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Celebrating all things Hamilton / Welcome Message
City Life

PRIDE: Kenadie, how do you shake off judgment?

Welcome to the first 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…
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…
Arts + Culture

THE PLAYLIST

Born Ruffians – Beauty’s Pride For a band that once felt like it might combust from sheer nervous energy and mileage logged, Born Ruffians have aged in a surprisingly graceful, and still charmingly unpredictable way. Beauty’s Pride finds the long-running Toronto/Hamilton group loosening their grip on that early, jittery urgency…
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…
City Life

7 2SLGBTQIA+ leaders you should know

In honour of Pride in June, we asked inspiring local advocates and community leaders about their work, why marking Pride matters, what needs to change at the local level, and their greatest wish for the communities they serve. These are just seven Hamiltonians who champion 2SLGBTIA+ people locally.
Arts + Culture

Silverstein never stands still

Twenty-six years,13 albums, and a million records sold later, and the Burlington-born hardcore/punk band continues to defy the odds. Silverstein began making music during a fertile period in heavy guitar rock. The turn of the millennium saw guitar rock genres splinter into even more subgenres as bands borrowed…
Arts + Culture

PRIDE: Queer and crafting in Hamilton

QUARTZ: Queer Art Hang at the Art Gallery of Hamilton and Queer Craft Club at Hamilton Craft Studios offers an oulet for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to gather and create. If you are queer and into crafting, you have two options to let your creative flag fly and…
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 May. Launched & opening soon Chubby Tiger (2016 Victoria Ave., Burlington) Early reviewers have described the cuisine at Chubby Tiger as reminiscent of food court Canadian Chinese fare, with…
Arts + Culture

Cadence Weapon wants you to stop scrolling and start listening

Rollie Pemberton, aka Cadence Weapon, is done with treating music as background filler. In his new book Ways of Listening, the Hamilton rapper explores the transition from record bins to algorithms and reimagines how we can reclaim a deep connection with music in the age of streaming. When…
Arts + Culture

For Spoons, ‘Old Emotions’ are new again

Burlington band that had a string of hits in the 1980s, is releasing a new album and taking on a new musical sound. By Jenna Yeomans and Stephen Metelsky  Nov. 1, 2025. The bottom of the 11th inning of the World Series at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The Jays…
Arts + Culture

incite: Delivering on a mission

Since the incite Foundation for the Arts was formed in 2011, it has donated $11 million to local arts organizations. On its 15th anniversary, the incite Foundation for the Arts is reaffirming its mission to revolutionize support for the arts in the greater Hamilton community.  incite strives to…
Food + Drink

Delicious and Indigenous

There are a growing number of notable food options in Six Nations, along with a beloved Indigenous-owned diner in Hamilton. Six Nations & Beyond  Just south of the city, not far from the edges of Hamilton, is the community of Six Nations. With a whole variety of…
Arts + Culture

Hamilton’s music scene: What is and what could be

Music writer Dylan Hudecki asked Hamilton’s music insiders for their opinions about how to keep the local music scene thriving and reinventing itself. Think of it as a suggestion box to turn up the volume on Hamilton. Hamilton’s music scene continues to thrive as one of Canada’s most…
Food + Drink

DINING DISTRICTS: A Locke on food

This interesting west Hamilton street is ever-evolving, with newcomers joining long-time eateries to make for a true foodie destination. On the whole, my visits to Locke Street have all been linked to food. It must be said that I can think of over a dozen eateries that closed…
City Life

CITY VIEW: A Hamilton storyteller

Annette Hamm is about to retire after being part of the CHCH News team since 1986. We talked to her about her career and what Hamilton means to her. ANNETTE HAMM is retiring next month after a 40-year career at CHCH. She's spent the last 21 of those…

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

Take advantage of these stress-free holiday dinner options

Festive takeout dinners from local restaurants and shops ease the planning and exhaustion of Christmas meals and let you spend time with family and friends instead. The holidays are a time for gathering with loved ones around a bountiful feast. But as a food writer and recipe developer…
City Life

The transformative potential of slower streets

Everyone wins when vehicles move at lower speeds and when pedestrian and cyclist safety is prioritized. Sometimes transformative change comes from a major development or initiative. Few would argue the long-term potential something like light-rail transit will have on making Hamilton a more economically and environmentally sustainable…
Made in Hamilton

Get creative with kids this Christmas

If you’ve got a child in your life and want to give them a special gift, experience or memory this holiday season, check out these unique – and local – ideas. Practical Threads Sparrow Stitches' handiwork is the definition of homemade. Handmade in Lianne’s home, her sewn…
Arts + Culture

Labour’s new stories

Tara Bursey, executive director of the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, has shifted the non-profit from a place of permanent exhibits to one built around the views of local artists and the community about the present and future of work. From its start as a hub for…
City Life

Talking with trees

Urban environmental artist Lesia Mokrycke has developed a database of trees in Hamilton that are older than the city itself.  Lesia Mokrycke is telling the stories of the city’s old-growth trees. Hamilton is home to oak trees believed to be more than 300 years old, including some…
Food + Drink

The Cat is back

Beloved John Street South pub and live music venue the Cat & Fiddle has reopened under new ownership.  When Reg Collett and Dario Pacini first opened the Cat ’N’ Fiddle in 1993, it quickly became one of the city’s best spots, most notably for its Wednesday night…
Arts + Culture

Junkhouse reunites for Hamilton show Dec. 1

Hometown show at Bridgeworks marks 30 years for breakthrough debut album Strays, which is essentially a folk record, says frontman Tom Wilson. It went gold and launched the rock career of the band. In the pantheon of quintessential Hamilton bands, Junkhouse ranks right up there with Crowbar and…
City Life

Holiday train rolls through Hamilton

The festive display of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday Train, featuring 14 railcars decorated with thousands of lights, attracted crowds to Gage Park on Wednesday. The train also featured music performances from Canadian act Kiesza and Australian country music duo Seaforth. The train, which travels across…