Top Five Things to See and Do in July 2015
School’s out and although the past few days have been somewhat wet and dreary, I assure you, Summer has officially arrived! The first statutory holiday of the sunny season will allow (most of) us to take a well-deserved break tomorrow. Looking ahead to a busy and hopefully sunny month, there honestly way too much to see and do in Kingston. From free Movies in the Square to picturesque walks along the lakeshore and Farmer’s and Antique Markets, we really do need get out and lap up as much of this time of year as possible. Check out the best festivals and activities Kingston has to offer in July 2015.
Canada Day Celebrations, 1 July 2015: Kingston’s Canada Day Celebrations kick off at 11:30am with the hugely popular Red and White Parade down Princess Street, which arrives at City Hall just in time for the Mayor’s presentations to the community’s greatest volunteers. Across the street in Confederation Park you can enjoy live music all day long, as well as the huge fireworks spectacle over Confederation Basin at 10pm. Of course, Grass Creek Park has a ton of kid-friendly activities planned, from face-painting to wagon rides, kite flying to cake cutting ceremony, the hardest part is figuring out how best to divide your time on Canada Day.
Artfest Kingston, 1-4 July 2015: this four-day festival showcases the creative works of upwards of 150 artists and artisans from all over Ontario and Quebec; punctuated by local talent such as Steve Lawrence. Take a stroll through City Park, which is transformed into magical outdoor gallery slash performance space, showcasing everything from pottery to gourmet food, live theatre, and art workshops. Artfest Kingston is also offering a handful of few new activities this year, including: The Easel Invasion, Family Picnic Table Project and Picnic Day, the Sculpture Forest, ParticiPAiNT and Poets.
Buskers Rendezvous, 9-12 July 2015: voted by our readers as the most anticipated event in July, the annual Buskers Rendezvous is a four-day cavalcade of juggling, dancing, singing and magic tricks! Princess Street, Sydenham Street and Market Square serve as the backdrop for live entertainment throughout the day; donations are gratefully accepted by the hardworking and high-fyling buskers when the hat is passed. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Kingston’s Buskers Rendezvous, take a leisurely stroll to see what it’s all about. Pro tip: be sure to take in the Saturday evening Fire Show in The Hub. It’s a definite must-attend.
The Kick & Push Festival, July 2015: what happens when six theatre companies join creative forces with the objective to create a new summer festival: the inaugural Kick & Push Festival. Theatre Kingston, Blue Canoe Productions, Single Thread Theatre Company, the Cellar Door Project and special guests Fixt Point and Convergence Theatre have teamed up to bring us six unique productions (Ambrose, Autoshow, A Chorus Line, Shipwrecked!, Tall Ghosts and Bad Weather, and The Tale of a Town), classes and workshops, late night panel talks, weekday camps and more!
Limestone Genre Expo, 25 July 2015: another inaugural event we’re anticipating this Summer is the Limestone Genre Expo, a one-day celebration of the vast and varied arena of genre fiction. Featuring guest authors (Aaron Louis Asselstine, Nancy Baker, Marie Bilodeau, Jen Frankel), artists and publishers from Kingston, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and beyond. Panel discussions focusing on main genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, and Romance, as well as workshops focusing on the craft and business of genre fiction, will undoubtedly provide budding writers greater insight into the industry.
Photo credit to: Adam Correia, Artfest Kingston, Brant Vallier, The Kick & Push Festival, and rakka_pl.