Arts and culture take centre stage at Stonetown Heritage Festival

There will be many opportunities to get creative and get in touch with local history at this year’s Heritage Festival, happening July 14 to 16, 2023.

“The cornerstone of creativity takes place on the Riverview Walkway with our new Art Walk, featuring the talents of local artists from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., on Saturday,” says Town of St. Marys Events Coordinator Alanna Bowes.

There will also be a display of heritage-themed photos from local photographers. Please submit your original photo to abowes@town.stmarys.on.ca no later than this Thursday, June 22.

The recently restored Riverwalk Commons building (84 Water St. S.) is open for discovery and as a cooling station from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Architecture aficionados can also check out 14 Church St. N (formerly the Mercury Theatre) from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Attendees can explore parts of the building and share memories of the building with museum and heritage volunteers.

Those curious about local heritage can participate in a walking tour or a bus tour. Walking tours depart from Town Hall at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Bus tours leave on the hour, between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., from Town Hall. Both tours will last 45 minutes and are free, but advance registration is strongly recommended by calling the St. Marys Museum at 519-284-3556. 

Opportunities for arts, culture and history abound during the downtown street fair on Saturday. The St. Marys Community Players will entertain at the performance space at the intersection of Queen and Wellington streets at 2:00 p.m., and children can participate in activities from The Museum of Ontario Archaeology and the St. Marys Museum. All ages can enjoy the first-ever outdoor children’s art gallery at Paint and Palette on Water St. S.

Just east of the downtown fun, the St. Marys Station Gallery hosts Northern Journey, an exhibition by multimedia artist Lionel Venne. The exhibit opens on Friday, July 14 with a “Meet the Artist” reception on Saturday, July 15 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

On Sunday, July 16, culture and the arts take on a green thumb with the return of the St. Marys Horticultural Society’s Garden Fair from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Tour maps will be sold for $10 at Town Hall on July 16 from 12:45 to 3:00 p.m. Contact the Horticultural Society (stmarys.horticulture@gmail.com) for more details.

The full festival schedule is available at www.discoverstmarys.ca/festival.

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For media inquiries:
Alanna Bowes, Events Coordinator
519-284-2340, ext. 249 | abowes@town.stmarys.on.ca