Yoohyun Park/Production Coordinator
Get into the winter spirit with these events during your break from school
With orange and red leaves falling off trees and midterms coming to an end just before exams, the winter season is quickly approaching. As the seasons change, winter seasonal and holiday events are coming back to the Hamilton area. For students currently living in and around campus, here are eight events to get you into the spirit of the season in December.
Winter Wonders at the Royal Botanical Gardens
From Nov. 24 to Jan. 9, Hendrie Park will be transforming into a wonderland at the Hamilton Royal Botanical Gardens — complete with festive lights and nature at every turn.
As you stroll through the gardens, there will be festive music as you go along the 1 ½ kilometre walk, which should take around an hour to complete. Student and youth admission is currently on sale at a discounted rate.
The Nutcracker
Ballet Jӧrgen will be carrying on the time-honoured winter tradition with this year’s production of The Nutcracker, held at the FirstOntario Concert Hall. Located at George Brown College, Ballet Jӧrgen is a Canada-wide touring company founded and directed by acclaimed choreographer Bengt Jӧrgen.
The show will feature costumes designed in collaboration with Kleinburg’s McMichael Canadian Art Collection and backdrops inspired by 20th century Canadian landscapes. Tickets are now on sale for the show on Dec. 4.
Centre[3]’s Small is Good Show and Sale
Centre[3]’s annual holiday show and sale will return this year after being postponed last year. The exhibition will run from Dec. 10 to 31 and it will feature a range of works from the artist-run centre’s members.
Ancaster Craft Show
Local vendors and small businesses will be gathering at the Ancaster Fairgrounds on Dec. 11 for the annual Ancaster Christmas Craft Show. Admission costs five dollars and provides community members with access to the mistletoe and tinsel lining the hall and all of the local vendors this year.
Holiday Night 2SQTBIPOC Market
The third and final event in Black Owned Hamilton’s Holiday Pop-Up series, their Holiday Night 2SQTBIPOC Market will be held on Dec. 4 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Side Door Bar. The market will feature Black, Indigenous and people of colour and queer vendors and is being held in collaboration with community organization Fruit Salad, which aims to expand space dedicated for 2SLGBTQIA+ women and gender nonconforming folks.
Cranky Celtic Christmas
The Westdale’s Hamilton Originals series is continuing with a holiday concert featuring Celtic Christmas tunes. The Westdale is a historical Hamilton theatre and registered not-for-profit charity located in the heart of Westdale Village.
Musicians Wendell Ferguson and Scantily Plaid will be performing, with the event hosted by Mike McCurlie. Though the concert will be happening in-person at The Westdale’s theatre, the entire event will be live-streamed over Youtube and Facebook. Tickets are on sale for the concert on Dec. 20.
Holiday Historic Cooking Workshop: Victorian Delights
The Dundurn National Historic Site is also offering a Holiday Historic Cooking workshop on Dec. 3 and Dec. 12. In Dundurn Castle’s 19th century kitchen, participants will learn how to prepare seasonal desserts from two Dundurn cooks.
Tickets are on sale now. Participants will be socially distant, masked and asked to show proof of vaccination before entering.
Christmas Tree of Hope Lighting
The City of Hamilton and the Downtown Hamilton BIA will light the city’s Christmas of Hope, in Gore Park, on Dec. 3 at 6:15 p.m. This year there will be both in person and virtual viewing options, with in-person attendees being asked to mask and maintain social distance.
Live on the stage in the park, Little Peter and the Elegants will kick off the event at 5:30 p.m., with a live stream being available from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. through Cable14’s website and 9000 CHML’s social media channels. There will also be ferris wheel rides in the park, starting on Dec. 3 and lasting until Dec. 23.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Children’s Fund to support families who may be struggling during the holiday season.
Students looking for opportunities to get into the winter spirit have many events in Hamilton to choose from this upcoming December. Take advantage of these opportunities as the semester comes to a close.
By: Abbey Jessome
Handmade Hamilton: A Holiday Craft Show and Sale is back for its fifth annual event. Returning to The Staircase Theatre, the craft show and sale is now being held as a weekend-long event on Nov. 26 and 27 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Handmade Hamilton includes a mix of returning and new vendors of jewellery, textiles, ceramics, and more.
Event organizer, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura is a storyteller, dancer and artist from Toronto who moved to Hamilton five years ago. She has been doing craft shows for 10 years and started Handmade Hamilton, once housed in the James North Studio. While that gallery was closing down, Pijuan was holding storytelling events at The Staircase Theatre and decided to bring her craft event to the theatre.
The Staircase Theatre is located at 27 Dundurn St. N. The idea to use this building came from Pijuan-Nomura’s interest in historical buildings.
“We set up the theatre like a cafe so people can eat and have lunch there as well when they shop. It is an experience that is a very different [from] going to the mall or going to a big box shop.”
An increase in craft shows and events in the city have played a major role in contributing to the strong local-shopping culture. The holiday season is used by local retailers and craft makers to show off their skills and unique styles.
“We have become so inundated with malls… we've lost the importance of hand-made in our culture… I just really like knowing that what I gave someone is uniquely made and not everyone in the world is going to have it. And knowing also that someone in our city made it is kind of cool as well.”
Pijuan-Nomura hopes to use this year’s event to provide a new opportunity for vendors to showcase their goods over a whole weekend, as opposed to one-day pop-ups.
“One of my goals is to see that the city of Hamilton can hold a two day show that is worth the time and energy of the vendors. I’m just interested in growing Handmade Hamilton and support emerging and established artists.”
An exciting new addition to this year’s Handmade Hamilton is swag bags. The first 50 guests on both mornings will receive a bag with buttons, coupons, and different items from different vendors.
There is also now an admission fee this year of $2. A portion of the proceeds will be going to The Sexual Assault Centre (Hamilton Area) and 541 Barton Eatery & Exchange.
Jennifer Bacher
The Silhouette
Fall is here! The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, and everything is pumpkin spice. Here are some things you must do before you dig out your mittens and toques because winter is coming.
