52 Things to Do in Hamilton
In The Insiders Guide to Fun in the Hammer, local writer Jason Allen shares a weekly activity for those looking to explore their hometown.
When Jason Allen first moved to Hamilton nearly 20 years ago, he fell in love with the city, exploring its trails, waterways, and local arts scenes. Now, through his new book, 52 Things to Do in Hamilton: The Insider's Guide to Fun in the Hammer, he wants other people to do the same, whether they’re newcomers to Hamilton, rediscovering it in retirement, or just passing through.
Compiling a wide range of activities, one for each week, Allen shares his favourite Hamilton places, festivals, and events — a project partly fuelled by social media.
“There has been a huge influx of people moving to Hamilton in the past 10 years or so,” says Allen, who is originally from southern Alberta, and has lived in Calgary, Guelph, Toronto, Buffalo, Los Angeles and Reno. “I found myself spending a lot of time on my neighbourhood Facebook group answering the question — ‘What’s happening this weekend?’” Told in 52 essays, each under 600 words, the book is an entertaining answer to that question.
Asked what makes him an “insider” to Hamilton, Allen credits his insatiable curiosity about the city. “I’m constantly exploring and wanting to find out new things about the place we call home,” he says. Hamilton’s polar bear dip, Supercrawl, and Dundurn Castle’s kitchen garden are a few of his picks. He’s also drawn from his experiences as an environmentalist and host of the Environmental Urbanist podcast.
“You’ll notice there are perhaps more nature/outdoor experiences than you might expect from a city with such a strong industrial history. But we live in a really beautiful part of the world,” he says. “Another thing I tried to do was include as many events that were accessible by HSR as possible. Any opportunity to explore and leave the car at home is a good thing.”
So, with so many options in Hamilton, how did Allen narrow activities down? He had a few rules! Events had to be running for at least three years, and he tried to strike a balance between paid and free events.
Allen, who wrote the book at his home in Kirkendall and the Strathcona Market, says Hamilton has something for anyone, whether they want to play shinny on a pond or dance with stilt walkers wrapped in strings of lights on Solstice.
“If people who live here don’t find themselves engaged or interested in what’s going on, I’d say they just need to grab a copy of this book and make a plan to get out and explore!”
