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How to Host a Jane's Walk

Interested in Hosting a Jane's Walk?

We are inviting you to lead a Jane’s Walk or Talk! Anyone can be a walk leader, because everyone is an expert on the places they live, work, and play.

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Every year, cities around the world organize Jane's Walks to celebrate neighbourhoods. These walks, talks, and tours are run by volunteers and are free for the public to attend.  These events introduce attendees to the history, ecology, architecture and the people of various neighbourhoods around the region. 

 

Windsor-Essex Jane’s Walk started in 2009 and is one of the biggest festivals in Canada. 

Jane’s Walks are free to attend and are hosted by volunteers. Organizations and groups can host walks, as well as individuals.

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Why host a walk?

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Hosting a Jane’s Walk event is a meaningful way to share your work, ideas, research or passions while connecting with people who are curious and welcoming. It’s a chance to bring a project, research interest, or lived experience directly to the community. 
 

Interested in hosting a walk this year?
 

This year will be over two weekends: Friday, April 24 - Sunday, April 26 for Essex County tours and Friday, May 1 - Sunday, May 3 for Windsor-Tecumseh tours. 

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Timeline for the Windsor-Essex Jane’s Walk Festival:
 

  • Applications for expressions of interest start on January 1st, 2026: click here to access. The proposal is a general pitch for your walk: location, theme, and host information.
     

  • The deadline to submit a proposal is February 1, 2026: www.WindsorJanesWalk.ca
     

  • Our Planning Committee will review all applications and let you know in early February if your event was accepted into the festival.
     

  • If your event is accepted, we will work with you to determine details about the walk (length, starting/ending, accessibility, route). The deadline for full walk detailed submission is in March.
     

  • We will work together to develop and promote your walk from March to April. All new hosts are required to do a walk-through with a Jane’s Walk committee member prior to the festival.
     

  • The schedule and event registration will go live mid-March through WindsorJanesWalk.ca.
     

  • Festival time: Friday, April 24 - Sunday, April 26 for Essex County tours and Friday, May 1 - Sunday, May 3 for Windsor-Tecumseh tours.

 

Walk or Talk?
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Consider what is the best way to share your story. For topics that have visual examples (like nature tours, architecture, businesses) where you can visit the locations, a walking tour is a good choice. For topics where the subject is more conceptual, geographically spread out, challenging to navigate (no sidewalks, busy road) or the buildings are long gone, a Jane’s Talk might be better suited and you can highlight the topic with photos or videos.
 

Jane’s Walk:
Jane’s Walks are hour-long, guided walking tours. 
 

Jane’s Talks:
Jane’s Talks are seated presentations or panel discussions, hosted at a particular location in the community or our central wheelchair-accessible event space.

Jane’s Tours:
Jane’s Tours are one-hour, guided tours of historic buildings within the community. 

Selecting a Topic and Neighbourhood:
 

Let passion guide you! A topic comes alive when you, the host, care about it. It could be from a personal family history, a professional interest, a research project, a community or cultural connection, or where you currently live/work/gather. 
 

Set the stage for your topic. The neighbourhood you pick will be the visual backdrop for the story you are telling.  If you’re interested in the history of a particular group of people, is there a specific place where they have historically lived or gathered? If it’s about a particular era or type of architecture, is there a neighbourhood with multiple examples of that style?

Jane's Talk: Planning Your Presentation
 

Once you’ve selected your topic, determine what format you would like to present. 
 

  • Time: Jane’s Talks are either a half an hour or one hour (total).
     

  • Location: Jane’s Talks can be hosted at our central event space or at a place in the community. If your group has access to a unique and wheelchair-accessible space, you can host it there.
     

  • Format: Talks can be a Powerpoint presentation, a panel discussion, or a video presentation. We will arrange with you to get your multimedia in advance and have it set up for you.

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City Organizer Contact:

Sarah Morris
Info@WindsorJanesWalk.ca
 

More information: Facebook.com/JanesWalkYQG

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