Held this year from July 17 to August 27, the Stratford Summer Music Festival is now in its 17th year, though its roots stretch back to the 1950s, when it was closely associated with the theatre festival. Abandoned in the ’70s and revived here and there over the years, the festival began its present incarnation in 2001 and has emerged as one of Ontario’s top music events. In fact, in 2012 it brought home a silver medal for Best Festival in Ontario by Festivals and Events Ontario.
Over the years, the music fest has expanded its musical offerings and the number of venues taking part, reaching out to new audiences with a truly varied program. For more about the festival and a calendar of events, go to stratfordsummermusic.ca.