City of Windsor Annual Birthday Celebration

Girl celebrating at Windsor's annual birthday celebration

Each year, we celebrate the City of Windsor's birthday with a Mayor's Walk along the riverfront and a birthday party. This is an opportunity to join in some free family fun and celebrate Windsor alongside citizens from all across the city.

Save the date for Windsor's 131st Birthday Celebration in 2023

The City of Windsor marks its 131st anniversary of incorporation in 2023, and everyone is invited to celebrate at a free community event packed with fun for the entire family. The annual City Birthday Celebration and Mayor’s Walk takes place Sunday, June 11, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with lots of excitement in store to celebrate our great city.

Annual Mayor’s Walk

10:00 a.m. at Assumption North Park on the Waterfront

  • Gather shortly before 10:00 a.m. at Assumption North Park on the waterfront to warm up with Parks, Recreation & Culture, and Facilities staff. Mayor Drew Dilkens, members of City Council and special guests will be on hand for the event kick-off, and representatives of the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County will be there too handing out country flags representing the homelands of many cultures and heritages that make Windsor such a multicultural and diverse place to live.
  • The Windsor Police Pipe Band will lead the walk.
  • The Mayor’s Walk will once again proceed along the waterfront from Assumption North Park to Dieppe Gardens. Along the walk, Abridged Opera will perform an aria at the Morning Flight sculpture, and Multicultural Storyteller Teajai Travis will perform a poem at The Garden sculpture. We will pause at the base of the Great Canadian Flag, where The Windsor Symphony Community Orchestra will perform our National Anthem.
  • The walk will continue back through Dieppe Gardens toward the Vision Corridor adjacent to the Chimczuk Museum and Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) building, just out front of Adventure Bay Family Water Park presented by WFCU Credit Union.

Windsor 131st Birthday Celebration

11:00 a.m. at the Vision Corridor (401 Riverside Drive West)

  • Mayor Drew Dilkens will welcome the community to the annual birthday party at the Vision Corridor. The party will include free birthday hot dogs and cupcakes (while supplies last); entertainment on the ShowMobile outdoor stage, activities, crafts, face-painting, games, and displays in and around the park. Enjoy free admission to the Chimczuk Museum and Art Windsor-Essex (AWE), all in celebration of Windsor’s Birthday.

Entertainment and Other Information (time are approximate)

  • 11:00 a.m. Welcome from emcees Matt Rutherford of Virgin Radio and Chris Byrne of Pure Country 89
  • 11:03 a.m. Welcome from Theresa Sims, Indigenous Storyteller for the City of Windsor
  • 11:08 a.m. Welcome remarks from Mayor Drew Dilkens
  • 11:12 a.m. Poem from Peter Hrastovec, Poet Laureate for the City of Windsor 
  • 11:15 a.m. Performance from Teajai Travis, Multicultural Storyteller for the City of Windsor
  • 11:25 a.m. Singing of Happy Birthday
  • 11:35 a.m. Mayor Dilkens to cut the cake
  • 11:45 a.m. Food stations open for hotdogs and cupcakes
  • 11:45 a.m. Performance from Leave Those Kids Alone
  • 12:35 p.m. Performance from Opanak Serbian Folklore Ensemble
  • 1:00 p.m. Performance from Filipino Salin Lahi Dance Group
  • 1:30 p.m. Performance from Qipao Group
  • 1:45 p.m. Closing Remarks and event end

Vision Corridor Programming

  • Race car on display from Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear
  • Fire truck on display from Windsor Fire and Rescue Services
  • Ted Paints Faces on site doing balloon twisting
  • Evermore Princess Parties on site with princesses and super hero characters
  • Party Putt Mini Putt
  • Red Line Inflatables on site with Wiggle Riders and Basketball Net game
  • Tim Hortons
  • Hot dogs served up by Optimist Club
  • Sweet Revenge cupcakes
  • AM800 CKLW activation
  • City of Windsor Active Transporatation info booth
  • Youcan the Toucan mascot
  • Dads Matter info booth
  • ICNA Sisters info booth
  • Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island info booth
  • Windsor Express
  • Windsor Public Library info booth

Free Admission at Chimczuk Museum and Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) 

Both Museum Windsor's Chimczuk Museum and the Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) gallery spaces offer free admission on June 11th, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to the permanent exhibitions, children's gallery and learning space, and a gift shop packed with locally-made goods, the Chimczuk Museum offers the temporary exhibitions 'Windsor: Cycling City', 'A Two-Nation Vacation: Memories of the International Freedom Festival', 'Unique Ukraine: Artifacts of Distinction', 'The Last Cast: Inside the Ford Foundry', and the new 'Jubilee Exhibition on the 550th Anniversary of the Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus'. Meanwhile, current exhibitions from Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) include 'The Water Library', 'BioCurious', 'Jon Sasaki: Aura', 'Flowing Forces', and more.

Windsor Symphony Orchestra's
Vincent Van Gogh: From Darkness to Light

June 11, 2023. 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at The Capitol Theatre (121 University Avenue West)

After you're finished at the City of Windsor's 131st Birthday Celebration, head over to the historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Windsor as Amici in Arte presents Vincent Van Gogh: From Darkness to Light in partnership with Art Windsor-Essex (AWE). Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. Join AWE Art Curator Emily McKibbon and Windsor's Poet Laureate Peter Hrastovec as they explore Van Gogh through his art and his letters to his brother Theo. Local artists Maryam Safarzadeh and Debbie Kay will present a curated selection of local visual art inspired by Vincent Van Gogh. These original paintings, which have never been seen by the public, are part of an upcoming exhibition that will be announced during the event. The Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra Quartet will also perform. Tickets for Amici in Arte: Vincent Van Gogh: From Darkness to Light are $30 and are available online. Includes light refreshments.

WIFF Under the Stars 

June 9 to 11, 2023. Various times. Civic Plaza - City Hall Front Lawn. The Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF) is pleased to present WIFF Under the Stars community screenings. During the day, a variety of family programming will be presented including Encanto, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Blueback. The programming also includes anniversary titles including How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days and The Sandlot, Hollywood blockbusters including Top Gun: Maverick and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and more. WIFF is excited to also present a series of new Canadian films, including July Talk: Love Lives Here, an entertaining documentary about a great Canadian band; Adult Adoption, a drama that was filmed in Kingsville, Ontario; Food for the Rest of Us, an engaging documentary tackling the subject of food security, and more. In late 2022, WIFF was pleased to receive funding through the Government of Canada’s Healthy Communities Initiative and with support from the WindsorEssex Community Foundation. WIFF thanks the City of Windsor for hosting WIFF Under the Stars on the lawn at City Hall. WIFF Under the Stars will be the first community event hosted in the outdoor space. See full schedule of free film screenings.

Temporary Road Closure

  • Riverside Drive West will be closed between Church Street and Bruce Avenue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to accommodate the festivities.

Sponsors:

  • These festivities are brought to you by the City of Windsor. This event is made possible in part through the sponsorship of many businesses and community organizations, including: WFCU Credit Union, Atura Power, The University of Windsor Alumni Association, Caesars Windsor Cares, Tim Hortons, Zehrs Markets, AM800 CKLW, Cogeco, and YourTV.

Sponsor logos, as detailed above

Everyone is invited to join the celebration and take photos to capture the special moments and share with us online using #Windsor131, #HappyBDayWindsor, #YQG and #CityWindsor.

Thank you to our event partners as well, including: Museum Windsor, Art Windsor-Essex (AWE), Adventure Bay Family Water Park presented by WFCU Credit Union, Optimist International, Running Factory, Big Daddy's BBQ, Parks, Recreation & Culture, and Facilities, Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County, CMC 017, and Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island.

Previous City of Windsor Birthday Celebrations