Neighbours of Halifax South - Best Version Media

11/20/2025

The Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festival is extending registration until November 30th at 11:59 p.m. After that, participants can still register until December 7, but with a $50 late fee per submission. The 2026 Festival runs March 23rd through May 9th.

The Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festival celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2025 and is the largest festival in the region, offering both competitive and non-competitive classes at all levels for children, youth, adults, and families. Classes with professional adjudicators include everything from harp to singer-songwriter, piano, voice, musical theatre and more.

The Festival began in 1935 and has been sustained for 90 years by committed volunteers and staff, including lead sponsor, the Kiwanis Club of Dartmouth. In 2025, the festival had over 6,000 participants in classes ranging from piano, strings, brass, choir, band, and more, with the addition of a first-time harp class. We thank our major sponsors, the Province of Nova Scotia, the J&W Murphy Foundation, the Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation, Doctor Piano, Yamaha Pianos, and Eastlink, as well as our numerous donors and supporters of awards and prizes. For upcoming information on the 2026 Festival, please visit https://www.hfxmusicfest.com.

11/19/2025

Clay & Cloth is back with another Holiday Pop-up! Join the women at the heart of this fine craft group from Nov. 28-30 at the Local House of Women.

11/13/2025

Retirees are invited to attend the Thursday, November 20, 2025, meeting of the Probus Club Halifax to be held at 10 am at the Fairview Legion, 50 Hillcrest St. Doors open at 9:30 am. Refreshments will be available. The guest speaker will be Marty Feddema, RCMP H Division, Hate Crime Coordinator and Community Policing Analyst. The title of his presentation: "Hate Crimes: Understanding, Reporting and Prevention". Free parking is available.

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11/13/2025

40 Days of Fine Craft
Centre for Craft Nova Scotia, 1061 Marginal Rd, Port of Halifax (next to Pier 21)
This event runs daily from Nov 12 to Dec 21, 2025 from 10 am - 7 pm. Instead of a three-day market, this expanded 40-day fine craft retail experience is a long-running holiday destination where you can find the very best in visual art, woodworking, glass, ceramics, fibre and more. Come celebrate the very best in craft across the province.

Craft Nova Scotia invites you to experience 40 Days of Fine Craft —a new, reimagined holiday shopping destination at the Halifax Seaport. Because with so much creativity in this province, a weekend show is not enough.

11/12/2025

The twelfth annual Atlantic Jewish Film Festival (AJFF), takes place from Thursday, November 20 to Sunday, November 23 in a hybrid model with both in-person and virtual screenings (Eventive platform).

In-person screenings take place at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, Bronfman Theatre (Film and Gala). Tickets are available on a sliding scale at ajff.ca.

A virtual film bundle consisting of three feature-length films plus a short is available to anyone in Atlantic Canada as of November 24, and can be viewed at your leisure on your own schedule for a month. A virtual screening pass is $18 plus tax, which includes one viewing of all virtual films. Buy your pass at AJFF.ca. Films include a documentary in English and Hebrew, Soul of a Nation (USA/Israel, 2025); Bliss (Hemda) (Israel, 2024), a drama in Hebrew and Arabic; Turn Left at the End of the World, remastered – a romance/comedy by Avi Nesher (Israel, 20024) in Hebrew and French; and Matchmaking 2 (Israel, 2024) a comedy in Hebrew.

This year’s in-person films include the Opening Night Spotlight, the world premiere of Sheitel – Beauty in the Hidden (Canada, 2025), a powerful film from Halifax filmmaker Lynda Medjuck Suissa. This documentary explores the cultural, religious and personal significance of hair covering among Jewish women, particularly in Orthodox and Hasidic communities., revealing the deeper significance of this tradition as an expression of cultural identity, faith, and female emplowerment. The event will feature a post screening Q&A with the Director, and a reception to follow. The film screens on Thursday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m.; tickets are limited.

The Saturday night feature film is Swedishkayt: Yidlife Crisis in Stockholm, with filmmakers and comedy duo Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman in attendance. Get ready to laugh and kvell! The evening features film and live comedy with a party to follow (kosher catering and cash bar); it all begins at 8:00 p.m. on November 22.

The closing film is The Ring (Hebrew/Hungarian), a heart-warming dramady about three generations and the family history that reconnects them. The Ring is written by and stars Adir Miller and is based on his Holocaust survival story and screens at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 23.

Film fans can watch the AJFF films on their TVs, computers, tablets, phones and on Apple TV. All the details on how to watch are available on the festival’s website, www.ajff.ca.

The Atlantic Jewish Council (AJC) has been the cornerstone of Jewish life in Atlantic Canada since 1975, acting as the organized Jewish community’s representative and program/service provider for non-religious matters. The AJC has been a strong voice for Israel and the Atlantic Canadian Jewish community.

The Atlantic Jewish Film Festival is supported by the Halifax Municipality’s Regional Event grant, The Azrieli Foundation, The Israel Consulate, Montreal, Israel Bonds Canada, Bishop’s Cellar, WBC Designs, and private donors and sponsors.

11/11/2025

Just wrapping up production on the December issue. Meanwhile, here's a look at the November edition, which was recently distributed to residents in our distribution zone.

10/30/2025

Halifax Christmas Tree Lighting

Saturday, Nov. 22
6 to 7 p.m.
Grand Parade, 1770 Barrington Street

Enjoy the lighting of the municipal Christmas tree, a visit from Santa Claus, fireworks, live music by the Julia Tynes band, a visit from PAW Patrol's Skye & Chase, and a dance party featuring Gabby's Dollhouse.

Event schedule
6 p.m. | Gabby's Dollhouse dance party
6:30 p.m. | Band
6:55 p.m. | Countdown to tree lighting and fireworks

10/28/2025

RCCO PRESENTS A FESTIVAL OF CAROLS: HOPE EVERMORE

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk) The Royal Canadian College of Organists Halifax Centre presents its 74th annual celebration of Christmas, A Festival of Carols, on Monday, December 1 at 7:30 p.m. Storm date is Tuesday, December 2. The event takes place at the Cathedral Church of All Saints (1300 Cathedral Lane, Halifax); there will be a freewill offering although there is no charge for admission. The event is public and open to all. The Cathedral Church of All Saints is a wheelchair accessible space.

Since its inception 74 years ago, this carol service has dwelt at a distinctive ecumenical crossroads. What began in the beloved tradition of King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, has blossomed into a rich journey through the Nativity, combining choral music, congregational hymns, sacred readings, and poetry. This year, we explore the theme Hope Evermore — a message woven throughout the evening’s music and spoken word. The ancient hymn Of Eternal Love Begotten reappears repeatedly, inviting us to pause and reflect on its message of hope.

The evening begins with Organ Preludes at 7:00 p.m. with the Festival Service at 7:30 p.m. featuring choral music from the 75+ voice Festival Massed Choir, organ music from Halifax-area organists on Halifax’s biggest pipe organ, rousing congregational carols and beautiful poetry and sacred readings. Guest Reader will be the Rev. Canon Dr. Gary Thorne, with special guest choir, Galileo Chamber Choir. The service lasts for about an hour.

Guest Reader, the Rev. Canon LCol (Rtd.) Dr. Gary Thorne (Priest-in-Charge, St. George's Round Church) will read from the Gospels of Luke and John, and poetry by Rita Joe, U.A. Fanthorpe, Betsy Hogan, and others.

The Galileo Chamber Choir, led by Dr. Andrew Pickett, will contrast the Festival Massed Choirs contemporary choral music with acapella music from the renaissance era.

The Royal Canadian College of Organists (rcco.ca) is the national voice for the organ and its music in Canada. They support and promote the organ music community through learning opportunities, professional certification, communications, and advocacy. College Centres – including one in Halifax - provide local activities and events. RCCO Halifax acknowledges that the performance will take place in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq People. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship first signed in 1725.

More information on the RCCO Halifax Centre is available on their page (https://www.facebook.com/rcco.halifaxcentre.9/) or Website (https://rccohalifax.ca/).

10/18/2025

09/03/2025

In our September cover story, we speak with Peter Halpin, Executive Director of the Association of Atlantic Universities, to gain his insights on how university students from across Canada and other countries impact the local community.

07/18/2025

Summer Sounds Returns to St. Matthew’s United Church

(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) St. Matthew’s United Church presents the 2025 version of Summer Sounds this August, with an exciting and eclectic lineup of local musicians. All lunchtime concerts are held on Tuesdays from 12:15 to 1:00 p.m., beginning August 5 and running through August 26. Admission is by freewill offering (suggested donation of $10).

Summer Sounds is sponsored by St. Matthew’s United Church and the Downtown Halifax Business Commission.

The series kicks off with Something to Sing About – Hits of the '60s and '70s, featuring Margaret Champion, Rick Gunn, Scott Taylor, and friends on August 5. (https://twitter.com/magchampion)

Other performers this summer include:

August 12 – Xaver Varnus, Organ (https://www.youtube.com/user/xavervarnus)

August 19 – Atlantic Sound Machine (Stephanie McKeown, Conductor) (https://www.facebook.com/atlnticsoundmachine/)

August 26 – Rhapsody Quintet (rhapsodyquintet.com) with pianist Ria Kim, including the premiere of a new work by composer John Plant titled Dances. Woe. Dreams.

Saint Matthew’s United Church is located at the foot of Barrington Street in downtown Halifax.

For more information, please visit https://www.stmatts.ns.ca.