Athlone Village Towns

Welcome to Woodstock

What makes Woodstock special? It’s the tree-lined streets with century-old homes, abundant parkland and friendly citizens. It’s the vibrant cultural atmosphere. It’s our excellent city services. And it’s our strong sense of community.

But most of all, it’s the people that live here that make it special.

We have programs and services that appeal to the young-in-age and the young-at-heart, to families and singles, to newcomers and to long-time residents. We have something for everyone.

Explore all the reasons why almost 40,000 people call Woodstock their home.

Dowtown Woodstock

In 1792, Sir John Graves Simcoe became Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada and for the next 5 years, laid plans for the development of the interior of Upper Canada.

Simcoe passed through the area now known as Woodstock, and noted it a suitable “Town Plot.” The military road ,stretching from Burlington Bay through Woodstock to London, provided an overland supply route for the safe movement of troops and settlers. Simcoe named this road Dundas Street after Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.

On January 1, 1851, Woodstock became a town. In 1902, Woodstock’s population was 8,833 and after petitioning the provincial legislature, Woodstock became a city!

Welcome to Woodstock

The Downtown Woodstock Business Improvement Area (BIA) strives to enhance the beauty, commercial vitality and unique character of the downtown.

Thanks to their hard work, our downtown is a bustling area, filled with boutique shops, great restaurants and cafés, and exciting bits of culture.

There’s lots of free parking so come visit Downtown Woodstock and shop, dine, work and play!

Festivals & Fairs

Summer Street Fest

Summer StreetFest brings in more than 30 entertainment acts and over 175 street vendors of all kinds. It’s no wonder 30,000 people attend every year!

The Woodstock Farm & Craft Market

The Woodstock Annual Fair

Beautiful Parks

Woodstock has over 350 hectares of parks and trails in the city, including:

If you’re looking for a scenic walk through the bush, a playground to take the kids or a place to run your dog, there’s a spot for you.

There are over 30 kilometres of trails developed by the City of Woodstock, Woodstock Rotary Club, Woodstock Lions Club and Youth Start. The trail follows the banks of the Thames River, through mixed hardwood and softwood forests, marshland and some retired agricultural areas. Woodstock Trails offer parking, outdoor toilets, benches, walking, cycling, cross-country skiing, leashed dog walking, snow shoeing

Thames River

The Thames River is located in southwestern Ontario, Canada.

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Called Askunessippi (Anishinaabe language: Eshkani-ziibi, “the antlered river”) by the Odawa and Ojibwa inhabitants, who together with the Neutrals have lived in the area since before Europeans arrived, the river was named after the River Thames in England by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1793.

Much of the Thames is surrounded by deciduous Carolinian forests.