Over the course of the year, Brantford’s local not-for-profit performing arts organizations have presented more than 150 performances, taking place across an expanse of venues, including museums, theatres and community centres.
The Brant Museums and Galleries Association (BMGA) represents 16 member organizations from Brantford, County of Brant and Six Nations Reserve. Members include archives, community museums, cultural centres, historical buildings and societies, and art galleries.
Bell Homestead, located high on the bluffs overlooking the Grand River and the town of Brantford, is Alexander Graham Bell’s first North American residence. Known as the “Melville House,” it would provide the stage for the invention of the telephone. The Bell Homestead, as it quickly became known, opened its doors to the public for the first time in 1910. Known as one of Ontario’s oldest historic home museums, it tells the tale of how a young teacher of the deaf came to invent the telephone.
Brantford is home to a growing number of festivals and events that work to form a bridge between the unique demographics that populate the city, while emphasizing the creative contributions of various local artists. The Brantford International Jazz Festival has grown to be one the largest and most musically diverse festivals in the Brant County region. This September event envisions a celebration of jazz and its culture in order to promote awareness and appreciation for the many diverse forms that are offered. Find Your Spirit: Celebrate the Artist Weekend in June, is a “sit in your lawn chair and watch” kind of occasion, where anyone, regardless of artistic ability, is invited to try their hand at arts-based workshops and interactive displays, free of charge. Those who are willing can pick up a paintbrush, create a sculpture, bang a drum, quilt, draw, or try some improvisational theatre.
Shopping: Brantford has a great balance of local artisan and specialty boutiques, big box stores and a large mall. Lynden Park Mall, offering over 95 top-name national retailers, provides everything you need in one convenient location. The Brantford Farmers Market has 49 indoor stalls open for business all year, with additional seasonal outdoor stalls. The market has a wide range of product offerings, including fresh produce, meats, dairy, flowers, baked goods, hand-poured candles, and a variety of other natural products.