Stratford Shakespeare Festival (Ontario)

Stratford is a lovely town (population 32,00) in Ontario, Canada, which hosts the world renowned Stratford Shakespeare Festival (and is Justin Beiber’s hometown). The festival runs annually from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada and was founded by local journalist-turned-producer Tom Patterson. Theatre-goers, actors, and playwrights flock to Stratford to take part — many of the greatest Canadian, British, and American actors play roles at the Stratford festival. It was one of the first and is still one of the most prominent arts festivals in Canada and is recognized worldwide for its productions of Shakespearean plays ( but it also produces a wide variety of theatre from Greek tragedy to Broadway style musicals and contemporary works). The year I went for my festival tour assignment, my friend from childhood was starring in not one, but two productions (Shout out the talented Dion Johnstone)

It’s a nice weekend getaway to move at a slower pace, where you can enjoy the restaurants, stroll through beautiful parklands and gardens, gaze at restored historical buildings and browse through unique shops.