This Ontario Town is All About Shakespeare and Chocolate Shops

Thunder crashed across the feeble ship as King Alonso shouted commands to his flailing crew. The sail dropped and seamlessly morphed into the ocean herself, leaving scores of sailors fighting against Prospero's wrath. The stage lights dimmed and the matinee audience erupted in applause at the opening scene of Shakespeare's The Tempest. I raised my sippy cup of red wine to my lips. The wine paired well with the cacao still on my palate from earlier stops on Stratford's Chocolate Trail. This Ontario town runs on four theatres and a chocolate trail and the Avon River, and my weekend here covered all three.

Stratford Festival

The Stratford Festival is North America's largest classical repertory theatre company. Each season (i.e. April through November) sees more than a dozen classical, contemporary, and musical productions hit four major stages across town, all of them within walking distance. Given that Shakespeare's hometown was Stratford-upon-Avon, the emphasis is on his plays. This season, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, and The Tempest are playing alongside well-known staples such as Death of a Salesman, The Importance of Being Earnest, Guys and Dolls, and local favourite Something Rotten!

Since kicking off in the summer of 1953, the Stratford Festival has blossomed into a thespian's dream. My B&B neighbour, for instance, once played the role of Antonio in The Tempest. Still an avid theatregoer, he drove up from Dayton, Ohio with his wife to see five Stratford Festival plays in three days. Likewise, my Festival Theatre matinee seatmates had driven up from Cincinnati for the weekend, curious about all the Stratford fuss. They went home converted.

As for me, though I am far from a Shakespeare connoisseur, I was floored by the production of The Tempest. The raging storm, the island's nefarious monsters, and the giant illumined jellyfish all provided compelling visuals to complement the sometimes dense Elizabethan dialogue.

Chocolate Trail

Whether you're a lifelong fan of the theatre or just passing through Stratford on a whim, something everyone can enjoy is the Chocolate Trail. This delectable tour begins at the Destination Stratford tourist center, where you pick up six passes and a map of 31 participating businesses to cash them in at. The trail is largely centered around downtown Stratford, but extends into neighboring St. Marys, aka "Stone Town," and the small town of Shakespeare (that's actually what it's called). While most shops stick loyally to the theme, some have gotten creative with their offerings. For example, Black Swan Brewing Co. serves up a 12 oz porter, O'Grady's Clothing offers a chocolate-scented candle, and Olive Your Favourites gives patrons a bottle of chocolate balsamic vinegar in exchange for a Chocolate Trail ticket.

No two Chocolate Trails will look quite alike. Here's a taste of the six stops I made.

#1. Rheo Thompson Candies (4 handmade selections)

#2. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (1 seasonal treat)

#3. Black Swan Brewing Co. (12 oz porter)

#4. Corner Store Candy Co. (1 bag of chocolate covered blueberries)

#5. Small-Mart General Mercantile (2 retro chocolate bars)

#6. The Chocolate Factory in St. Marys (1 bag of mixed goodies)

Downtown Stratford

Now that we've covered the two billboard topics, let's poke around the rest of downtown Stratford. After all, it's a beauty.

Stratford sits on the Avon River, with its commercial core on the southern bank. Ontario Street is the primary thoroughfare, for foot traffic and cars alike, and culminates in the late-19th-century Perth County Courthouse. Downie Street runs south from Ontario Street and leads to the red-brick Stratford City Hall, a Victorian National Historic Site of Canada. These two iconic structures are the focal points, but the rest of downtown follows suit with a timeless and quintessentially English feel.

Having rolled into town early Friday morning, and being the remote writers that we are, my girlfriend and I first set up shop at The Livery Yard. This homely coffee shop is yet another stop on the Chocolate Trail, but I didn't learn that until after the fact. Alas, I will have to double back for my hot chocolate.

From the bartop window seats, you can see two more of the Stratford Festival's venues, the Avon Theatre and the Studio Theatre. If you want a caffeine boost before an afternoon show, you know where to go. Alternatively, Hartman's Coffee & Tea at the end of Ontario Street is a cozy place with ample outdoor patio space and immediate access to the Shakespearean Gardens.

Strolling up to the regal City Hall, I discovered Market Square. Surrounded by independent businesses, this artsy communal space hosts free concerts for anyone looking to switch up their evening entertainment. Speaking of which, right next to Hartman's, a very different kind of watering hole exists. The Relic Lobby Bar is owned and operated by Cuban immigrants, who bring some of that Havana spice to their cocktail lounge. Live music is also common here, but in our case it was simply a cool venue in which to decompress after The Tempest.

Lastly, be sure to investigate Stratford's smaller streets. York Street, for example, hides in plain sight between Ontario Street and the river. A row of about a dozen dealers operate out of brightly painted facades or inconspicuous storefronts sitting beneath Brooklyn-esque apartments (think weathered bricks and fire-escape stairwells). Shout out to Pete and Paula at Ten Toe'n Shoe Shop, for even though we came for the chocolate and theatre, Irina and I left with six pairs of running shoes between the two of us. I think we're set for the season.

River & Gardens

Strip away all of the entertainment and indulgences and Stratford still stands tall as a scenic river town. Continuous footpaths line both sides of the Avon River, running past the Shakespearean Gardens, the Festival Theatre, Gallery Stratford, and beyond. Stop to watch the geese and listen to the songbirds of this Bird Friendly City at Tom Patterson Island, disappear into the nature trails of North Shore Park, watch the anglers as they gather around Stratford Dam, or even rent a kayak or peddle boat at The Boathouse Stratford.

What's Past Is Prologue

Though this famous line was spoken by one of The Tempest's villains, it is a lovely sentiment nonetheless. When the railway era wound down through the 1950s and into the 1960s, leaving Stratford without its primary economic engine, the town leaned hard into a different identity. The corresponding cultural renaissance has resulted in one of the biggest and best Shakespeare-centric theatre festivals (this side of the pond, anyway), a diabetes-inducing Chocolate Trail, and a downtown core built amidst well-preserved historic architecture. As for my own weekend, what's past is indeed merely prologue for my next trip to Stratford, Ontario. I leave with a hunger for more theatre, sweet treats, fancy cocktails, and small-town conviviality. Well done, Stratford.