Event Details

Incorporated in 2003, Cobalt Connects Creativity is a non-profit organization that is the connecting element for creative communities in the Hamilton region. Through spaces, consultation and exchange programs, they develop innovative facilities, projects and partnerships that advance the creative community. For more than 40 years the City of Hamilton has provided collective marketing and anchor programming for Hamilton Winterfest, a cultural festival aimed at getting residents out of their homes in February. The community-led program includes neighbourhood groups, schools, and local arts organizations. With a growing community and increased demand for engaging cultural and recreation offerings in the winter, the City of Hamilton engaged Cobalt Connects in 2019 to lead the management and growth of Winterfest. In 2020 the festival attracted over 32,000 guests to more than 100 events across the city as organizers focused on refining its programming offerings by developing the Winterfest Hub, and boosted the marketing effort of the festival by publishing the Hamilton Winterfest Magazine. Cobalt Connects Creativity is headed by Jeremy Freiburger, a leader in Hamilton’s creative community for almost 15 years.

This application is for “Hamilton Winterfest 2024”, taking place February 2 to 19, 2024 in Hamilton. Winterfest is an annual festival co-produced by the City of Hamilton and Cobalt Connects. Cobalt Connects leads a collective marketing campaign to support some 70+ community and organization-led events, in addition to creating the Winterfest HUB on the Jackson Square rooftop plaza and this year’s Winterfest Exhibition inside Jackson Square. Programming will include:

1) Winterfest Exhibition: open for the entire duration of the festival, with extended evening hours for key events and private parties, the exhibition will be an immersive space filled with neon, light-based works, artist installations from multiple partners including the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Clay and Glass Museum, and through targeted calls to street, mural and digital artists. Featured artists will include: (i) Stylo Starr & Group of Seven Billion (animated collage projection); (ii) MatSysDesign (fibre art building); (iii) Personal Touch Records (site soundtrack); (iv) Badawaan Collective & Kahsenniyo (Indigenous project); and (v) four interactive works created by Cobalt Connects;

2) Two live concerts;

3) ‘ Front Queens Drag Show’;

4) Family Day (in partnership with the Art Gallery of Hamilton and the Hamilton Public Library);

5) ‘Love in Lights’ Valentine’s Day event; and

6) ‘Lucky Lion Asian Food Night Market’.