Culture Days festival returns to Oakville September 18 to October 4, 2026

Celebrate arts and culture with more than 130 free local events

Get ready to immerse yourself in local arts and culture as the Culture Days festival returns to Oakville this September 18 to October 4. Now in its seventeenth year, Culture Days invites residents to explore creativity and artistic expression through free, hands-on and behind-the-scenes activities in communities across Canada.

This year, the Town of Oakville is proud to once again serve as an official Ontario Culture Days Festival Hub. Local artists, creators and community groups will host more than 130 free programs and events showcasing Oakville’s rich cultural landscape.

Residents and dog-lovers are invited to join renowned Canadian artist and curator Micah Lexier for Dog Days of Ontario Culture Days on Saturday, October 3 at Lakeside Park. This exploration of the culture of dogs and their humans will feature a “Guess Your Dog’s Age or Weight” activity and “A Portrait of The Person Making a Portrait of Your Dog,” where visitors can receive a free sketch of their dog while a second illustrator sketches the artist at work.

More festival highlights:

• Culture Days Flag Raising and Kick Off at Oakville Town Hall on Friday, September 18 from 10 to 11 a.m.
• Print Expo & Fair 2026 at the Howard Iron Works Printing Museum on Saturday, September 26.
• Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre Culture Days Hub on Saturday, September 27, featuring cultural storytelling, traditional dance performances, collaborative mural-making, and workshops in fibre arts, calligraphy, improv and more.
• Acorn Fest returns to downtown Oakville for its second year on October 2 and 3.
• Oakville Museum Culture Days Hub on Saturday, October 3, featuring guided tours, special exhibitions, and hands-on opportunities to create paper flowers, garden eco-prints, botanical stamped cards, and Shibori indigo-dyed bandanas. 
• Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts Culture Days Hub on Sunday, October 4, featuring backstage tours, a performance by Intrada Brass, and a stage production of Black Butterfly.
• World of Threads Festival, showcasing contemporary fibre and textile art at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre throughout the festival and beyond.
• Artist talks with Rohitha Fernando, Mason Masoumi and Tabassum Bhat.
• Musical performances by the Oakville Symphony, the Oakville Chamber Orchestra’s woodwind quintet, Nievv, Lexie, Kerr Street Big Band and more. 
• A variety of traditional dance performances, from Chinese folk dance and Indian Bharatanatyam dance, to Celtic dance and Egyptian bellydance.
• Interactive tours and activities from the Oakville Art Society, Oakville Galleries, the Oakville Historical Society, and the Trafalgar Township Historical Society.
• Family-friendly activities from the Oakville Public Library throughout the festival. 
• Workshops and drop-ins to help you get creative with photography, print-making, paper mâché, mosaics, cross-stitch, cupcakes and more.

Get more out of Culture Days

Make the most of the festival by showcasing your creativity, discovering public art and sharing memories:

• Colouring Contest: Children 12 and under can colour a custom illustration by artist Ray Vidal and submit it to their local community centre for a chance to win prizes.
• Public Art Scavenger Hunt: The Town is launching its new Public Art Map in time for Culture Days, with a self-guided scavenger hunt that explores Oakville’s vibrant public art scene, along with the artists and stories behind each piece.
• “Our Oakville” Digital Album: Residents can add their photos, videos, stories and favourite Culture Days memories to the “Our Oakville” Digital Album, to help create a shared snapshot of what makes Oakville a unique and vibrant community. 

Learn more on the Culture Days page, or search “Oakville” on the Culture Days website for a full list of programs and events.

Quote

“Culture Days is a chance to see Oakville's creativity on full display. Being named an official Ontario Culture Days Hub once again recognizes Oakville's strong arts and culture community and the many people who help it thrive.”

– Mayor Rob Burton