Culture Days returns to Vaughan!
Vaughan is a city that recognizes and celebrates arts, culture and heritage. As part of this commitment, the City of Vaughan will once again play host to the Ontario Culture Days Festival this fall. The 2023 Vaughan Culture Days Festival Hub will be presented by TD and include free community events taking place from Friday, Sept. 22 to Sunday, Oct. 15.
To kick everything off, the City is hosting a flag-raising event on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to noon in the courtyard of Vaughan City Hall, at 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr – and you’re invited! The official ceremony will start at 10:30 a.m. Join us that day to enjoy a variety of free interactive entertainment for the whole family, including arts and crafts stations, dance performances and outdoor activities.
In addition to the flag-raising, the City is hosting a variety of Culture Days events, including:
- Vellore Woodlot Community Cleanup
- Friday, Sept. 22 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Vellore Tract Woodlot, northwest entrance 9541 Weston Rd.
- Edible Food Forest Community Planting event
- Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon
- Marita Payne Park, 16 Jason St.
- Confederation Parkway Woodlot Community Cleanup
- Saturday, Sept. 23 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Confederation Parkway Woodlot -southwest entrance across the street from 399 Confederation Pkwy.
- Pickleball demo
- Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
- Vaughan City Hall, 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr.
- Youth Basketball Bash
- Wednesday, Sept. 27 from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Dufferin Clark Community Centre, 1441 Clark Ave. W.
- Vaughan Bocce Rollers - Special Olympics
- Thursday, Sept. 28 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Maple Community Centre, 10190 Keele St.
- Sisters in Spirit Vigil
- Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 11:30 a.m.
- Vaughan City Hall, 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr.
- Self-guided public art - ongoing throughout Culture Days
- Metropolis in Motion (Along Highway 7 in south Vaughan Metropolitan Centre)
- PXL Gallery and Artwalk (SmartVMC, 101 Edgeley Blvd.)
- ArtOnBoxes (12 traffic light boxes across Vaughan)
- Self-guided nature scavenger hunt (Langstaff EcoPark/Keffer Marsh, 150 Rivermede Rd.)
Learn more about these and other community-led events at vaughan.ca/culture.
Culture Days has set aside Saturday, Sept. 30 to create space exclusively for events organized to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This includes events sharing First Nations, Métis and Inuit experiences and perspectives celebrating the creative and cultural expressions of Indigenous people and communities. Visit the Culture Days webpage to learn more about the types of events included in the listing for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Events like Culture Days are one of many ways the City supports cultural and artistic diversity in Vaughan. Enriching residents’ lives with art and cultural expression through events, exhibits and festivals is part of providing Service Excellence as outlined in the 2022-2026 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan priorities.
For more information, visit vaughan.ca/culture.
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QUOTE
“Our city is vibrant and diverse, reflecting a mosaic of more than 217 ethnic or cultural origins. Culture Days is a meaningful opportunity to celebrate that heritage with people from across Vaughan, enjoy engaging performances and experience art throughout the city—it’s a great way to spend a day! I look forward to seeing everyone during these wonderful events and experiencing the fun of Culture Days.”
- Mayor Steven Del Duca
QUICK FACTS
- This year, Vaughan was chosen as a Festival Hub for Ontario Culture Days, along with 12 other municipalities and regions across the province.
- The 2023 presenting sponsor for the Vaughan Festival Hub is TD.
- There are more than 30 events taking place at 13 locations across Vaughan during the three weeks of Culture Days.
- Ensuring Vaughan is a vibrant, diverse, inclusive and equity-based community for all is a priority for the City of Vaughan as outlined in the Council-approved 2022-2026 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan.
- In 2022, three events in Vaughan were recognized under the Ontario Spotlight Awards.
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