Steep increase in demand for Stratford Direct bus service

June 11, 2014… With demand increasing for the second season of the Stratford Direct bus service, the Stratford Festival is delighted to welcome the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) as Presenting Sponsor of Stratford Direct between Toronto and Stratford. Back by popular demand, the luxury bus service offers roundtrips throughout the Festival season.

“I am so pleased to once again welcome OLG as one of our leading season partners,” says Executive Director Anita Gaffney. “Their sponsorship of Stratford Direct helps us to make the Festival as accessible as possible and ensure our patrons are able to freely enjoy their time in Stratford. Roughly 15,000 people used this service last season and we look forward to welcoming many more this year.”

The Toronto-Stratford route costs just $20 round trip. Until September 21, buses run twice daily, leaving Toronto at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and departing Stratford at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. From September 23 to October 12, buses will run once daily, leaving Toronto at10 a.m. and departing Stratford at 5 p.m. Travellers will be picked up at the Intercontinental Hotel (Front and Simcoe streets) and dropped off at each Stratford theatre.

New this season, the Festival is now offering a second route: Detroit to Stratford. At a cost of just $40 round trip, the service is available on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays until September 28. Buses leave Detroit at 8 a.m. and depart Stratford at 5 p.m. Travellers will be picked up at both Novi Town Center (Crescent Boulevard, Novi, MI) and Meijer’s Store (Little Mack Avenue, Roseville, MI), and dropped off at each Stratford theatre. Passports or Nexus cards are required for border crossing.

Both routes run on performance days only and are available with the purchase of theatre tickets. Some rare exceptions to the twice-daily Toronto bus apply on occasions when just one performance is running: if there is only a matinee, the 10 a.m. bus will run; if there is only an evening show, the 3 p.m. bus will run.

For tickets and more information, contact the box office at 1.800.567.1600 or stratfordfestival.ca.

In addition to OLG as Presenting Sponsor, Stratford Direct is generously sponsored by The Peter Cundill Foundation.

The 2014 season runs from April 21 to October 12, featuring King Lear; Crazy for You; two versions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Beaux’ Stratagem; Man of La Mancha; Alice Through the Looking-Glass; Hay Fever; King John; Mother Courage and Her Children; Antony and Cleopatra; Christina, The Girl King; and more than 200 events in The Forum.StarBuzzOnline