Garnering literary sensations from across the country, Kingston WritersFest returns for its 18th year from September 25 to 29.

The festival features a diverse array of writers, including an author who survived both the Vietnam War and the Iranian Revolution, and a cookbook creator who tells the stories of Toronto through food. There will be a panel discussion about the state of democracy in North America moderated by journalist Carol Off, whose guests include Rob Goodman, a former speechwriter for the members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

In addition to speaker events, WritersFest hosts programs for youth and immersive workshops; award-winning authors teach you how to write the first sentence of a book or fictionalize reality.

Visit Kingston WritersFest’s website to learn more about the events and purchase your tickets. The festival offers various pay-what-you-can options so cost doesn’t prevent you from attending.

Here are just a few authors attending Kingston WritersFest this year. You can go to Novel Idea (156 Princess Street) to purchase their books.

Danny Ramadan

The Screening Room, Cameo | September 25 (7–8 pm)

Danny Ramadan opens the festival by taking audiences through Syria’s underground network of queer safe homes.

Crooked Teeth: A Queer Syrian Refugee Memoir is about Ramadan’s experience fleeing persecution in Syria. As well as discussing his story, the novelist and activist shares his experience writing seven books and how he raised $300,000 for LGBTQI+ identifying refugees.

Anh N. Duong

The Screening Room, Cameo | September 27 (1:15–2:15 pm)

Anh N. Duong bore witness to the horrors of both the Vietnam War and the Iranian Revolution.

He recounted the experience to his daughter, award-winning documentarian Ashley Da-Lê Duong, in a series of letters which became his memoir, Dear Da-Lê: A Father’s Memoir of the Vietnam War and the Iranian Revolution.

Anh comes to Kingston to discuss his time in conflict-torn Vietnam and Iran. Ashley, who’s making a film about her father’s journey from Asia to Canada, will be onstage with Anh to help share his story.

Marianne K. Miller

The Screening Room, Cameo | September 27 (2:30–3:30 pm)

Ernest Hemingway wasn’t always a renowned author–he was once a scrappy journalist for the Toronto Star.

Marianne K. Miller hits The Screening Room’s stage to discuss her book We Were the Bullfighters which explores Hemingway’s career as a journalist in Canada. In Miller’s new historical fiction novel, Hemingway is transfixed by Norman “Red” Ryan’s escape from the Kingston Penitentiary.

Anthony Oliveira

The Screening Room, Cameo | September 27 (3:45–4:45 pm)

After attending an all-boys Catholic school, Oliveira intimately understands the intersection between sexuality and religion.

Oliveira’s book, Dayspring, is a queer coming-of-age story about Christ and his beloved disciples. Visit The Screening Room in September to learn how the author has reimagined and revealed historical narratives to be queer.

Tanya Talaga

Kingston Market Square Hotel, Limestone Ballroom | September 27 (7:30–9:00 pm)

This award-winning author and journalist comes to Kingston Market Square Hotel to discuss the oppression Indigenous people face in Canada.

A retelling of Canada’s history through an Indigenous lens, The Knowing tells Tanya Talaga’s family’s endurance of cultural genocide and government sanctions.

Misty Pratt

The Screening Room, Cameo | September 28 (11 am–noon)

As a health researcher, Misty Pratt is familiar with the diminishment of women as “crazy” or “hysterical.”

All in Her Head: How Gender Bias Harms Women’s Health by Pratt explores the connection between women and “hysteria,” a condition coined in Ancient Greece. Using scientific facts and humour, Pratt explains how the medical system must change to better address women’s mental health concerns.

Lisa Moore

The Screening Room, Cameo | September 28 (3:30–4:30 pm)

Jack Whalen suffered extensive abuse at a reform school in Newfoundland, detailed in Lisa Moore’s book, Invisible Prisons. The Giller Prize nominee explores Jack’s ability to turn his life around following the traumatic experience, becoming a dedicated father and husband

Jack’s daughter, Brittney, was appalled by his past treatment and vowed to seek justice for her father. Now a lawyer, she’s doing so in court. As Brittney continues to advocate for Jack, Moore poses the question to audiences in Kingston, what’s justice from a broken system?

Vincent Anioke

The Screening Room, Cameo | September 28 (4:45–5:45 pm)

An addict’s love for pottery, a ghost’s delight at her grief-stricken partner, and contentions between staff and students at a boarding school.

Anioke hits The Screening Room’s stage to talk about his book of short stories, Perfect Little Angels. The Austin Clark Fiction Prize winner discusses how experiences of mourning and memory, love and longing, and marginalization and community are captured in the pages of his debut book.

M.G. Vassanji

The Screening Room, Cameo | September 29 (9:30–10:30 am)

How do we define “belonging”? M.G. Vassanji explores this question in his recent book of essays, Nowhere, Exactly: On Identity and Belonging.

The Order of Canada recipient is no stranger to the WritersFest stage, returning to Kingston this year to discuss the themes explored in his new book. Nowhere, Exactly offers personal explorations of the grief, loss, and hope that comes with the immigrant experience.

Len Senater

Grandview, Delta Hotel | September 29 (noon–1:30 pm)

Closing out the festival is Len Senater, founder of The Depanneur–an event venue hosting chefs, cooking classes, and weekly brunches in Toronto.

The Depanneur Cookbook celebrates Toronto’s cultural diversity, featuring 100 recipes from various chefs across the city. Senatar’s cookbook includes a crispy-skin red braised pork belly recipe made by Taiwanese chef Alex Chen. Flipping to another page of the cookbook, you’ll encounter Mark Kusitor’s Soup Bouyon ak Legumes or vegan Haitian soup.

Enjoy brunch while the photographer and food enthusiast shares tales from The Depanneur, recounts the chefs he has met, and the squid ink gnocchi he’s savoured along the way.

Taste sweet heirloom tomatoes at a tomato-tasting workshop, watch a seasoned chef make a dish infused with local ingredients, and explore a local farm. 

Open Farm Days 2024 are back this August and September. Whether you indulge in a culinary experience, visit a charming farm or farmers’ market, or participate in an action-packed community event, you’ll support local producers in Kingston and Frontenac County. 

You can take part in the following ticketed and drop-in events. 

Culinary experiences

Chef demonstration in the amphitheater at Springer Market Square

August 24 (11 am–noon) 

Bar Mayla’s sous chef, Hediye Cifci, brings her culinary expertise to Springer Market Square with an interactive chef’s demonstration. 

Cifci will discuss the dish’s preparation, the local ingredients used, and provide a sample of the cuisine for $2.  

Try some delicious food and improve your skills in the kitchen. Registration is not required. 

Farm-to-table dining at Donald Gordon Hotel and Conference Centre Coach House Pub

August 24 (6 pm) 

The executive chef at the Donald Gorden Hotel (421 Union Street) is whipping up a seven-course experience using ingredients from a wide variety of local partners.  

You’ll indulge in local flavours, from produce grown by Fruition Berry Farm to dairy sourced by Limestone Organic Creamery, while enjoying the ambiance of a historic limestone carriage house. Buy your tickets today. 

Kingston Food Tours – Classic & Tapas

Various dates in August and September  

Stroll around downtown Kingston and learn about the Limestone City’s eclectic selection of restaurants. On the Classic and Tapas Kingston Food Tours, you’ll learn about local farmers and visit the restaurants that feature their fresh produce and meat. 

Dianne’s Fish Shack & Smokehouse– specializing in tacos and fresh nautical fare–and Atomica Kitchen & Cocktails–serving a diverse array of pizzas infused with local ingredients–are just two restaurants you’ll experience on your culinary journey in Kingston. Both restaurants are Feast On certified, meaning they are committed to sourcing Ontario food and beverages. 

You can purchase tickets for both the classic and tapas tours on Kingston Food Tours’ website. 

Food and drink pairings with Bloom Farm & Rampant Kitchen

September 14 (3–7 pm) 

Explore food and drink pairings filled with the fresh flavours of Frontenac County at Bloom Farm (4723 Petworth Road). 

Chef Elisa Corrigan from Rampant Kitchen creates eight dishes for you to taste. You’ll even meet the farmers who cultivated the produce and meat featured in each food and drink pairing at this ticketed event. 

Oktoberfest at Myers Cave Resort

September 21,22,28,29 (4-9 pm) 

Surrounded by fall foliage and Celtic music, enjoy a pint of local craft beer from Kick & Push Brewery and a freshly baked pretzel from Grain & Goods Farmstead and Bakery at Myers Cave Resort’s (2471 Hwy 506) Oktoberfest celebration. 

Locally made sausage from Seed to Sausage and produce from Glen Creek Farm are served underneath a cozy tent overlooking Georgia Lake. After finishing your Bavarian meal, put on a traditional German outfit and snap a photo with your friends and family. Buy your tickets today. 

Farmers’ markets  

Events at Frontenac Farmers Market

Tomato tasting – August 23 (3–7 pm) 

Food & drink pairings – September 13 (3–7 pm) 

Oktoberfest – October 4 (3–7 pm) 

Frontenac Farmers Market (4500 Centennial Park Road), featuring vendors such as the Kingston Pickle Company and Grains & Goods Farmstead and Bakery, is hosting three Open Farm Days this year. 

From giant heirlooms to plump Roma tomatoes, Field and Forest Market Garden & Bloom Farm are teaching you how to grow and use all types of tomatoes on August 23.  

Explore food and drink pairings from the farmer market’s vendors on September 13 or experience traditional Bavarian culture at their Oktoberfest celebration– featuring live music and a beer garden–on October 4.  

Registration is not required for any of the events.

Events at Sharbot Lake Farmers Market

Tomato-tasting workshop – August 24 (11 am–noon) 

Farm-to-table BBQ & beer garden – August 31 (11 am–1 pm) 

Bloom bar – September 7 (9 am–noon) 

This farmers market framed by the tranquil waters of Sharbot Lake (Medical Centre Road) is offering a variety of Open Farm Days this year, including a tomato-tasting experience, a beer garden & BBQ, and a pick-your-own flower bouquet event.  

Like the Frontenac Farmer’s Market, Sharbot Lake is also hosting a tomato-tasting experience on August 24–you’ll sample a selection of specialty and heritage tomatoes. 

Indulge in food and beer from local suppliers at the farmer’s market’s Farm-to-table BBQ & beer garden on August 31. Come back to the quaint farm and pick up a bouquet of roses and hydrangeas during the Bloom Bar event, taking place September 7. 

Registration is not required for any of the events. 

Block party at Memorial Centre Farmers Market

August 25 (9 am– 2 pm) 

The Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market’s (MCFM) block party brings beloved local vendors together to mark the height of harvest season.  

The market is collaborating with Loving Spoonful–an organization that provides programs to improve access to local food products–to deliver an action-packed block party, featuring a DJ, fundraising events, and educational food activities highlighting the nuances of Kingston’s local food system. 

Alongside the market’s usual produce, dairy, and grain sellers, the block party is serving prepared food items. 

As summer gives way to fall, visit MFCM to celebrate the anticipated transition. Registration is not required. 

Farm experiences 

Lawn alternatives with Rebecca Boyar from West Coast Seeds

August 24 (11 am–noon) 

Ditch your monochrome green lawn and create a colourful oasis brimming with bumblebees and butterflies.  

Rebecca Boyar from West Coast Seeds is teaching you how to transform your lawn ahead of the winter at Sun Harvest Greenhouses (2542 Perth Road). She’ll tell you the benefits of having a lawn boasting various plants and flowers and show you how to achieve such gorgeous foliage.  

Additionally, Boyar describes what seeds you’ll need and how to care for your new-and-improved lawn. The event is free, but registration is required. 

Fall floral bud vase workshop at Maple Ridge Farm

September 19 (6 pm) 

Cultivate your own blooming bouquet at Maple Ridge Farm (3098 Alton Road East) this September.  

You’ll create beautiful floral arrangements bursting with rich hues and experiment with various design techniques. Take your creation home in a handcrafted vase created by Hyla at Root Cellar Studio. 

Prime your green thumb and buy your tickets today. 

Walking farm tour at Maple Ridge Farm

September 21,22 (10 am) 

Nestled in a warm sweater, surrounded by orange and yellow fall foliage, discover this charming farm near Kingston. 

The owners of Maple Ridge Farm (3098 Alton Road East), Mark and Becky, show their sustainable and regenerative farming practices, taking you through their sweeping fields and rustic barns encircled by herbs and livestock. Afterward, indulge in Maple Ridge’s fresh honey and purchase a jar of the golden liquid. 

Buy your tickets to explore this outdoor oasis.  

Beekeeping experience at Maple Ridge Farm

September 21,22, (1 pm or 3:30 pm) 

Learn what it takes to produce Maple Ridge Farm’s sweet honey during their one-hour interactive beekeeping experience.  

Dressed in a beekeeping suit, you’ll conduct hive investigations and learn about the black and yellow insects’ vital roles in our ecosystem. You can purchase your tickets today. 

Microgreen learning experience at Collective Joy Farm

September 28 (9 am–2 pm) 

Boasting 500 pounds of fresh produce, Collective Joy Farm (477 MacDonnell Street) will give you an insight into their microgreen expertise.  

During this experience, Collective Joy Farm teaches you how to cook with and grow your own greens. They even offer a tour of their farm where produce is grown sans herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers.  

Grab a cold-pressed juice or smoothie on your way out. Registration is not required. 

Community events  

Canadian, Frontenac County, and Wolfe Island Plowing matches

Wolfe Island plowing matches – August 27  

Canadian plowing matches – August 28–30  

Frontenac County plowing matches – September 8  

Take the short ferry ride over to Wolfe Island and watch farmers battle it out on their plows. 

The Wolfe Island plowing match takes place on August 27 at Morningsight Farms (1227 Reeds Bay Road), with lunch served between noon and 1 pm.  

The next day (August 28) on Morningsight Farms, the Canadian Plowing Championship commences, bringing together farmers from across the country. After the opening ceremonies at 9 am, farmers plow one plot of land. Competitors who advance to the next round plow again on August 29 and 30 to secure their spot at the World Plowing Championship in the Czech Republic. 

Ron and Ruth Tate’s farm (4297 Perth Road) in Frontenac County is also hosting a local plowing match on September 8. If you’re not one of the competitors who’s cutting, lifting, and turning over the soil, there’ll be wagon rides, food trucks, and music at the farm.  

Develop a new appreciation for the arduous process of cultivating fields and take your family to see a free plowing match this August and September. Registration is not required for any of the plowing matches.  

A night in the village on Wolfe Island

August 29 (4–8 pm) 

Cozy up in a horse-drawn carriage or snap a photo next to a vintage tractor on Wolfe Island. 

A night in the village on Wolfe Island (1191 County Road) features local vendors, a life-sized model milking cow, and horse-drawn carriage tours of the city.  

Just a short ferry ride from Kingston to Wolfe Island, make this quaint event your next family outing. Registration is not required. 

Verona Lions Club Garlic Festival

August 31 (9 am–2 pm) 

Grab some garlic to incorporate into your pasta or stir fry at Verona Lions Club Garlic Festival taking place in Verona Lions Hall (4504 Verona Sand Road) on August 31. 

The event boasts local garlic, food, and a plethora of vendors. Registration is not required. 

Perry Farm at Food Less Travelled

September 7 (10 am–4 pm) 

Come to Perry Farm (6674 Road 38) to see Black Maine-Anjou and Speckle Park cattle, calves and bulls, donkeys, and pigs on September 7. 

In addition to a variety of livestock scattered throughout the space, Perry Farm offers roping demonstrations, local foods, and baked goods.  

Kingston Fall Fair

September 12 to 15 

Kingston’s Fall Fair (303 York Street) featuring a neon Ferris wheel, tubs of cotton candy, plus beef, dairy, and horse shows is back for its 192nd year. From September 12 to 15, the fall fair hosts competitions in culinary arts, home crafts, flowers, and produce in support of local providers and farmers.  

Buy your tickets to the Kingston Fall Fair on their website today. 

The Great Wolfe Island Bake Off at the Blue Moose Bed and Breakfast

September 14 (11 am–4 pm) 

Grab your whisks and rolling pins–the Great Wolfe Island Bake Off at the Blue Moose Bed & Breakfast (1277 Highway 96 (Main Street)) takes place September 14. 

Competitors bring their best pie or cookie recipes for judges to taste. They’re scored based on the baked good’s taste, decoration, and use of locally sourced ingredients. If you’re not showcasing an apple pie or chocolate chip cookie, there’s be signature snacks, refreshments, and a cookie decorating station for your enjoyment. 

So, take the ferry ride to Wolfe Island, bring your best-baked goods, and participate in the flour and sugar-filled fun. Registration is not required.

If you’re envisioning a wedding reception where guests will be raving about the elegant entrées and delightful desserts for weeks afterward, then the Holiday Inn wedding packages are perfect for you. 

Locally sourced fine dining  

The Holiday Inn Kingston-Waterfront offers luxurious wedding packages featuring a three- or four-course dinner with decadent and distinct poultry, fish, and beef dishes.  

Packages include a cocktail reception with drinks, non-alcoholic punch, toast points, charcuterie, and other tasty finger foods. Guests are then served a plated dinner from a Feast On certified kitchen.  

As a Feast On certified establishment, Holiday Inn Kingston-Waterfront buys Ontario-grown and locally supplied food, from Patchwork Gardens’ organic vegetables to hormone- and antibiotic-free meat from Wallace Beef. 

Exceptional meals for all seasons 

Sitting down for the lavish dinner, guests are offered two complimentary glasses of wine and a soup or salad. Options include a delicious spinach and frisée salad with chèvre feta, tomato concassé, roasted peppers, and a tart beet vinaigrette. For a fresh, sweet-salty salad, guests can enjoy baby gem lettuce with gorgonzola, prosciutto, candied walnuts, dried cherries, and a lemon-lime vinaigrette.  

When the temperature cools and the trees covering Confederation Basin turn orange and gold, guests can savour a comforting chowder or bisque. 

Depending on the wedding package you choose, attendees can indulge in an appetizer topped with homemade marinades and savory purées. Their lox and latkes dish, with beet-stained Ontario trout gravlax, dilled latkes, lemon crème fraîche, and frisée is perfect for a warm spring wedding while the house-made butternut ravioli with ricotta cheese, cream, and hazelnut butter, is ideal for a cozy winter reception.  

Moving onto the main course, guests are offered their choice of chicken, beef, or fish–with a twist. Their chicken is wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with smoked tomatoes, chèvre, and baby spinach; their pork tenderloin is covered in a maple glaze and served with a caramelized apple compote. For a lighter option, guests can go with the pan-seared Chilean sea bass, delicately lined with a pesto crust and served with a side of chimichurri corn salsa. 

Tell your guests to leave the room for dessert. They’re sure to enjoy the triple chocolate mousse or the Chef’s special–a banana pudding with a brown butter sauce.  

Late night highlights 

When the music picks up and the dance floor fills, the hotel offers its late-night reception menu. Guests can replenish with a variety of finger foods including the Kid Again platter, featuring mini hot dogs, nachos, mini pretzels, tater-tot cones, and mini corndogs, or the Pizza Pizza platter, filled with assorted pizzas, garlic bread, and tasty dipping sauces. Based on your chosen wedding package, guests can line up for a poutine bar, or recharge with a cup of coffee or tea.  

The Holiday Inn Kingston-Waterfront accommodates dietary restrictions, ensuring your guests stay full, happy, and satisfied throughout the night.  

Unbeatable panoramic views 

In addition to their delicious menu, the Holiday Inn Kingston-Waterfront boasts gorgeous venues for large and intimate wedding receptions.  

The Crawford room, accommodating 40 guests, and the Bellevue room, holding 220 guests, offer stunning views of Kingston’s harbour. When the sun sets, the waterfront is illuminated by warm string lights lining the Wharf and Feather patio.  

Next to the Bellevue room, the Martello Room is the perfect place to set up a bar. As guests wait for a glass of wine, local craft beer, or mixed drink, they can admire the uninterrupted view of the Shoal Tower.  

Accommodating 160 people, the Island View room faces east, offering sights of the Cataraqui River and Royal Military Collage. With an abundance of natural light, this venue boasts a dance floor and a large bar backdropped by the stunning view. Whatever room you choose, it will be meticulously decorated to your taste. 

Following the picturesque reception, the hotel provides happy couples with a one- or two-night stay in the King Waterfront guest room overlooking the Cataraqui River. Upon entering the expansive space, you’re met with a bottle of bubbly and clean white linens.  

To learn more about the hotel’s wedding packages, contact Judy Fisher, manager of catering and sales, at judy.fisher@innvesthotels.com or 613-549-8400, extension 2604.