It was a busy weekend for being outside, especially on Saturday. Toronto may have the international film festival (TIFF) with George and Brad and their pals floating about the city and red-carpetting the entertainment district and noshing at local eateries and contributing to the economy, but Hamilton had the Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA) with free concerts by many of the artists on the rooftop of the Jackson Square Centre. PLUS, on the next block, what is known as the James Street Supercrawl with 3 stages of indie rock and lots of artist stalls and vendors and open studios. PLUS, a few blocks away, the Locke Street Festival with another stage and lots of food and crafts and vendors. All this was within walking distance, but there was a shuttle bus available to give your tired legs a rest. The bus also went a few blocks further north to the waterfront where there was not one, but two ships visiting. The HMSC Montreal and the Pride of Baltimore. One is a frigate in current wars and the other a replica warship from 1812.
I got there just in time to see the Baltimore do a turn around the bay and fire a cannon or two. This was in response supposedly from a cannon fired on our side, but ours sounded more like a pop gun, and the American one was a little more ... booming. Enough to scare a little boy standing near me who needed some reassurance from his dad that no, there were no real cannonballs.
This smaller four masted ship was fun to see
Don't ask me why I chose to stand in line for an hour to get on board the Montreal - halfway up those open tread, wobbly, steps was not the time to remember how afraid I am of heights.
it wasn't much different than the Fredericton I was on last year.
Except that then it was a wet, cloudy, miserable day and this time it was a warm, sunny, breezy day.
And there was entertainment
and this was just as entertaining...
those sails needed to be tied down securely.
I didn't get any good pics of the bands playing and before I knew it, it was getting dark by the time I left Locke St and headed back to the CCMAs and the Supercrawl.
Plus it was rather crowded.
And a fun time was had by all.
And it was all FREE.
But there was no George Clooney..... sigh
those sails needed to be tied down securely.
It looks like you had a tremendous amount of fun. A warship like that can't be resisted and the street fair must have offered all kinds of goodies (to eat maybe? My mind is on food). I'm so ready for a festival. I can't wait to go to one.
ReplyDeleteI love festivals like that.
ReplyDeleteNora: lots of food! AND, I forgot to mention how much fun it is to be able to stand outside on the street with a glass of beer. this is something new for us here!
ReplyDeleteSAW: it was so much fun to wander from one to the other and back again. the bus was a godsend, though!
You had me at "free"! Seriously, it looks like great fun.
ReplyDeleteLGS: so much good music. many of the bands I was unfamiliar with, but there was also some well known local talent performing. and the price of the food and drink was not inflated as it would be in a stadium.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like such a great time! I wish I had been there with you. There was beer, right?
ReplyDeleteLooks like such fun. And don't worry, I'm sure George Clooney is highly overrated. ;-)
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