A Stratford play that keeps getting better

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Beyond the theatre, many experiences beckon, from walking tours to exploring the town’s rich history

The ‘play may still be the thing,’ but there’s a lot more going on in Stratford than just what theatre goers have come to expect.

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This includes everything from promoting experiences that encourage you to explore and better appreciate Stratford’s downtown, to a Green Recognition Program designed to encourage businesses to operate more sustainably.

“It’s really about community building,” Zac Gribble, Stratford’s executive director of tourism shared with me during a recent visit. “Community building. and by virtue of the visitor economy, how do you improve quality of life for everyone?”

When considering new initiatives for Stratford, Gribble observes that “if it doesn’t have the embrace of local residents, I just don’t think it’s going to be viable in the long run.”

Thanks to that conviction, residents play a leading role in the overall tourism effort, whether they realize it or not.

“Locals (have become) amazing ambassadors for visitors,” says Gibble, tied to the conviction that if an experience resonates with the people who live there, there’s a good chance visitors will enjoy that experience as well.

“For example, we do a huge event called Lights on Stratford (lightsonstratford.ca), a six-weekend festival in the winter. (Starts Dec. 13) and we consider it a success if it’s 50 per cent local residents and 50 per cent visitors.”

Other experiences beyond the theatre also beckon – all designed to encourage you whether you live there are just visiting – to explore the city and gain a better appreciation for everything from its rich history to the abundance of dining options.

In fact, the first thing my wife and I did when we arrived mid-day during our tour of the town, was take advantage of the unique Al Fresco Dining program now in it’s second year, that allows you to enjoy take out food and drinks (including alcoholic) in designated outdoor dining areas.

Seating options range from the Market Square adjacent to city hall to the Upper Queen’s Park system that runs along the Avon River, right past the Festival Theatre. Seating has been enhanced by the addition of several hexagonal picnic tables, complete with shade umbrellas, which collectively invite passers by to enjoy the setting, whether you are dining or not.

Stratford has also developed some unique “back stage” experiences, that have nothing to do with the theatre and everything to do with showcasing the downtown.

Two of those experiences – the Chocolate as well as the Bacon and Ale Trails run year round. Another called the Savour and Sip Trail runs from May through October.

As their names suggest, all three encourage you to discover the city’s eclectic downtown food and drink offerings, which in turn also support the Al Fresco program.

The city also has a dedicated page to other tours which do showcase some of the Stratford Festival tours, but also promote such seasonally oriented experiences as the Ghost Tour which lead up to Halloween.

Also worth experiencing is the Stratford Walking Tour which highlights many of the city’s iconic buildings and sites. On this tour, I learned that the lush Shakespeare Garden actually pre-dates the Stratford Festival (established in 1953) by 16 years, underscoring the fact that this community has long embraced the importance of public gardens as a welcome retreat for residents and visitors of course.

The common ground for all of these experiences is they encourage you to get out, move about and interact with others. In other words, Stratford’s downtown has become a stage for community building.

Also noteworthy are a growing number of businesses that have embraced sustainable business practices: both the Little Green Grocery and Gentle Rain have refilleries as part of their commitment to zero waste; Got it Made features handcrafted gifts on behalf of over 70 local artists; and Daisies & Doilies which also supports local creators and artisans.

An easy walk to downtown Stratford, the Rosehurst Inn has embraced several low waste and sustainable initiatives, including breakfast dining using organically grown produce sourced onsite and from local neighbours.

And now in its second year, the Green Recognition Program is an urban play with the ambitious, overarching goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 30 per cent by 2030 and getting to Net Zero by 2050.

Mark Wessel lives in Ridgeway, Ont. and is a passionate advocate for living more sustainably at home and in the greater community. Visit www.markdouglaswessel.com