Culture of Hamilton, Ontario
Some attractions include a museum of aircraft (Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum), HMCS Haida National Historic Site, historic naval ship; Canada's most famous warship and the last remaining Tribal Class in the world,[1] a stately residence of a Prime Minister of Upper Canada (Dundurn Castle),[2] a functioning nuclear reactor at McMaster University, a horticultural haven (Royal Botanical Gardens), the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, African Lion Safari and Christ the King Cathedral.
[citation needed] A Globe and Mail article in 2006, entitled "Go West, Young Artist," focused on the growing art scene in Hamilton.
The second Friday of every month brings the James North Art Crawl where residents and visitors stroll the area's lively sidewalks, savouring the diverse flavours of local artists and nearby cafes and restaurants.
Hamilton Artists Inc., founded in 1975, is also located in the downtown core on the corner of James St. N. and Cannon St. and is one of the oldest artist-run centres in Canada.
This, coupled with growth in the Downtown condo market set to draw people back to the Core, is having a strong, positive impact on the cultural fabric of the city.
The theatre is at the old Ancient Order of Foresters building in the James Street North neighbourhood where Hamilton's Art scene continues to grow[citation needed] and where Sky has been living since 2003.
The Staircase originally was opened by Hugh MacLeod in 1998, evolving and expanding from an improvisational comedy workshop to include an artist's gallery, a cafe, a theatre for film and live acts, and a rehearsal space.
[16] Also in 1958, Conway Twitty, singer-songwriter and his band were in town and were playing at the Flamingo Lounge where Hamilton Place is located today.
Legend has it that the drummer, Jack Nance, wrote "It's Only Make Believe" between sets, although another story puts them at the nearby Fischer Hotel.
[26] Hamilton was also an important centre of punk rock in the 1970s and early 1980s, spawning influential acts such as Teenage Head, Forgotten Rebels, Simply Saucer and The Dik Van Dykes.
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame Inductees that evening were: David Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears), Denny Doherty (The Mamas & the Papas), John Kay (Steppenwolf), Domenic Troiano (played w/ various artists) and Zal Yanovsky (The Lovin' Spoonful).
Thoughts On Air), Connor Bennett and Nate Ivanco; some labels part of this scene were Perdu, Cloud Valley, HAVN Records and Barton Street Tapes.
[31] Hamilton has hosted several cultural and craft fairs since the 1960s, notably Festival of Friends, which made it a major tourist destination.
It's a food and beverage festival that includes free entertainment, arts & crafts, a midway, pageant and car show that features vintage vehicles, hot rods & classics.
[36] Hamilton is also home to the Fix Our World Festival[3], bringing awareness to poverty, environment, peace and AIDS.
Notable artists who have performed at FirstOntario Centre include U2, Tool, System of a Down, Metallica, Elton John, Rod Stewart and Aerosmith.
FirstOntario Concert Hall is the home of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and boasts one of the leading architectural designs for acoustics in Canada.
Notable performances include the annual festive production of 'The Nutcracker' and a number of internationally recognized entertainers such as Tom Jones, Sarah McLachlan, Hall & Oates and Billy Connolly.
The Hamilton Convention Centre is also a major downtown event facility, and is connected to FirstOntario Concert hall, but is a separate operation run by Carmen's Group[43]
