Easter weekend in Hamilton: What’s Closed and Open

It’s Easter weekend in Hamilton and this year, Good Friday will take place on March 29, 2024, followed by Easter Sunday (March 31) and Easter Monday (April 1).

Easter, also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans.

Here’s what is open and closed in Hamilton this Easter long weekend:

Closed Good Friday and Easter Sunday:

• Beer Store
• Canada Post (no pick-up or delivery)
• LCBO
• All major malls, including CF Lime Ridge
• Some restaurants (call ahead to make sure)
• Most major grocery stores
• Libraries
• All Hamilton Civic Museums are closed Good Friday and Easter Monday
• City Hall
• Municipally-run recreation centres
• The Hamilton Farmers’ Market
• The East Housing Services office at 350 King Street East will be on Good Friday and Easter Monday
• Hamilton Municipal Parking System will be closed on Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1, 2024.
• Parking and enforcement: The city says there will be no enforcement from Thursday, March 28, at 10 p.m. until Friday, March 29, at 10 p.m. and Sunday, March 31, from 5:45 am to Monday, April 1, at 10 p.m., but proactive enforcement may occur for special events and areas of interest

Open Good Friday and Easter Sunday:

• Convenience stores
• Movie theatres
• Some Shoppers Drug Mart locations (call ahead)
• Splitsville Entertainment
• West Avenue Cider House
• Hamilton Civic Museums that are usually open on Sundays will have regular business hours in effect, including the Battlefield House Museum & Park, Dundurn National Historic Site, the Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology National Historic Site, the Hamilton Military Museum, and the Whitehern House & Garden.
• Some restaurants, but call ahead to be sure
• The Tropical Greenhouse at Gage Park will be open on Good Friday
• Central Library will open as a warming place (first floor) on Friday, March 29, Sunday, March 31 and Monday, April 1, from 1 to 5 p.m. Library services will not be available.
• These recreation centres will open as warming centres from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.:
  • Westmount Recreation Centre, 35 Lynbrook Dr.
  • Valley Park Recreation Centre, 970 Paramount Dr. (Stoney Creek)
  • Norman Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre, 192 Wentworth St N.

Waste and recycling Friday and Sunday:

• Community Recycling Centres and Transfer Stations closed on Friday
• No blue box, bulk waste, or garbage pick-up on Friday (pick-up will occur the following day)
• Regular collection on Monday

Closed Easter Monday:

• Canada Post (no pick-up or delivery)
• Government offices
• Municipal facilities (libraries, museums, City Hall, rec centres etc.)
• Schools

Open Easter Monday:

• Banks
• Beer Store
• Grocery stores
• LCBO
• Malls
• Most restaurants
• The Tropical Greenhouse at Gage Park 

Transit:

• On Good Friday, the HSR will operate on a Sunday level of service, ending at 10 p.m.
• HSR Routes that do not operate on Sundays will not operate on the holiday Monday. As a result, HSR myRide and Route 18 Waterdown Mountaineer will not be running.
• Trans-Cab service will align with HSR Sunday schedules
• DARTS will offer holiday service hours on Good Friday and weekday service on Easter Monday.
  All subscription trips on DARTS, except dialysis trips, are cancelled on both Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1. If passengers need to travel on this day, they must make a reservation in advance to do so.
• GO Transit will run on a Sunday schedule on Good Friday