“Fall in Love With Downtown Windsor — Again!” Month of Events and Programming Planned for September 2025

The City of Windsor and partners in the downtown core are inviting residents and visitors to “Fall in Love With Downtown Windsor — Again!” over the course of a full month jam-packed with exciting events, programs, and activations in the core, including a concert and new public art installations in the Pelissier Street parking garage, an illuminated arts festival, exhibitions, poetry readings, farmers’ markets, and much more. The month-long celebration builds on the success of last year’s one-weekend-only event.

Event and Programming Highlights for 2025

Live at The Square

• Fridays, September 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2025. 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• City Hall Square, 350 City Hall Square West.
• Free Admission.

Every Friday evening, Windsor’s new City Hall Square plaza transforms into a hub of music, culture, and community with Live at The Square — a free weekly concert series that celebrates some of the best in local and regional talent, thanks to generous support from the Enbridge Fueling Futures grant program. Learn more about upcoming Live at the Square performances and event details and join our Facebook event page. Let’s gather, celebrate, and Strengthen the Core to make downtown Windsor come alive — one Friday night at a time!

Guided Tour of Streetcar No. 351 and Accompanying Exhibition

• Saturdays, September 6, 13, 20 & 27, 2025. 3:00 p.m.
• Sundays, September 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2025. 3:00 p.m.
• Legacy Beacon, 780 Riverside Drive West.
• No fee, and no pre-registration required.
• Note that self-guided tours are also available from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on these dates.

Visit the newest riverfront stop, the Legacy Beacon and home of Streetcar No. 351, for incredible scenic waterfront views, food and beverage options, and tours of Windsor’s restored streetcar and the historical exhibition sharing our proud transportation history.

Erie Street Guided Walking Tour

• Saturday, September 6, 2025. 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Starting location will be shared at time of registration.
• Tickets are $6.00 per person, and advance registration is required. Space is limited. Call Museum Windsor at 519-253-1812 or visit the Chimczuk Museum at 401 Riverside Drive West to purchase tickets.

Join Museum Windsor staff as we embark on our next history walking tour: Erie Street! This tour will cover local businesses, iconic architecture, and community organizations.

Beach Bash Volleyball Tournament

• Saturday, September 13, 2025. 1:00 p.m.
• Kahn/LiUNA Courts, Ouellette Avenue.
• Register online.

The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA) and Rotary (1918) team up to present Beach Bash 2025, an exhilarating beach volleyball tournament that blends sporting excitement with community unity. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Downtown Windsor’s vibrant atmosphere, Beach Bash 2025 promises sun-soaked fun, fierce competition, and a shared passion for bringing people together. With the new downtown volleyball court right on Ouellette Avenue, participants will dig deep, spike hard, and serve up their best in the heart of our city’s core. This event isn’t just about volleyball; it’s about fostering connections, celebrating teamwork, and showcasing the heart of Windsor’s business and community spirit. Event proceeds support the Rotary Club of Windsor (1918)’s initiative of addressing homelessness and food insecurity in our community.  

Windsor Half Marathon

• Sunday, September 14, 2025. 7:00 a.m.
• Start/Finish: Riverside Drive, Downtown Windsor.
• Online registration required.

Experience one of Windsor’s premier running events along the beautiful Detroit River waterfront. The Windsor Half Marathon offers a fast, scenic course through city streets and riverfront paths, with views of the Detroit skyline and the river connecting our countries. Whether you are chasing a personal best or enjoying the run with friends, this event is perfect for runners of all levels.

AWE at Night Light

• Thursday, September 18, 2025. 4:00 p.m.
• Art Windsor-Essex (AWE), 401 Riverside Drive West.
• Free admission for members, $20 for non-member available online.

Join Art Windsor-Essex for a special iteration for the monthly AWE at Night Light series. The night will include flashlight tours, light workshops, and food and drink!

AWE Night Light Party

• Friday, September 19, 2025. 5:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
• Art Windsor-Essex (AWE), 401 Riverside Drive West.
• Tickets from $43.65. Online registration required.

Are you party rocking with AWE? Join AWE for Night Light Party in the gallery loading bay for an immersive electronic dance music event with lights and a laser show!5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.: The gallery will also be open for flashlight tours and workshops!7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.: DJs SOTC Productions and laser light show.

AWE Night Light Family Day

• Saturday, September 20, 2025. 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Art Windsor-Essex (AWE), 401 Riverside Drive West.
• Free admission all day to Art Windsor-Essex. 

The gallery will be open all day — bring your family for AWE Night Light Family Day featuring activities in the studio, digital light workshops, and flashlight tours; and experience outdoor light exhibitions after dark!

Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO) Season Opener – Opening Night with Gershwin

• Saturday, September 20, 2025. 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Sunday, September 21, 2025. 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• The Capitol Theatre, 121 University Avenue West.
• Tickets are required.

Let’s celebrate! George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto turns 100 this year, and the WSO is excited to kick off its 78th season with this amazing piece! Gershwin’s concerto combines classical form with jazz-inspired rhythms, creating a dynamic contrast between pianist Kevin Cole and the orchestra. The concert also features Richard Strauss’s Don Juan, a symphonic poem depicting the rise and fall of the legendary seducer. The orchestra will be led by world-renowned virtuoso Carl Topilow. Chosen by the late WSO Maestro Robert Franz to conduct the special Opening Night concert, Carl will surely bring energy and enthusiasm to the Capitol Theatre as the season launches.

Streetcar No. 351 Tour with Historian Bernie Drouillard

• Saturday, September 20, 2025. 1:00 p.m.
• Legacy Beacon, 780 Riverside Drive West.
• Free admission.

Learn about the fascinating history of Windsor’s Streetcar No. 351 from the local historian who helped find the car and guide its restoration.

Open Streets Windsor – West and Central Route

• Sunday, September 21, 2025. 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Free admission.

Open Streets Windsor is coming back to a neighbourhood near you! After a very successful Open Streets East End Edition in 2024, we are bringing the excitement back to the West and Central route for 2025! This year’s event will feature many new and exciting aspects as you ride, walk, explore, and enjoy this exciting community activity. Back by popular demand, attendees can collect eight unique commemorative keepsakes along the route — while supplies last. See the 2025 route overview, and learn more about this year’s route, activities, and partners on the Open Streets Windsor site.

Poetry at the Waterfront

• Tuesday, September 23, 2025. 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Legacy Beacon, 780 Riverside Drive West.
• Free admission.

Join us an evening of poetry and music at the Legacy Beacon, featuring readings by Peter Hrastovec, Windsor’s Poet Laureate; Marty Gervais, Windsor’s Poet Laureate Emeritus; and special guest local poets Dorothy Mahoney, André Narbonne, Kalie Chapman, and Emily Roe. The reading takes place from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Live music by special guests to be announced, from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Guided tours of the Streetcar No. 351 Exhibition from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Food and beverages available for purchase at the on-site Streetcar No. 351 vendor.

Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO) Onstage Folk Dances

• Thursday, September 25, 2025. 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• The Capitol Theatre, 121 University Avenue West.
• Ticket are available online and start at $25.00.

Sit where the musicians sit… onstage! The Onstage Folk Dance includes songs composed by Holst, Janáček, and Bartók that reflect a deep connection to their cultural roots. Holst’s British folk tunes, Janáček’s Moravian themes, and Bartók’s Romanian rhythms create a rich soundscape of musical storytelling. WSO Resident Conductor Geoffrey Larson leads the orchestra in this special intimate performance conceived of by Maestro Robert Franz.

Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO) Café Concert: Folk Dances

• Friday, September 26, 2025. 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Ticket are available online and start at $25.00.
• The Capitol Theatre, 121 University Avenue West.

Enjoy your morning coffee on stage with music and the WSO Café Concert: Folk Dances. The folk songs composed by Holst, Janáček, and Bartók reflect a deep connection to their cultural roots. Holst’s British folk tunes, Janáček’s Moravian themes, and Bartók’s Romanian rhythms create a rich soundscape of musical storytelling. WSO Resident Conductor Geoffrey Larson leads the orchestra in this special intimate performance conceived of by Maestro Robert Franz.

Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market

• Saturday, September 27, 2025. 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Pelissier Street between Wyandotte Street West and Park Street.
• Free admission.

At the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market, an exciting array of locally sourced farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, and irresistible artisanal food products await! Stroll through bustling stalls filled with handcrafted goods, unique local arts, and one-of-a-kind crafts from talented vendors. With lively community booths, captivating entertainment, and special events, the market pulses with energy, creating a fun, family-friendly atmosphere that brings the entire community together to celebrate the best Windsor has to offer!

Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO) Classical in the Concrete Concert & Artistic Installations Unveiling

• Saturday, September 27, 2025. 6:00 p.m.
• Pelissier Street Parking Garage Main Level.
• Free admission but advance registration is required. Available online.

Help to honour the late Maestro Robert Franz and join us for Classical in the Concrete Concert & Artistic Installations Unveiling, a free evening concert by the Windsor Symphony Orchestra as they perform on the main level of the Pelissier Street Parking Garage. Conducted by WSO Resident Conductor Geoffrey Larson, this performance will feature famous classical works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and more. The event will include the unveiling of two art installations in the downtown garage: the WSO’s “Park in Perfect Harmony” installations naming and theming each level of the garage, with musical elements; and DERKZ’s “The Language of My World” murals on the main level of the garage.

Guided tour of a New Outdoor Museum Display, “Back to School”

• Sunday, September 28, 2025. 2:30 p.m.
• François Baby House, 254 Pitt Street West.
• Free Admission.

Enjoy a tour of a new outdoor display featuring “Back to School” images from the Windsor Public Library’s Windsor Star Photo Archive. Tour starts at 2:30 p.m. Note that the François Baby House is open from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. this day. This historic residence was owned by the prominent local politician François Baby. The house was known as La Ferme locally and was a French-Canadian ribbon farm that has historical ties to the War of 1812 where it was used as a headquarters by both the American and British forces.

“The Witness Blanket” Final Days at the Chimczuk Museum

• Tuesday, September 30, 2025. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Chimczuk Museum and Art Windsor-Essex, 401 Riverside Drive West.
• Free Admission to the Chimczuk Museum and Art Windsor-Essex in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day.

This is the last opportunity to explore the Witness Blanket exhibition from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg before it closes to the public on October 1, 2025, at the Chimczuk Museum. The Witness Blanket is a powerful art installation created by master carver Carey Newman to recognize the atrocities of the residential school era, honour the children, and symbolize ongoing reconciliation. Inspired by a woven blanket, this cedar-framed replica artwork features hundreds of items from Indian residential schools, survivors, churches, governments, and other cultural sites across Canada. Each item tells a story of loss, strength, resilience, and pride.

Strengthen the Core

This month of events and experiences ties into the City of Windsor’s Strengthen the Core: Downtown Windsor Revitalization Plan, which launched in 2024 to address safety, security, and cleanliness downtown while implementing measures and supporting activations to encourage new residents, businesses, and investments in the city’s core. The month will highlight the plan’s fourth and fifth action items: Place-Making, which seeks to encourage people and businesses to move downtown by investing in infrastructure and initiatives; and Vibrant-District, which creates vibrancy by attracting and engaging residents and visitors with unique amenities, gathering spaces, and engagement opportunities.

Honouring Maestro Robert Franz

The Windsor Symphony Orchestra’s (WSO) music director Maestro Robert Franz passed away, following a four-year battle with cancer, on September 2, 2025. In 2024, as one of his many community engagement initiatives to celebrate the arts and contribute to neighbourhood revitalization, Franz teamed up with Mayor Drew Dilkens and the City of Windsor to conceive of ‘Park in Perfect Harmony’. This will be a unique installation that sees the floors of the Pelissier Street Parking Garage named after famous composers, and includes musical elements of the WSO — conducted by Franz — performing sections of the composers’ iconic works. Originally, Maestro Franz was to conduct the concert to unveil this installation. The unveiling, and the celebratory Classical in the Concrete concert will honour Maestro Franz’s memory and tremendous contributions to Windsor and the surrounding region.