Usually the end of summer spells the end of carefree fun but we like to do things a little differently in Hamilton and kick the fun into the 3rd gear. What’s a little pesky school responsibility to slow us down?
Usually we look forward to the Locke Street Festival and Supercrawl in September – this year we have the exciting addition of Canadian Country Music week to look forward to. Whether you are able to attend your favourite events or find a way to experience a bit of everything – you are sure to have a great time.
Canadian Country Music Award Week – September 6th – 9th
The awards honoring Canadian country music began in 1977 and have been hosted in Hamilton in 1991, 1993, 1997, 2011. They are back this week with a very esteemed host: Shania Twain.
The awards themselves are on September 9, 2018 (7:45-10:00PM) at FirstOntario Centre (and on the CBC) but there are plenty of industry and fan events leading up to the big day. There is even a 5K run. The events are too many to list here but you can find all of the times and details through Tourism Hamilton. A highlight is the Fan Village which is free all weekend and is full of fun programing including a countdown concert happening before the awards on Sunday. (2:30 – 5:30PM). Find all the details regarding Fan Village here.
Locke Street Festival – Saturday, September 8th, 2018
Starting at about 10am this Saturday you will be able to stroll, sip, eat and dance your way up and down Locke St at this yearly festival. There is planned children’s entertainment, food and drink vendors as well as plenty of musical performances. You can see the entire musical lineup on the website including the addition of a musical performance of notable highlight and Hamilton gem Harrison Kennedy (2pm on Saturday).
Supercrawl – September 13th -16th, 2018
Around these parts the word September has become synonymous with Supercrawl. There is a lot going on in terms of art, fashion food and decor, but we are just focusing on the music aspect right now. It’s that magical time of year again and, oh boy, are there some great bands headed to our town. First of all this year’s headliners are Canadian Indie Rock giants Broken Social Scene. This is a huge highlight and something that is not to be missed. There are plenty of other amazing performances coming our way as well – see the schedule. If you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start keep some of these suggestions in mind:
Thursday:
Broken Social Scene (10:30pm) (TD Stage)
Friday:
Wintersleep (11:30pm) (TD Stage)
Canadian Winter (8:00pm) (Telus / Exclaim! Stage)
Bonjay (9:45pm) (Telus / Exclaim! Stage)
Cadence Weapon (11:30pm) (Telus / Exclaim! Stage)
Basement Revolver (11:15pm) (Mohawk College Stage)
Run Maggie Run (5:00pm) (Mulberry)
The Skiffs (11:00pm) The Dill (12:00am) (This Ain’t Hollywood – ticketed show)
Saturday:
Iskwé (6:15pm) (TD Stage)
Partner (8:00pm) (TD Stage)
Hollerado (9:45pm) (TD Stage)
Single Mothers (8:00pm) (Telus / Exclaim! Stage)
Weaves (9:45pm) (Telus / Exclaim! Stage)
The Dirty Nil (11:30pm) (Telus / Exclaim! Stage)
Shanika Maria (6:15pm) (Mohawk College Stage)
Shade (11:30pm) (Mohawk College Stage)
Wax Mannequin (10:00pm) Cross Dog (11:00pm) Get Off The Cop (12:00am) BA Johnston (1:00am) (This Ain’t Hollywood – ticketed show)
Circus Orange Spectacular (9pm)
Sunday:
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra with The Altobeelays (12:15pm) (TD Stage)
Ian Thomas (2:00pm) (TD Stage)
Hamilton Blues All-Stars ft. Rita Chiarelli, Harrison Kennedy, Steve Strongman, Jesse O’Brien, Alfie Smith, Tim Gibbons, Trickbag, Brant Parker (3:45pm) (TD Stage)
Owen Pallett (5:45pm) (TD Stage)
Ben Caplan (12:30pm) (Telus / Exclaim! Stage)
Lindi Ortega (4:00pm) (Telus / Exclaim! Stage)
Elliott Brood (5:45pm) (Telus / Exclaim! Stage)