Shakespeare, Ontario

	Shakespeare
	Settlement
	256px
	Motto: Where Antique and Unique Meet
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Perth
Municipality	Perth East
Elevation	374 m (1,227 ft)
Coordinates	Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Population	3,000 (2006)
Founded	1832
Timezone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code	N0B 2P0
Area code	519, 226
	Location of Shakespeare in Ontario

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Shakespeare is a village and designated place within the municipality of Perth East in Perth County, Ontario, Canada with a population of 750 in 2006. Shakespeare is located on the Highway 7/8, just east of Stratford (named after Stratford upon Avon, England) and west of Kitchener.

History

Shakespeare was founded in 1832 by David Bell, and used to be known as Bell's Corner. The name changed from Bell's Corner to Shakespeare in 1852 when Alexander Mitchell suggested naming the town after his favourite playwright.

Events

Every year Shakespeare celebrates the town community with its own holiday called Field day. Field Day is celebrated in early June on a Saturday. The event begins with the annual Fireman's Breakfast at the Shakespeare Optimist Hall, and is followed by a themed parade in the morning. Throughout the day there are fun events for children including races, games, and jumpy castles. In the evening, the town gathers for the Shakespeare Community Athletic Association (SCAA) Fish Fry and Dance. Shakespeare celebrated its 65th Field day in 2012.