Stratford beyond the stage: a weekend guide

Stratford is about two hours west of Toronto, roughly halfway between Kitchener and London. Most people know it for the Stratford Festival, and they should. But the town around the theatres is worth the trip on its own: Victorian main streets, a river park made for slow walks, and more chocolate shops per block than seems reasonable.

Here’s how I’d spend a weekend.

Getting there just got easier

Since July 2026, GO Transit runs year-round trains straight from Union Station to Stratford. VIA Rail also stops here, and the Stratford Festival runs its own theatre bus from Toronto in season. If you take the train, everything downtown is walkable.

The river

The Avon River and Lake Victoria wrap around downtown. Walk the Lake Victoria Loop first thing in the morning, when it’s quiet. You’ll see the town’s famous swans in the warmer months. They spend winter indoors and come back to the river each spring, and the day they return is a small local celebration.

Under the Huron Street bridge, the Shakespearean Gardens grow herbs, flowers and shrubs mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays, more than 60 kinds. It’s free, and it’s a lovely place to read the program before a show.

The theatre

The Stratford Festival runs across four theatres, with the main season from spring to fall. Plays sell out on summer weekends, so book early, and check stratfordfestival.ca for talks, backstage tours and the theatre bus. If you’re going for one show, a matinee leaves your evening free for dinner by the river.

Eat your way around

Stratford takes food seriously, and it makes it easy with self-guided trails you can follow at your own pace:

• Chocolate Trail. Pick up a pass and collect treats at chocolatiers around town. Three chocolate shops sit within a single block downtown. Rheo Thompson Candies is a Stratford classic.
• Bacon and Ale Trail. Exactly what it sounds like, at local pubs and restaurants.
• Christmas Trail. Runs November 1 to December 20, with holiday treats at stops around town.
• Junction 56 Distillery makes small-batch spirits right in town.

Most dinner spots near the theatres have a pre-show menu. On show nights, book a table for about two hours before curtain.

Shops and culture

Downtown Stratford is full of independent fashion, gift, art and home shops along its old brick streets. Give yourself an afternoon to wander without a plan.

The Stratford Perth Museum is open daily from 10 to 4. Gallery Stratford is open Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5. The Stratford Farmers’ Market runs at the Agriplex. If you want a walk out of town, the G2G trail passes through the area.

When to go

• Spring: the swans return, and the theatre season begins.
• Summer: full theatre schedule, Stratford Summer Music (jazz, classical, Indigenous music and more), patios by the river.
• Fall: the last shows of the season, quieter streets and fall colour along the Avon.
• November and December: the Christmas Trail, holiday markets and a cozy, uncrowded downtown.

Good to know

• Stratford fills up on summer show weekends. Book where you’ll sleep early. Ask me for inns and B&Bs in Stratford.
• Stratford After Dark and audio walking tours are good ways to learn the town’s history.
• Everything downtown is within a 15-minute walk. You won’t need your car until you leave.

Checked in November 2026. Seasons and hours shift, so check before you go. Spot something out of date? Whisper it and I’ll update it.