Culture Days

Be part of the 2026 Culture Days festivities!

Culture Days is a unique opportunity to explore creativity, share artistic expression, and celebrate what makes Oakville such a vibrant and special community. This year, the Town of Oakville is proud to serve as an official Ontario Culture Days Festival Hub.

Culture Days is a national celebration of arts and culture that invites the public to experience the importance of arts and culture in our communities through free hands-on and behind-the-scenes activities.

For the past three consecutive years, Oakville has been ranked #1 in Canada for Culture Days as the Overall Top Participating Community, offering more than 150 free programs and activities annually. As an official Ontario Culture Days Festival Hub, the Town is proud to continue championing accessible, community‑driven creativity.

Call for submissions

Interested in offering a free performance or interactive activity as part of our Culture Days Festival? The Town is seeking contributors interested in offering free, community‑focused performances, programs and activities that celebrate creativity and cultural expression.

Access to free indoor programming space is available at Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCCC) and Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, Main Stage.

All performances and programs must be arts or culture-based and provided at no cost to participants or the Town of Oakville. Due to high demand for space, Oakville based artists and groups will be given priority.

Information sessions will be held:

Wednesday, February 25, online at noon (Contact culturedays@oakville.ca to request the link)
Wednesday, February 25, in person at QEPCCC at 7p.m.

Applications to be included in Town of Oakville promotion are due Sunday, March 29, 2026. Requests received after this deadline will be supported first-come, first-served basis, as space allows.

Applications will be reviewed and selected based on the submission, feasibility and connection to the Culture Days mandate. Requests received after this deadline will be supported first-come, first-served as space allows. Priority will be given to Oakville-based artists and community groups. A jury will review all OCPA performance requests and select two groups maximum.

Visit the Call for Submissions page for application details.

Past Culture Days events and activities

Culture Days 2025

Culture Days festivities returned to Oakville from September 19 to October 12, 2025!

Local artists, performers, and community members offered more than 150 free programs and activities during three weeks of local arts and culture events. Attended by more than 4,000 participants, this year's highlights included:

Faces of Culture: A Community Sketchbook Project exhibition, made up of over 150 community-made pieces, from September 12 to October 15 in the Main Gallery at QEPCCC.
Flag raising and kickoff at Town Hall on Friday, September 19, from 10 to 11 a.m.
Exhibitions, workshops and performances at Glen Abbey Community Centre on Saturday, September 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Crossing heritage activities at Lions Valley Park (Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen) on Saturday, September 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tours and hands-on Oakville Museum activities at Erchless Estate from 1 to 4:30 p.m., as well as hands-on arts workshops and performances at Heritage Square (Kerr Street), on Saturday, September 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Historical programming at Palermo School House (Trafalgar Township Historical Society), Saturday, September 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Exhibitions, workshops, and performances at QEPCCC on Sunday, October 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cultural dance performances at Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, October 11, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Family-friendly activities at Oakville Public Library branches, ongoing throughout Culture Days
Art installations included Connextions window murals at each of the Town’s community centres and Faces of Culture in the QEPCCC Main Gallery for the duration of Culture Days.

Colouring contest entries were featured in a public display at Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCCC) for two weeks at the end of October 2025.

2025 Culture Days photo gallery

Participating artists and community groups in 2025

In the news

Town of Oakville ranked number one overall in Canada for Culture Days 2024!

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.

Read the full news release

Runner-up: People's Choice Award 2024 – Spotlight Awards

Music Without Borders – Arabic Jazz Concert JazzYat received the "Runner-up People’s Choice Award 2024" from Ontario Culture Days. The performance, which united artists from Arab and Canadian backgrounds, delivered an unforgettable experience at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts on October 5, 2024.

Learn more about the 2024 Ontario Culture Days Spotlight Awards