Canada Day
Visit 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 the Canada Play kids' zone, incredible local and Canadian talent and so much more!
Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Time: Noon to 11 p.m.
Location: Carl Zehr Square and King Street between Water and Frederick. Canada Play activities are located at St. Louis - Kitchener Main Campus across from City Hall (80 Young Street)
Entertainment and activities
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. headlined by the incredible Glass Tiger! Grammy nominated and multi-award winners of both The Junos and Canadian Classic, this iconic Canadian group will fill Downtown Kitchener with their signature rock sounds. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of their debut album, The Thin Red Line, this year, they’re bringing some of your favourite hits to help us rock the night away this Canada Day!
Glass Tiger will be supported by Hamilton blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Steve Strongman, and premiere Burton Cummings and Guess Who tribute band, These Eyes.
The evening will end with a dazzling pyrotechnics display that will light up the sky with light, colour and sound.
Press play and celebrate
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.
You can also check out one of our downtown patios for a meal under the summer skies.
Parking and transit
However you get downtown, there are options available:
- transit
- vehicle and bike parking
- plan your route
- bus parking and drop-off
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 garages or lots around Downtown Kitchener. Visit our parking locations page to find somewhere to park.
If you're visiting after 5 p.m. on Thursday or Friday, park for free at a city-owned surface lot. On Saturday and Sunday, park for free in the City Hall parking garage. Visit our hourly parking page to find parking costs outside of those times.
Secure bike parking is available 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. You can also pay for parking at the kiosks in parking garages and surface lots.
Plan your route
Check road closures on your route before coming downtown.
Bus parking and drop-off
Bus drop-off will be in front of the Duke Street entrance to City Hall, between College and Young Streets.
Busses can park in the Bramm Street Yards parking lot (55 Bramm Street). Please send us an email to let us know when you plan to arrive.
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.
Become a vendor
Apply to join our Canada Day celebration as a food or merchandise vendor. With over 20,000 people attending the event each year, this is a unique opportunity to showcase your products to the Kitchener community.
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.
The 2026 event season is sponsored by:
Contact Us
City of Kitchener
200 King Street West,
Kitchener, Ontario
N2G 4G7
Telephone: 519-741-2345
TTY: 1-866-969-9994
Email: info@kitchener.ca
Land acknowledgement
The City of Kitchener is situated on the traditional territory of the Chonnonton, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee Peoples. We recognize our responsibility to act as stewards for the land and honour the original caretakers who came before us. Our community is enriched by the enduring knowledge and deep-rooted traditions of the diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples who live in Kitchener today.