Culture Days

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:

Making Roots: Welcoming Week Art Workshop with Taras Lachowsky
September 21, 1-4 p.m.
Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street

This drop-in session with Guelph-based Ukrainian artist Taras Lachowsky invites participants to explore the unifying power of art through hands-on creativity. As part of Welcoming Week, the workshop gives newcomers to Guelph and long-term residents alike an opportunity to reflect on the symbol of the tree as a metaphor for connection, growth and setting down roots in a new place. Come out to experiment with a variety of artmaking techniques, share stories and build community.

Roda Medhat’s “Hidden in Plain Sight”
Duration of Culture Days
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.

Catch the opening reception and artist talk on September 22, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the 10C Shared Space, 42 Carden Street. 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.

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. For more information or to get involved, contact [email protected].

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.