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JOIN US FOR THE 2026 STRAWBE RRY FESTIVAL! June 27-29 2025 In Whitchurch-Stouffville's Memorial Park HOME ABOUT US SCHEDULE PRE-FESTIVAL FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY PERFORMERS Events STRAWBERRY JAM JR. DOG CONTEST STOUFFVILLE BAKES TOTALLY TODDLERS 3-ON-3-BASKETBALL SPELLING BEE VENDORS VENDOR LIST VOLUNTEER PARTNERS PEOPLE OF THE YEAR GALLERY FAQ CONTACT US WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD AND EXCITING PLANS FOR 2026 WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE, ON – October 7, 2025 – The Whitchurch-Stouffville Strawberry Festival is pleased to announce the election of its new Board of Directors, following its Annual General Meeting held on September 15th. This change in leadership marks a pivotal moment as the festival looks ahead to its 42nd anniversary and continues its legacy as a beloved community tradition. The newly elected Board of Directors comprises: President: Sue Sherban Vice President: Elizabeth Fraser Treasurer: Lindsay Bantis Director: Fran Shepherd Director: Destiny Brown Member Secretary: Sandy Baker "I would like to sincerely thank the retiring board of directors, Mike Burns, Nela Hunter, Carla Rotondo, and Felise Liuson, and committee member Micole Rubinoff for their invaluable contributions and dedication," said Sue Sherban, the newly elected President. "We express our immense gratitude for their volunteer efforts, particularly in navigating the challenges of creating a virtual festival during Covid and their successful partnership with the town during a time of reduced volunteer availability. Their commitment has been instrumental in keeping this cherished festival running." President Sherban extended a warm welcome to the new board members, congratulating them on stepping up to ensure the continuity of this annual tradition. She also announced that the individual activity chairs for the festival committee will be revealed after their first meeting in October. "I am eagerly looking forward to what promises to be an exciting new year for the Strawberry Festival," Sherban added. "Our aim is to bring back some of the old much-loved events while also building upon the success of our newly introduced initiatives." History of the Whitchurch-Stouffville Strawberry Festival, the festival is a not-for-profit organization and has been a beloved tradition in our town for over 40 years although it has undergone some changes over the recent years. The most significant was its original move in 2017 from Main Street to Memorial Park in anticipation of downtown redevelopment; this shift has now become a reality for 2027 and 2028 year. While Memorial Park has provided a temporary home, we understand it’s not the setting many associate with the nostalgic charm of our Strawberry Festival. “Good news though we will be closing Main St for this 2026 year with the partnership of the Markham Stouffville Cruisers car club so our festival goers will be able to browse the antique and classic cars, shop local and dine in our restaurants and support our local businesses on the Saturday.” Sherban said. The Mayor and I have met Sherban advised regarding the future of returning festival to Main Street and below is his commitment to seeing the return. “I look forward to working with the festival committee and town staff to see the festival return to its historical location- our revitalized Main St. in the near future.” said Mayor Lovatt. We deeply appreciate the feedback and ideas shared over the past year by the community on what the festival means to them and how they envision its future. That input matters. But real change comes from rolling up your sleeves. Volunteers are the heart of this event—they are the ones who turn vision into reality. Positive action, not just online commentary, is what shapes the future of our festival and community. As we approach the 42nd anniversary in 2026, the Festival Committee is reaching out to residents to help reignite the vision of a true community celebration. The new Strawberry Festival Board is already planning, and we’re excited about a targeted return to a revitalized Main Street in 2029. Until then, we need your help to keep the Strawberry Festival thriving and evolving. If you want to see change—be part of it. So, join us! It is your energy, ideas, and time that can help create something truly special. Volunteer list available at www.strawberryfestival.ca to sign up! HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2024 FESTIVAL Celebrating over 40 Years of Tradition in our Community The 2026 Whitchurch-Stouffville Strawberry Festival runs from June 26th - 28th July 1st Fireworks presented by the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville Proudly Sponsored By ©2019-2026 Whitchurch-Stouffville Strawberry Festival. All Rights Reserved.

For important event information such as Parking Locations, Parking Restrictions, Street Closures, Family Safety Program and Event Safety, please go to: www.townofws.ca/strawfest Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions. ADMISSION - There is no cost to attend the festival—entry, live entertainment, and many activities are free for everyone to enjoy! Please note that food, beverages, rides, and vendor purchases are available at an additional cost. ACCESSIBLE PARKING is available. WASHROOMS are available at Memorial Park and Latcham Hall. There will also be porta potty units in the west and east sides of Memorial Park. POS DEVICES FOR CREDIT CARD AND DEBIT PAYMENT are available at The Red Berry Cafe and the Beer Trailer for alcohol sales. Please note that 2 ATM units will be onsite beside the Beer Trailer in Memorial Park. Vendors will offer POS devices at their discretion. DRINKING WATER - In an effort to reduce single-use plastics, the Strawberry Festival discourages the sale of bottled water. There will be a water re-fill station available for you to refill your reusable water bottle at no charge. The re-fill station will be located on the east side of the Main Stage. LOCATION - The festival takes place in and around Memorial Park, Stouffville, located on Park Drive between Main Street and Hoover Park Drive. DOGS are welcome at the festival but they must be friendly, leashed at all times, and picked up after. Please note that pets are not welcome inside any of the buildings or inside the tents. Please remember it is never ok to leave a pet unattended in a car.

Green Vendor Program 2023 The Strawberry Festival is committed to improving its environmental footprint. Our first priority is reducing waste. Since Festival vendors provide food, drinks, crafts, and other materials for visitors, they can also play a key role in reducing the overall amount of waste and increasing the amount of recycling and organics captured during the festival. One of our best opportunities in reducing waste involves single-use plastics, such as straws, water bottles, and bags. For this reason the Strawberry Festival no longer permits the use or distribution of balloons during our event. Committing to a Greener Festival Vendors that are ready to support the Festival’s waste reduction goals are encouraged to take the Green Vendor Pledge. Green Vendors commit to: use greener alternatives for items such as bags, containers, and cutlery; reduce use of items that have a long-lasting negative impact on our environment, such as single-use plastics and Styrofoam; encourage customers to use reusable items such as tote bags and water bottles, and; support greening the festival by promoting waste reduction to festival attendees and the Stouffville community in general. All participating vendors will be recognized by: social media, website, and other applicable promotions prior to and during the festival a Green Vendor Lawn Sign, to be displayed at each booth Working Together to Find Green Solutions Reducing waste involves looking carefully at processes and products to find less wasteful ways to achieve the same outcome. For example: Some customers may not need or want a plastic bag to carry a small item, plastic cutlery for their meal, or a plastic straw for their beverage. Asking customers first may avoid unnecessary waste later. When a bag or plate or cup is required, using those made with greener materials (that can be recycled or composted) will reduce the amount of landfill waste (garbage). Reusable items (water bottles, coffee cups) have a much longer lifespan and do not end up as waste after one use. The Festival’s Green Team will work with each Green Vendor to consider the specific processes and products at their booth, and to find practical solutions that reduce waste without compromising product or service quality. All vendors that are ready to commit to reducing their waste are encouraged to take the Green Vendor Pledge, available by clicking HERE , or by emailing gogreen@strawberryfestival.ca . By taking the pledge, vendors agree to the actions outlined in the table below, as applicable. Guidelines for a Greener Festival To Use Paper/Reusable bags Compostable/ Recyclable containers Paper straws Cardboard, non-coated boxes only Eco-friendly gifts made of paper, recyclable and recycled materials To Do Ask first! Only give out bags, straws, etc. when needed Consider various or adjustable portion sizes to reduce unnecessary food waste Where possible, accept reusable containers & cups from customers Sell reusable bottles/cups – direct customer to festival water stations Use reusable shipping containers To Avoid Plastic Bags Bottled water Styrofoam and dark plastic takeout containers and cups Plastic straws Plastic & paper wax-coated boxes / crates - vendor booth waste Balloons (including biodegradable)

THE WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL IS PROUD TO HOST THE 2025 PEOPLE OF THE YEAR AWARDS! And The Winners Are: 1/3

CONTEST RULES Theme: All entries must feature strawberries as a main ingredient and fit the category of either strawberry pie or strawberry jam. Jam Entries: - Must be presented in a standard 250ml glass jar - Label the jar with a removable sticky note or piece of tape stating your name and jam name Pie Entries: - Must be a full, traditional- sized pie (8-10 inches). - Label the bottom of your pie plate with your name and pie name. One entry per category, per person. Homemade only: no store bought crusts, fillings, or jams. Ingredient List: All participants must submit a full ingredient list - NOT recipe, for dietary and allergy reasons”. Drop off time: All entries must be delivered between 4-6pm on Thursday June 26th at The Sandy Stronach Red Berry Cafe in Latcham Hall Winners will be notified Friday June 27th and will be presented their awards at the Opening Ceremonies. All contestants must register. Either through our website in advance, or registration forms can be filled out upon drop off. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

The Strawberry Festival continues to pursue sustainable options and welcomes the community to participate in these greening efforts. We no longer permit the use of plastic balloons and Styrofoam containers, and promote the use of reusable water bottles through our popular Water Stations. Look for these other green features at our 2024 festival: Sustainable Stouffville booth In 2023, we introduced Sustainable Stouffville – a project aimed at raising awareness and coordinating action on environmental issues in our community. Visit our booth this year to learn how this project is advancing and how you can get involved. VIEW/DOWNLOAD SUSTAINABLE STOUFFVILLE REPORT What Does sustainability mean to me? WATCH THE VIDEO VIEW/DOWNLOAD THE WASTE RESOUCE GUIDE You can also follow Sustainable Stouffville on social media: Bike Corrals To encourage Active Transportation to the Strawberry Festival, we are providing two free Bike Corrals. These are central, fenced-off spots to park your bike, scooter, jogging stroller, etc. Corral #1 will be attached to the Sustainable Stouffville booth near the Info Booth, and Corral #2 will be beside the main baseball diamond near the covered pavilion. Please bring a lock to secure your device, and note that the Strawberry Festival is not responsible for any theft or damage. Both Corrals will be available for use anytime, but volunteers will be stationed at Corral #1 on Saturday and Sunday from 9-5pm Bus Shuttle The Strawberry Festival is offering a convenient bus "shuttle" service to and from the event site. Check our Festival Schedule (Saturday or Sunday ) for the various pick up and drop off locations around town. Leave your car at home – the drive is on us!

THE WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL IS PROUD TO HOST THE 2025 PEOPLE OF THE YEAR AWARDS! NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING THIS YEARS WINNERS AT FESTIVAL OPENING CEREMONIES ON JUNE 26. 2025 Citizen of the Year Criteria : The nominee must be a resident of the Town of Whitchurch Stouffville. The nominee’s recognition will be based on their positive contributions to the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville and its people. Groups of individuals, service groups and other interest groups are eligible for this award. 2025 Sports Person of the Year Criteria: The nominee must be a resident of the Town of Whitchurch Stouffville The nominee’s recognition will be based on their positive contributions to sport and /or athletic pursuits in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville. Groups of individuals, service groups and other interest groups are eligible for this award. 2025 Supporting Local Community Award Criteria: The nominee must be a business or individual entrepreneur of the Town of Whitchurch Stouffville The nominee’s recognition will be based on their contribution in supporting community based efforts related to sports or cultural or environmental, or social activities in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville.

Position: Sustainable Stouffville Program Developer Who we are: The Whitchurch-Stouffville Strawberry Festival is a community Festival that takes place in Stouffville over the Canada Day weekend. Located in the heart of the Town in Memorial Park, the Festival attracts more than 25,000 people. This year, the Festival is looking to enhance its Sustainable Stouffville initiative by growing the number of interactive activities on site and extending activities afterwards to ultimately develop a roadmap that can be used for broader engagement in the various aspects of Sustainability. The Strawberry Festival is looking to hire someone to support these efforts. This opportunity has been made possible through the Legacy Fund . Term: This is a contract position running June 5, 2023 to August 11, 2023. Work Location: This position does not require regular attendance at an office but it does require attendance at the Strawberry Festival during the weekend of July 1&2 and perhaps in-person meetings with organizations and members of the community. Hours & Rate: The position will be for 24 hours per week (on average) and will be paid at a rate of $20 per hour although there is expected to be some variability in terms of days and hours worked with a significant number of hours worked through the weekend of July 1 & 2, 2023. A work plan with billable hours will be established between the Committee and the successful candidate. About the role: Before the Festival: The successful candidate will work with the Strawberry Festival committee to develop a number of educational activities for Festival-goers that will engage them in different aspects of sustainable living. Key themes include: Low carbon heating & cooling Growing and eating locally produced food Naturalizing gardens for better habitat for bees and butterflies Reducing waste through upcycle, recycle, re-use, repair Beginning ahead of the festival and continuing throughout and beyond, the successful candidate will develop and implement a social media strategy that will engage members of the community, draw linkages to other organizations, and build a platform for improved sustainability. During the Festival: In addition to overseeing the activities, this position will help gather input from Festival-goers on the following: What does Sustainability Mean to Me? What are the Barriers to me Living more Sustainably? Although work has begun in all of these areas, this role will be largely responsible for bringing these aspects of the Strawberry Festival together and working with Committee members to engage local businesses and like-minded organizations. After the Festival The Strawberry Festival would like to make these activities the “jumping-off” point to engage the community in longer term action related to Sustainability. To this end, this role will: Leverage social media to extend some of the events from the Strawberry Festival and maintain engagement. Harvest information gathered at the Festival to develop themes and activities that will engage residents and support them in taking action to live more sustainably. Work with the Committee and like-minded organizations to develop a roadmap of activities and goals for the 2-month, 6-month, and 12-month timeframe that can be leveraged for future planning and engagement with local businesses, politicians, and planners. About You: You are a well-organized self-starter with great communication skills. You will have demonstrated experience in planning for longer term goals and breaking them down into actionable steps. You are knowledgeable about one or more of the areas of focus for Sustainable Stouffville and understand how these are applied in day-to-day living. You are comfortable engaging with members of the public and other organizations and have strong written and verbal communication skills. You are able to attend the Strawberry Festival throughout the Canada Day weekend including the time needed for setup and teardown. Candidates are asked to send a cover letter and resume to info@strawberryfestival.ca .The position will remain open until it is filled. We thank everyone for their interest in this role - only those moving on to the interview stage will receive a response.