In light of the movement to amplify black voices and in response to my recent share, I’ve been encouraged by our community to highlight Black-owned businesses in Kingston and the surrounding area. My long-term goal is to extend this list to include businesses owned by Indigenous and People of Colour in our community but we are going to start here. This is an opportunity to support the movement, locally. Thank you to those who contributed to the working list on my Instagram and Facebook page. This is a working list, if I’ve missed one (or a few), please include in the comments. Continue reading
Author: keepupwithkingston
Being Black in Kingston
When I started this blog almost 5 years ago, I planned to keep things light and positive. I would only post about good experiences and encourage the culture of supporting local. I also made the decision to not include myself in any of the photos because I wanted my audience to be able to picture themselves eating at these restaurants and taking part in these fun events. But if I am being honest with myself, I didn’t think people would relate/care about my content if they saw that I am Black. And I’ve never addressed race here because I just didn’t want to go there, really. But recent events and my peers’ reactions have made it clear that I need to address a few things. Continue reading
Local Closet Organizer, Popped Closet, is Here For You
I’ve got a confession to make. I am a very messy person! I try on a bunch of different outfits before leaving the house and don’t put back the rejected blouses and skirts. My closet typically resembles some sort of clothes monster with unhung dresses and and trousers pooling on the floor. It’s not a great situation. But that all that changed this weekend! Is it too late in 2020 to use #newyearnewme? Closet organizer, Jocelyn, of Popped Closet came over and turned my closet into a space my mom would be proud of. Jocelyn is new to Kingston and she brings this magical skill of transforming cluttered spaces and turning them into soothing, organized, colour-coated dreams. And all without judgement. Just kindness, enthusiasm and efficiency. I can’t stress that enough! Continue reading
Kingston’s Local Holiday Shopping Guide
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Kingston is filled with talented artists and makers. And there is no better time of year to celebrate them then right now. It can be really easy to just hit up Amazon Prime and have the gifts delivered to our doorstep but there is also an opportunity to engage with our local entrepreneurs. As you finish up shopping for your loved ones, consider supporting someone from our community. You can find some of the vendors I mention at the Kingston Holiday Market on weekends and many of them sell online as well! Continue reading
Prince Edward County, A Fun Fall Destination
If you were born and raised in Kingston, Prince Edward County may spark memories of beach days at Sandbanks. Now, Prince Edward County is the hub of incredible farm-to-table food, top-notch breweries and wineries and trendy bed and breakfasts for all to enjoy. In the summer it’s packed with people ready to be charmed by its quaint beauty. But just because the leaves have changed, that doesn’t mean we should abandon our plans to flee to PEC. Fall is also a great time to take a trip to the County. Room rates are lower in the down season and it’s less crowded! Continue reading
Artillery Park’s Baby Boot Camp
To catch you up before I proceed, my husband and I welcomed a new addition to our family this year. And since this blog is about our experience living in this beautiful city, that will now include a few of the new parent/mommy-minded activities we’ve found helpful. It’s been said many times but it’s only just recently hit home (due to this latest life milestone!) that Kingston is a wonderful place to raise a kid. There are so many resources — some free and many affordable things to do. So I am going to tell you about one I’ve found really helpful so far!
I’ve always tried to stay active and that’s something post-baby that I was having a hard time fitting into my mat-leave schedule, enter Mom/Dad and Baby Boot Camp at Artillery Park. Our instructor, Patricia, lends a good mix of sweet and kind with tough love and badassery, cooing at our babes one minute and yelling at us to grab heavier weights the next. I started classes twice a week at 3 months postpartum and feel so much stronger and more energetic two months later. Patricia is mindful of how much we can push ourselves physically without overdoing it in our new postpartum bodies. Continue reading
Enright Cattle Company Hosts Successful Second Annual Crop Circle Dinner
If you’re familiar with Kingston’s food scene, you’ve probably seen the Enright name listed in one of the many menus around town. The Enrights pride themselves on their sustainability, ethically-raised cattle and providing the best quality beef to Kingston’s finest restaurants.
Every summer they invite the community behind the scenes to experience their product in an intimate setting at their Crop Circle dinner. Continue reading
CHOIR!CHOIR!CHOIR! Is Coming to Kingston as part of the Festival of Live Digital Arts
Kingston is home to so many amazing festivals and experiences – especially when the weather starts to heat up! This June be prepared for one of the coolest experiences – Festival of Live Digital Arts (foldA) will be blessing Kingston with an array of programming structured to support artists creating theatre in the digital age. Plenty of insta-worthy events are planned between June 12-15 for Kingston’s art and music lovers. Continue reading
The Blue Man Group is Coming to Kingston! A Q&A with the Captain
The Blue Man Group is coming to Kingston! The trio will be performing at the Leon’s Centre on March 21! The group’s Captain, Barney Haas, took a few minutes to answer some questions about the show via email. Read below to learn more about what to expect from their performance! And if you want a chance to win tickets, check out my Facebook or Instagram page to enter to win.
Keep up with Kingston: How did you start performing for the Blue Man group? What made you want to tour with the group?
Barney Haas: Always having been a drummer, I was fascinated by the show and so I auditioned back in 2012. A series of further auditions finally led to finding myself in the training process in New York, and that’s where the adventure begun. Now it’s been 6 years and the show has taken us all around the globe. Continue reading
Downtown Kingston: 5 Reasons I Will Shop Local This Holiday
Not going to lie, I’ve left all of my holiday shopping to the last minute. Have not bought one gift. But living in Kingston, we are surrounded by the best locally owned shops in the cutest downtown and I know it won’t take long for me to find what I need and treat myself to a nice lunch along the way. If you follow my blog, you probably already know, but I want to give you five reasons why I shop local – specifically downtown Kingston.
1. Good Vibes: Have you walked through Springer Market Square lately? It’s like walking through a holiday episode of the Gilmore Girls. Couples and family’s skating on the glistening ice framed by the 11 foot Christmas tree and the beautiful City Hall building. The scenic view gets me in the holiday spirit every time.
