Ajax stretches along six kilometres of Lake Ontario shoreline, and the town's wartime story is written into its parks, streets and memorials. Pair a lakeside walk with a historic church turned theatre, and you have a full date without leaving town. Here are Ajax date ideas for late 2026, with no casino required.

Along the Ajax Waterfront Trail

Ajax Waterfront: The town's waterfront trail runs for more than seven kilometres beside the lake and is part of the Waterfront Trail and the Trans-Canada Trail. Start at Rotary Park, where Duffins Creek meets the lake, and walk east to Lion's Point. It sits 20 metres above the rocky shore, the highest spot on the waterfront, and on a clear day you can see Toronto in the distance.

The Ajax Waterfront Park along Lake Ontario.

Naval history at Veterans' Point Gardens

Veterans' Point Gardens: At the foot of Harwood Avenue, this lakeside garden is shaped like a ship's prow in honour of HMS Ajax, the ship the town is named after. Its four paths stand for the production lines of the wartime munitions plant that started the community. Read the signs together, then look for the Ajax Legacy Obelisk nearby. Many local streets are named after sailors from the Battle of the River Plate.

A show in a former 1871 church

Ajax Centre for the Arts: The town's 150-seat theatre on Church Street South fills a High Victorian Gothic church built in 1871 for the Irish families who settled historic Pickering Village. Look up at the octagonal spire and the stained glass windows bearing the names of early families, then find your seats. Seating is general admission, so arrive a little early to pick good ones.

Veterans' Point Gardens in Ajax, a lakeside memorial shaped like a ship's prow.

Movie nights and decade dances

Ajax events calendar: The Centre for the Arts runs a busy season into spring 2027. Retro Reels brings classic films back to the big screen, the TIFF Film Circuit screens recent festival films, and the Decade Dances series turns the theatre into a dance floor themed on a different era each time. Pick one series and make it your monthly date.

Marsh views at Carruthers Marsh

Carruthers Marsh: On the eastern end of the waterfront, Carruthers Marsh offers wide, quiet views and a pavilion with washrooms. Look for WoodHaven, a set of forged metal panels by Mark Puigmarti, on the pavilion, then stroll back along the shore as the light fades.

A stretch of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail beside Lake Ontario in Ajax.

Sample Date Itineraries

1. Shoreline and history: Rotary Park → a walk east to Lion's Point → Veterans' Point Gardens at the foot of Harwood Avenue.

2. Dinner and a classic film: Dinner near Church Street → a Retro Reels screening at the Ajax Centre for the Arts.

3. East end evening: A sunset walk at Carruthers Marsh → a Decade Dances night at the Centre for the Arts.

Pro Tips for Memorable Dates

Buy theatre tickets through the Town of Ajax or the Centre for the Arts website; tickets from other sources may not be honoured.
Outside food and drinks aren't allowed in the theatre, but snacks are sold on site.
Dress for the wind. The lake breeze at Lion's Point is noticeably cooler than in town.
Ajax Community Theatre sells its own tickets, separate from the Centre's box office.
Bring a camera for the view of the Toronto skyline from Lion's Point.

Ajax is a lakeside town with a story to tell. Walk the shore, learn a little naval history, and end the night in a 150-year-old church.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Photo credits: Ajax Waterfront Park by Dillan Payne, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Veterans' Point Gardens by Boycie-N, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Waterfront Trail in Ajax by Boycie-N, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.