The thrill of seeing a live performance on stage never ceases to amaze. The Stratford Festival, one of Ontario’s best-known theatre festivals, offers a wonderful selection of performances each year, happening now until the fall. Whether your taste in stage productions leans toward classic Elizabethan or musical, there’s plenty of time to buy tickets for one or more shows. This year’s playbill ranges from Shakespearean selections and musicals to classic plays and modern pieces. This year’s family show is The Music Man; the whole family is sure to enjoy this lively show (and the “Seventy-Six Trombones”).
Children’s Tickets – As a way to help get you to the theatre and expose your children to the wonders of the stage, Stratford is offering kid’s tickets ranging between $19.50 – $29.50 for any show, any time.
Stratford Festival Performances:
The Music Man (now – November 3)
To Kill a Mockingbird (May 4 – November 4)
Rocky Horror Picture Show (May 4 – October 31)
Long Day’s Journey Into Night (May 5 – October 13)
The Tempest (May 10 – October 26)
The Ideal Husband (May 11 – October 28)
The Comedy of Errors (May 15 – October 20)
Bronte: The World Without (June 6 – October 13)
Coriolanus (June 9 – October 20)
Julius Caesar (July 31 – October 27)
Paradise Lost (August 1 – October 21)
Napoli Milionaria (August 2 – October 27)
More Summer Fun
Planning a weekend in Stratford is easy since there are so many other events happening, things to see, places to stay and to dine. For example, Stratford Summer Music, which runs from June 16 – August 11, is a summer-long event with over 100 jazz, choral, and classical operatic concerts, held in unique and intimate settings such as heritage churches, barges along the river, and after-theatre cabarets.
From June 22 – 24, the Stratford Blues and Ribfest serves up some slow-cooked BBQ along with a side of Blues music. It’s a free charitable family-friendly event and also features a licensed beverage area, BBQ competition, horse drawn carriage rides downtown, crafter and artisan vendors, a car show, and more. 
Where to Stay
The As You Like It is a charming motel, and may even be the sort of tranquil place the bard himself would stay and write more plays if he were alive today. It has spacious and park-like grounds with a patio and gazebos to shelter under. Each of the 18 rooms is named after a Shakespearean character. There’s a heated pool and complimentary breakfast is served in the sunny breakfast room.
The Queen’s Inn has been a welcoming place of respite for travelers for over 150 years. There are 32 guest rooms with all the amenities and services of a first-class hotel. It’s right in the heart of Stratford and within walking distance of all four festival theatres, entertainment and shopping.
Hatfield House on Hibernia is one of the newest B&Bs to open in town. Now in its third season, this beautiful home, built in 1888, has lots of old world charm and modern amenities. Take your morning coffee, a meal or afternoon tea on the gorgeous wrap around porch. It’s located on a quiet tree-lined street just west of the downtown area, perfect for a leisurely walk to the festival theatres, restaurants and shopping.
If you’ve never been to Stratford, prepare yourself. After one visit you’ll want to return again year after year, just like the town’s famous white swans do. On the way home, you might find yourself quoting lines from the plays or belting out a tune or two.
Local Links
The Stratford Festival
stratfordfestival.ca
Tourism Stratford
visitstratford.ca
Written by Becky Dumais
