Stratford, city in southeastern Ontario, Canada. The seat of Perth County, Stratford is located on the Avon River. Stratford is a manufacturing and tourist center. The city's major products include motor-vehicle parts, furniture, metal and plastic goods, printed materials, and clothing. The Stratford Festival, an annual event since 1953, is a world-famous drama festival that lasts more than six months. It features productions of the plays of William Shakespeare and other playwrights, performed in three main theaters: the Festival Theatre, the Avon Theatre, and the Tom Patterson Theatre, named after the founder of the Festival. Settled in the early 1830s, the community is named for Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It was incorporated in 1885. Population 26,451 (1986); 28,987 (1996).
