Town of Oakville ranked number one overall in Canada for Culture Days

Oakville’s art, culture, and creativity have once again received top honours. The annual Culture Days celebration in Oakville from September 20 to October 13, 2024, received multiple top rankings in the Culture Days Top Participating Community List. Of the over 350 total participating communities, Oakville was ranked as the number one overall participating community, and for the third year in a row, the top mid-size city. 

Oakville was one of this year’s Ontario Festival hubs, and held over 280 events where participants explored creativity, artistic expression and more during the three-week long celebration. This included exhibitions, workshops and performances featuring local creators at locations across town including Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, River Oaks Community Centre, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Oakville Museum. 

Music Without Borders – Arabic Jazz Concert JazzYat celebrated for exceptional programming 

JazzYat, a concert that brought together musicians from both Arab and Canadian backgrounds, received recognition as recipients of Ontario Culture Days’ 2024 Spotlight Awards as runner up for the People’s Choice award. The concert celebrated the distinctive and soulful sound of Arabic Jazz, blending improvisational spirit of jazz with the rich traditions of Arabic music. 

This recognition award acknowledges organizers who, through their leadership, have crafted festival programming aimed at breaking down barriers and nurturing a more equitable arts and culture sector in Ontario. Visit the Ontario Culture Days website for a full list of recipients. 

For more information about the town’s annual events, visit the Culture Days page. 

Background

• Oakville has been recognized over the past 13 years among the top 10 cities and towns in Ontario offering Culture Days festivities.
• Culture Days is a national celebration of arts and culture that invited the public to get hands-on and behind-the-scenes and experience the importance of arts and cultures in our communities for free.
• Culture Days 2024 had record-breaking attendance with 5 million participants across Canada. Review the Culture Days 2024 Highlights for more details. 

Quote

“I’m thrilled that Oakville’s has been recognized through Culture Days as 2024’s top overall participating community and top mid-sized city. Congratulations to everyone involved in helping the town achieve such high rankings for this year’s festivities. Council and I are proud of our community for coming together to showcase the rich and thriving arts and culture scene that Oakville has to offer.” 

– Mayor Robert Burton