Canada Day

The City of Stratford Canada Day Community celebration will take place on July 1, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Stratford’s Market Square.

Come celebrate Canada Day and participate in some great family friendly activities

• Stratford Public Library
  • Interactive activities for kids & toddlers
• Family Photo Booth
  • Free photo strips
• Gallery Stratford
  • Button making
• Playmakers Theatre
  • Lantern making for lantern parade
Stratford Lions Pool
• Water safety activites

Join us for musical performances by:

• Two Cellos & A Banjo - 11:00am
• Christin Dennis - 12:00pm
• The Vaudevillian - 12:45pm
• Shane Cook & The Woodchippers - 1:45pm
• Higher FunKtion - 3:00pm

While enjoying the Canada Day festivities, don't forget to stop by one of the many food vendors surrounding Market Square offering a wide variety of food & beverages. 

Stratford Transit won't be operating on July 1, Canada Day. We encourage attendees to walk, bike, share a ride with a neighbour or friend.

Bike post and ring parking is available in and around Market Square. 

• Free Swim at the Stratford Lions Pool (2:30 - 4 p.m.)
• Canada Day Parade hosted by the Stratford and District Saddle Club and Bethel Pentecostal Church
• Canada Day Fireworks at SERC provided by the Stratford Kinsmen Club

To support our festival in Market Square, the following road closures will occur from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m:

• Wellington Street from St. Patrick Street to Downie Street
• Downie Street from Albert Street to George Street West
• Market Place from Wellington Street to Downie Street

On July 1 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., citizens are welcome to attend Stratford's Canada Day parade hosted by the Stratford and District Saddle Club and Bethel Pentecostal Church.  

This year's parade is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. from the corner of Lakeside Drive and Waterloo Street moving north-east from Waterloo Street to Mornington Street, heading west on McCarthy Road West and finishing at the Rotary Complex. Fifty floats are expected to participate.

Event Contact and Volunteering

This event is hosted by the Stratford and District Saddle Club, and they would like to invite people who wish to help out to apply as a volunteer. Volunteer roles and responsibilities include:

• Assisting the marshaling floats into starting positions along Lakeside Drive
• Attending barricades at road closures along the parade route
• Walking alongside the parade as it moves to ensure members of the public do not enter the route. 

Event Health and Safety

To ensure the health and safety measures are met, event organizers remind those attending the event that:

1. Parade floats will not hand out any items to attendees along the parade route.
2. Walking into the route, by the public, is strictly prohibited. 

On July 1st from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., road closures and barricades will be installed on adjacent streets to the parade route.

• Floats will be invited to setup at designated times between 4 and 5:30 p.m. There will be two float setup times and event organizers will contact floats prior to the start date to indicate their setup times. Setup will begin on the north lane (Avon River side) of Lakeside Drive from the Tom Patterson Theatre to Front Street.
• From 3 p.m. to 7 p.m, the William Allman Arena parking lot will be made available only to the bands scheduled to be in the parade. The public will not have access to this parking lot during these times. 
• Volunteers will be placed within the float marshaling areas, and at road closures and barricades throughout the entire event, including setup and takedown times. 

Patrons will be directed to utilize the Festival Theatre Parking Lot, Cooper Site, Lower Queens Parking, Upper Queens Parking and the Rotary Complex Parking Lot but will be reminded to be mindful of parking in residential areas to not block sidewalks or driveways. Additionally, patrons will be asked to use active transportation such as walking or biking.

Stratford Transit won't be operating on July 1. We encourage attendees to walk, bike, share a ride with a neighbour or friend.

Float Marshalling Instructions

1. The event will be held, rain or shine.
2. Floats will move along the parade route, which is planned to start at Lakeside Drive and Waterloo Street (Tom Patterson Theatre), moving north-east from Waterloo Street to Mornington Street, heading west on McCarthy Road and finishing at the Rotary Complex. 
3. Float hosts are expected to fully decorate their float in the spirit of the holiday (Canadiana).
4. As this is a family event, please be aware that small children will attend the event. The experience MUST NOT be disturbing in any way.
5. Floats will be invited to setup at designated times between 4 and 5:30 p.m. There will be two float setup times and event organizers will contact floats prior to the start date to indicate their setup times. Setup will begin on the north lane (Avon River side) of Lakeside Drive from the Tom Patterson Theatre to Front Street. Organizers will be on-site to assist floats into marshalling positions.
6. To enter the float marshalling area along Lakeside Drive, please use Lakeside Drive North of Front Street. For larger floats, you may access Lakeside Drive via Romeo Street to Delamere Avenue to Lakeside Drive North to Lakeside Drive. 
7. Bands are to marshal on Morenz Drive in front of the William Allman Arena. 
8. The front of the parade will start moving at 6pm.
9. Parade floats are not to hand out any items to attendees along the parade route, and walking into the route, by the public, is strictly prohibited. 
10. This parade may be broadcast on various media, and parade float entries may be interviewed.
11. When the parade ends in at the Rotary Complex, floats are asked to disperse by continuing on McCarthy Road west, or can pull into the Rotary Complex to stop and coordinate a take down.