Oakville takes top spot for 2019 Culture Days celebration

Oakville’s celebration of arts and culture held September 27 to 29, 2019 was among the best Culture Days events in the country according to the Top Ten Cities and Towns listings recently released by the Culture Days non-profit organization.

The town ranked first (tied with Richmond, BC) within the group with populations of 50,000 to 499,999 and took the fourth spot in the overall ranking of all participating communities across Canada.

“Oakville’s arts and culture scene continues to thrive, providing so many opportunities for residents to explore our town and engage with the broader community,” Mayor Burton said. “On behalf of Council, I extend a big congratulations and thank you to everyone involved in organizing such a successful event. We are proud to be recognized along with other cities and towns across Canada committed to growing arts and culture.”

Rankings are based on the number of activities held in each community. Oakville’s three-day celebration was themed Creativity, the Arts and Well-being and featured 88 activities, performances, hands-on workshops and exhibitions. Residents had the opportunity to explore music, dance, visual arts and theatre at multiple locations including Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCCC), Iroquois Ridge Community Centre, Nottinghill Youth Centre, Centennial Square, Oakville Public Library, Oakville Greenhouse, Bronte Butterfly Gazebo, Lions Valley Park, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts and Oakville Museum. 

Highlights from the 2019 lineup included a crafting workshop with The Hive, pasta-making workshops in the QEPCCC’s Community Kitchen, yoga and meditation workshops, steel pan demonstrations with the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton, a Moccasin Trail Walk, and Oakville Scottish Country Dance performances.

Culture Days is a grassroots, nation-wide movement that aims to raise awareness, participation and engagement in the arts and cultural life of Canadian communities.

For more information about the town’s Culture Days festivities, visit our Culture Days page.