5th Hamilton Day weekend kicks off to support local businesses

The city-wide weekend celebration of Hamilton communities and local businesses known as Hamilton Day kicked off Friday morning.

Over 1,000 shops, pop-up markets and events across the city will make up a full weekend of family-friendly programming.

Storefronts and recreational spaces across the city, like on Locke Street or Westdale Village, will feature programs and concerts with Hamilton Day signs lining the sidewalks.

President and CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Greg Dunnett says Hamilton Day represents the spirit of the city to support local businesses.

“This event is just a fantastic message – ‘you’re in, you’re out’ – that is so important to support our small business community,” he said.

“Small businesses are what make our neighbourhoods so vibrant – if we dont have the corner stores and local coffee shops – then we don’t have that community sense that makes Hamilton such an incredible city.”

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The first Hamilton Day was held in 1931, hosted by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, leaving a significant gap until 2021 when the chamber brought the weekend celebration back.

Adding the inaugural celebration to the renewed series, this year’s Hamilton Day is the fifth.

The event itself is free with some events like concerts or guided tours that may have a fee to participate.

Schedules including what events are happening where, and operations of businesses can be found here.