28th Annual Kingston Sheep Dog Trials

Published on: 2015/08/07 - in News

The 28th annual Kingston Sheep Dog Trials Festival begins today and runs until Sunday, August 9th.

Three days of competition will pit North America’s top handlers and border collies against Waupoos Island Sheep in Canada’s largest timed sheep-herding Trials.

Trials are being held at Grass Creek Park, 2993 Highway 2, and run daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with side attractions open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event offers a family day filled with exciting entertainment for craft and animal lovers.

“The Sheep Dog Trials festival is a made-in-Kingston summer event that has become a favourite tradition for residents and visitors alike. Anyone who loves animals will love this festival – one of Ontario’s top 100 events,” said Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson.

In addition to the Sheep Dog Trials website, this year visitors can find full event details by downloading the “Kingston Sheep Dog Trials” app from your app store or at Favquest.

The app offers a schedule of events, information about the free shuttle, a festival site map, and a SouvenirCam for visitors to frame and post their favourite festival pictures to Facebook and Twitter.

Attractions this year include:

– Craft, artisans and vendor’s fair
– Sheep-to-shawl competition
– Agility Connection
– Rideau River Dog Dogs
– Canine Adventure Lure Course/Health & Wellness Centre
– Kingston K-9 Unit and Mounted Police
– Bowmanville Zoo: Animal Encounters
– Sheep shearing
– Spinning and weaving

There will also be face-painting for the kids and a variety of on-site food vendors. Admission likewise allows for a free visit to the MacLachlan Woodworking Museum, located beside the festival site.

The free Sheep Dog Trials Festival shuttle bus to Grass Creek Park. The bus departs from the following locations:

– Toys R Us parking lot (corner of Midland Avenue and Princess Street) – 8:15 a.m., 9 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12 p.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Free parking is available at this location.

– Kingston Memorial Centre, 303 York St. – 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 a.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Free parking is available at this location.

– Marriott Hotel at King’s Crossing, 101 Dalton Ave. – 8:45 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11 a.m. , 11:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m. , 1:15 p.m., 2 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. Free parking is available at this location.

Grass Creek Park (returns to Kingston) – 9 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12 p.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Tickets at the gate are $15 per person. Kids under 12 are free.

Accessible parking, seating and washrooms are available and path mats are being placed to make areas more easily accessible. Assistive hearing devices are also on offer.

Find the full 2015 program and Trials’ running order at kingstonsheepdogtrials.com.


Photo source: Wikimedia Commons | Front page: Kingston Sheep Dog Trials

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