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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…

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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.


Made in Hamilton

The Salvation Army: Behind the front lines

You know the red collection kettles but they are just a holiday symbol of all The Salvation Army does throughout the year. Here is a range of people and programs you can think about when you hear volunteers ringing those bells this season. When thinking about The Salvation…
City Life

Life in the City

PHOTOS BY BRENT PERNIAC, DONNA WAXMAN AND GARY GREEN Click on an image to expand to a slide show! St. Joseph's Healthcare hosted its annual A Mental Health Morning presented by ArcelorMittal Dofasco at Michelangelo's, Oct. 4, Lynn Keane, keynote speaker and author, is pictured with…
City Life

City View: A life in music

ASTRID HEPNER was born in England and grew up near Cologne, Germany. She experimented with a variety of musical instruments until she found her instrument, the saxophone. It was the sax solo on the Supertramp record Breakfast in America that made her fall in love with the…
Arts + Culture

A backstage pass to Pollyanna The Musical

Here and in a series of digital diaries, HAMILTON CITY Magazine lifts the curtain on bringing the world premiere of Pollyanna The Musical to the stage at Theatre Aquarius. We are getting unprecedented access to the creative team, cast and production crew to…
Food + Drink

Give the gift of season’s eatings

Your mouth will water just reading about the delicious food products being created and served in Hamilton and Burlington. One of these delightful gifts would be a perfect addition to a stocking, tree or holiday table near you. It comes as no surprise that buying local continues…
Made in Hamilton

Awarding Hamilton’s architectural excellence

The City's Urban Design and Architecture Awards for 2023 recognizes achievements in 14 categories. The Urban Design and Architecture Awards (UDAA) are held every two years to recognize and celebrate design excellence throughout the city. A high-quality built environment contributes economic and social benefits, improves the image of…
Arts + Culture

Early shot of Matthew Perry was taken in a Hamilton living room

Celebrity photographer Brent Perniac’s family hosted the late Friends actor when he competed in a tennis tournament in the city in the 1980s as a teen. Ancaster photographer Brent Perniac has snapped thousands of photos of hundreds of celebrities over his career.  But it was his very first…
Made in Hamilton

FESTIVAL GUIDE: THE GREY CUP IS BACK IN THE HAMMER!

The Grey Cup Festival runs from Nov. 13 to 19 and features more than 40 events. James Street North will be closed for Fan Central, a free interactive event hub. The 110th Grey Cup is coming back to Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton! Excitement is building…