ACCESSIBILITY
The Freewill Shakespeare Festival strives to improve accessibility and create a welcoming and safe environment for all artists, audiences, volunteers, and staff.
Read below for more information about specific accessibility measures available for this year. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email dev@freewillshakespeare.com.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Louise McKinney Riverfront Park is located on the side of Grierson Hill. The location of Freewill is in a large grassy field between the Shumka Stage and the Chinese Garden. We are in the middle of the park, at the highest flat surface before Grierson Hill Road.
Curb cuts are on all sidewalks around the festival and there are no stairs required to access the theatre space. As you enter the Shumka Stage, there is a ramp off to the left that allows you to access the same grounds as our Port-A-Potties (2 of which are the accessible style), our concession, merchandise, and bar tents, and the performance area. The majority of the festival grounds are on grass and may be uneven.
There is a paid parking lot in close proximity to the festival grounds. It is a gravel parking lot and parking is sometimes limited. If you are able to walk 10-15 minutes in some areas with inclines/declines, we recommend that you take public transportation, walk to site, or coordinate a drop-off/carpool to reduce the need to pay for parking.
If you require additional time to enter the venue, email us at info@freewillshakespeare.com or speak to our staff when you arrive and we can provide assistance.
We are in the process of improving and implementing better Accessibility measures for our shows and festival in general. Due to the constantly evolving nature of the production process, a show specific access guide may not be available until after the production has opened. We will post it as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, or you have suggestions, please email info@freewillshakespeare.com to connect with our staff.
SERVICE
ANIMALS
Service Animals are welcome at Freewill Shakespeare Festival. If you have any questions about seating or attending, please reach out to our team at info@freewillshakespeare.com.
PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT
We are performing in Louise McKinney Riverfront Park this summer. This park is located just off of Grierson Hill and in the Edmonton River Valley.
There is a parking lot beside the ground but it is a gravel parking lot and parking is sometimes limited. If you are able to walk 10-15 minutes in some areas with inclines/declines, we recommend that you take public transportation, walk to site, or coordinate a drop-off/carpool to reduce the need to pay for parking.
There are several paid parkades, street parking, LRT stations, and bus stops in close proximity to the festival. There is also secure bike parking available on site.
Detailed information about parking and nearby transit information can be found on the Your Visit page.
Visit the ETS website for further information and schedules.
RELAXED PERFORMANCES
Though we do not have allocated Relaxed Performances this year, we invite audiences to use the outer grassed 'lobby' as a space to move and get up for self-care or regulation of emotions. Limited lighting is used in our outdoor space though louder sound effects are used in the production. If you're unsure of where to go, reach out to a staff or volunteer and they can direct you.