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Arts + Culture

Hamilton stars at the Hamilton Film Festival

The 21-year-old film event features 100 shorts, documentaries and features, from established and new filmmakers, shown over 10 days. Here we talk with festival director Nathan Fleet and Hamilton filmmakers Rita Chiarelli, Liv Ellis, Maddy Foley, and Jeff Robinson. The Hamilton Film Festival works every year to…
City Life

State of the City: Hamilton needs 50 ideas to turn around the downtown

Business leaders, urban planners, and police officials call for well-executed small wins, stronger partnerships with other levels of government, and coordinated community action to restore confidence in the city’s core. Hamilton’s downtown revival will depend as much on fixing everyday problems as it does on major infrastructure…
Arts + Culture

Learning to Breathe: Clara Hughes discovers life beyond the finish line

After a lifetime of pushing her body to extraordinary limits, the six-time Olympic medallist found herself facing an unfamiliar opponent: stillness. In her new memoir, the cyclist and speed skater explores a devastating injury, menopausal upheaval, and buried trauma that forced her to rethink everything she thought she…
Arts + Culture

Staats shines at folk awards in Hamilton

The Ontario Folk Music Awards kicked off the five-day Folk Canada conference taking place in downtown Hamilton. Six Nations of the Grand River singer-songwriter Logan Staats won big, along with Tanika Charles and Aysanabee at the awards show hosted by Terra Lightfoot. Six Nations of the Grand River…
City Life

CANDIDATE SURVEY: HAMILTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION 2026

The Hamilton Arts Council, Hamilton Phil, and HAMILTON CITY Magazine have teamed up to produce a four-question survey of mayoral and ward candidates vying for seats at City council in the Oct. 26 municipal election. Read on to for the candidates' thoughts about arts and culture in Hamilton.
Food + Drink

Your ultimate Hamilton fun & food guide

Are you looking to play with your food? From bowling, escape rooms, and axe throwing to open mics, batting cages, karaoke bars, and board game cafés, you'll never have to choose between a great meal and a great time. We’ve all been there. You and your besties are…
Arts + Culture

A winding musical road

James Bryan has had a long and varied career as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, mentor, and concert producer who has worked with huge names in music in a variety of genres, and fronted two successful Canadian bands. His animated pop duo Prozzak will play FirstOntario Concert…
Arts + Culture

PREVIEW: Crown Point Players presenting unique companion plays

Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon features two one-act plays set in 1970s Texas, one with an all-female cast and the other with an all male cast. It will run at Crown & Press from Oct. 16 to 24. New theatre company Crown Point Players is presenting…
Food + Drink

Buzz worthy: 5 restaurants in Hamilton, Burlington generating social media love

When you can’t make a decision about what restaurant to go to or order from, you simply can’t go wrong with any of these choices. These are eateries that consistently generate glowing reviews from patrons. Visit while they’re hot! Cowabunga 4.5-star average on Google Reviews Cowabunga…
Food + Drink

Jerk, done right

We are spoiled for local restaurants bringing big, bold Caribbean flavour to the table – just in time for the arrival of cooler weather. There is something heart-warming about the bold delicious flavours of a jerk chicken dish – some spice, some sweetness, and a…

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Arts + Culture

New season at Aquarius features Frozen and plenty of Canada

Disney musical, Agatha Christie mystery, comedy set in Hamilton, Gen X mashup, and play based on music of The Tragically Hip make up the 2025-2026 lineup. Theatre Aquarius’s next season seems tailor made for the buy Canadian sentiment that is surging right now in the face of U.S.
Arts + Culture

REVIEW: ‘Family entertainment that will make almost anyone chuckle’

Hamilton Theatre Inc.'s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee features great performances and plenty of fun. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, presented by Hamilton Theatre Inc., has been enjoying a robust mid-winter run spurred on by enthusiastic (and interactive!) audiences. It has three remaining performances…
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 February. Launched 7 Wonders Diner (96 George St., Hamilton)Housed in the pastel-hued building that was recently home to Electric Diner’s first location in Hess Village, 7 Wonders Diner offers a substantial brunch menu.
Arts + Culture

GALLERY: Time Isn’t Real exhibition

Art Gallery of Burlington show, running until April 27, reminds us that there are many ways to consider time. “Time Isn’t Real” invites visitors to reflect on the fluidity of time and its relationship to one of the oldest and most enduring art forms—ceramics. The exhibition takes…
City Life

Maple syrup is a tasty rite of spring

Tapping trees, collecting sap and boiling it down for a delicious syrup is a time-consuming but satisfying endeavour. But you don’t have to do all that to enjoy maple syrup season locally. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Not Christmas, although that’s pretty great. And it’s…
Arts + Culture

REVIEW: Casey and Diana is powerful, gripping, funny and hopeful

This play, set at the height of fear and death caused by the AIDS pandemic, will stick with you long after you leave the theatre. How do you manage to live when you are dying? How do you navigate relationships and find compassion in an era of…
Arts + Culture

Theatre Aquarius will debut new musical based on music of The Hip

It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken is being produced by theatre superstars David and Hannah Mirvish and Michael Rubinoff and will hit the Hamilton stage in 2026.   It seems like the perfect time to be talking about a musical based on the music of Canada’s…
Arts + Culture

gritLIT opens a new chapter

Launch party at Theatre Aquarius marks an exciting new page for Hamilton's literary festival. It was a chilly evening, but the vibe was warm Tuesday as gritLIT, Hamilton’s premiere literary festival, celebrated the launch of its April 2025 event in the lobby of Theatre Aquarius. Hosted by Lishai…