Jane’s Walk is a volunteer-run festival that began in Toronto as a tribute to author and urban thinker Jane Jacobs, whose work championed community knowledge, everyday streets, and walking as a way to understand and improve cities. Today, Jane’s Walk is a free, annual festival of volunteer-led walking conversations that takes place in over 500 cities around the world on the first weekend of May.
During these neighbourhood walks, local residents share stories, observations, and insights about the places they live, work, and move through every day.
The way in which a Jane’s Walk festival arrives in a city is quite organic. A resident, small group, or organization decides they want to host the festival, and from there, local organizers act as connectors, putting out calls for walk leaders, supporting logistics, and linking their city to the global Jane’s Walk network through janeswalk.org. Every city looks a little different. Some festivals are informal and grassroots, while others are supported by municipalities, institutions, or nonprofits.
Because the festival is entirely volunteer-powered, it depends on people who care deeply about their communities. That passion is its strength, and also its vulnerability. When an organizer’s capacity changes, the future of the festival can suddenly feel uncertain.
In Halifax, that uncertainty became real during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when the local Jane’s Walk festival came to a halt. Like many community events, it paused without a clear timeline for return.
In 2022, Emily Miller, a Halifax resident and long-time Jane’s Walk participant, started searching for information about whether the festival would return.
“I started looking to see if Jane’s Walk would be happening that year, because they’re such a wonderful part of the community here.“
Emily had first attended Jane’s Walk to support friends who were leading walks, but she kept coming back year after year. When she saw that the Halifax organizer role was open, she stepped forward, with just two months to bring the festival back
“I always loved the walks that I went on.”
Jane’s Walk leaves no physical trace behind. What remains is a deeper sense of place, new connections, and sometimes the spark for advocacy or local projects. To help rebuild momentum after two years of inactivity, Emily organized through an existing Facebook group of more than 1,000 Halifax residents who already knew and missed the festival.
Even so, expectations were uncertain. After such a long pause, it was hard to know how many people would participate. Emily decided to stay grounded, attend as many walks as possible to support leaders, and focus on creating the conditions for others to share what they cared about.
She partnered with local bookstores and authors to create window displays featuring Jane Jacobs’ books alongside works by local writers for all ages. She also secured a Canadian youth grant that helped fund a website and printed promotional materials.
What followed exceeded expectations. Fifteen walks, not the two or three she had anticipated.
“I am always so amazed at the people that put their hands up and volunteer, they are so passionate about their little corner of the city and community, and want to share that with other people, my expectations are always exceeded”
On the day of her first walk as the new organizer, Emily turned the corner to find around 30 people waiting to begin.
“They were from all walks of life, I was so excited, that was such a special moment to me, I thought oh my goodness, it’s happening”
Over the next several years, Jane’s Walk Halifax continued to grow. Emily estimates that close to 800 people participate every year in walks and related events, including documentary screenings and bookstore pop-ups. Most years featured between 15 and 20 walks, all coordinated by a small group of volunteers balancing jobs, personal lives, and limited resources.
Like many Jane’s Walk festivals, Halifax faces ongoing funding challenges. While the festival is free and open to everyone, it relies on community support to cover basic costs. Still, for Emily, the value of Jane’s Walk shows up most clearly in the moments between the formal programming.
“Obviously, learning from the walk lead is super cool, but when people, neighbors, and community members are having informal chats along the walks and connecting; that what’s so special to me about Jane’s Walk festival”
Participants often reach out afterward to say it is their favourite weekend of the year, or that they have discovered new layers of their city despite living there for decades. Even Emily says she now experiences Halifax differently, carrying new stories and details into her everyday life.
“We had someone email us and say thank you so much for this. This was the first time in several years that he felt connected to his community and happy to leave his house.“
By the end of 2025, Emily’s capacity shifted, prompting a search for new Jane’s Walk Halifax organizers. This time, however, the festival was not starting from scratch. Years of effort had built templates, workflows, partnerships, and community trust. Emily and her team remained ready to support whoever stepped into the role next.
“I really want Jane’s Walk to continue. I know I could do it, but I think some fresh energy would be really helpful.”
Her advice to future organizers is simple. Stay curious, stay connected, and do not be afraid to reach out.
Recently, Emily shared that several new volunteers have stepped into the organizer role to support the upcoming festival. It is another reminder that Jane’s Walk continues because people choose to step forward.
Across the Jane’s Walk network, many organizers could benefit from more helping hands. If you have skills in coordination, logistics, recruitment, fundraising, partnerships, or promotion, or simply curiosity about your city and its communities, consider reaching out to your local Jane’s Walk organizers to offer support.
You can find organizer contact information by visiting janeswalk.org and looking up your city. If your city is not listed, you can sign up to host the first Jane’s Walk festival using the form on the Cities page.
This year’s festival takes place from May 1st to the 3rd. Calls for walk leaders will be opening soon. If you have a story, issue, or place close to your heart, stay connected to your city’s Jane’s Walk platforms to register a walk or attend one.
We wish Halifax, and all Jane’s Walk organizers, the best as they prepare for this year’s festival, and extend our gratitude to past and present volunteers who continue to build connection, belonging, and shared understanding in their cities.
See you out there, May 1st to 3rd!
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