Art, Fun, Food and Unique Finds at the Guild Alive With Culture Festival This Weekend
- John P. Mason
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 24
Guild Park's biggest and most popular weekend arts event - Guild Alive With Culture - is happening this weekend.
Be sure to come out for this free event - Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27 from 10 am to 5 pm.
You can met more than 140 artists, artisans and community reps, who'll be set up at Guild Park's south gardens. Check out the displays of their creativity - from paintings to photos, from hand-made jewelery and fashion items to shortbread cookies and other culinary treats.
This year, Friends of Guild Park will again be on-site - at Booth 141. We'll welcome our members, greet Guild Park supporters and answer questions that first-time visitors may have about this historic desination.
For 2025, Friends of Guild Park is bringing something special - a collection of unique Guild Park collectables offered for the first time at Guild Alive.
Our items include
Limited edition Guild Inn art prints - winter and summer scenes - each colour print of the original watercolours are numbered and signed by the Guildwood artist, Roy Wright.
Vintage postcards - an assortment of original colour postcards from the old Guild Inn era (individually sealed in cellophane or available framed);
Books about the Guild, including The History of the Guild Inn, written by local author, the late Carole Lidgold.
Shown below are the Guild-related collectibles available exclusively at the Friends of Guild Park booth during the 2025 Guild Alive Festival.
The collection includes, clockwise from top left, Summer Scene at the Guild Inn (numbered art print by artist Roy Wight); various vintage postcards from the old Guild Inn era; Winter Scene at the Guild Inn, also by Roy Wright); a postcard of Guild Park's remarkable Ontario "provincial panel" (originally created for BMO); and Carole Lidgold's popular book, History of the Guild Inn.
Brand new this year are custom-created miniature replica pins of two Guild Park icons - the Herakles keystone from the historic Greek Theatre (see image) and the popular Bear sculpture. These are available as lapel pins or as magnets (while supplies last).
Proceeds from these and other items support ongoing improvements and activities at Guild Park, through the work of the award-winning, not-for-profit organization, Friends of Guild Park.
While visiting Guild Alive, be sure to join Friends of Guild Park or renew your annual membership. This shows your support for the park's ongoing revitalization.
As a special thank you to our new and renewing members, everyone who joins/continues as a Friends of Guild Park member receives two free gifts - a Guild Park pin (Herakles or The Bear) and a vintage Guild Inn era postcard. This offer is
available only at Guild Alive, while qualities last. Visit Friends of Guild Park booth #141 while you enjoy the festival.
At our booth, kids and adults can ask us:
how to win one of two Indigo book gift certificates by entering our Shoreline Clean-up contest.
about going on a self-guided "Animal Safari" to explore more of historic Guild Park.
In addition to all the art and artisan items available, the Guild Alive festival features free entertainment at the the park's landmark Greek Theatre. On the weekend schedule is Argentinian guitarist, Johannes Linstead and his band (below left), who are returning this year.
Also on-site for the festival is the popular bbq and licensed food service provided by the Olde Stone Cottage. It's the only time of the year when regular Guild Park visitors can sit at a covered picnic table near the Bluffs and enjoy a burger and a brew (or anything else from the menu)! Stone Cottage proprietor, Chris Short (below right), and his crew do the serving.
Lots more info about the festival, including list of artists/vendors and the weekend performance schedule, is available at the festival website
The festival is produced by the office of Toronto Deputy Mayor, Paul Ainslie, in coordination with Guild Festival Theatre and the many event sponsors and volunteers. Guild Alive takes place at Guild Park & Gardens, 201 Guildwood Pkwy. (turn south on Guildwood Parkway from Kingston Road).
Note: Public parking for festival visitors is available in the parking lots adjacent to Guild Park - at Sir Wilfrid Laurier high school (west of the park) or at 241 Guildwood Pkwy (east of the park at a gravel lot directly south of Galloway Road). There is no public parking at Guild Park for Guild Alive visitors.
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