Black Dog Hospitality Houses Perfect Venue for Private Parties

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Black dog food Lab I am always looking for new ways to enjoy Kingston — new places to visit and new foods to try. Luckily, there is always a new spot opening up in our wonderful foodie city for me to explore!

I recently celebrated a birthday and wanted to try a new space that my friends and family wouldn’t have visited yet. I saw that Black Dog Hospitality Group — the umbrella company of popular restaurants Dianne’s, Chien Noir, Atomica and Harpers also offers catering. Initially I thought I would host everyone in my house and cater in but decided against that idea (boo clean up!) and settled on hosting a dinner in their catering space – Black Dog Food Lab. This hidden space downtown on Ontario steet is decorated beautifully and perfect for an intimate gathering! Continue reading →

Shop Local: Kingston’s Holiday Markets

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Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash

The countdown to Christmas is officially on and this is the perfect time to share all of the goodness that Kingston’s makers have to offer. Thanks to a few very festive markets
— you can easily support local and treat loved ones this season. Scroll down to see where you can find your locally sourced Christmas gifts.

Kingston Holiday Market – 274 Princess Street – Saturday, November 18th (Open for 6 weekends)
From locally made chocolate and jewelry to bath products, furniture and more! Some of my favourite Kingston makers will be here!
Keep up on Instagram: @kingstonholidaymarket
Continue reading →

Q&A With A Passage to Bollywood Director Ashley Lobo

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Stage musical A Passage to Bollywood will be coming to The Grand Theatre on November 25. This vibrant show has traveled all over the world from China and Germany to Turkey, South Africa, US, Bahrain and Israel. Award winning director and choreographer Ashley Lobo took some time to answer some of my questions about show. Read below to learn about A Passage to Bollywood.

Keep up with Kingston: I read that you moved back to India in 1998, what brought you back?
Ashley Lobo: I left India for Australia because I wanted to train in international dance as there was no formal education system for it in India. I went back to India in ’98 because I thought it was important to start up a dance school so others could have the opportunity that I did not have.
Continue reading →

Five Shows I Can’t Wait to See This Season at The Grand

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I am so excited to announce a fun sponsored collaboration with The Grand Theatre. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve grown up attending shows like The Nutcracker at The Grand but they offer so much more than a holiday ballet. Performers travel from around the world to share their talents with us Kingstonians and we are incredibly lucky to have this theatre that can house these performances in such an intimate and beautiful space.

I’ve picked a few of the shows I look forward to and I’ll have an opportunity to interview someone who is a part each of these shows ahead of each performance. Plus, I’ll be pairing each article with a contest! Continue reading →

Five Things I Learned from Four of Kingston’s Female Entrepreneurs

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Last night, The Claire Closet hosted a panel discussion about building a successful brick and mortar business with four of Kingston’s successful female entrepreneurs. It was so great to see a range of professional experience and life experience discuss the rewards and pitfalls of being business owners. The speakers were Cyndy Gibson owner of shops Agent 99 and Blueprint, Maria Cronk owner of Fancy That and Roundstone, Tiffany Brick owner of The Annex Spa and Melissa Eapen owner of Improbable Escapes and The Kingston Collective. Listening to these women speak reaffirmed why I started the Boss Ladies of the Limestone City series. They support each other and encourage healthy competition for the greater good of our beautiful city. I admire how they contribute to the awesome town we live in. They also offered amazing advice. If you’re considering launching a business of your own, below is a list of five things I learned from their talk. Continue reading →

Shop The Deals at Chris James’ Princess Pop Up

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Chris James
Calling all Kingston shoppers! If you love a deal as much as I do you’ll love what I am about to share with you. Fashion boutique, Chris James, currently located on Ontario street has opened up a Pop Up shop on Princess street.

If you’re unfamiliar with Chris James, it is locally owned by Christine Ray-Bratt and Jim Adams who opened their boutique with the intention of creating a tailored shopping experience for all customers. They carry high end brands like Ted Baker, Tiger of Sweden, Paige, Iris and more so it’s rare to see some of these designers priced so low – lucky for us!

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Marked down to $96 from $160.

The stock is currently comprised of women’s clothing and ranges from summer items to blouses and button ups that can be worked into your fall wardrobe as well. Since it’s been unseasonably warm – some of the finds can still be rocked in this weather. Plus, they will be restocking weekly so fresh goodies will be appearing regularly.

After a browse around the shop I spot a few incredible deals: denim marked down from $205 to $48, button ups from $135 to $58, dresses for the office or nights out marked down from $375 to $187 and a beautiful Bandolera overcoat that I fell in love with marked down from $232 to $48.

Note to bring cash or credit for purchases as they do not accept debit.

Escape The Mayan Temple With Improbable’s Latest Game

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Snakes, jaguars and fish – oh my! I was recently invited by Improbable Escapes Kingston to try out their brand new game Legend of the Mayan Temple.

Escape Room games are perfect team building exercises so I brought a few of my work colleagues along to join in the fun. If you’re unfamiliar with escape rooms, the concept is that you are locked in a room with various puzzles that you solve to escape. You typically have an hour to escape. It’s a great way to test your noggin’, communication skills and patience — plus it’s very validating when you solve a puzzle! Continue reading →

Boss Ladies of the Limestone City: Jess and Cade of NORTHSIDE Espresso and Kitchen

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It’s been six months since the beautiful NORTHSIDE espresso and kitchen opened its doors on the north side of princess just east of clergy. It has been such an incredible addition to Princess street, with it’s beautiful, plant-filled, insta-worthy space, delicious food and amazing coffee they acquired admirers from the very start. Owners Jess and Cade moved from Melbourne, Australia to be closer to Jess’s family and brought their passion for their regions’ coffee cafe culture to Kingston. I’ve found a few common traits that run through these boss lady interviews: passion, the courage to dive into something new and the appreciation for support that the Kingston community offers. And Jess and Cade are no different. They clearly love the new life they’ve built with NORTHSIDE and it’s clear in the vibe that is felt whenever I stop in for a drink or a bite.

Below, they reflect on the last six months and explain how they got their start and what they love about being small business owners in Kingston.

KUWK: When did you start to think about NORTHSIDE and this concept?

Jess: I think the seed of the idea was always floating around in our minds, particularly because I grew up in Sydenham/Kingston. Whenever we would come home for a visit or something we felt like we were missing something. There was a gap for us in terms of getting that cafe culture. I know there are lots of coffee shops here which are great but we also wanted to have a breakfast with great coffee. Continue reading →

Set Sail with a Cocktail on the Island Queen

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1000 Island Cruises is really soaking up these last summer nights with a sunset cocktail cruise that is typically offered to companies as a private event. They invited a bunch of avid Instagrammers and bloggers to set sail Wednesday night and take in the beautiful night sky aboard the Island Queen.

I have to admit that I’ve never been on the Island Queen, it seems like something reserved for true tourists of the limestone city but it’s a real treat identifying Kingston’s architectural gems from a fresh perspective on the water. Continue reading →

My Week with Peggy Baker: The Grand Presents Chorus

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I had a full circle moment this summer.

A little background, I grew up dancing (ballet, jazz, tap, modern — you name it), it was a huge part of my life and four years ago when I was working as a journalist in Toronto, I had the privilege of interviewing highly acclaimed contemporary dancer Peggy Baker. I walked away from my interview with Peggy feeling filled with energy and inspiration. Her warmth was contagious and as a former dancer I felt moved to get involved in dance again but wasn’t sure how to go about it.

Fast forward four years and I find out that Peggy Baker is coming to Kingston for a residency hosted by the Ontario Dances Program. The call is for “adventurous movers between ages 16 to 75 to take part in a contemporary dance performance presented at the Grand Theatre.”  Continue reading →