Things to Do in Stratford Ontario (Between Shows)
Stratford only. Each stop is marked for the gap you actually have. A 30-minute item can sit before a tight curtain. A two-hour item cannot. The shorter Between shows list is folded in below.
Shakespearean Gardens
A garden stop between shows.
Fits in 30 min / 1 hr
Festival Theatre gardens
Arthur Meighen Gardens, the Elizabethan Garden and the Carpet Garden, on the Festival Theatre grounds.
Fits in 30 min / 1 hr
Avon River paths and Tom Patterson Island
The river paths, and the island reached by footbridge.
Fits in 30 min / 1 hr / 2 hr
Upper Queen's Park
The park beside the Festival Theatre, above Lake Victoria.
Fits in 30 min / 1 hr
Gallery Stratford
Open Wednesday to Sunday, 12–5. Free late night on the third Thursday of the month, 5–8.
Fits in 1 hr
Stratford Perth Museum
Open daily, 10–4. The trails are free. This is a drive, not a walk between theatres.
Fits in 1 hr / 2 hr
Stratford City Hall
A National Historic Site on Market Square.
Fits in 30 min
Art in the Park
A riverside juried art show between the Festival and Tom Patterson theatres. 2026 ended September 30. Returns in 2027. 2027 dates to be announced; check the official site.
Fits in 30 min / 1 hr
Junction 56 Distillery
Saturday guided tastings.
Fits in 1 hr
Black Swan Brewing
In Stratford.
Fits in 1 hr
Gallery Indigena
In Stratford.
Fits in 30 min / 1 hr
The Little Prince Micro-Cinema
The downtown micro-cinema. Showtimes are on their site, not here.
Fits in 1 hr / 2 hr
The Boathouse
Seasonal. Closed for 2026 on October 30. Returns in 2027. 2027 dates to be announced; check the official site.
Fits in 1 hr / 2 hr
Also between shows
The swans
The swans return to the Avon in spring 2027; there's no public Swan Parade.
Fits in 30 min
Market Square
The square behind City Hall. In season it holds the Sunday market; in late November, Winter Wanderland.
Fits in 30 min / 1 hr
Stratford Sunday Market
Slow Food Perth County. Sundays 10 a.m.–2 p.m., May through October, in Market Square behind City Hall. The 2026 season ended October 18. Returns in 2027. Those dates are not confirmed here.
Fits in 1 hr
Culinary trails
Sold through Destination Stratford. A trail is an afternoon, not a ten-minute errand. The voucher price and the shop hours are on Culinary trails.
Chocolate Trail
Year-round
Six vouchers for $39.55 including HST, one voucher per stop. Buy at Destination Stratford, 47 Downie Street, Monday to Saturday 9–5, or online.
Fits in 1 hr / 2 hr
Bacon & Ale Trail
Year-round
Year-round. Buy at Destination Stratford, 47 Downie Street, Monday to Saturday 9–5, or online.
Fits in 1 hr / 2 hr
Savour & Sip Trail
May–October
May through October. Returns in 2027. Bring a picnic blanket. Buy at Destination Stratford, 47 Downie Street, Monday to Saturday 9–5, or online.
Fits in 1 hr / 2 hr
Christmas Trail
November 1 – December 20
November 1 to December 20, 2026. Six vouchers for $39.55 including HST. Vouchers expire December 20. Buy at Destination Stratford, 47 Downie Street, Monday to Saturday 9–5, or online.
Fits in 1 hr / 2 hr