Canada Day

Join us in downtown Kitchener on July 1 for a free concert and full day of family fun. Canada Day is also an opportunity to continue education, awareness and celebration of Indigenous culture. Find links to learning resources below.

On this page:

1. About Canada Day in DTK
2. Date, time and location
3. Entertainment
4. Parking and transit
5. Food and drink
6. What to expect
7. Marking Canada Day respectfully
8. Our partners

About Canada Day in DTK

Canada Day is always one of the biggest events of the summer, with lots of family-friendly fun, an evening concert, and a dazzling pyrotechnics display to end the night. This year, it's bigger and better than ever with a brand new Canada Play kids' zone, incredible local and Canadian talent and so much more!

Date, time and location

• date: Tuesday, July 1
• time: Noon to 11 p.m.
  Canada Play: Noon - 7 p.m.
  Celebration in Carl Zehr Square: 4 - 11 p.m.
• location: Carl Zehr Square in Downtown Kitchener
  Canada Play: St. Louis - Kitchener Main Campus across from City Hall (80 Young St.)

Entertainment

Canada Play kids' zone

Canada Day kicks off with our brand-new Canada Play kids' zone, where families play the Canadian way. Visit the St. Louis - Kitchener Main Campus across from City Hall from noon to 7 p.m. to open the celebration with a full day of free family fun. Kids of all ages - including kids at heart - will get to enjoy:

• rides
• games
• food
• family-friendly entertainment
• and more!

Celebration in Carl Zehr Square

Our Canada Day stage will host live performances starting at 4 p.m., featuring Juno Award-winning Sloan and other Canadian and local artists. The evening will end with a dazzling pyrotechnics display that will light up the sky with light, colour and sound. This year, get ready to rock out with a full day of entertainment:

• Rebekah Stevens: 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
• Grace 2 (Tragically Hip tribute): 6 - 7 p.m.
• Terra Lightfoot: 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
• Sloan: 9 - 10:30 p.m.
• Dazzling pyrotechnics display: 10:30 p.m.

This schedule is subject to change.

Parking and transit

However you get downtown, there are options available:

• transit
• vehicle and bike parking
• plan your route

Transit

Hop off the ION at either the Kitchener City Hall or Victoria Park station for a quick walk. Central Station is a short walk away, as well.

GRT routes 7, 8, 20 and iXpress 204 stop within walking distance of City Hall and Carl Zehr Square.

Vehicle and bike parking

Parking is available in the City Hall parking garage as well as other City of Kitchener parking lots around Downtown Kitchener. Visit our parking locations page to find somewhere to park.

Visit our bike parking page to find information about secure bike parking in the City Hall parking garage.

You can pay for parking in surface lots through the Passport Parking app. Download the app, available both on iOS & Android.

Plan your route

Check road closures on your route before coming downtown.

Food and drink

Grab a bite from a food truck or enjoy a drink at our licensed bar area while you enjoy the live entertainment on our open-air stage. These great local food trucks will be serving up the flavours of the season:

• Donkey Kone Ice Cream
• Fo' Cheezy
• Indulge Shave Ice & Ice Cream
• Irie Myries Caribbean Catering
• Kono Pizza
• Los Rolling Tacos
• Mr. Kettle Corn
• Patty's Chicken Tenders
• The Wild Boar

You can also check out one of our downtown patios for a meal under the summer skies.

What to expect

Check out the video and photo gallery below to see highlights from past Canada Day celebrations.

Marking Canada Day respectfully

Canada Day is an opportunity to learn about Indigenous culture, and the deep, enduring, and positive impact First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples have on culture, community, environmental protection and more. We encourage you to thoughtfully examine what it means to be Canadian and understand our country’s Indigenous roots and the racism that still exists today.

Visit our Indigenous reconciliation page to find local and national Indigenous organizations you can support and learn from.

On our National Indigenous History Month page, you can find information about:

• Indigenous research and academia in Waterloo Region
• Residential Schools, the Sixties Scoop and the Millennial Scoop
• support resources

Our partners

We are grateful for the support of the Downtown Kitchener BIA and CTV Kitchener in running this event. Our Canada Day celebration was also made possible through funding support from the Government of Canada through their Celebrate Canada grant.