WEEKEND PLANNER
The 42nd annual Dundas Cactus Festival is packed full of entertainment and activities. Live musical entertainment, vendors, family fun zone, street sale, and a baby contest await those who visit the main streets of Dundas this weekend. dundascactusfest.ca Pack your blanket or lawn chair: here’s a choice of some outdoor concerts in and around the area.
Seven Sundays in Gage Park features the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra at the band shell. Admission is free. Food trucks will be there from 6 p.m., with the philharmonic performance roughly from 7-9 p.m. and film screening starting at dusk. sevensundays.ca/
Summer concert series, 7 p.m. Sunday, Fieldcote Memorial Park and Museum, 64 Sulphur Springs Rd. in Ancaster features Caroline Wiles with Bob Doidge and Mike McCurlie. Celebrate the Greek culture and food at Hamilton Greek Fest this weekend. Come for live Greek music, authentic food, dance performances, bubble soccer and kids’ zone. The festival is held at Inch Park, 400 Queensdale Ave., on Saturday from noon-11 p.m., and Sunday from noon-9 p.m. hamiltongreekfest.com Blue ribbons, Ferris wheels and cotton candy are here. The fair season has officially begun. This weekend’s fairs include the Dunnville Fair and the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. The 23rd annual Dunnville Agricultural Fair features a Southern Ontario Truck and Tractor Pull, home-craft competitions, displays, canning, baking, horticulture, art, miniature horse show, baby show, pet show, petting zoo and entertainment. The fair is located at the Dunnville Airport, 537 Port Maitland Rd. It’s open 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for students aged seven to 16; children six and under are admitted free. Got to: dunnvillefair.ca The Canadian National Exhibition grounds in Toronto are open 10 a.m. to midnight except on Labour Day, when they are open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with the gates closing 5 p.m. Admission is $19 for 14-64 years; $16 for 65 years plus; $16 for children five to 13 years; children four years and under are admitted free; a family pass costs $59. Go to: theex.com Everyone wants to know if the old house is haunted. Check out a Ghost Walk this Sunday at Spruce Lane Farm at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Learn about what was common practice in the Victorian era for mourning the loss of a loved one and other traditional beliefs. Suitable for school-aged children. No dogs, please. The 30-minute tours leave every 15-20 minutes from 7-9 p.m. Regular park admission applies. 905-827-6911 The 26th annual Burlington Children’s Festival is Sunday. Celebrate being a kid with activities, interactive games, bouncers and face painting. Come play at Spencer Smith Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Celebrate the birthday of Sara Calder, a descendant of the Gage family and the woman who helped preserve the home on the site of the Battle of Stoney Creek. To recognize Calder’s artistic interests and talent, artists and non-artists alike are invited to come and sketch in scenic Battlefield Park. Bring your own chair and art supplies. As part of the Friends of Battlefield House Museum’s Canada 150 Challenge, free cake and lemonade, and a Canada 150 pin will be given to the first 150 visitors. Free guided tours of Battlefield House Museum and the Battlefield Monument will be offered. Food will be available to purchase in the picnic pavilion. Battlefield House is a 77 King St. W., Stoney Creek. Put on your creative hat Saturday and head to Gage Park for A Midsummer’s Dream Colour Festival. The day starts at 11 a.m. midsummersdream.ca Waterdown Artsfest is a celebration of the arts in all its forms. This upscale family-friendly festival features jazz, classical, folk and world music, art exhibits, dozens of artisan vendors, and all kinds of arts activities. There is something for everyone who appreciates arts and culture. Waterdown Artsfest runs Saturday and Sunday. The musical lineup schedule begins at 11 a.m. in downtown Waterdown. Bringing a lawn chair is recommended. artsfest.ca