Out and About on a Sudbury Saturday Afternoon!
We have some amazing excursions arranged for the afternoon of Saturday May 23. Will you be joining us?
Rainbow Routes Walk
Participants are invited to step just beyond the city's paved pathways and into Sudbury's urban trail network through a guided walk led by Rainbow Routes Association. This local not-for-profit is dedicated to building, maintaining, and promoting non-motorized trails across the region, helping residents and visitors connect more deeply with the landscape.
This one-hour excursion will take a small group (20–25 participants) along select urban hiking trails, offering insight into the natural and cultural features that shape Sudbury's outdoor spaces. Expect a mix of forested paths, rugged terrain, and moments of quiet reflection, all within city limits.
Participants will gather at a designated meeting point between 3:00 and 3:15 PM before setting out. This guided experience offers a unique opportunity to engage with Sudbury's natural environment in a more intimate and grounded way.
Downtown Venue Tour and Reading
This guided tour offers participants an opportunity to experience Greater Sudbury's downtown arts infrastructure, beginning at Refettorio, a distinctive open-air performance space that reflects the city's commitment to accessible, community-centered arts programming.
From there, the group will move through a selection of nearby cultural venues, gaining insight into the organizations, spaces, and creative activity that animate Sudbury's core. The tour will conclude at Sudbury Theatre Centre, one of Northern Ontario's leading professional theatre companies, where participants will attend a live script reading.
This excursion offers a layered look at the city's performing arts ecosystem—from informal outdoor gathering spaces to established theatrical institutions—highlighting the range and vitality of Sudbury's cultural landscape.
Play Contest Readings -Want to attend the readings but the venues tour isn’t for you? Then join us at the Sudbury Theatre Centre at 4pm for the readings of the three winning playwriting contest scripts! You can sit back and listen, or you can volunteer to be a reader!
Mural Tour in Association with Up Here -In partnership with UP Here, participants are invited to explore Greater Sudbury's vibrant public art scene through a guided mural tour. For over a decade, UP Here has helped transform the city's downtown core through its annual urban arts festival, commissioning large-scale murals and its "Power Up" box program, which brings creative expression to everyday infrastructure.
This guided experience will highlight a selection of these works, offering insight into the artists behind them, the stories they tell, and the evolving identity of Sudbury's urban landscape. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how public art has contributed to placemaking and cultural dialogue within the city.
This walking tour provides an engaging and accessible way to experience Sudbury's creative energy while connecting with the people and ideas shaping its visual culture.
People of the Watershed: Photographs by John Macfie - Join us for this private tour of the Art Gallery of Sudbury’s exhibit of the photographs of John Macfie. People of the Watershed: Photographs by John Macfie includes more than 100 photographs taken by John Macfie (1925–2018), a settler trapline manager who worked in Northern Ontario in the 1950s and 1960s. Macfie travelled with a camera, recording life in Anishinaabe, Cree, and Anisininew communities during a period of intense and rapid change. The people and places of Attawapiskat, Sandy Lake, Mattagami, and other communities across the Hudson's Bay watershed are revealed through his lens in ways that emphasize the warmth and continuity of community life. Curated by nîpisîhkopâwiyiniw (Willow Cree) curator, writer, journalist, cultural advocate, and commentator Paul Seesequasis, the exhibition centers the lives and resiliency of the Indigenous people represented, many of whom have been identified by Macfie and Seesequasis.
Self-Guided Exploration at Science North & Dynamic Earth
Throughout the day on Saturday, May 23, Symposium participants are invited to explore Science North and/or Dynamic Earth at their own pace, with 50% discounted admission included as part of their pass (show your SPARC button!). One of Northern Ontario's most celebrated attractions, Science North offers an engaging blend of interactive exhibits, immersive environments, and hands-on learning experiences.
Located on the shores of Ramsey Lake, the site features expansive green space and a scenic lakeside boardwalk, offering opportunities to step outside and take in the surrounding landscape between exhibits. Inside, visitors can explore galleries focused on regional ecology, freshwater systems, innovation, space, and human perception.
Whether attending a live demonstration, wandering through exhibits, or enjoying the natural setting, this flexible excursion offers an accessible and enriching way to experience Sudbury's spirit of curiosity and connection.
Don’t these look amazing? To register for Symposium click here: https://SPARCSymposium2026.eventbrite.ca
