"Our community producers are incredibly important to us," Scott Hill, general manager of Flato Markham Theatre, told the Markham Review this month. "These organizations are creating opportunities for local artists and audiences, and we're always proud to be a part of what they do."
Flato's calendar shows what he means. Most coverage of the 2026/27 Diamond Season, now in the theatre's 41st year, goes to the touring names. Between those dates, the 527-seat room on Town Centre Boulevard is booked by a community orchestra, a concert band of more than 80 members, a volunteer film society, a community theatre company and the arts program at Unionville High School. For anyone at Walden Pond, on Highway 7 at Bullock Drive, that local half of the calendar is a short ride down the same road, and most of its tickets cost $10 to $50.
The Diamond Season brings Brass Transit, a tribute to Chicago, on Friday, November 13. The next Diamond Season headliner is Canadian Brass on Friday, November 27. The Markham Review describes the Diamond Season as resuming "after the community presentations," and the theatre's calendar fills the gap like this:
That is close to two weeks of programming in the theatre's busiest season, with no touring headliner on the bill. The same pattern shows up on a smaller scale through October and December.
Kindred Spirits Orchestra plays two Saturday nights at 8 p.m. Elegance and Imagination on October 17 is an orchestral gala of Ravel, Mozart and Franck. Romance in Blue and Gold on December 5 moves to Liszt, Rachmaninov and Debussy. Prices are the same for both concerts and depend on the seat: adults pay $42 to $50, seniors $33.60 to $40 and youth $25.20 to $30.
Markham Concert Band is the "MCB" on the theatre's calendar. It is a community band of more than 80 members, and it plays a four-concert series at Flato. Strike Up the Band is Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m., and A Seasonal Celebration follows on Sunday, December 6. Single tickets are $30 for adults, $21 for seniors and students, and $10 for children, plus a $5 handling charge. The theatre's own $20 YouthTIX price covers most Diamond Season shows, which makes the band's child ticket half that rate.
Markham at the Movies is a volunteer-run series that brings award-winning TIFF films to Markham, including titles mainstream cinemas don't usually show. Every ticket is $15. On Tuesday, October 27 at 7 p.m. the series shows Akashi, a multigenerational love story set between Vancouver and Tokyo, presented by Amica Unionville. On Tuesday, November 24 it shows The Choral, a drama about putting together a choir in wartime Yorkshire, presented by Stouffville Medical Research Institute. The film stars Ralph Fiennes and was directed by Nicholas Hytner.
Markham Little Theatre is directing Present Laughter under Shelagh Carlini. Coward's farce follows the actor Garry Essendine as he tries to fend off friends and admirers while he gets ready for an overseas tour. The listing does not show a ticket price, so check the box office for that one.
Diamond Season shows mostly start at 8 p.m. The community calendar spreads into daytime slots:
Hill gave the Markham Review his reason for the morning show: "Live performance should be something everyone has the opportunity to experience."
Some of the most local programming comes from the high school down the street. The York Region District School Board lists Unionville High School at 201 Town Centre Boulevard, and the theatre is at 171. The school runs Arts Unionville, a program of eight specialized courses in dance, drama, music or visual arts for artistically talented students.
On Tuesday, November 3, Arts Unionville puts on a performance at Flato from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. A presentation on the program and its auditions follows from 7:30 to 8:30. The performance ticket is $15. On Tuesday, December 8 at 7 p.m., the theatre's calendar lists UHS Music: Winter Fantasia 2026. The calendar also shows a December 9 date, so confirm that one with the box office.
The touring roster is the frame around everything above. Here are the Diamond Season dates from now through New Year's Eve, according to the City of Markham's season announcement:
Set Kindred Spirits Orchestra's December 5 concert and Markham Concert Band's December 6 matinee into that list, and the first weekend of December has a show on three days in a row, from Aglukark on Friday night to the band on Sunday afternoon.
Walden Pond is on Highway 7, and York Region Transit lists Route 1 Highway 7 and Viva purple among the routes that serve Flato Markham Theatre. Route 40 Unionville Local and Route 68B Warden also stop there. Schedules can change, so check YRT's trip planner for evening times before a show. Drivers get free parking at the theatre. The box office is at 905.305.7469.
YRT says the theatre hosts more than 300 live performances a year across a season that runs from September to May. For the rest of this fall, many of those shows are put on by people who live in Markham. If you'd like to explore more of what's close to home, our Walden Pond neighbourhood guide and our look at the August weekend on Main Street Unionville are good places to start.
At Walker Parker Real Estate, we follow the Markham calendar as closely as we follow the condo market, because it shapes what everyday life at Walden Pond actually looks like. If you're thinking about how a move along this stretch of Highway 7 fits your plans, we'd be glad to talk it through with you. Book a Consultation.
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