City of Thunder Bay Culture & Events

09/19/2026

Happy Neighbour Day!

We encourage everyone to get out and explore some of the wonderful events happening across the city this Saturday, September 19.

Need help deciding where to start? Choose your adventure. What's your vibe?

Feeling Creative?
Head to the Thunder Bay Art Gallery from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM for Pay-What-You-May admission, hands-on art activities, and Gallery for the Senses, an interactive experience for all ages.

Explorer?
Take on Bike Bingo with EcoSuperior! Pick up a Kids or Adult Bingo card, explore Thunder Bay by bike, complete fun challenges, and discover local trails, landmarks, and neighbourhood gems. Complete your card by September 26 for a chance to win a prize.

Bargain Hunter?
Browse for hidden treasures at the Indoor Yard Sale at the North McIntyre Rec Centre from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Admission is free, and you never know what great finds you'll uncover!

Social Butterfly?
Stop by the 55 Plus Centre Open House Extravaganza from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM for free fitness classes, crafts, live music, refreshments, a scavenger hunt, door prizes, and more.

Nature Lover?
Explore the Rain Garden Tour with EcoSuperior from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. This self-guided tour showcases local rain gardens that help manage stormwater, support pollinators, and beautify neighbourhoods, while offering inspiration for your own yard.

Get Active?
Dive into a Toonie Public Swim at Volunteer Pool & Churchill Pool from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Enjoy an afternoon of swimming for just $2.

Movie Lover?
Grab a lawn chair and head to Northwood Playfields for an evening of Shrek-themed fun! Enjoy a Shrek the Musical Sing-Along, presented by All the Daze Productions, at 6:00 PM, then stay for a free outdoor screening of Shrek at 7:00 PM under the stars.

Fun for the Whole Family?
Join the Vickers Heights Community Celebration from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM for a free afternoon featuring a BBQ, bouncy castle, live music, and activities for all ages.

No matter your vibe, there's a Neighbour Day activity waiting for you!

Learn more at: www.thunderbay.ca/NeighbourDay

09/19/2026

Thank you for joining us tonight at Arts & Culture Under the Lights!

For more Culture Days festivities, ongoing from Sept 18 - Oct 4, checkout www.thunderbay.ca/culturedays

09/19/2026

Join us at Arts & Culture Under the Lights for a magical evening under the stars!

At Marina Park and the Baggage Building Arts Centre until 10 PM!

09/18/2026

Culture in motion. 💃 
 
Immerse yourself in the vibrant rhythms, colours, and stories of cultures from around the world. Enjoy a powerful lineup of traditional dances, music, and performances at Arts & Culture Under the Lights, presented by Ontario Power Generation.

Featured performances by: 
• African Praise Choir 
• Arabella Middle Eastern Dance Academy 
• Thunder Bay Chinese Music and Dance Troupe 
• World Cultural Dance 
• Thai Healing Center Dancers 
• Zorya Ukrainian Dance Association 
• Le Stelle Alpine Italian Dancers 
• Italian Touch Latin Dance School 
 
🗓️ Friday, September 18, 2026 
⏰ 6 – 10 PM 
📍 Prince Arthur’s Landing, Marina Park 
🎟️ Free to attend – everyone is welcome! 
 
Visit thunderbay.ca/underthelights for more details.

09/18/2026

Be inspired by Ontario’s Poet Laureate!

Experience the powerful words of Ontario’s second Poet Laureate, Matthew-Ray Jones, at Arts & Culture Under the Lights, presented by Ontario Power Generation.

Matthew-Ray Jones, also known as Testament, is an acclaimed poet, author, and spoken word artist who serves as Ontario’s second Poet Laureate. A dedicated advocate for youth and the arts, he is an active member of P.E.A.C.E. (People Everywhere Actually Co-existing Equally), an artist collective that empowers children and youth through creative expression.

Catch Matthew-Ray Jones on the Literary Stage in the Baggage Building Arts Centre, as well as on the Performance Stage for two captivating spoken word performances.

🗓️ Friday, September 18, 2026
⏰ 6 – 10 PM
📍 Prince Arthur’s Landing, Marina Park
🎟️ Free to attend – everyone is welcome!

Visit thunderbay.ca/underthelights for more details.

09/18/2026

The perfect way to end Neighbour Night? An outdoor screening of Shrek of course!

Join us at 7:00 PM at Northwood Playfields (609 James St N) for a free outdoor screening of the beloved family favourite. Bring your lawn chair or blanket, favourite movie snack, gather your neighbours, and enjoy a fun-filled evening with everyone's favourite ogre!

Before the movie from 5 PM - 7 PM, enjoy:
- Free Community BBQ
- Arts & Crafts
- Outdoor Games
- Pedal Forward Bike Program
- 6:00 PM Shrek the Musical Sing-Along presented by All the Daze Productions

We hope to see you there!

More information: www.thunderbay.ca/NeighbourDay

09/18/2026

Join us in celebrating Culture Days 2026!

From September 18 to October 4, take part in free and pay-what-you-may activities hosted throughout the city by local individuals and organizations.

There’s something for everyone as we celebrate the arts, culture, and heritage of Thunder Bay!

For event listings, visit www.thunderbay.ca/culturedays or explore our Culture Days Hub Profile to discover events hosted by a variety of local organizations: https://culturedays.ca/en/hubs/cb1e3ead-086a-4a4e-ae56-dee36e2e7666

Culture Days is an annual national celebration that has become one of the Country's largest participatory cultural events. Each year, millions of people participate in arts and cultural events across the Country. 

09/17/2026

Be amazed! ✨

Check out a dazzling art installation by Michel Dumont at Arts & Culture Under the Lights, presented by Ontario Power Generation.

Deconstructed Dreamcatcher was created for the The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto in 2019. Dumont quotes “Both good and bad dreams fill the air at night. In the spaces between the geometric webbing, the good dreams flow, though the bad ones are caught: dissolving at dawn’s first light.”

🗓️ Friday, September 18, 2026
⏰ 6 – 10 PM
📍 Prince Arthur’s Landing, Marina Park
🎟️ Free to attend – everyone is welcome!

Visit thunderbay.ca/underthelights for more details.

09/17/2026

Art in action! ⚡️

Come ask questions, get inspired, and be a part of a work of art at Arts & Culture Under the Lights, presented by Ontario Power Generation.

🌀 Taylor Anderson’s work is abstract, expressive, colourful, and playful. Through an interactive on-site demo, you are invited to join and contribute to the canvas! Provided with a variety of colours and different painting tools to choose from, you are encouraged to experiment with lines, shapes, marks, and textures. This activity will be about playing with colour, movement, and mark-making while collaboratively building an abstract piece.

🧩 Emma Visser-DiCarlo is known for vibrant, playful backgrounds filled with expressive lines and unique shapes that guide the audience through the work. You are invited into the creative process through collaborative, interactive pieces. Nine 12x12-inch canvases will be arranged into a square, and then rearranged before each person contributes. Part artwork, part puzzle, the experience will reflect the playful and spontaneous nature of Emma’s practice.

🎨 Julia Mills is a local graduate from Lakehead University’s Visual Arts Program and focuses on ceramics, printmaking, and painting. Julia will be doing a linocut demonstration, which is a relief printmaking technique that is done by carving a design into a piece of linoleum. As you come up to view the art, Julia will provide a step-by-step on how to print your own desired design and you can leave with your own print. During the demonstration, Julia will be working on carving out a design which will showcase a Thunder Bay landscape.

🗓️ Friday, September 18, 2026
⏰ 6-10 PM
📍 Prince Arthur’s Landing, Marina Park
🎟️ Free to attend — everyone is welcome!

Visit thunderbay.ca/underthelights for more details.