2026 Culture Days celebrates City’s vibrant arts, culture

Arts and culture will take centre stage for three weeks this fall as the City of St. Catharines celebrates the return of Culture Days. 

A wide range of interactive performances, exhibitions, workshops and community events are planned from Sept. 18 to Oct. 4, 2026. The national Culture Days festival invites people of all ages to discover, experience and celebrate arts, culture and heritage in their communities. 

In 2026, Niagara is being featured as a provincial Festival Hub. Festival Hubs serve as local community leads for Culture Days, helping visitors find events and learn more about the festival. The City will kick off Culture Days on Friday, Sept. 18 with a flag raising at 4:30 p.m. at St. Catharines City Hall, followed by the opening reception for the 17th Annual Juried Exhibition, Current, on the third floor of City Hall from 5 to 6:30 p.m. 

A highlight of this year's programming is Jon Sasaki's Everything in Balance, a special participatory performance presented through the Ontario Culture Days 2026 Creatives in Residence program. Taking place on Friday, Sept. 18 at the Niagara Artists Centre, the six-hour performance from 3 to 9 p.m. invites community members to contribute meaningful objects that will be incorporated into a large, suspended sculpture. As new objects are added throughout the day, Sasaki will continually rebalance the artwork, creating a powerful visual representation of community, shared values and connection. Items are being collected on Thursday, Sept. 17 at the St. Catharines Farmers Market, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, or Friday during the performance at Niagara Artists Centre.

Sasaki, a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist, has exhibited and performed at leading institutions across Canada and internationally, and his work is known for transforming audience participation into thought-provoking artistic experiences. Presented in partnership with the Niagara Artists Centre and the City of St. Catharines, Everything in Balance is part of the 2026 Niagara Festival Hub and Ontario Culture Days' new Creatives in Residence initiative.

On Saturday, Oct. 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the City of St. Catharines and the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre will host a Culture Days Hub featuring hands-on activities, live performances and exhibitions by local artists and cultural organizations.

On Sunday, Oct. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre, residents and visitors can participate in free, hands-on workshops and creative activities led by local artists. 

A full roundup of activities are being posted on the Culture Days website, stcatharines.ca/culturedays.

Other Community Events:

• St. Catharines Public Library programs 

• Carousel Players: Birdsong 

• Willow Arts Community: Community Story Sharing 

• The Brown Homestead: Autumn Playday at the Homestead 

• Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum: Tiny Museum at the Brown Homestead 

• Niagara Grape & Wine Festival

• The Essential Collective Theatre: Brief Encounters 

• The Gallery Players of Niagara Events

• Brock University: Artist Exhibition – Derek Liddington 

• Rodman Art Institute: Community Mural Project 

All events are free, but some require pre-registration. Find the full list of Culture Days events happening in St. Catharines at the City's Culture Days page or on the province's Culture Days website.