Destination Stratford

Autumn wouldn't be the same without the familiar sights of a pumpkin patch. Lucky for us, Perth County is buzzing with them!🍂🌾🍁

Get cozy, bring your favourite fall drink, and get ready to find your next jack-o'-lantern friend 🎃 This whimsically spooky season has only just begun!👻

📍Bells Pumpkins & Produce, Shakespeare, ON

Family fun continues all fall long at Stratford's Annual Lantern Festival!🏮

On Saturday, October 17th, bring friends, family, and neighbours to join the festivities! An evening of lantern-making, entertainment, activities, and wonder awaits! 🌟

This glowing evening by the beautiful Avon River is ONE NIGHT ONLY, so don't miss out!

EVENT DETAILS:
📅Saturday October 17th, 2026
🕘 Activities start at 5:00 PM
📍Veteran's Drive Bandshell & Surrounding Area
🏮Live music and entertainment, lantern making, light installations, and more!

📸 #2: Stratford Today
📸 #3: Terry McKenna
📸 #4: Dylan Pugh

Experience the magic of live theatre and the magnificence that is the Stratford Festival for a little longer this season🎭✨

Both Something Rotten and Guys and Dolls have been extended to mid-November, and you DO NOT want to miss out on your chance to see these absolutely showstopping, larger-than-life productions.

Book your festival experience today. Head to stratfordfestival.ca for more details.

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers☺️🍂🍁

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30🧡

Today, we honour the children who never returned from residential schools, survivors, their families, and communities.⁠ We stand with Indigenous Communities, acknowledging the pain of our shared history and committing to reconciliation, healing, and an equitable future.

Community members are encouraged to wear orange and attend local programming to listen, unlearn, and act on the 94 Calls to Action established by the Federal Government in consultation with Indigenous Peoples. Swipe right to learn more.

Stratford events: ⁠
🧡Survivor’s Flag Raising | 8:30am | City Hall
🧡Sunrise Ceremony & Indigenous Teachings | 7am-12pm | Falstaff Family Centre
🧡Indigenous Artifacts Micro Exhibit | 7am-12pm | Falstaff Family Centre
🧡"Forgotten" The Métis Residential School Experience | All Day | Falstaff Family Centre
🧡National Film Board Short Films Screening | 9am-11am | Stratford City Hall Auditorium
🧡Tipi of Huron-Perth Viewing | 10am-4pm | Stratford Perth Museum
🧡National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Solidarity Walk | 6pm | Falstaff Family Centre
🧡The Orange Shirt Story Walk | All Day | Stratford Public Library
🧡Steps to Reconciliation Self-Guided Walk | All Day | Near North Shore Park
🧡National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Look & Learn Activity | All Day | Stratford Public Library

Keep learning & take action: ⁠
➡️Government of Canada: National Day for Truth & Reconciliation canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html
➡️National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation
nctr.ca
➡️Stratford Public Library: Truth, Reconciliation & Your Library
splibrary.ca/your-library/truth-reconciliation-and-your-library
➡️Falstaff Family Centre: Truth & Reconciliation
falstafffamilycentre.com/truthandreconciliation

If you are a Survivor and need support, the national crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week 1-866-925-4419

🔗For more information, head to visitstratford.ca/truth-and-reconciliation

Provocation Ideas Festival has a question for you: What could the Avon River become in the years ahead?❔🌊🌳

For the past several months, artists, students, designers, environmental thinkers, and community members have been invited to explore this question through bold, creative ideas that reimagine one of Stratford’s most iconic natural spaces.

Learn more about these creative ideas at the Flowing Futures: Avon River Design Challenge public exhibition, October 2 - 17, at Copperlight!

Showcasing a wide range of community ideas for imagining the future of Stratford’s Avon River, visitors are encouraged to attend, wander, and learn more about this special place that has become a defining part of the community for visitors and locals alike❤️✨

For more details, head to provocation.ca/2026-events-stratford

Sweater weather might be setting in, but the Boathouse is ready to offer you boat rentals, burgers, and cruises down the Avon River🍂🛥️

Book your Avon River adventure today at avonboathouse.com

📸: David Leasa

Soak up the last few weeks of picnic season on the Savour & Sip Trail🧺🍎🥂

Purchase a set of five vouchers for $ 35 + HST and visit participating businesses across Stratford, St. Marys, and Shakespeare, collecting delicious take-away items along the way✨

Then, enjoy your specially curated picnic at one of our licensed outdoor dining locations! Learn more at visitstratford.ca/al-fresco-dining

The Savour & Sip Trail ends October 31st; don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind foodie adventure!🥧😋

Learn more at visitstratford.ca/savourtrail