Oakville named #1 Culture Days community for fourth year in a row

Oakville came alive this fall as it hosted hundreds of events during the 2025 Culture Days Festival, earning national recognition and an accolade for one of its workshops

Oakville has been ranked the top participating community in the 2025 Culture Days Festival, marking the fourth consecutive year the town has earned the national distinction.

Culture Days is a coast-to-coast celebration of arts and culture, featuring free performances, workshops and community programs across Canada each year.

This year’s festival ran from Sept. 19 to Oct. 12, 2025, with Oakville hosting hundreds of activities throughout the town.

Events included hands-on workshops, interactive art experiences, gallery tours and live performances at venues such as the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, Glen Abbey Community Centre, the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, Heritage Square on Kerr Street and branches of the Oakville Public Library.

One of the town’s workshops, “Threads of Tradition: Introduction to Phulkari Embroidery with Rafia Shafiq” earned an Ontario Culture Days Spotlight Award, having won the Best Collaborative Program category.

Rafia Shafiq is a phulkari artist in Oakville and the winner of the Best Collaborative Program category of this year’s Ontario Culture Days Spotlight Awards. Ramona Leitao

“Being recognized for my artwork, skill and knowledge in the city I call home is a deeply meaningful accomplishment,” said artist Rafia Shafiq, in an email to Oakville News. “The appreciation and love I’ve received in reviving Phulkari embroidery: an intricate South Asian technique, has been truly overwhelming.”

Shafiq added that she hopes her work continues to build connections in the community.

“I hope this journey continues to open doors for more opportunities and inspires a greater appreciation for South Asian textiles. I’ve always believed that the language of textiles is profoundly beautiful,” she said.

“Every stitch carries memory, culture, and emotion & having the chance to share my language and story with the community has been incredibly special.”