Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Kids won’t have to worry about feeling bored over the March Break as the County of Lennox and Addington Museum and Archives as well as L&A County Libraries will have plenty of family friendly events packed into the week of March 10-16.
It all gets started March 10 when Little Red Theatre will be at the museum to present The Tales of Peter Rabbit.
With shows at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., audiences will be entertained with animated puppets and shadows. They’ll be treated to a story that’s set in a magical world of foxes, mice and bunnies. Admission is $3.
On March 12 the museum will resemble a miniature Grand Central Station when Fun with Trains Day returns for a fourth year. Both the Picton Model Railroaders and the Belleville Model Railroad Club will have miniature train sets on display. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“I’m going to have Springside Park in G scale and a bunch of G scale trains,” explains John Woolhead of the Picton Model Railroaders. Also known as garden scale, these trains are among the biggest in the model train industry, often built to be durable enough to be used outside. “A bunch of them will be sitting up on rollers that run and make sound. I have right from the little egg liner right up to the three unit diesels.”
Anyone who attended last year’s Napanee Fair may remember Woolhead’s setup, which was a popular attraction last August.
As for the Belleville club, they’re perhaps best known for the display they set up at the Quinte Mall every holiday season.
Though model train collecting may not enjoy the popularity it did 50 years ago, those that still collect say kids still get a kick out of seeing a display.
“Kids nowadays are into the thumb stuff with the phones,” said Rick Potter of the Belleville Model Railroad Club. “While (model trains) are not a dying hobby, there’s definitely not as many people in it as their used to be. They still all like to look at it.”
Potter’s display will include a kids layout where youngsters will have a chance to operate a train around a track. For the really young conductors, there will be wooden magnet trains to explore and play with.
Admission to Train Day is free.
On March 16 the museum will wrap up the week with a St. Patrick’s Day themed Tales and Tunes from the Land of Leprechauns at 10:30 a.m.
Betty Bennett and harpist Angelica Ottewill will be on hand for a morning of interactive songs and stories from the Emerald Isle. The performance is geared towards audiences three years and older. Admission is $3.
As for the Counties Libraries, they have a week full of activities known as March Madness.
On Tuesday they’ll team with the Town of Greater Napanee to host the Junkyard Symphony for a free show at the Strathcona Paper Centre’s Lafarge Banquet Hall at 10:30 a.m.
Junkyard Symphony strives to promote environmental health and awareness through educational entertainment by reusing old ordinary objects that would otherwise be thrown away and turning them into musical instruments. They mix music, comedy and audience interaction into their performance.
On March 14 magician Rob Driscoll will be at the Amherstview Community Hall for a free show starting at 10:30 a.m.
On Thursday David Archibald will perform at the Yarker Branch Library, starting at 10:30 a.m. With music that’s regularly featured on CBC Radio as well as appearances on Sesame Street to his credit, Archibald is known for putting on fun filled family concerts. A songwriter, composer and playwright, he has worked with Avril Lavigne, he is also known for his Maritime history song and performances. Admission to his show is free.
A complete list of March Break events is available at www.lennox-addington.on.ca/events.