Live music, comedy and celebrating safely: 5 things to do in Hamilton on Thanksgiving weekend

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Published October 8, 2021 at 8:58 am

thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

The long weekend is here and while it gets off to a bit of a soggy start, the tail end of this three-day (for some of us, at least) weekend looks absolutely beautiful.

Friday and Saturday will see some grey skies, and a higher chance of showers throughout the day and night but those clouds will clear up somewhat by Sunday when the sun is expected to make an appearance.

Sunday and Monday forecasts see a mix of sun and clouds and highs of 22 and 23, respectively, and a low probability of rain.

No matter what the forecast holds, there’s always something exciting to do in Hamilton on the weekends so without further ado, here are 5 things happening around the city over the next few days as well as a few tips, via Ontario’s medical officer of health, on how to celebrate the holiday safely this year.


5. Art Crawl

Head to James Street North on Friday starting at 5 p.m. to experience the art, shops, galleries, bars and restaurants of one of Hamilton’s hippest avenues. Art Crawl happens the second Friday of each month.


4. Live music

 

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The On the Bay Festival, a two-day live music event at Bayfront Park, brought to us by Supercrawl, kicks off on Friday. More information about scheduling and ticket availability can be found on the Supercrawl website. There is also a lot of live music happening elsewhere in the city. Check out Hamilton’s Hometown Hub for listings.


3. Bulldogs vs. Colts

 

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The Hamilton Bulldogs face off against the Barrie Colts at FirstOntario Centre on Saturday. The puck drops at 7 p.m. Visit the Bulldogs’ website for more information and tickets.


2. Live comedy

Sandra Battaglini headlines at Levity Comedy Club and Lounge this Friday and Saturday. Battaglini is an award-winning comedian who’s appeared on multiple programs on NBC, CBS and more and she’s also a pioneer in Canadian Comedy as an advocate for bringing standup to the forefront as an artform. More information and tickets can be found on Levity’s website.


1. Ti-Cats vs. Argos

 

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The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are back on home turf on Monday (Oct. 11) in a matchup against the Toronto Argonauts. Kick off at Tim Hortons Field gets underway at 4 p.m. More information can be found on the team’s website.


Celebrating Thanksgiving this year?

Here are some of Dr. Kieran Moore’s guidelines for those celebrating with people from outside their household:

If possible, go virtual

Moore says virtual celebrations are still the safest option, particularly for those who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Smaller is better

The chief medical officer of health says smaller gatherings are always safer, and it’s important to follow public health rules. That means indoor gatherings should be capped at 25, and those outdoors can’t exceed 100.

“Have the fewest number of people possible at your gathering,” provincial guidelines read.

Keep it clean

Ensure hand sanitizer, soap and water are accessible so everyone can wash their hands frequently, particularly when preparing and serving food, and before and after eating.

Event organizers should also clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.

If in doubt, stay home

Moore says anyone with any symptoms — even if they’re mild — should stay home, lest they spread the virus to their loved ones.

He says those who are immunocompromised or unvaccinated should also consider attending virtually or not at all.

Wear a mask

Moore notes that anyone can wear a mask or keep a physical distance if it feels right, regardless of their vaccination status.

But he said it’s more important to wear a face covering and keep a distance when some people at an indoor gathering are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

Those attending outdoor gatherings with people who are not fully vaccinated should wear a mask if it’s not possible to keep a physical distance.

Moore said it’s OK for a group of fully vaccinated people gathering together to take off the masks, if everyone is comfortable with that.

— with a file from The Canadian Press

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