Night of Dread Parade

Clay & Paper Theatre presents the annual NIGHT OF DREAD, an evening of fearful pageantry, revels and mockery. At this much loved, family-friendly, community event, Torontonians are invited to call on, mock and banish their private and collective fears through parade and pageantry, music and masquerade, dance and a devilishly good party.

Spectators are treated to a community theatrical spectacle in which the Fear of the Year for 2026 is announced and confronted. The pageant is followed by a concert in the Forest of Remembrance (in the park grove) and a bonfire where the Fire Keeper will name our fears and burn them for us. The evening ends with our audience members slipping back into the darkness of the night, hopefully, less fearful of what lies ahead of them.

2026

Starting at 5:00 pm in Dufferin Grove Park on the Basketball Court, we have live music and a participatory warm-up dance with our favourite witches. Then the Magpie Club, our youth stilt walking ensemble, opens the event with their incantation and performance.

Audience members can sign-out and carry Clay and Paper Theatre puppets as part of the park procession of our fears and lead us into the pageant. Puppet sign-out begins at 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM at Puppet Central (Dufferin Grove Rinkhouse).

Who is it for?

All ages

Tickets :
to participate: Pay-What-You-Can: Suggested $20

We ask that you please give as generously as you possibly can. Your every dollar goes to support artists so that they can create, build and perform beautiful and inspired work that is about the community and in the heart of the community that we all live in.
How to get tickets?

Donate Online

On the Pageant evening you can donate in CASH – just look for a Night of Dread Money Catcher (carrying a big black Night of Dread donation box or black top hat).

Date & Time:

Saturday, October 24, 2026 | 5 to 8:30pm

• 3:30 to 5:30 PM – PUPPET CENTRAL – Puppet/Mask and Character sign-out OPENS
• 5:00 to 5:15 PM – BASKETBALL COURT – The Dufferin Groove performs
• 5:15 to 6:00 PM – BASKETBALL COURT – Walk the Black Carpet with Clown Hosts Maxei
• 6:00 to 6:15 PM – GLADSTONE PATH – Everyone gets into order for the Theatrical Procession
• 6:15 to 6:45 PM – DUFFERIN GROVE NEIGHBOURHOOD -The Theatrical Procession begins
• 6:45 to 7:15 PM – SOCCER FIELD – The Theatrical Procession enters the Park and the Pageant begins
• 7:15 to 7:30 PM – PARK GROVE – Audience escorted through the Garden of Tomorrow Today
• 7:30 to 7:50 PM – PARK VALLEY – Concert in the Valley of Song
• 7:50 to 8:30 PM – PARK GROVE – The Garden of Tomorrow Today continues

 

Venue & Address :

 

Dufferin Grove Park, 875 Dufferin St., Toronto, ON M6H 3K8

Parade Route:

• The path running north and south through the middle of Dufferin Grove Park is called the Gladstone Path (It is a continuation of Gladstone Ave that runs north and south of the park). This procession lineup is along the Gladstone Path, pointed SOUTH this year. This is the starting point for the Parade and where all volunteer puppeteers, artists, and character performers, guests, delegates and community members/spectators will line up before we head south for a short parade along residential streets around the east section of Dufferin Grove Park.Once we return to Dufferin Grove Park through the North Entrance of Gladstone Path, we will head towards the soccer field for the pageant, where together we will celebrate, mock, and laugh at our fears. There we will meet the fear of the year for 2026!

 

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