StrideFest 2026 – Just Wonder!

Just Wonder! StrideFest 2026 Transforms Burnaby into a City-Wide Celebration of Art and Connection
March 21–28, 2026 | Burnaby, BC

Burnaby, BC — This spring, StrideFest returns to Burnaby with an invitation to pause, look closer, and Just Wonder!From March 21–28, 2026, the week-long festival transforms everyday spaces into vibrant sites of artistic encounter — from libraries and community halls to storefront windows and city streets.

Presented by The Long Table Society in collaboration with Burnaby’s creative community, StrideFest is not an art fair — it’s a community-building arts platform amplifying the city’s creative voices. With free, accessible, family-friendly programming across Burnaby, all StrideFest 2026 events are free, inviting everyone to participate in a celebration of curiosity, creativity, and connection at a time of year when wonder is most welcome.

“We all need the power of the arts more than ever — to inspire, to unite, to invite wonder,” says Team Stride, a volunteer-driven collective of creatives, innovators, and community builders. “Unexpected art in unexpected places at unexpected times — that’s StrideFest.”

Festival Highlights
Opening Night: Live Irish Tunes and Tales
March 21 | 6–8 PM
Overlynn Mansion

StrideFest 2026 kicks off in a heritage home filled with story and song. Local trio Phillomena Jordan, Marilyn Noort, and Dave Holloway reunite to share lively Irish fiddle tunes, guitar, poetry, and storytelling — an evening celebrating tradition, community, and creative joy. Family-friendly. Registration required.

StrideFest Arts at the Shadbolt
March 16 – April 14 (Extended Exhibition)
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

The most StrideFest art in one place, this expansive visual arts exhibition anchors the festival with works by participating Burnaby artists. The exhibition opens prior to festival week and continues beyond it, offering audiences an extended opportunity to engage with the theme Just Wonder!

A special Opening Reception and Panel Discussion, “Cultivating Wonder: The Joy, Ecology, and Practice of Artmaking,” takes place March 19 (6:30–8:30 PM) in Studio 103, featuring artists Dawn Livera, Marika Morissette, Nickie Lewis, and Bicram Rijal. Free and family-friendly (registration required).

Hands-On Workshops & Participatory Events
All workshops and events are free. Registration is required for some programs due to space limitations.

StrideFest offers creative workshops for all ages and experience levels — from bookbinding and poetry collage to ink-making, weaving, photography, and comics. Highlights include:

Art of Bookbinding: Coptic Stitch Binding – Burnaby Public Library (McGill Branch)
Water Weaving Workshop with artist Sara Ross – Cranberry Commons
Inkmaking with Invasive Trees – Dania Gardens
Making Comics with Stephanie Broder – Bob Prittie Metrotown Library
Mixed Media Poetry Collages with award-winning poet Cynthia Sharp
Creating Abstract Photos with Your Mobile Phone – led by Jillian Chateauneuf and Bicram Rijal
Seeds to Carry Forward – an embodied arts and card-crafting workshop inspired by Theatre for Living practices

Poets Corner
March 21–28 | 24/7
Hastings Street (Ingleton to Madison)

Outdoor advertising columns become canvases for bright yellow poems by Burnaby wordsmiths, inviting passersby to experience art in the midst of daily life.

Burnaby Art Calling (Free Little Art Gallery)
Open 24/7, 365 days a year
Outside 4191 Hastings Street

A decommissioned phone booth in Burnaby Heights has become the city’s tiniest gallery. Make art, take art, or leave art. In 2026, this beloved community hub celebrates its third birthday — proof that small acts of creativity can make a big impact.

Community Contradance
March 27 | 7–9 PM
Capitol Hill Community Hall

No experience necessary — just bring your friends and neighbours. With live music by the Stride Festival Stringband and calling by Katie Pinter, this participatory dance promises an evening of joyful movement and connection.

Festival Closing Event: Just Wonder! Together
March 28 | 10 AM – 4 PM
Carl Mortensen Manor Auditorium (Dania Home)

The festival concludes with a day-long gathering featuring the StrideFest Popup Exhibition (10 AM–2:30 PM), showcasing multiple visual art styles under one roof, followed by “Pieces of Me,” a flamenco performance by Lili Flamenco (Liat Har lev) from 3–4 PM — an expressive journey through rhythm, passion, and personal storytelling.

Why March?
In western Canada, festival season typically spans summer and fall. StrideFest embraces the unexpected — bringing art into everyday life at a time when we most crave light, colour, and connection.

From street corners to community centres, from heritage homes to light-filled atriums, StrideFest 2026 invites everyone — not just “artsy people” — to encounter creativity in surprising ways.

All events are free. All are welcome. Wonder is required.

For the full event calendar, Art Walk map, artist profiles, and registration links, follow @stridefest on Instagram and Facebook.