Eight things to do in the Hamilton area this weekend
Welcome weekend.
Time to play, stretch, and just be in Hamilton. Did you know there are yoga classes in the Beyond Van Gogh exhibition and winter golf at Chedoke?
It's still winter, of course, and you can expect a little wet snow or showers on Friday as temperatures start to drop back into the -10 C range for a daytime high on Sunday.
Here are eight things to do in the Hamilton area.
Storytelling
Six-Minute Memoir features Hamilton author Lawrence Hill among its 12 storytellers on Friday. Broken Hearts is the theme as the tellers share their true tales live on Zoom from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per household, available at uuhamilton.ca/6mm-tickets/.
Van Gogh experienced
Join a yoga class on Saturday, Sunday or Thursday mornings before Hamilton's Beyond Van Gogh immersive exhibition opens for the day. Register separately for a class at tickets.vangoghhamilton.com/event/beyond-van-gogh-yoga-hamilton. The exhibit itself is at Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen's until April 2. Open Wednesday to Sunday, closed on Monday and Tuesday. Through projection technology and an original score, Beyond Van Gogh breathes new life into more than 300 of Van Gogh's artworks. vangoghhamilton.com
February is Black History Month
Hamilton's Griffin House presents free access to Ancestors in the Attic: The Enerals Griffin Story. This Black History Month virtual event is presented on YouTube. Ancestors in the Attic is a Canadian television program about genealogy produced by Primitive Entertainment, presented by Reader's Digest Canada and shown on History Television Canada from 2006.
Niagara Parks is hosting a three-part virtual speaker series. Remaining interactive online speakers include Dr. Dann Broyld, Black and in the Niagara Borderlands Before the Civil War" on Feb. 23; and Natasha Henry, Sale of Said Negro Woman: Chloe Cooley and the Enslaved Black People in Niagara" on March 30. Tickets are $15 per event. All sessions begin at 7 p.m., hosted on Zoom. niagaraparks.com/blackhistory
Live music
Enjoy Hamilton's Bel Canto Strings Academy teens perform live on Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Hamilton's Farmers' Market. belcantostrings.ca
Have a heart day
Have a Heart Day, normally on Feb. 14, is a child and youth-led reconciliation event that brings together caring Canadians to help ensure First Nations children have the opportunity to grow up safely at home, get a good education, be healthy, and be proud of who they are. Because of COVID, the event is mostly online with communities using creative means to support the event in it's 10th year. Stand up for love and fairness by creating your own festivities to celebrate at home or in the classrroom this Valentines Day. Suggestions include sending a card to the prime minister and your member of Parliament, bake cookies and post photos of your celebration using the hashtag #HaveAHeartDay or #JourneeAyezUnCoeur. There are books to read at home or in the classrroom and more ideas can be found here, Have a Heart Day | The Caring Society (fncaringsociety.com)
Sloth visitor
The Royal Botanical Gardens has a slow visitor until May 1. Take a peek Under the Canopy of the world's major rainforests. Meet live animals, including Wicket, the 3-year old Linnaeus's Two-Toed Sloth, boa constrictor and many more who call the canopy home. Admission is included in your RBG admission but you will need to book your time slot at the RBG Centre, 680 Plains Rd. W. rbg.ca
Classical by candlelight
This internationally loved event is right in our own backyard (Toronto). So close, who could resist? Keep in mind you might have to book into the future, but we don't want you to miss out on the opportunity. The concert series known simply as Candlelight" invites everyone to relive the greatest works of classical music, from Vivaldi to Mozart to Bach, in an intimate atmosphere. Countless flickering candles illuminating each unique space - like the Toronto area's stunning Metropolitan Community Church and the Longboat Hall - the Candlelight" concerts will present a collection of classical music over the course of 65 mesmerizing minutes. Tickets are available here. feverup.com
Winter golf
Playing it cool? Hamilton has opened its winter golf back up at Chedoke - Martin Course. To book a tee time, call 905-521-3970. Review important modified play guidelines at hamilton.ca/wintergolf.
Winterfest 2022
Winterfest starts this Thursday. The 2022 event runs until March 6. Outdoor, indoor and online activities are offered. The Winterfest Hub is at Auchmar House, with events, tours, installations, food trucks, and signature concerts. In the community, you will find Winterfest activities like activity kits for kids at the museums, hot chocolate in Carter Park, Hamilton Public Library activities, Winterfest Winefest, skating, Waterfront Lights and more. Explore and enjoy community events near you and online. For the festival's event schedule, visit hamiltonwinterfest.ca/schedule/.
- Reserve your grab-and-go kit now by emailing: museums@hamilton.ca. Indicate in your email your preferred museum pickup location.
Game day
Hamilton Bulldogs take on the Barrie Colts at home Friday, 7 p.m. Tickets are currently sold out at 50 per cent capacity for this game at FirstOntario Centre. Watch the OHL webcast here. Tickets are on sale now for the Family Day home game on Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. to a full-capacity crowd. ticketmaster.ca
Lacrosse is in the Hammer with the Rock back in action against the Bandits at FirstOntario Centre. The NLL game is a little early on Saturday but still no in-house crowd. The game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m., you can watch on TSN2.
Jennifer Moore is an editorial assistant at The Spectator. jmoore@thespec.com