Kingston & Area Local News

🎹 140+ Shows, One Big Cause: How HomeGrown Live Keeps the Music Playing for Joe’s M.I.L.L.
🌊 Waterfront Watch: A Kingston Landmark Is Up for Sale
🍗 The Last Dragon Wing Ever? KBC's Legend May Have Flown for Good

Community Champions

🍽️ Kingston's Food Sharing Project Just Levelled Up at Regi
🤝 Meet Kingston's 2026 United Way Campaign Chair: Krista Wells Pearce

New Events In and Around Kingston

🤝 Be Inspired: CLKD Connects Open House | 5-1440 Princess St. | May 5
🏢 18th Annual Frontenac Community Services Fair | Slush Puppie Place | May 6
🎓 Queen's Last Lecture Series: Dr. Eleanor MacDonald | Queen's University (Hybrid) | May 6
🧪 Science Rendezvous Kingston: IGNITE Your Imagination | Slush Puppie Place | May 9

Events Calendar

It’s gotten too long to include here in the summary! Click Events Calendar to see our list for the next few days.

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If your ears are still ringing just a little bit today, don’t worry. It is a badge of honor! This past Saturday, May 2, Kingston turned into one massive concert hall for the annual HomeGrown Live Music Festival. We are talking about over 140 performances across more than a dozen venues downtown. From folk and jazz to heart-pounding rock, there was literally nowhere in the core where you couldn’t hear the sound of local talent.

But as great as the music was, the reason behind it is even better. HomeGrown Live is the biggest annual fundraiser for Joe’s M.I.L.L. (the Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library). Think of it like a regular library, but instead of checking out a book, you can check out a guitar, a drum kit, or even a violin for free. It was started in memory of Joe Chithalen, a legendary Kingston musician who believed everyone should have the chance to play music, regardless of their bank account.

The most incredible part? It is almost entirely powered by volunteers. The organizers, the tech crews, and every single one of those 140+ bands donated their time and talent to keep the music playing for the next generation. By the time the final chords faded out late Saturday night, the city had once again proven that Kingston is, and always will be, a music town.

Source: HomeGrown Live Official Site | Joe's M.I.L.L. | Downtown Kingston Q&A with Chris Morris

440 King Street West - the heritage property known as Stone Gables - has just been listed for sale with Sandra McKenna of Century 21 Heritage Group. Sitting on 8.52 acres right next to the Isabel Bader and Tett Centres, it borders what many consider Kingston's last stretch of undeveloped waterfront land on Lake Ontario. The property formerly served as Correctional Services Canada's regional headquarters, and has been years in the making as a sale - but now that it's real, some residents are mobilizing fast.

The concern is that Kingston's draft Official Plan designates the site as Institutional, a category that still permits development on the lower waterfront lands. A community petition is asking City Council to protect that shoreline as Open Space, while allowing the historic upper buildings to be preserved and thoughtfully adapted. Only Kingston residents with a full postal code may sign.

👉 If you share that concern, you can weigh in here: Change.org petition

Photos by Les Cseh @ Kingston Spotlight

If you were at Kingston Brewing Company's 40th anniversary bash last Sunday, and you managed to snag an order of the Dragon Wings - consider yourself lucky. Those of us who made a point of being there for exactly that reason left with full hearts and sticky fingers, knowing we may have just tasted a piece of Kingston food history for the last time.

KBC pulled the Dragon Wings from their regular menu years ago, and honestly, you can't blame them. Rumour has it the process involved two days of brining, a par-cook in a convection oven, then grilled to order - easily the most labour-intensive wings in town. The result was almost black, deeply smoky, and unlike anything else, built around what is believed to be a molasses-heavy marinade with vinegar, garlic, and spices.

Fans are already trying to crack the recipe over on r/KingstonOntario. If you crack it, Kingston wants to know.

For 40 years, The Food Sharing Project has been quietly doing one of the most important jobs in Kingston - getting food into schools. Every week, it delivers around $25,000 worth of food to all 88 elementary and secondary schools across the KFL&A region. But until now, the cooking was always left to the schools themselves.

That just changed. On April 28th, TFSP cut the ribbon on a brand new kitchen inside Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School, where two newly hired kitchen staff are now preparing fresh hot lunches on site - including a Mediterranean-style salad bar on launch day - served in the adjacent cafeteria and delivered to two nearby elementary schools as well. After four decades of feeding this city, the Food Sharing Project just found a new gear.

Source: Kingstonist

Krista Wells Pearce has been named Chair of the 2026 United Way KFL&A Campaign - and it's hard to think of a better fit. A healthcare leader at Providence Care for over 20 years and a United Way volunteer since 2021, she's been quietly building toward this role for years, serving on the Campaign Cabinet, the Board of Directors, and co-chairing the Women United group.

She takes the reins following a strong 2025 campaign, with the 86th annual drive set to launch on September 10, 2026. If you'd like to get involved, United Way KFL&A is always looking for workplace volunteers and donors.

Source: United Way KFL&A

May is Community Living Month, and what better way to celebrate than by seeing the amazing work happening right in our own backyard? Community Living Kingston and District (CLKD) is pulling back the curtain on their brand-new training space, and they want you to come take a peek.

Whether you are curious about a meaningful new career, looking for a volunteer role that actually makes a difference, or you just want to see the new PDS Resource Centre, this is the perfect "no-pressure" way to connect. There will be refreshments to keep you fueled and plenty of inspiration to go around as we learn how to make Kingston a more inclusive place for everyone. Come for the snacks, stay for the community!

Source: CLKD Connects on Facebook

This Wednesday is a great opportunity to get to know the incredible support systems available across both the city and Frontenac County. The 18th Annual Frontenac Community Services Fair is heading to Slush Puppie Place, and it is the absolute best way to see what our local agencies have to offer for residents from the islands all the way to the north.

Hosted by the community builders at Ongwanada, the fair brings together dozens of organizations under one roof. Whether you are looking for resources for developmental disabilities, mental health support, or just want to see how you can better help your neighbors throughout the region, this is a day for connection and care. It’s a "one-stop-shop" to meet the teams who make our area such a supportive place to live. All are welcome, so stop by and say hello!

Source: Slush Puppie Place on Facebook

This is a great opportunity to hear some heavy-hitting wisdom from one of the university’s most celebrated teachers. The Last Lecture Series is a special tradition where a distinguished faculty member is asked: If this was your final lecture, what would you want to say?

This year, the stage belongs to Dr. Eleanor MacDonald, a beloved professor who has spent 35 years mentoring students at Queen's. Instead of a typical "sage on the stage" talk, she will be exploring how we can make learning more human and meaningful. Whether you attend in person or join the hybrid stream, it is bound to be an inspiring hour for anyone who loves the art of teaching. Since it is a hybrid event, make sure you register to get the link!

Source: Queen's Centre for Teaching and Learning

Ready to see science come to life? Science Rendezvous Kingston is back, and this year’s "IGNITE" theme is all about sparking curiosity. This massive, free festival is basically a playground for your brain, featuring over 60 interactive booths, robots, and some seriously cool experiments.

From extraction of real DNA from strawberries to the legendary Chemistry Magic Show (expect some flashes and fizzes!), there is something to wow every age group. They even have a sensory-friendly zone to make sure everyone can join in on the fun. It’s the perfect way to spend a Saturday exploring the world of discovery with local experts from Queen's and beyond. Grab the family and head down to the "big bowl" at Slush Puppie Place!

Source: Science Rendezvous Kingston

🤝 Be Inspired: CLKD Connects Open House | 5-1440 Princess St. | May 5

🏢 18th Annual Frontenac Community Services Fair | Slush Puppie Place | May 6

🎓 Queen's Last Lecture Series: Dr. Eleanor MacDonald | Queen's University (Hybrid) | May 6

🧪 Science Rendezvous Kingston: IGNITE Your Imagination | Slush Puppie Place | May 9

🏛️ History Exposed: Enslavement of Black People in Canada | Kingston City Hall | Until May 22

🎭 The Comedy of Errors | Domino Theatre | Until May 9

🥑 Guac for Griff | Lone Star Kingston | Until May 10

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