The Hands-On Creative Day
Make it. Try it. Take something home.
Highlights
Step Inside the Creative Process
Explore studios, galleries, and workshops where creativity takes shape.
More Than Just Browsing
Connect through conversations, demonstrations, and hands-on experiences.
Collect Something With a Story Behind It
Discover handmade pieces and meet the artists who created them.
Start your day meeting the artist, then move through spaces where you can explore, ask questions, and see how things are made. Along the way, you will find pieces worth collecting and places that invite you to slow down and stay a little longer.
By the end of it, you will not just have seen the Arts Trail. You will have taken part in it.
Before You Go
This itinerary is designed to inspire your own Arts Trail adventure. Some workshops and experiences require advance booking or are offered on select dates. Be sure to check each business listing for availability and contact participating studios and galleries directly to reserve your experience.
The Hands-On Creative Day
54 Wilson Road, Bloomfield, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1G0
Start your day at ANDARA Gallery, where the experience begins with the artist. Spend some time exploring the space, then step into one of ANDARA’s hands-on workshops, including encaustic painting, drawing, and graffiti sessions offered throughout the season. Workshops can be booked directly through the gallery, with scheduled dates available online or custom sessions available with a two-person minimum. The experience feels personal and approachable, with opportunities to meet the artists and learn directly inside the working studio space.
346 Main Street, Bloomfield, Canada
From there, head into Bloomfield and stop at Guildworks. This is where you shift from making to collecting. The space is filled with Canadian craft and design pieces that feel intentional and lived-in. Take your time here. You will likely find something you did not know you were looking for.
343 County Road 22, Barrack 3, Picton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 2T0
Next, make your way to Melt Studio & Gallery, set inside a historic barracks. This is a working studio as much as it is a gallery. You can ask questions, see how the work comes together, and get a closer look at the process behind encaustic art. It feels a bit more unexpected, which is part of the appeal.
256 Picton Main St, Prince Edward, Ontario, Canada, K0K 2T0
End your day in Picton at County Creative. This is where things get social again. Grab a seat, pick your piece, and spend some time painting pottery or joining a workshop. It is low pressure, a bit messy, and a good way to wrap the day with something you actually made.
Pottery painting is always available as a drop-in experience, making this one of the easiest places on the Arts Trail to jump in and create something yourself. Throughout the summer, the studio also hosts themed workshops and special creative events, including alpaca, goat, and bunny experiences that bring a lighter, more playful energy to the trail.
