Every year Hamilton winds down a busy summer season with the most epic event of the year – Supercrawl! This free, four-day music and art street festival showcases live music, art installations, fashion, theatre, artisans and makers, food trucks, and more.
There are countless sights and sounds to experience during Supercrawl. Here are just some of my top picks.
Supersized Supercrawl
This year, Supercrawl celebrates its 10th anniversary and promises to be bigger and better than ever. As of this year, Supercrawl will now span four days (September 13-16), giving you even more chances to explore the festival itself and experience the many galleries, venues, restaurants and shops along James Street North in downtown Hamilton. Delve into this vibrant neighbourhood that’s at the root of Supercrawl’s inception back in 2009.
Music in the Streets
In celebration of Supercrawl’s 10th year, many acts from previous years return to Hamilton to rock this multi-stage festival. Headliners include indie rockers Wintersleep, eloquent rapper Cadence Weapon, electro-pop artist Lights, prolific producer/arranger Owen Pallett, alt-folk/country outfit Elliott Brood, and Hamilton’s own band-on-the-rise The Dirty Nil.
It wouldn’t be a Supercrawl without a stacked lineup of local talent! Don’t miss more standout artists from Hamilton: Basement Revolver, Poesy, Canadian Winter, Ellevator, Iskwé, Shanika Maria, Hamilton Children’s Choir, and more. Every year Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra hosts an exciting collaboration with a local indie band and this year we’ll see them take the stage with The Altobeelays.
Fashion Forward
In recent years, fashion has become a major component of Supercrawl. Hamilton’s fashion scene has grown exponentially with more designers, shops, and brands than ever before. Make time for frequent visits to Supercrawl’s Fashion tent to take in creative and eye-catching designs by Blackbird Studios, Batik Boutik, Designs By Mallory, With Love Lingerie, Hamilton Vintage Community and more. We will get a local fashion preview with the Supercrawl Fashion Pop-Up Shop located in Jackson Square where you can purchase amazing local designs from August 3-25.
For Arts Sake
Every Supercrawl, James Street North is filled with thrilling art installations. Often constructed right onto the street or perched atop buildings, have your cameras ready to capture the sights!
Feed your hunger
Keep up your strength during your Supercrawl adventures with the delicious selection of food trucks that rolling in for the weekend. Expect to see some of the best trucks in the region join Hamilton favourites for a seriously tempting food truck alley. There are also tasty options for food and drink along James North including: Mulberry Coffeehouse, Merit Brewing, Born and Raised, The Brain, Mesa, Saltlick Smokehouse, Knead, Green Bar and countless more.
Hands-On Family Fun
Supercrawl has something for all ages to enjoy. When the kids are done exploring with you along James Street North, head over to York Boulevard, transformed into a made-in-Hamilton family zone packed with hands on activities.
Made in Hamilton Retail Therapy
Don’t forget to bring home a souvenir to remember Supercrawl weekend. Enjoy incredible local, one-of-a-kind shopping at shops along James Street North including: The Hamilton Store, O’s Clothes, Mixed Media, Pretty Grit, White Elephant, and The Pale Blue Dot, to name a few.
Performance
Circus Orange Supercrawl
A Supercrawl Presents event, the free Labour Day concert will be headlined by massively talented country artist Tebey. Tebey caps a lineup that also includes country chart-topper and multiple Canadian Country Music Award-winner Kira Isabella, The Redhill Valleys and Jess and Tay,
Always expect the unexpected as you wander James Street North during Supercrawl. Every year Circus Orange delivers an electrifying show-stopping performance that is one of the highlights of the weekend. This year we’ll also witness performances from Blending Reality Productions, Flat Earth Global, Paraphrased Productions, Rooks Theatre, SJAM Dance Theatre, and magician Nick Wallace.
Check out the 2018 lineup!
- Versacello
- Sam Weber
- Broken Social Scene
- Lights
- Basement Revolver
- Bonjay
- Buddah Abusah
- Cadence Weapon
- Canadian Winter
- Rita Chiarelli
- The Dirty Nil
- Elliott Brood
- John Ellison
- The Elwins
- HPO with the Altobeelays
- Hollerado
- Owen Pallett
- Fred Penner & The Cat’s Meow
- Wintersleep
- Ian Thomas
- Harrison Kennedy
- … And So Many More!!!!
Kristin Archer is a lifelong Hamiltonian and the blogger behind the popular blog I Heart Hamilton where she inspires every local to “be a tourist in your own city.” She’s passionate about discovering her hometown, new experiences and sharing all that Hamilton has to offer. Catch Kristin Fridays at 2 p.m. when she hosts “I Heart Hamilton” on 93.3 CFMU and follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Kristin’s #MyHamilton blog offers an insider’s look at Hamilton’s buzz-worthy arts and culture scene including James Street North staple Art Crawl, great music festivals and venues, outdoor events, theatre, dance and specialty shopping.
