish caught in the Kawartha Lakes, often fried or grilled
Where people go
- Peterborough Lift Lock A hydraulic lift lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway, a national historic site
- Trent-Severn Waterway A scenic canal and river system connecting Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay
- Kawartha Lakes A chain of lakes known for cottages, fishing, and boating
- Canadian Canoe Museum A museum dedicated to the history and craft of canoeing
- Farmers' markets Local markets featuring produce, crafts, and baked goods
Heritage and traditions
Peterborough is proud of its Indigenous heritage, its engineering marvel the Lift Lock, and its vibrant cottage country culture that draws families to the Kawartha Lakes for generations.
This time of year in Peterborough
- Hunting and leaf peeping Fall Fall offers hunting seasons and spectacular colours in the Kawarthas.
Say it like a local: “Going up to the cottage” — Heading to a summer home or cabin.
Festivals
- Lakefield Literary Festival August A weekend of Canadian authors, readings, and workshops in the village of Lakefield.
- Bancroft Gemboree August One of Canada's largest gem and mineral shows, drawing rockhounds from across the country.
- Peterborough Pride June A celebration of the LGBTQ+ community with a parade and family-friendly events.
- Peterborough Canada Day July 1 Fireworks, live music, and activities at Del Crary Park on July 1st.
- Peterborough Winter Festival February Outdoor winter fun including ice sculptures, skating, and hot chocolate.
- First Friday Art Crawl First Friday of each month Monthly open-house evening at downtown galleries and studios.
Landmarks with a story
- Serpent Mounds Ancient Indigenous burial mounds near Keene, dating back over 2,000 years.
- Lang Pioneer Village A living history museum with over 20 heritage buildings from the 19th century.
- Hutchison House A restored 1830s stone house, once home to a prominent local doctor.
- St. Peter-in-Chains Cathedral A Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Peterborough, built in the 1830s.
- Peterborough Armoury A 19th-century drill hall, now a national historic site.
Food traditions
- Shore lunch After a morning of fishing, anglers cook their catch over an open fire on a lakeshore—a classic Kawartha experience.
- Maple syrup season In early spring, sugar bushes open for tours and pancake breakfasts, celebrating the local maple harvest.
- Cottage BBQs Summer cookouts on the dock or deck, often featuring local corn, burgers, and a cold drink.
- Wild blueberry picking In late summer, families head to the Bancroft area to pick wild blueberries for pies and jams.
Music and arts
- Peterborough Symphony Orchestra A community orchestra performing classical and pops concerts.
- Art Gallery of Peterborough Showcases contemporary and historical art from the region.
- Market Hall Performing Arts Centre A historic venue for theatre, music, and dance.
- Folk music scene A vibrant community of singer-songwriters, with venues like the Folk Festival and local coffeehouses.
A little history
- 1825 Peter Robinson brings Irish settlers to the area.
- 1904 The Peterborough Lift Lock opens, becoming the world's highest hydraulic lift lock.
- 1964 Trent University is founded.
- 1997 The Canadian Canoe Museum opens, housing the world's largest collection of canoes.
- 1800s The region thrives on the lumber trade, with sawmills along the Otonabee River.
Rivalries
- Petes vs. Oshawa Generals Close OHL rivalry.
- Petes vs. Kingston Frontenacs Eastern Ontario matchup.
- Lakers vs. Six Nations Chiefs Lacrosse rivalry.
- Game day Peterborough Petes hockey games
- Game day Peterborough Lakers box lacrosse
- Outdoors Canoeing the Kawartha Lakes
- Outdoors Fishing for pickerel and bass
- With kids Watching a Peterborough Petes game
- With kids Visiting the zoo
People in Peterborough speak with a standard Canadian accent, but with a few local touches. You'll hear 'eh' and 'going up to the cottage' often, and the name 'Kawartha' is always pronounced kuh-WAR-thas.
Only here
- The Peterborough Petes are the oldest continuously operating junior hockey team in the world (founded 1956).
- The Lift Lock is the world's highest hydraulic lift lock, raising boats 65 feet.
- The Canadian Canoe Museum houses the world's largest collection of canoes and kayaks.
- Bancroft hosts one of Canada's largest gem and mineral shows, the Gemboree.
New here? A few tips
- Embrace cottage culture—weekends get busy with traffic, so plan trips to the lakes accordingly.
- Learn to pronounce 'Kawartha' as kuh-WAR-thas.
- Be ready for cold winters; invest in good winter gear and enjoy outdoor activities like skating and snowshoeing.
- Try Kawartha Dairy ice cream at least once—it's a local institution.
- Visit the Lift Lock to see the engineering marvel in action.
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Nearby
Every areaPeterborough CountyOntarioQuiet roads, rich soil, and the glow of a lakeside sunset.Port HopeOntarioHistoric charm by the GanaraskaKawartha LakesOntarioWhere every lake has a story and every sunset is a postcard.CobourgOntarioSmall-town charm on the big lake.Northumberland CountyOntarioWhere the Trent winds through quiet farmland.North DurhamOntarioLake days and long country lanes.OshawaOntarioWhere the lake meets the assembly line.Belleville–Quinte WestOntarioA friendly harbour on the Bay of Quinte.
Peterborough. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.