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Celebrating all things Hamilton / Welcome Message
Arts + Culture

HAMILTON FRINGE FESTIVAL 2026 MINI-REVIEWS

HAMILTON CITY Magazine theatre reviewers have taken in Hamilton Fringe Festival shows all across our city and delivered fast and fun takes on what they see. Check them all out here, including our critics' picks for Best of Fringe! Fringe 2026 is 55 plays and 400 performances at…
Made in Hamilton

Festival of Friends at 50

The iconic Festival of Friends, a Hamilton summer music tradition, celebrates a half-century of harmonies by looking back at what makes a lasting and much-loved legacy. For the Festival of Friends, the magic is the moments. From unforgettable musical acts to iconic artists returning year after year,…
City Life

Kenadie, how do I talk to pretty girls?

Welcome to the monthly column from Hamilton drag queen Kenadie St. James! Read on for the best bad advice you’ve ever had! Hamilton, your problems are officially about to get WORSE. 💋 Local drag legend Kenadie St. James is serving up catastrophically bad life advice in her new HAMILTON…
Arts + Culture

Festival season: Summer on parade

Here is your hot 2026 summer festivals guide for Hamilton and Burlington. You’ll find everything from inaugural events to two local traditions that are turning 50 years old this year! Our summers may be short but fortunately for us, the list of local festivals is long. Spend warm-weather…
City Life

Wesley: Never standing still

The made-in-Hamilton non-profit began its work in a church basement 71 years ago. Focused on poverty, homelessness, and the complex social challenges at the root of those issues, Wesley’s more than 300 staff lead critical social programs in 17 locations in Hamilton and beyond. Ryan S. was…
Made in Hamilton

Saving the strays at Ladybird Animal Sanctuary

After rescuing nearly 1,900 animals over 16 years, Hamilton-based Ladybird Animal Sanctuary is close to creating a farm that will be a refuge for animals in desperate need. It all started with three friends working together for one unforgettable cat. Sweet Oliver the cat was the first…
City Life

FOR THE LOVE OF HAMILTON

This regular feature highlights people from all walks of life who have embraced Hamilton as their new home. PRIYA MOHAN is the founder of sariKNOTsari, a Canadian fashion brand built around one-of-a-kind upcycled silk clothing, ethical production, and the belief that women deserve to feel both comfortable…

you are HAMILTON

HAMILTON CITY Magazine’s mission is to tell the stories that celebrate the city’s past, present and future by featuring stunning photography, illustrations and world-class writing. It’s your city. It’s your magazine.


Food + Drink

ON THE MENU: WHAT’S OPENED AND CLOSED ON THE LOCAL RESTAURANT SCENE

Here's a list of what has come, gone and changed in Hamilton and Burlington in June. Launched & opening soon Burgers n’ Fries Forever (738 Burloak Dr., Burlington) This Ontario franchise has recently expanded to Burlington with its Halal Triple A Canadian beef smash…
Arts + Culture

PREVIEW: Hamilton Fringe Festival 2026

Iconic indie theatre performance festival celebrates 22 years of keeping Hamilton weird. ‘There’s room for everybody at this table,’ says festival director Chris Stanton. Festival director Chris Stanton can’t help but smile as he describes the enduring legacy and appeal of the Hamilton Fringe, the iconic independent theatre…
City Life

PRIDE Q&A: Sarah Barnhart, primary dreamer at FruitSalad

The events series for ‘lesbians, 2SLGBTQIA+ women, femmes, gender non-conforming folks, and their friends’ turns five in August. Sarah Barnhart (she/they) describes herself as the primary dreamer of FruitSalad. Originally from Burlington, Barnhart created the Hamilton-based FruitSalad after a visit to Montreal in 2021. FruitSalad is a…
Arts + Culture

Supercrawl reveals stellar 2026 lineup

Headliners Aysanabee, Protest the Hero, Mariel Buckley, The Grapes of Wrath, Murda Beatz, and William Prince join local performers Superstar Crush, Emma Whale, Golden Feather, Chore, Capitol, and Steve Strongman. For one weekend every September, James Street North in Hamilton transforms into the epicentre of Canadian music. Since…
Arts + Culture

Book lovers can find the romance in Hamilton

Steel Town Love, a one-day festival dedicated to romance books, is coming to the Central Library on July 11. Hamilton will be right up there with the romance capitals of the world, when the Hamilton Public Library central branch hosts the second annual romance book festival Steel…
Arts + Culture

PREVIEW: Harold Pinter’s Old Times burrows into ‘dark, unspoken places’

Production brings together four old friends, including local theatre giant Gary Smith as director, for the British playwright’s intriguing and haunting tale about memory, power and desire. Long-time area actor and director Dia Gupta Frid formed her production company, Frid Pro Quo at the end of 2025 and…
City Life

Kenadie St. James: Bad Advice from a Good Drag Queen

Hamilton, your problems are officially about to get WORSE. 💋 Local drag legend Kenadie St. James is serving up catastrophically bad life advice in her new HAMILTON CITY Magazine column: Bad Advice From A Good Drag Queen. Think Dear Abby … if Abby was wearing six-inch heels, three…
Made in Hamilton

OPINION: Election 2026 is the time to build

The last municipal election saw just over 35 per cent of eligible Hamiltonians vote. We must do better this time because this city needs to deliver on its potential.  October 2026 will define Hamilton’s next chapter. We are entering a municipal election that will shape how our…