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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Kemptville & Merrickville, Ontario
Lavender Mills Farm in Oxford Mills opens Thursdays and Fridays in July; Merrickville's 1832 blockhouse and the Rideau Canal are 15 minutes away.
7 places · updated October 17, 2026
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Updated October 17
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South of Ottawa, the Rideau River and Rideau Canal wind through North Grenville and the village of Merrickville, which has more designated heritage buildings than any other Ontario community its size. Kemptville is the market town, Oxford Mills is a small hamlet with an 1853 stone general store turned restaurant, and the countryside holds a large community forest, a riverside provincial park and a conservation area with a sandy beach.
Lavender Mills Farm on Beach Road in Oxford Mills opens only in July, on Thursdays and Fridays, when visitors can pick their own lavender bundles and picnic among the rows; it closes to the public after July 24. Aflori Acres near Athens, about 45 minutes southwest, takes visits by appointment. A July Thursday or Friday lets you combine the lavender with paddling on the Rideau and a walk through Merrickville while the canal locks are running.
The lavender farms
- Lavender Mills FarmLavender farm · Oxford Mills
peak in July
Walk-in field visits in July on Thursdays and Fridays with u-pick bouquets; festival and soirée events in July; pumpkins in fall.
- Aflori AcresLavender farm · Athens
Not open to the public in 2026 except the July 11 grand opening; private events, small weddings and photo rentals by appointment; public visits planned for 2027.
Best time to visit
Lavender Mills Farm is open in July only, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 to 3, and closes to the public after July 24. The Rideau Canal's navigation season runs from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving, mid-May to mid-October, when Merrickville's locks are busiest; the Blockhouse Museum's 2026 summer season ended with a final weekend on September 5–6. Rideau River Provincial Park was open May 8 to October 13, 2026, and Fort Wellington in Prescott ran Thursday to Monday through October 12. Baxter Conservation Area is open dawn to dusk all year.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Rideau River Provincial Park🌳 State park · Kemptville · about 10 mi, 15 min drive
A riverside park on the Rideau Waterway with calm water for paddling, canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals, swimming, and fishing for muskie and bass.
May 8–October 13 (2026)
Ontario Parks day-use permit
- Baxter Conservation Area🏖️ Beach · Kars · about 15 mi, 25 min drive
A sandy, unsupervised Rideau River beach with an accessible mat to the water, about 5 km of trails through forest and wetland, and a dog swimming area just downstream.
Dawn to dusk, year-round
$10 day pass
- Merrickville🏘️ Town · Merrickville · about 10 mi, 15 min drive
A Victorian village on the Rideau Canal, named Canada's most beautiful village by Communities in Bloom, with shops, cafés and the lockstation in the center of town.
- Merrickville Blockhouse Museum🏛️ Museum · Merrickville · about 10 mi, 15 min drive
Built in 1832–33, the largest of the four blockhouses on the Rideau Canal and the second-largest surviving blockhouse in Canada, on the grounds of the Merrickville lockstation.
Summer; 2026 season ended September 6
By donation
- Rideau Canal National Historic Site🏛️ Historic site · Merrickville · about 10 mi, 15 min drive
The 202 km canal from Ottawa to Kingston has 22 lockstations; at Merrickville you can watch boats lock through in season.
Locks operate Victoria Day to Thanksgiving
- Limerick Forest🌲 Preserve · Leeds and Grenville · about 10 mi, 15 min drive
A 6,092-hectare community forest of pine plantations, wetland and mixed woods with about 180 km of mapped trails and a red pine log interpretive center.
- Fort Wellington National Historic Site🏛️ Historic site · Prescott · about 24 mi, 35 min drive
One of the best-preserved 19th-century forts in Canada, built by the British to guard the St. Lawrence before, during and after the War of 1812.
Thu–Mon 10–5 through October 12 (2026)
Regular Parks Canada fees; youth free
- Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site🏛️ Historic site · Prescott · about 24 mi, 35 min drive
A Parks Canada site near Fort Wellington whose historic windmill marks the battle in which British redcoats and Canadian loyalists defended Upper Canada from invaders.
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Brigadoon RestaurantRestaurant · Oxford Mills
French- and British-inspired cooking in Oxford Mills' 1853 stone general store, open Wednesday to Sunday.
- Grahame's BakeryBakery · Kemptville
Kemptville bakery dating to 1885, known for its wood-burning oven and butter tarts.
- The Village Bean Coffee HouseCafé or coffee shop · Merrickville
Coffee, soups and paninis two blocks from the Merrickville locks, open daily 6 to 4.
- Gather Brewery & GlassworksBrewery or taproom (21+) · Merrickville
Merrickville taproom paired with a glassblowing studio that runs hands-on workshops.
- Little Foot AlpacasFamily fun farm · Spencerville
Booked alpaca visits and treks near Spencerville, Thursday to Sunday, with a farm store of alpaca goods.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMLavender Mills Farm
Pick a lavender bundle and stroll the rows; about 1 hour (July, Thursday and Friday only).
- 11:15 AMGrahame's Bakery · about 12 min drive
Pick up butter tarts in Kemptville; about 20 minutes.
- 11:45 AMRideau River Provincial Park · about 10 min drive
Rent a canoe or paddleboard, or walk the riverbank; about 1 hour.
- 1:05 PMBrigadoon Restaurant · about 15 min drive
Lunch in the 1853 stone building in Oxford Mills; about 1 hour. Reservations recommended.
- 2:25 PMMerrickville Blockhouse Museum · about 20 min drive
See the 1832 blockhouse and watch boats lock through on the Rideau Canal; about 45 minutes (summer).
- 3:15 PMThe Village Bean Coffee House · about 2 min drive
Coffee and a sweet on the patio before the 4 p.m. close; about 30 minutes.
- 3:50 PMGather Brewery & Glassworks · about 3 min drive
Watch the glassblowers or join a booked workshop; about 1 hour.
- 5:20 PMBaxter Conservation Area · about 30 min drive
End the day with a swim or an easy trail loop on the Rideau; about 1 hour.
Tips
- Lavender Mills Farm admission is $5 per person and children are free; bring a picnic, as there is no café, though charcuterie boxes and lavender lemonade are sold. Bus tours must book ahead.
- Plan a Thursday or Friday in July: that is the only time Lavender Mills is open, and Brigadoon is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Baxter's day pass is $10, paid at the machine on site by cash or card; dogs are allowed on leash but not on the beach.
- Little Foot Alpacas asks visitors to leave their own dogs at home, and all visits must be booked.
- Limerick Forest trails can close temporarily; check the county's forest page before heading out.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
When is Lavender Mills Farm open?
In July only, on Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the farm closes to the public after July 24.
Can you pick your own lavender near Kemptville?
Yes. Lavender Mills Farm sells pick-your-own and fresh bundles for $5 each during its July season.
When do the Merrickville locks operate?
The Rideau Canal's navigation season runs from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving, roughly mid-May to mid-October.
Is there a beach near Merrickville?
Baxter Conservation Area near Kars has a sandy beach on the Rideau River with an accessible mat; it is not supervised, and the day pass is $10.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
Open the Passport🏡 Own a farm, café or inn here?
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