Hamilton: SuperCrawl is Super Fun
Hamilton’s SuperCrawl has evolved over the past 10 years into one of Canada’s biggest and best music/street festivals. It is a great success story.
Grass Roots
It all started when a group of fledgling art galleries along James Street North (aka Little Portugal) decided to host an Art Crawl the second Friday of every month. This was not a particularly novel idea - most cities across North America had such event in the ‘90s and ‘00s. In Hamilton’s case, it started as an experiment to attract more people to downtown’s new arts district. However, soon new restaurants, cafes and boutiques were popping up along James Street North and wanted to join in the fun.
Each month, the Art Crawl grew in popularity.
Then in 2009, as an experiment, the James Street North merchants convinced the City to close the street for their September Art Crawl so they could add stages for music and create a real street festival - hence the name “SuperCrawl!” The first year attracted 3,000 visitors; today SuperCrawl is an annual 3-day festival the second weekend in September that attracts over 200,000 visitors from across southern Ontario and beyond (i.e. more than the Tiger-Cats attract all season).
In many ways, SuperCrawl has put Hamilton on the art scene map!
SuperCrawl 2018
After attending a regular Art Crawl a few years back and being impressed, I added the Super Crawl to my list of things to see. This was the year.
In 2018, this eight-block festival, had two major stages (75+ music and theatre performances), hundreds of artists’/makers’ tents, 15 fashion shows, a block of food trucks, several art installations and a family fun zone.
Music
The music program is very eclectic. This year’s program ranged from Broken Social Scene to Ian Thomas with the Hamilton All-Star Blues Band in the middle. Over the years, the festival has featured groups like Hamilton’s own Arkells (in 2014), to Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings (the late Jones being called the “female, James Brown” (in 2015). Other notables over the years - Sheepdog, Sam Roberts, Tanya Tagaq and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
Found this grunge band playing in a dark back alley half a block off of James St N. Anything goes during SuperCrawl.
Fashion Shows
One of the festival’s hidden gems is the fashion shows that showcase local designers. I discovered this stage late on Saturday night. I loved the Cosplay Masquerade and was sorry to miss the Hamilton Vintage Community and The Thrifty Designer shows. Other interesting shows included Madjita: Indigenous Stories and Design and TroyBoy Drag Show.
Tents
I was surprised at the number of tents that filled up not only the street but every nook and cranny, creating a fun, flea market-like atmosphere. From the usual artisans to people selling used records and books – there were treasures to be found.
By day…
By night…
Food Trucks
In addition to the many restaurants along James St. North, there were 35+ food trucks.
The food trucks ranged from Hamilton’s famous Gorilla Cheese to one called The Flyin’ G’Nosh.
I was intrigued by Buster’s Bloomin Onion Company’s truck with its huge multi-level trays each holding hundreds of whole peeled onions waiting to be battered, fried and served with Buster’s own chipotle mayo, peppercorn ranch dipping sauce or nacho cheese drizzle.
I didn’t try them (I hate long lines) but given the long line-up, I bet they were good.
SuperCrawl also showcases how downtown Hamilton’s King William Street (one of the adjacent side streets) has evolved into a restaurant row with lovely patios.
In the evenings, it was like being on Calgary’s Stephen Avenue or perhaps in Montreal’s Plateau on a warm summer evening.
And of course, there was candy floss (it wouldn’t be a street festival without it) and Tim Horton’s Coffee. Kudos to Timmy’s for sponsoring the entire block that hosted the family fun activities.
Art Installations
The art installations this year were a big disappointment. I had seen photos of some of the past installations and was ready to be wowed. Perhaps my expectation’s “bar” was set too high. However, I was not alone in thinking the art installations looked junky - I overheard many people saying “this just looks like a pile of junk,” and in several cases, that literally is what they were.
Robert Hengeveld's artist statement reads, “Howl, a perpetual coyote-and-bunny chase races along the bright green tracks of a custom-built rollercoaster. It is never quite clear which decoy is chasing the other. Both decoys fall well short of the reality they stand to represent, and yet the spectacle of their wild and persistent action seems to make up for their lack of living breath or the occasional blemish in the stab at authenticity. Situated beneath the looping track is a vibrant landscape formed through the heaping piles of shredded paper. Accents of purple, neon pink, and red pop like wild flowers in what becomes an over-romanticized semblance of nature. The abridged world it creates is fantastical despite the ever-present reality of its modest materiality.”
Most people I overheard talking about it saw it as a hodgepodge of junk thrown together, that seemed to have no focus. There were a few laughs next to the roller coaster, not sure the artist’s message was received.
Male-Dominated by Vanessa Crosby Ramsay. “ using 6,000 ft of hand-knit computer cable, this piece considers historical ‘women’s work’ and our continued under-representation in fields dominated by me in the present” says the information panel.
Christopher McLeod's social art project EMERGENCY asks two simple yet complex questions of public participants: What’s the emergency? What can be done about it? Through the production of art as an instrument for change — a pillar beacon with a suggestion box-style cavity for gathering written submissions from the public — the project strives to be emblematic, participatory, and supportive. Most people just ignored it…there were volunteers there sometimes to engage pedestrians to submit a ballot indicating “what is their emergency?”
Bystanders by Megan Press was assembly of three temporary fixed sculptures made out of everyday materials strapped together. “Bystanders entice audiences to contemplate the familiarity of their identity and configuration as substitutes for human form, architectural structures and discrete objects” says the artist’s statement. They looked like a smash-up of random materials to me. Most of the time people just walked by and didn’t engage with the work. But did find this impromptu moment, not sure if the young women is responding to the art or to her friends.
Members of Flagship Gallery (237 James St. N., Hamilton) offer a visual meditation the theme of "rest” in A Place of Rest. An outdoor installation of artwork created using church pews, dovetailed with an in-gallery exhibition, the piece invites visitors to pause and reflect. This piece seemed be the successful of the art installation as people did stop and where engaged by the piece.
One of the more interesting art experiences was provided by Kelsey Knight who would chat with you and then create a custom poem for you. I also enjoyed the installation below in one of the permanent art galleries along James St. North.
Circus Orange
For the past four years, SuperCrawl has showcased Circus Orange, a local performance group that combines acrobatics and pyrotechnics into a fun family evening event. Think Cirque du Soleil up close and personal. I was able to stand by the fence next to the performers on both nights with great views of the behind the stage warm-up and set-up, as well as watching the performance ringside. A “front row seat” for FREE!
“It is not every company that can say they have a forensic gun expert working alongside a clown. Or, dancers who are also licensed pyrotechnicians and actors who happily dangle 80 feet in the air from industrial cranes. It is this kind of diversity that is our greatest asset and truly represents the Circus Orange company culture.” (Circus Orange website)
Urban Renewal Spark
SuperCrawl is a good example of how festivals can serve as the catalyst for change - helping transform a tired and forgotten street and neighbourhood, to a trendy, vibrant urban playground.
And, while James St N still has a long way to go, there is evidence of revitalization. New condos are being built; new shops and restaurants are joining the traditional Portuguese ones that have been there for many years.
There is a new fully leased WilliamThomas luxury student residence that will add 350+ students to the neighbourhood. This 21-storey, 169-unit residence is named after the 1850s WilliamThomas building that was on the site until it had to be demolished in 2010 as it was falling down. The four-storey façade of the original building along James St N was saved and reconstructed as part of the new student tower to enhance the pedestrian-friendliness of street. At present, it is looking for a couple of new retail or restaurant tenants.
One of the reminders that James St N was once known as Little Portugal.
The restored Lister Block in the foreground with the WilliamThomas student residence in the background.
Last Word
If you are in the Hamilton area on the second Friday of any month, check out Art Crawl. And if you love music/art festivals, I highly recommend you plan a weekend vacation in Hamilton and take in the entire festival. And did I mention it is FREE!
While there you can also check out the Hamilton Art Gallery and the Cotton Factory two other fun art adventures.
There is lots of interesting architecture in downtown Hamilton, take some time to wander and you will be rewarded.
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Hamilton’s Art Crawl is indeed super