Stratford is a small city on the Avon River in southwestern Ontario, and it is known for the Stratford Festival, one of the largest classical repertory theatres in North America. This guide is written for a first visit and covers the four theatres, the Chocolate Trail and the Bacon and Ale Trail, the Avon River and Shakespearean Gardens, Gallery Stratford, the Stratford Perth Museum and the limestone town of St. Marys. Toronto has its own guide, so we leave it aside here.
Know the season first
The Festival season runs roughly from April to the end of October, with some shows continuing into early November. Outside those months all four theatres are closed. The Festival announces its playbill and ticket sale dates each year, so check its site for the plays and dates in the season you plan to visit. If theatre is the reason you are coming, plan for May to October.
What stays open in the off-season
Both trails are available year round, and Destination Stratford's pages carry current hours. The Christmas Trail, a similar voucher trail, runs in November and December, in the weeks before the holidays. Gallery Stratford is open Wednesday to Sunday, the Stratford Perth Museum shows a standing schedule of 10 to 4 daily, and the river paths and downtown shops are open. A November trip is calm and affordable, built around food, art and walks. The Shakespearean Gardens are dormant, the boat hire has ended, and the St. Marys Quarry is closed until summer.
What to book ahead
In season, book your tickets and hotel as soon as sales open, especially for the musicals and for weekends in July, August and September. The Festival sells out its most popular shows, and downtown hotels fill early. The trails, the gallery, the museum and the river need no booking, but check each place's hours. If you want a backstage or costume tour, the Festival runs them on set dates in season, so look at its calendar when you buy tickets.
Getting around
Downtown Stratford is compact and walkable. The Avon Theatre and the Studio Theatre are downtown, the Tom Patterson Theatre sits by the lake, and the Festival Theatre is about a 15 to 20 minute walk from most central hotels. Parking at the Festival Theatre and the Tom Patterson Theatre is by paid lot, cheaper if you pre-book it with your tickets, with limited free parking along the river. There is no lot at the Avon, so use downtown metered parking. A coach service runs from Toronto in season, and the VIA Rail station is a short walk from downtown. Toronto Pearson airport is roughly 132 kilometres away.
How many days
Two days is a good first visit in season. Spend the first day on a matinee at the Festival Theatre, a river and gardens walk and a run of the Chocolate Trail, and the second on the Avon Theatre or the Tom Patterson Theatre in the evening, with Gallery Stratford and the Bacon and Ale Trail in the day. Add a third day for St. Marys and the Stratford Perth Museum. In the off-season, two days is plenty for the trails, the gallery and the river.
Where the headline sights fit
The Festival Theatre is the anchor and the first show to book. The Avon is the most convenient for dinner, the Tom Patterson is the most scenic, and the Studio Theatre is the most intimate. The river and the gardens fit before or after a show, the trails fill the gaps between, and St. Marys is a good half-day in the car.
Weather and packing
Summer is warm, and evenings by the river can be cool, so bring a layer. In autumn and winter, pack a warm coat and waterproof shoes. Comfortable shoes suit the long walk between the Festival Theatre and downtown.
