Best Free Events in Kingston this Summer

The City of Kingston offers many free events throughout the year.  In the summer months, we are invited to enjoy a wide variety of free concerts held in various locations downtown and in the west end.  Every Thursday from June-September, we can enjoy Movies in the Square, and of course, we can’t forget the great concerts that have rocked the square each month.  Back in June, the city blocked off a portion of lower Princess Street to allow for live music, square dancing and the projection of images on downtown buildings as part of The Skeleton Park Arts Festival.  In July we saw our streets taken over by pedestrians during the Buskers’ Rendezvous and every Saturday morning, foodies can take in some free advice from local chefs.

These terrific events, that not only provide entertainment to a wide variety of people, but also provide work for local artists, are completely free for audiences.  Having free concerts, films and other events are an important part of maintaining a vibrant community and keeping Kingstonians engaged within it.  This week, we want to know:

 Loading ...

This week you can choose up to 3 answers.  Hopefully many of us have taken advantage of 3 or more of these free events so we can see them continue to flourish and grow.  Not totally sure when or where these things take place?  Here are some details for you:

• Chef Cooking Demos: Watch a different local chef give a demo each Saturday morning at 11am in the courtyard of Market Square.  The demo runs for about an hour and is free.  Samples cost $2.  There are 2 demos left this summer: Clark Day of Aqua Terra this coming weekend, followed by Dale Jones of Dianne’s next week.
• Big Band Fridays: Big Band concerts in the courtyard at Market Square every Friday from 7pm-8pm.
• Downtown Country: Local country bands perform from 7pm-8pm at Confederation Basin.
• Movies in the Square: Grab your comfiest lawn chair and head down to Market Square every Thursday evening for a free screening of a wide variety of beloved films.  Some old, some new, there is definitely something for everyone.  Films begin at dusk (usually around 9pm, closer to 8:30pm in August and September).
• Music in the Gardens: Head to the Lions Civic Gardens (next to the Cat Centre) every Wednesday and Sunday for an hour of music beginning at 7pm.  This year’s line up is a mix of genres on Wednesdays and a focus on jazz on Sundays.
• Music in the Park: Catch local bands of all styles playing hour long lunchtime concerts every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 12:30pm.

If you haven’t made it out for any of these, there’s still time!  Click on the links above for specific details on who or what is playing when and where.  Let’s make the most of these last few weeks of summer and show the city that we love having so many great options for free entertainment.  See you out there!