Best of community set for spotlight in Aurora’s “Month of Culture”

August 27, 2026 · 0 Comments

Town Square will be a celebration of all the communities that call Aurora home as the Town celebrates a “Month of Culture” this September.

A collaboration between the Town of Aurora and its cultural partners, including the Aurora Public Library and the Aurora Cultural Centre, the program of activities promises dance and poetry, food and films, and commemorations both celebratory and poignant.

The program begins September 9 with an open studio session hosted by the Aurora Cultural Centre, and an interactive and hands-on session on Indigenous beadings and teachings hosted by the Aurora Public Library.

“Culture includes visual arts, performing arts, heritage and history,” says Nichole Campsall of the Town of Aurora. “We wanted to make sure that each of the different partners was touching on different types of experiences for the community. September includes National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, so each of us have been looking at what we have to offer and making sure that we [present] the community a well-rounded experience with something for everybody.

“One of the ways I like to think about culture is how people spend their time, where they go when they’re looking to make memories and how they like to make those memories. I think we’re uniquely positioned here [at Aurora Town Square] to become part of people’s everyday lives and habits.”

Included within the Month of Culture program is the Town’s annual Saturday Night Fever street party, which will take place on Yonge Street between Wellington and Mosley Streets on September 12, from 4 – 11 p.m., featuring a celebration of all things country music. Also on for September 12 is a performance from the Tabriz Ensemble, representing the music and dance of Azerbaijan, from 2 – 3 p.m.

The Library continues its programming on September 14 with a screening of Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land. Hosted in partnership with the National Film Board, this presentation will take place from 6 – 8 p.m.

On September 17, the Aurora Cultural Centre will host Laila Biali in concert, with her presentation “Joni Mitchell & the Canadian Songbook” at 7 p.m., followed on September 18 by a screening of Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 classic Romeo & Juliet, which Aurora Town Square will host as part of its Flashback Film Series. Pre-film activities begin at 6 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. showtime.

The Aurora Cultural Centre will showcase their newest artist-in-residence, Nancy Hallas, in studio on September 19 from 12 noon to 2 p.m., amid the colourful cavalcade that is the Town of Aurora’s Multicultural Festival, which takes place at Town Park and Town Square from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We’ll be starting off the celebrations at Town Park, in partnership with the Aurora Farmers’ Market,” says Shelley Ware, Special Events Supervisor for the Town of Aurora, noting that the Town Park festivities will once again feature a Community Zone, where local organizations can reach new audiences. “We’ll have eight different cultural dance performances showcased at Town Park back-to-back until 12.30 p.m. Then, starting at 12.30, we’re outside at Town Square with back-to-back different cultural performances.”

One such returning favourite is Chinese dance, says Ware, while the cultures of Spain, Mexico, Egypt, Brazil, Greece, and several South Asian cultures will take the stage as well.

“Back by popular demand is the face-changing opera, which was wild last year, and we’ll also get to wake up the dragon in a ceremony,” she says. “Throughout the building, we’ll have many activations, such as face-painting, balloon-twisting, henna art, a caricaturist, crafts, and we’ll also be celebrating food from around the world, offering three different foods each hour – nine different flavours within a three-hour time span.”

One such local culinary offering will be a corn roast, hosted by the Optimist Club of Aurora, which will feature condiments – “cob-diments,” says Ware – highlighting how different cultures season the popular field-fresh treat.

“It’s all about tempting your tastebuds and taking them on a journey,” says Ware, adding some additional attractions will include a belly dance and Bollywood dance workshops, an exhibition of Chinese art, including calligraphy, and more. “Our three options per hour might be a main, an appetizer, and a dessert from specific cultures.”

To illustrate just how international the roots of Aurora residents are, event participants will be invited to leave their mark on three large maps, one to mark where your grandparents came from, one to show where you have travelled to, and the other, places around the world that are still on your bucket list to visit.

Community will continue to be in focus on September 20 when the Town hosts Doors Open Aurora 2026, including an activation by the Aurora Public Library, entitled “From Pages to Performance: Celebrating Culture Through Music, Dance & Spoken Word.”

Try to avoid a culture clash on September 26 with, perhaps, the busiest day of the Month of Culture.

Activities begin at 9 a.m. with Crit Club, followed at 10 a.m. with Silly Billy, and a fall artist-poet gathering, all hosted by the Aurora Cultural Centre. At 2 p.m., the Aurora Public Library will host its Harvest Moon: Mid-Autumn Festival from 2 – 4 p.m., and, at 7.30 p.m., the Town will host the Yacht Rock Show at Aurora Town Square.

Gallery Yoga and Sound Bath will be a great way to start the day on September 27 from 10 – 11 a.m. at the Aurora Cultural Centre, followed from 2 – 4 p.m. by Arab Voices in Canada: The Soul of the East, at the Aurora Public Library, and on September 28 from 7 – 8 p.m., when the Library hosts a visit with author Monique Gray.

Also on September 28, from 6.30 – 8 p.m., the Aurora Museum & Archives will host a special Museum Monday session.

“These programs are so fun to run,” says Michelle Johnson of the Aurora Museum & Archives. “Museum Mondays is fantastic because we get all different ages coming through and some really interesting discussions as we meander through the galleries and connection space for hours. It’s a bit of a slower pace and we get a lot of time to really get to know participants and what they are interested in and what brought them to the museum. Each person gets a chance to have a really thorough discussion with us, which is lovely, and we learn a lot, too.”

Additional Museum activities include a Photo Digitization workshop, which helps families preserve their memories – everything from “slides, to scrapbooks, to tin-type photos,” says Johnson – and share their stories.”

Closing out a Month of Culture will be a series of events designed to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. Events include two film-screenings hosted by the Aurora Public Library – Nechako and Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man – while the Town of Aurora hosts its annual gathering at Aurora Town Square’s outdoor space.

The program will begin at 5 p.m. with hands-on learning focused on the Seven Sacred Teachings: Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth, with a ceremony and community gathering beginning at 6 p.m.

“This ceremony and community gathering focuses on remembering the children who did not come home, honouring Residential School Survivors and their families, and acknowledging the lasting impacts of residential schools on Indigenous communities,” say organizers. “It is an opportunity to come together in reflection, learning, and understanding as we recognize the truths of our shared history and the importance of meaningful reconciliation.

“The ceremony will be led by Anishinaabe Grandmother Kim Wheatley, Elder Pat Floody, and Ancestral Knowledge Keeper Raiden Levesque, who will share teachings, reflections, and guidance throughout the gathering. Community members are invited to participate in this respectful and welcoming space that encourages learning, connection, and a commitment to reconciliation. Together, we honour the past, reflect on the present, and work toward a future built on respect, understanding, and meaningful relationships.”

For a full roster of events related to Aurora’s Month of Culture, visit www.auroratownsquare.ca/monthofculture.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter