Join us for our International Women’s Day community celebration, Sunday March 8, 2026 from 11am-1pm at the Guelph Farmer’s Market (2 Gordon St.).

We’ll be holding Guelph’s annual Women on the Bridge rally, as well as featuring a drag show, dance and movement, community art collaborations and more.

Snacks and beverages provided, courtesy of Women That Give and the CFUW. Our friends at The Guildsmen Cafe will also be on hand with warm beverages, and Retour Bistro will have a small menu of delicious food for sale.

Free to attend. All are welcome!

This event is brought to you by the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW), the Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity (GRCGED), G-W Women in Crisis, the YMCA-YWCA of Three Rivers and Zonta Guelph.

It’s generously sponsored by the District 18 Status of Women Committee of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation and we thank them for their support!

We also thank Women That Give, whose work centres around enhancing the lives of marginalized women, women survivors of gbv and women in need, and their families. Become a partner, donor to benefit our community members. Visit womenthatgive.ca/programs to learn more.

About International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is celebrated globally every year on March 8 to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women and girls. Across the world, we honour women’s accomplishments and push for women’s rights.

This year’s theme is: “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” The U.N. says:

“Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls” calls for action to dismantle all barriers to equal justice: discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, and harmful practices and social norms that erode the rights of women and girls.

Come on out to celebrate women, girls and femme folks and to create a future where we all can thrive.

Schedule of Events

11:00-11:30am Poster Making and Women on the Bridge Rally

11:30-11:45am Welcome and Mingle

11:45am-12:45pm Performances

12:45-1:00pm Closing

11:00-11:30am Women on the Bridge

“Women on the Bridge” rallies are a yearly tradition in Guelph on International Women’s Day. We’ll meet at the Market at 11am for a short poster-making session, then head to Veteran’s Memorial Bridge (by the Market Parkade) to unfurl our banner and raise our voices in support of women’s rights. Then we’ll have a short march back to the Market to start our celebration.

Wear pink and purple to support women and gender-diverse people. Bring signs if you have them, but more importantly, bring your voices!

11:30-11:45am Welcome and Mingle

11:45am-12:15pm Drag Show with Chimaera, Kamilla Flores and Kara Melle

Chimaera (she/her) is a 24-year-old drag powerhouse from Hamilton, Ontario — the Mediterranean Mythic! She is a drag performer, designer, academic diva, and fashionista. She has given a TEDx Talk validating drag as a form of employment, and her work surrounding it has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine, spotlighted on CBC, and recognized across both academic and creative spheres. There’s always intention in her craft and homage to her roots and culture. Catch her twirling on a stage near you, and keep an eye out for her designs internationally!

Kamilla Flores, the Latina glamour and comedy queen, is a charismatic and uproarious performer who brings laughter and joy to the stage with her quick wit and humour. With a name that evokes the beauty of blossoming flowers, Kamilla Flores exudes an energy that lights up any room!

Kara Melle (she/her) is a Kingston, Jamaica–born drag performer lighting up stages across Ontario and beyond. Known as the Tri-City area’s premier Beyoncé tribute artist, Kara delivers high-energy, show-stopping performances inspired by iconic live moments.

Rooted in the legacy of powerful Black women, her drag blends pop culture, humour, and cultural awareness into every strut, rhinestone, and lip quiver. Grateful for life’s sweet surprises, Kara Melle aims to share that sweetness, one unforgettable performance at a time.

12:30-12:45pm Expressive Dance Movement Workshop: A Fusion of Cultures with Ishaa Vinod Chopra (she/her)

Through Cultural Dance Movement and Yoga (Indian, Latin, and Folk styles), we will explore dance movement for the purpose of pursuing a hobby, rather than merely replicating choreography.

“Dance is like meditation where the dancer is free of all worldly thoughts and transcends into another world. The world of a dancer doesn’t have abnormalities or normalities in it… It is this world that I want to live in- devoid of any judgments or labels. The chaos of our thoughts can be silenced in order to soak in the beauty of world’s creation , achieving stillness.”– a quote from Ishaa’s memoir Finding Order in Disorder

Ishaa is an MSc. Thesis Candidate in Critical Family and Kinship Studies with a Collaborative Specialization in Gender, Sexualities and Bodies at the University of Guelph, Canada.

She is the Founder and Executive Director of Finding Order in Disorder Foundation – a Non-Profit & Arts Collective named after her award-winning memoir that seeks to explore projects such as hybrid podcasts, therapeutic dance and community engagement for mental wellness.

Her education spans degrees in Early Childhood Education and Performing Arts – Indian Classical Dance Kathak – Trained under Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe – she has performed within community settings and festivals over three continents – in Germany, Spain, India and now Canada. Her work is featured in Association of Early Childhood Education- AECEO’s eceLINK journal, student blog, and Solutions Project Podcast featuring her current research supervisor and mentor, Dr. Adam W.J. Davies.

Find out more at: www.findingorderindisorder.com

12:45-1pm Closing Songs with the Raging Grannies

For the latest news on the event, please follow @gwwic on social media.

Hope to see you there!