Few
places in Ontario are lovelier or more alive
with culture and character than Stratford,
a charming Victorian city nestled in pastoral
countryside a few short hours from Toronto
and the U.S. Stratford is internationally
renowned as one of North America’s
great arts towns. The Stratford Shakespeare Festival entertains
from April through October on four stages
offering comedy, drama and tragedy by Shakespeare,
as
well as plays and musicals by a host of
other artists (Bernard Shaw, Cole Porter,
Christopher
Hampton, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice,
J. M. Barrie, Jacques Brel and Eric Blau,
Michel Tremblay and more). Music fills the
city’s
historic venues, parks and streets as Stratford
Summer Music performs. Downtown,
lush gardens and hanging baskets overflowing
with blooms
beckon. The greenery intensifies as you move
down to refresh yourself with a stroll along
the Avon River. There, you will likely be
greeted by Stratford’s majestic swans, our official
ambassadors. A vibrant community bursting with
rich architectural beauty sets the stage for
innovative dining using fresh locally grown
ingredients. At the end of the day, distinctive
accommodations welcome with boutique inns,
heritage B&Bs and stylish hotels.
Recreation & Activities
We know how to play. Whether it be golf or
tennis, paddle boating or canoeing, walking
or cycling, Stratford will help you get your
heart rate up. From the gliding sounds of skating
on the river under a clear blue winter sky,
to the trailing willows by the river, you will
be drawn to explore Stratford’s outdoor
beauty. Download a podcast and get to know
our history on self-guided walks about town.
Walk along the river and get back to nature.
Your chance to reconnect with nature begins
on the T.J. Dolan trail and continues into
the countryside on the 104 km Avon Trail that
runs from St. Marys to Conestogo.
Shopping and Treasures
Stratford’s designated heritage district
is the perfect place for some retail therapy.
Unique and distinctive shops, bookstores and
galleries are interspersed with charming cafés
and restaurants, many with inviting patios
spilling onto the sidewalk. Visit artists gathered
in shaded parks. Take a stroll into award-winning
shops for garden sculptures, stylish home décor
items and creative toys for all ages. Reward
yourself with the locally made candies from
three chocolate shops all within a block of
each other. Relax and refresh yourself with
a satisfying coffee just the way you like it
and exotic tea blends brewed to perfection.
Overflowing planters and hanging baskets welcome
you along the Victorian streetscape in the
summer. Come winter, live cedar boughs drape
storefronts and red ribbons sparkle throughout
the city, extending the holiday spirit.
Natural Attractions and Architecture
Stratford is the perfect place to stroll.
Paths through the city’s parks connect
with regional trails that stretch for miles
into the surrounding countryside. Bridges across
the Avon River link the city centre with friendly
neighbourhood streets. Proudly preserved 19th-century
homes, churches, commercial and civic buildings
in the heritage district complement tree-lined
avenues brimming with gardens. It’s easy
to see why Stratford is a multiple prizewinner
for Communities in Bloom. Heritage and garden
tours with maps and audio guides can be downloaded
at www.welcometostratford.com.
Music and Theatre
The city of Stratford is home to Stratford
Shakespeare Festival, one of the world’s
most renowned theatre companies. Select from
a varied season including Broadway musicals,
familiar classics and exciting new plays on
stage at the Festival’s four distinctly
different theatres. Opening week is the perfect
time to watch for celebrities or be first in
line for world-class performances. Throughout
the season, special events enrich the theatre
experience for young people. Take time to visit
the Costume Warehouse and view the amazing
creations of skilled designers and prop-makers.
In July and August, Stratford
Summer Music welcomes musicians from around the world. New
compositions, classical works and popular music
performed on indoor and outdoor stages throughout
the city make Summer Music a mecca for music
lovers. Although summer in this city of arts
and music is a special time, Stratford’s
galleries, churches, pubs and restaurants
showcase choirs, cabarets, concerts, bands
and solo
performers all year long.
Fabulous Food
Culinary adventures are a memorable part of
the Stratford experience. Beginning in the
rich Perth County farmland, you’ll meet
passionate producers on self-guided Epicurean
Treks and at the Saturday morning farmers market,
one of Ontario’s oldest. Stratford restaurants—from
casual pubs to friendly bistros and elegant
dining rooms—deliver innovative cuisine
using the freshest ingredients. Canada’s
premier tea sommelier reveals new experiences
sampling a flight of teas paired with chocolate
or varieties of honey. Take in culinary workshops,
artisanal cheesemaking and candymaking, with
the master chefs from the Stratford
Chefs School. A fall festival all about garlic launches a
week of culinary activities culminating in
the Savour
Stratford Perth County’s Culinary
Festival. Celebrate local cuisine, pairing
chefs and farmers for a fabulous tasting event,
cooking demonstrations, food writer stories,
farmers and artisans market and live music
come together in a carnival atmosphere in Stratford’s
garden district.
Arts & Crafts
Art comes alive in Stratford galleries and
studios dedicated to artists and collectives
of fine art, native art and crafts. Gallery
Stratford, housed in a converted pump house
and nestled between two parks, hosts travelling
exhibitions and works from their permanent
collection as well as a children’s community
studio. Factory 163, a restored 19th century
warehouse, is home to several independent artisans,
Gallery 96, an art collective, and Off
the Wall, artisans teaching students creative theatre
arts. Stroll the banks of the Avon River on
summer weekends and meet artists at Art in
the Park, along the south side of the river.
Some artists have been part of this annual
juried event for decades, and almost everyone
likes to chat. You’re sure to find something
to take home to remind you of your time in
Stratford.
Festivals and Fairs
The annual Swan
Parade marks the celebration
of spring in Stratford. Join the crowd as the
swirl of bagpipes leads the march of these
elegant birds, Stratford’s ambassadors,
from their winter enclosure to the Avon River.
On Canada Day, Market Square plays host to
family entertainment, a parade and fireworks.
Free evening movies are hosted here throughout
the summer. In September, cheer on your favourite
Dragon Boat team from the river bank and plan
to return with your foodie friends for the
Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary
Festival.
In October, Stratford’s heritage and
architecture is celebrated with a weekend of
heritage home tours, walking tours and a quality
Antique Show with inspiring speakers and an
antiques road show. Or if documentary films
are your passion, DocFest brings out the stars
for world premiers. Santa’s Parade of
Lights marks the beginning of the holiday season
when the city is wrapped up in cedar garland
and tied with red bows.
Heritage
Everyone who visits Stratford comments on
the rich history and beautiful character of
the city. The large heritage district in the
centre of the city stretches for miles filled
with some of the finest conserved 19th-century
homes, churches, commercial and civic buildings
in Canada. Historic bridges span the Avon River
linking gardenlike heritage neighbourhoods
with the downtown heritage district. Stratford
parks and monuments are framed by acres of
green lawns, beautiful gardens and well-tended
tree-lined avenues. Internationally recognized
for its pastoral and historic beauty, Stratford
is renowned for its Ontario Cottages, and architectural
variety ranging from Gothic Revival, Italianate,
Queen Anne and Greek Revival captured in buff-yellow
brick or the red brick of Richardsonian Romanesque
civic buildings. Stratford is perfect for walking
and gazing and the city has many heritage and
garden walking tours. Download tours and maps,
listen to one of the audio guides and start
exploring at www.welcometostratford.com.
For
more information about
Stratford visit the following
pages:
