Weekender Bender
Greetings reader! I am pleased to announce the worthwhile events going on around the Limestone City this weekend. How do you think this summer compares to last year? I recently heard the Marketing Manager for Fort Henry on the CBC who stated that attendance is up a slight 7%. That said, I’ve had a few conversations with cab drivers over the summer who’ve complained that this is one of the poorest on record. Is the high price of gas, and therefore everything else, impacting your vacation plans? Are you instead opting for local staycations instead of adventures in a far away land? We want to know what you’re up to and why, so drop us a comment. Read more
Wondering About the Weekend?
Friday, July 18th
There is only one thing you should be doing tonight, and that’s heading out to the CD release party for Ianspotting. Dubbed Kingston’s Reggae sensation by CBC Radio’s Allan Neil, the group is a past winner of 105.7’s famed Bandslam. With an opening performance by one of our other favorite local bands, Slaves of Spanky, the Ianspotting CD release kicks off around 10pm at the Elixr.
Saturday, July 19th
Choosing what to do today might prove a little more difficult…
The Kingston Symphony plays its annual concert at Fort Henry at 8pm. The symphony will be joined by Kingston’s Country sensation, The Abrams Brothers as well as the Fort Henry Guard who will be firing cannons during Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The concert will come to a close with a fireworks finale. Tickets are still available through the Grand Theatre box office.
Starting Saturday and ending at 4pm on Sunday is the Red Roof Women’s Festival. The event itself occurs in Marlbank. I know it’s not quite Kingston but the festival boasts the talents of numerous Kingston bands and solo artists including Jenica Rayne, Lynne Hanson, Get in the Car, and Girls’ Night Out.
The Artel will be wrapping up its current exhibit this Sunday. Banalyze This is a collaborative exhibition of drawings by Former Kingston Artist Kyle Bishop and the Gestalt Collective (artists Loretta Walz and Andrea Hunter). The installation looks for meaning in human interdependence and need. The gallery is open from 11am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday, July 20th
Not a whole lot going on on Sunday, save for the Market. With the weather forecast we’re having, it might be a good day to check out a movie, or tending to the growing list of chores around the house.
Busking Enjoyed by a Few…
So I can finally say I’ve been to the Buskers Rendezvous. I enjoyed it. I really did. But it wasn’t quite what I envisioned. For one, I thought there would be way more people there. Now, this was a tricky weekend weather-wise, so unless you have somewhere to hang out during the rain, it might not be your first choice to spend the day downtown. For me it was an easy decision since I live downtown. Read more
Music and jugglers and art, oh my!
It is really hard to find anything else going on this weekend but the Buskers Rendezvous and that’s OK with me. I’ve never been here at this time of year to experience the Busking festival so I’m pretty excited about it. Of course there are some other things to check out between fire breathing and juggling acts. The city seems to be taken over this weekend by art and music so be sure to check some of it out.
Friday, July 11th
PEI’s Polaris Music Prize-nominated group Two Hours Traffic will be playing a free show at the Slip Lounge at The Holiday Inn. The opening act will be Toronto’s The I Spies.
At 8pm Juno Award winner Lynn Miles will make a rare Kingston appearance at The Bookstore Cafe in Camden East. Space is limited so reservations are highly recommended. You can make them by calling 613-378-1102. Tickets are $20.
Yart Sale! Pop in at 286 Queen Street, apartment 3 and help Dimitri get home! This Kingston resident is selling his art to make a trip home. He is selling paintings, photos, prints, shirts, zines and more and a lot for under $5! His studio will be open from 6-9pm Friday and Saturday evening. Check out his site for more info.
Saturday, July 12th
Modern Fuel is holding a reception for the 10th Regional Juried Exhibition which features the work of nine local artists selected by Camilla Singh, curator of The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art in Toronto. Camilla and several of the artists will be present.
The Amherst Island men’s Society presents an open studio tour from at the Neilson Store Museum and Cultural Centre. The event is a fundraiser for the museum which tells of the island’s colourful history. Thirty-two artists, photographers and artisans have donated work which will be on sale from 11am-4:30pm. Admission to the event is free.
The Buskers Are Coming
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Kingston’s “special” event calendar is rather sparse, and during certain parts of the year it is downright embarrassing. To clarify, today’s post won’t focus on the new under-used K-Rock Centre, as I’m more concerned with the other big crowd pleaser’s that attract people to the heart of the city. Shortcomings aside, downtown diamonds in the rough include Feb Fest, the Blues Festival and this weekend’s Buskers Rendezvous. Buskers has been a summer staple for many years, which has allowed it to grow in popularity, and attract a very sizable crowd. Onlookers will descend on the downtown like locusts and devour food in our restaurants, as well as other consumables from local merchants. Read more
Not Another (Insert Funny Here) Weekend
It’s been a busy week for me, as I’ve said goodbye to the world of renting, and hello to a new house. I can’t seem to take three steps inside without tripping over an unpacked box, or project that needs my attention. I am very much looking forward to getting out and about this weekend to take a break from it all. Before I get started, I would like to take the time to bid farewell to our resident podcaster David Bailey, who has now moved abroad to take on a challenging new position in Kosovo. His contributions will be greatly missed. As well, I would also like to officially welcome Oceanaria, a very active/local blogger who will be providing her unique spin on our great city. In the wake of her Canada Day fireworks display, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with. Without further adieu, here’s what’s happening around Kingston this weekend. Read more
Schooooool’s Out For Summer!
And the first weekend off is a doozy. There is so much going on around the city, I’m not even sure what I’ll be doing this weekend. I’ve lived in Kingston for nine years now but have never spent a summer here until this year and I am so impressed with the high number of activities thus far. There is so much to do and see and the streets are overflowing with people. I love Kingston in the summer!
So now that school is officially done for everyone, here are some things to take in on your first true summer weekend. Read more
The Windy City
A while back, I was fortunate enough to see Chris Brown perform at a special Apple Crisp event, which was recorded for CBC’s Bandwidth. In between songs, Chris gave a shout out to Wolfe Island Residents for the Environment (WIRE), whose mission is to ensure the lawful development of a proposed wind farm on the Island. Later, I spoke to Chris about recording a special podcast about WIRE, which never became a reality as a result of my busy schedule. This week, sustainable energy came to the forefront in Kingston as the 7th World Wind Energy Conference commenced at St. Lawrence College. As the world (minus federal Canadian representatives) comes to Kingston to promote and develop sustainable wind energy policy and projects, I couldn’t help but think about how the proposed Wolfe Island project could negatively impact the environment. Read more
Anything but Shameless
There is some really great music going on in this town. I’ve been reluctant to say that too often because I am a musician in Kingston and wouldn’t want to seem biased. But it just has to be said. The Kingston music scene is absolutely hopping and I want to make sure that you get out to hear as much of this great music as possible. And what better time than summer time? Many of the bars in town have live music on a regular basis. All of which is worth a listen. Bars that come to mind as being big into music would be The Merchant, The Toucan, The Grad Club, My Bar, Raxx, The Nog, the RCHA and of course Stages and The Alehouse who mostly have larger out-of-town acts. Read more
Podcasters Across Borders 2008
As previously mentioned in the weekend wrap up, Podcasters Across Borders (PAB) went down this weekend in the Limestone City. This is the third year PAB was hosted in Kingston, and my first year attending. Alongside members of the Limestone New Media Group, CBC Broadcasters and podcasting talents from all over the world, we enjoyed engaging speakers and got to make a lot of new friends in the fishbowl that is new media. The connection to the community is ultimately the most important thing that I took away from the weekend, however there are certainly other aspects worth noting. Read more
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