Stratford’s outdoor celebration of live music and local food will be back for another year on June 18 and 19, 2027. The Stratford Live Music & Food Festival has announced the dates for next summer’s event, inviting residents and visitors to mark their calendars for two days of performances at the historic Veterans Drive bandshell.
The volunteer-run, not-for-profit festival typically draws a couple of thousand people each June. It offers a family-friendly atmosphere with a wide range of food vendors serving up ribs, BBQ, tacos, and other cuisines, along with a Kids Zone and an artisan street market. This year’s successful festival featured 18 performers over two days, and organizers expect another strong lineup in 2027.
“The SLMF Committee is all volunteer and a not for profit & licensed event,” notes the festival’s website. The event has grown significantly since it began in 2009 as the Stratford Ribs & Blues Festival. In 2020, during the pandemic, organizers renamed it to Stratford Live Music & Food to better reflect its broadened scope and community focus.
Since 2022, the festival has also been home to the Stew Laing Fund, which supports emerging local youth talent. The fund honors Stew Laing, a former Stratford educator and principal who believed in giving young performers a stage. As organizer Stevie Toman has noted, the festival’s mandate is to support local musicians and youth, carrying on Laing’s legacy.
The Veterans Drive bandshell, built in 1929 as part of Stratford’s park system along the Avon River, provides a scenic and historic backdrop for the event. The festival is one of Stratford’s most anticipated community gatherings, complementing the city’s world-renowned summer theatre scene. For more information, visit the festival’s website or email [email protected].
