Visitor's Guide
We hope that while enjoying Kingston WritersFest, you’ll take advantage of the unique pleasures downtown Kingston has to offer. Steps from the Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront, enjoy brunch on the secluded patio at Pan Chancho, or dinner at the legendary Chez Piggy.
In the mood for rustic Italian and Mediterranean food? Try Olivea, a contemporary Italian trattoria. Or, if you’re just looking for coffee and a quick bite to eat, Sipps Coffee and Dessert Bar, at 33 Brock Street, offers a delicious variety of drinks, snacks, and desserts. Right around the corner from the festival, you can enjoy authentic Indian cuisine on a waterfront patio at Curry Original.
Well–known for its shopping, downtown Kingston offers everything from interesting boutiques and antique stores to all the famous brands you recognize. Downtown Kingston retailers are vital supporters of the Kingston WritersFest, and we welcome you to browse our list of Friends and Patrons. You’ll recognize many downtown business names as supporters of the arts.
Getting to Kingston
Travelling to Kingston is easy, no matter where you’re from. Kingston can be reached by rail, automobile, bus, air, and even by ferry (for our American guests choosing to cross the border at Cape Vincent, New York). Kingston is located on the Trans–Canada highway with two nearby Canada–US border crossings. Please see the visitors guide links below for more information about travelling to Kingston. (Google map)
Staying in Kingston
Choose from a range of comfortable hotels and charming bed–and–breakfasts, all
within walking distance of Kingston WritersFest. Visit Stay in
Kingston for accommodation ideas and special Festival Getaway Packages (see sidebar on left).
Parking in Kingston
The Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront offers parking to its overnight and other Festival guests. ($12 per night, per vehicle; $3 per hour, with a $12 maximum fee.)
Several parking lots and garages within walking distance of the Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront offer reasonable rates. You’ll find plenty of free parking for our off-site events at Queen’s University and at St. Lawrence College. Other off–site locations, Chez Piggy Restaurant and Bar and The Grand Theatre, are short strolls from the Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront. Many Kingston streets, just a few minutes’ walk from the downtown core, offer free parking (with some time restrictions). Visit www.queensu.ca/campusmap/?mapquery=parkinginfo for more details.
Getting Around in Kingston
Kingston offers convenient, affordable public transportation, and taxis are available throughout the city. Both offer services for clients with special needs. Most of Kingston’s major attractions are within easy walking distance of the Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront. Recent improvements to downtown sidewalks have made Kingston more accessible than ever. [www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/transportation/index.asp]
Walking the Festival, Walking the City
We invite you to make your way to our off–site Festival events on foot. Chez Piggy Restaurant and the Grand Theatre are mere minutes up Princess Street from the Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront, with great shopping along the way. Queen’s University campus is a picturesque twenty–minute walk or five–minute drive and can also be reached easily by public transportation or by taxi. The Festival venue at St. Lawrence College is a one–hour walk or ten–minute drive along one of the prettiest stretches of waterfront Kingston has to offer. It is also accessible by public transit and taxis will be available for hire at the Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront. For our off–site event at St. Lawrence College, parking is free.
- Chez Piggy Restaurant map for walkers | map for drivers
- Grand Theatre map for walkers | map for drivers
- Queen’ University (Ellis Hall) map for walkers | map for drivers
- St. Lawrence College map for walkers | map for drivers
Accessible Kingston
Onstage and Writers Studio Events are wheelchair accessible and every effort is made to accommodate festival–goers with special needs. Kingston offers accessible public transportation and taxis that provide service for clients who use wheelchairs or have other needs. Most of Kingston’s city–owned parking facilities are wheelchair accessible. There are two top–notch teaching hospitals within blocks of the Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront.
Please note that Event 9, the Book Lovers' Lunch at Chez Piggy, is not wheelchair accessible.
More Information
For a full visitors’ guide to Kingston, please visit the City of Kingston website at www.cityofkingston.ca or Tourism Kingston at tourism.kingstoncanada.com
