Hey Halifax!

We caught up with Halifax pop royalty Ria Mae for this week’s Halifavourites, have a super fun Song of the Week from newcomer Snez, and a ton of great events happening this week in Hali.

Let’s dive in. 👇

QUICK HITS

☀️ Bump & Grind, presented by Okay TK and DJ IV, is back with their second R&B day party of the summer, this time at Maxwell’s Courtyard in downtown Halifax. Expect summer classics, timeless R&B, and everything in between. GET TICKETS.

🎬 Local film directors Tara Thorne and Kevin Hartford are bringing their latest films home for two double-features this weekend. Catch To The Moon (Kevin Hartford) and Lakeview (Tara Thorne) this Friday and Saturday, along with Q&A sessions with the cast and crews. BUY TICKETS HERE.

🪐 Planet Pride helps to cap off an amazing Halifax Pride with a burlesque show and Space Rave at The Marquee. Kristyn Green has been telling us about how awesome this is for months, and judging by the promo video, it’s going to be wild. GET TICKETS.

🌊 Little Lorraine, the feature true crime thriller film by Andy Hines and based on Adam Baldwin’s tune The Lighthouse in Little Lorraine, will have its world premiere at TIFF this September. Surely we’ll get a Halifax showing at AIFF the following week?! Follow the film’s Instagram account to stay up to date on opportunities to see the film.

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Ria Mae has been the leading voice in Halifax pop music for the last decade. She caught her first big break with a major label deal in 2015 that helped her crack Canadian radio with a string of platinum and gold-certified singles, and now in 2025 is making the best and most authentic music of her career.

You can catch her across Eastern Canada this summer and fall with her Tiny Strands & Flashbacks acoustic tour, and in Halifax on August 16 at the From Day 2 Dusk festival. See all Ria’s tour dates here.

We asked Ria to share her favourite spots around Halifax for this week’s Halifavourites feature:

Pub: The Narrows Public House
An incredible pub. It's everything you want in a classic pub but with a slightly higher-end vibe and more unique feel to it. It's cozy. It's where I want to be in winter. It's not uncommon to have a traditional band playing beside the fireplace in one of the rooms. You won't be out of place if you show up with your kids, your grandma or your date. It's inside a large heritage house on Gottingen Street and the service is incredible. Did I dream this place up?

Cafe: Bramble
I’ve been telling my wife about this place for months. It’s hard to gamble on a new spot, but I finally convinced her to go last week. I dropped her off there to do some work, and within 2 minutes she texted me, “yeah, ok, this is my new spot”. The plant-based egg sandwich. Wtf. It’s unreal. Great staff, great coffee. Easy parking.

Salon: FRED
He’s been my Halifax go-to for years. He ran a second salon in NYC and so he’s done my hair and makeup in both cities. Sometimes I go see him and just let him choose what to do. You can always trust the result.

Food: Aster Cafe
Top notch Ethiopian food. Dairy free. Gluten free. Fermented. Delicious. The woman who runs this place is so great, and I think her cooking could compete with any Ethiopian restaurant I’ve had in larger cities. Try the vegetarian platter.

Hang: Freeman’s
Sometimes you want a cozy dark booth with your besties. I’ve been going here since high school. I’m probably there right now.

Influencer: Alicia McCarvell
Everyone loves Alicia. But not as much as I do. It’s fun to follow her, but behind the scenes, seeing how supportive she is of everything and everyone local, just makes her that much more fun to cheer for and be inspired by.

Patio: The Oxford Tap Room
This is a new find for me. I had no idea this gem of a patio existed until recently. It’s perfectly hidden from Quinpool road, and the menu and beer (obvs) are amazing.

Breakfast: The Osney Café
The best place to have breakfast with a friend. And a perfect place to go to ditch work and have hangs with your spouse after the kids get dropped off at school. Incredible food and coffee. Great north end location.

Event: Welcome To The Maritimes Tour (Classified, Ria Mae, JRDN, Brett Matthews, O’Sound, DJ IV, JR Smith)
Fav crew - I love playing music with these guys. We have so much fun, and I think it really translates in the performances. Catch this show if you can - we'll be all together a few times this summer.

Cocktails: The Highwayman
A great place to go for cocktails and tapas. I love that it’s on Barrington Street. This is the quintessential downtown Halifax area. Come for the amazing drinks, then stay downtown for donairs and cover bands and warm, foggy walks home.

⭐️ Song of the Week

Snez is a fresh face on the Halifax music scene, with a sound that blends hip-hop, pop and rock. He just dropped his debut EP ‘Without A Fight’, and the song we keep going back to is ‘Barely Getting Paid’, a super fun horn-laced party anthem.

Thursday, 7/24

Tara MacLean (Duo) + Anna Graves @ The Carleton - 7:30 PM

Bearly's Trivia with Kieran! @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 6:30 PM

Joe & Adam @ Durty Nelly's Irish Pub - 7 PM

The Janzen Boys @ The Bus Stop Theatre - 7 PM

Esdaile @ Seahorse Tavern - 8 PM
ALONG WITH: THE EMPTIES & SILAS BONNELL

Dyke Night @ Charlie's Club - 8 PM

Wicked Deadly Thursdays! @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 9 PM

Sloan @ Shore Club - 9:30 PM

Friday, 7/25

Big Easy Fridays - Sounds of New Orleans with Mike Cowie & John Alphonse @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 5:30 PM

Planet Pride Vol. 3 @ Marquee Ballroom - 6:30 PM AT The Final Debrief Atlantic Boylesque

Height Requirement Pride Party! @ The Carleton - 8 PM

Line Woods @ Yuk Yuk's Halifax Comedy Club - 8 PM
Featuring: MC: Adrienne Gabrielle, Middle Act: Courtney Gilmour

An Evening of Comedy with Nick Burden @ Halifax Live Comedy Club - 8 PM

Settle For Sleep presents @ Marquee Ballroom - 9 PM

Sloan @ Shore Club - 9:30 PM

The Ordeals @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 9:30 PM

GUTTER – Presented by Gentle Jane & Nick Hood @ Seahorse Tavern - 10 PM

Jordan & Brooklyn @ Durty Nelly's Irish Pub - 10:30 PM

Saturday, 7/26

Bump & Grind R&B Day Party @ Maxwell’s Courtyard - 4 PM
w/ Okay TK & DJ IV + friends

Gordie Tucker @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 4 PM

OSHO Dynamic Meditation @ Halifax Dance - 5 PM

SETTLE FOR SLEEP – SUMMER TOUR w/ Deadweight, Kids Losing Sleep, & The Goodbye Summer @ Seahorse Tavern - 7 PM

Queer-prov: QUEER ULTIMATUM @ The Bus Stop Theatre - 7 PM

Line Woods @ Yuk Yuk's Halifax Comedy Club - 8 PM
Featuring: MC: Adrienne Gabrielle, Middle Act: Courtney Gilmour

Eden Unleashed - Pride Dance Event @ Light House Arts Centre - 8 PM

Dancing Queen @ Marquee Ballroom - 8:30 PM
A LIVE BAND ABBA TRIBUTE

The Right Swipes @ The Carleton - 9 PM

The Mellotones @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 9:30 PM

An Evening of Comedy with Nick Burden @ Halifax Live Comedy Club - 8 PM

Jordan & Brooklyn @ Durty Nelly's Irish Pub - 10:30 PM

Sunday, 7/27

Roxy and The Underground Soul Sound @ Sullivan's Pond Park - 2 PM

Kevin Roach Duo @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 4 PM

Bodyworks: A Trans Drag & Burlesque Showcase @ The Bus Stop Theatre - 6:30 PM

Pavel Stroke w/ Pinot Gringo, Absolute Losers and a surprise @ Seahorse Tavern - 7 PM

Pop Quiz Trivia @ Charlie's Club - 8 PM

Legendary Sunday Night Blues Jam @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 8 PM

Michael Lloyd @ Durty Nelly's Irish Pub - 10 PM

Monday, 7/28

Trivia Night @ Durty Nelly's Irish Pub - 7 PM

Morgan Davis @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 7 PM

Tuesday, 7/29

Tacos & Trivia by Wave Foods @ The Local Restaurant and Bar - 7 PM
Food starts at 4pm, Trivia at 7pm

Pint Sized Comedy @ Celtic Corner Public House - 8 PM
HRM's only Show up & Go up style Open Mic Comedy Night.

Garrett Mason @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 8:30 PM

Wednesday, 7/30

MY SON THE HURRICANE @ Seahorse Tavern - 8:30 PM

Karaoke with Mimi! @ Bearly's House of Blues & Ribs - 10 PM

That’s it for this week!

Got an event we should know about? Hit reply and let us know!

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