Fun Things To Do in Kingston: Events With Makers and Creators

Kingston events don't get much more memorable than a meet up with the city's best makers and creators.

Our Kingston, Ontario, Canada travel experience was sponsored by Tourism Kingston and we thank them for their support. Some links within this blog post are affiliate links, which means we are paid a small commission should you make a purchase .

Nick Allinson isn’t just a woodworker. I suspect he may just be a bit of a room worker as well. Within a minute of meeting him, he was drilling me not on the other makers and creators I was interviewing later that day in Kingston, Ontario, but rather what I’d be eating and where. I had barely mentioned a popular breakfast place that was on my list when he interrupted. "No! Not that one! You need to go here" before insisting I write down the name of what he says is the city’s finest breakfast joint (Northside Espresso) and telling me the story of the owners (Katie and Jess), who are from Australia.

In the same breath, Nick insisted we also visit Stone City Ales, arguing that they’re the finest brewery in the city and utterly unlike some suspected imposter brewers (say it ain’t so!) After a few minutes, he was waxing poetic about the city’s best florist, LSP Designs, and heaping praise upon his fellow makers and creators, who he credits for launching an amazingly innovative program to bring travelers and makers together at the most unlikely of venues - hotels. Yes, hotels!

Set up in the foyer of Kingston's waterfront Delta hotel, Nick’s spectacularly handmade homemade wooden charcuterie boards were on display to best effect. But that wasn’t what was catching everyone’s eye. It was the hands-on demonstration! No, we weren’t sawing wood or sanding boards. Instead, we were given our own tiny live edge cutting boards - perfect for individual tapas servings - and Nick walked us through the process of massaging in mineral oil, followed by “board butter” (a mineral oil/beeswax blend) until the wood shone. Within moments, we felt like creators and makers ourselves, with our beautiful cutting boards gleaming.

We attracted a few curious glances as we worked on our boards. Some of the hotel guests and bar patrons weren’t exactly sure what was going on! To be fair, it’s not every day that you see a hotel lobby double as a woodworking studio. On the weekend we visited, Nick was just one of several local makers and creators who were working as unofficial ambassadors of Kingston’s creative community. Stationed at different hotels throughout the city, they were demonstrating their craft, encouraging tourists to pop by for a chat, and providing lesson in their respective trade - complete with free take home souvenir!
​
I was thrilled to learn that Nick and his colleagues were being supported by the tourism board. I love it when tourism boards and other organizations such as chambers of commerce or municipal councils are willing to go the distance to support their creative community. This spirit of creative cooperation is really one of the things I love most about Kingston. I also think it’s tremendously clever that they’re bringing the makers to the visitors. It’s one thing to have a community arts festival and hope that the tourists will drop by. However, when workshops are set up in hotels however, an entirely new audience is reached. Clever! We’re now living proof that a short chat with a maker can introduce a visitor to a whole new side of the city. Coffee, breakfast, beer, and flower recommendations all in one visit? Thanks, Nick!

Nick wasn’t the only maker who was sharing recommendations, stories, and insights with us during our visit. We also popped in to chat with Megan White, a jewelry designer who runs Beads x Meg. She works with semi-precious, wood, lava, and glass beads to make handmade jewelry, which she often finishes with metal disks, handstamped with initials or even paw prints! Megan’s passion and drive personifies the Kingston maker and creator. When we visited her, she had been in business for just one year but her work was already in 16 stores in 2 provinces and being sold online and at local markets and festivals.

At first, we thought we’d just have a chance to watch her make the intricate bracelets but we were soon invited to try making our own! And it was SO much fun! As she cheered us on, despite our fumbling fingers, she gave us a bit of background about the different beads were were selecting. Ever the romantic, I was drawn to the rose quartz but Ryan selected a combination of wood and lava beads (perhaps feeling a connection to our Hawaiian adventures?) We learned that the porous lava beads pair well with essential oils, giving of subtle aroma therapy thanks to the warmth of your skin.

Seeking out an artist’s studio to participate in a jewelry making workshop is exactly the kind of thing I’d always wanted to do during my travels but previously avoided. It always seemed…. complicated. What if their studio was out in the middle of nowhere? What if the class was expensive or frustrating or not really my thing? I’m so glad that, for my first session, the artist came to me, so to speak. Now that I know more about it and what to expect, I just want to do it again and again. We even have gorgeous souvenirs to commemorate our experience.

Visiting Kingston’s makers and creators in the local hotels isn’t an everyday kind of thing - but experiencing the city’s artistic spirit absolutely is. You can visit the Makers of Kingston website and use their information to make your own list of studios you want to tour, see a schedule of upcoming events, and read their stories. There are over two dozen makers listed, stretching from Kingston to Elgin to Picton, and all around southeastern Ontario, all with the capacity for guests to drop by. They include tattoo artists, metal works artists, breweries, herbalists, and more. I also highly recommend a visit to Martello Alley, an art themed history alley in downtown Kingston (You can find the entrance at 203 B Wellington Street) It’s a short, colorful, funky walk with over a dozen artists represented along the way. There’s nothing really like it in all of Ontario and it’s the perfect way to easily connect with local artists, makers, and creators while you’re exploring downtown.
​
I’m hopeful the hotel program is brought back as an annual summer event each and every year and I know that I’ll be watching the Makers of Kingston website carefully for updates. But even if it’s not, I know that Kingston’s creative spirit is never far away when I’m exploring.
​

If you're exploring Kingston, you'll want to check out these posts as well:

The Best Places To Eat In Kingston
Wolfe Island's Most Beautiful Travel Spots
The Best Free Things To Do In Kingston