Nationwide celebration of arts and culture runs until October 12.
Guelph, Ont., September 23, 2025 – Culture Days is back once again! The annual national celebration of arts and culture features free events throughout Guelph—and across the country—between September 19 and October 12. The Ontario Culture Days Guelph Festival Hub catalogues all the upcoming local events and activities for the community to enjoy.
Events galore
Here are just a few of the awesome events planned throughout Culture Days:
Roda Medhat’s “Hidden in Plain Sight”
Until October 12
10C Shared Space, 42 Carden Street
The rooftop of 10C Shared Space is brought to life with an inflatable sculpture featuring a playful pop-art interpretation of colourful Kurdish rug patterns. Artist Roda Medhat leans into these motifs as carriers of history and memory, preserving the stories and traditions of Kurdish communities across generations. Bringing these patterns into the heart of downtown Guelph, Medhat transforms them into vibrant statements of cultural identity, resilience and visibility in contemporary urban life.
This program is part of the Ontario Culture Days 2025 Creatives in Residence series and is presented in partnership with the City of Guelph, 10C Shared Space and proudly supported by EQ Bank.
Be sure to also check out the 3D scanning workshop with Roda Medhat at the Westminster Square branch of the Guelph Public Library on October 4, 12 to 3 p.m.
Truth and Reconciliation Day After-School Event
September 30, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street
On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Guelph Indigenous Community Council, Guelph Outdoor School, and Guelph Museums offer an after-school gathering that honours the children lost to residential schools and supports the healing of survivors and their families.
The Song Blanket: A Storytelling Concert with Rebecca Hass
September 30, 7–8 p.m.
Market Square, 1 Carden Street
Blankets are more than warmth—they are memory, protection, and legacy. In The Song Blanket, Métis artist Rebecca Hass (Georgian Bay Métis, French, German, English) invites us into a deeply personal and powerful journey through story and song, woven from the threads of her family’s hidden history and the teachings passed down through her granny’s quilts.
The Song Blanket is a work in development, ahead of its full premiere at New York’s Symphony Space in 2026. This special Guelph presentation offers a rare opportunity to experience the heart of the piece in an intimate setting, where personal story becomes collective reflection.
Join us as we gather in honour of truth, reconciliation and the enduring strength of Indigenous matriarchs.
Echoes of Liberation
October 3-10, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily
Market Square, 1 Carden Street
Kween and Raechele Lovell, 2025 City of Guelph artists-in-residence, welcome the public to be part of a site-specific installation and public performance in Market Square. Throughout the eight-day installation, passersby are invited to engage with two large display cases showcasing objects co-created by the artists and community members to reflect their lived experiences. Performances will occur spontaneously, offering surprise moments of connection and shared experience.
A full schedule of events is available on the Ontario Culture Days Guelph Festival Hub.
About Culture Days
Culture Days is a national celebration of arts and culture, inviting the public to get hands-on and behind-the-scenes to highlight the importance of arts and culture in our communities. This year, the celebrations run from September 19 until October 12. Culture Days invites everyone to participate in and show appreciation for arts and culture in their own communities and nationwide.
Media contact
Zachary Cox, Communications Officer
Strategic Communications and Community Engagement
City of Guelph
519-822-1260 extension 3656
[email protected]