The annual Stratford Festival always has a great lineup of theatrical experiences. Here’s the history of how the Stratford Festival came to be: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/AboutUs/OurHistory/Timeline

My family’s history with the Stratford Festival

My mom attended her first Stratford Festival event in 1957! As a Toronto teen, her class travelled by train, ate boxed lunches on the lawn near the Avon River, viewed a Shakespearean play and returned home the same day. She passed her love of live performances on to us.

As a child, I attended a few Stratford Festival plays as part of our summertime family road trips. I also attended the Festival as part of my high school English field trips. We still enjoy making the drive as a family. My mom and I enjoyed a day trip in 2016. Last week, as part of my mom’s 80th birthday, we made the 2.5-hour drive to Stratford.

Dining in Stratford

There are many dining choices in Stratford!  We were only there for one meal so I used Alison Golding’s suggestions from her blog @my_food_adventures to select the best spot for us. We chose the Revival House @Revivalhouse_on

The old church-turned restaurant is a feast for the eyes and the stomach. We had great service and enjoyed our lunch in a quiet and comfortable atmosphere. There is limited free parking behind the building and inexpensive on-street parking. We spent $2.82 to park on the street, half a block away.

The Performance: Something Rotten

We enjoyed the matinee performance of the play, Something Rotten on the Festival Stage with hundreds of other festivalgoers. The play was brilliantly written and directed! It’s a story of two playwrights in Shakespeare’s time. It weaves famous lines from Shakespeare’s plays and other musicals in a hilarious way. If you are an avid musical theatre or Shakespeare fan, you will love the word play! We explored the garden during intermission.

Mid-range Budget Ideas

Being able to drive to Stratford and back in one day, although a long drive, made the experience less expensive.

Tickets

When I signed up for the online Festival newsletter, I discovered that discount codes are sent throughout the season. Obtaining a discount made a huge difference to the cost. When I first searched for seats the tickets were $160 each, which was then reduced to $50 per person when I applied the summer discount code. If you are over 65, there are also senior discount codes.

Parking

Parking next to the theatre costs $24 but we secured a free parking spot across the park, which was a nice surprise. We dropped off and picked up my parents at the main entrance with ease, so they did not have far to walk.

Want to learn more about Stratford, Ontario? We learned a lot from this excellent TVO documentary below: https://www.tvo.org/video/documentaries/stratford

There are many places to stay in Stratford if you want to experience multiple performances with an extended stay. Many reviews of places in TripAdvisor are available to help you decide.