Tickets for jam-packed Labour Day Classic aren’t just hot … they’re scorching

The Ticats hosting the Toronto Argonauts would in itself be enough to put the first Monday of September in a class by itself, but it’s going to be so much more than that.

The Labour Day Classic will be the place to be in the city —or anywhere in the entire region, for that matter—on Monday. Labour Day is a must-attend festival of civic pride and heritage. The depth and breadth of activities and attractions in and around Hamilton Stadium will keep fans’ heads on a swivel so they don’t miss anything.

There are three major pillars of this Labour Day Classic, presented by WeatherTech: The annual Purolator Tackle Hunger Food Drive (which always says a lot about this city’s generosity); the halftime show featuring Canadian rock superstar JJ Wilde (about whom the national music industry can’t say enough good things) and, of course, The Black and Gold vs. The Double Blue (say no more).

The Ticats, who are coming off a bye week, return to action still holding first place in the CFL East with their 6-4 record, two points ahead of the second-place Montréal Alouettes and six points up on the Argos who are tied with Ottawa for third.

The Argos are coming off an important 52-34 victory over B.C. Saturday to right their course after losing three straight, but won-lost records are traditionally secondary on return-to-school week: this game always stands on its own. It’s a late-summer festival of civic pride on a day whose very name has been synonymous with “Hamilton” for over a century. Families have grown up together at the Labour Day Classic and many re-live the experience every September, revelling in the expected victory over the city’s arch-rival, which happens twice as often as it doesn’t happen.

And it’s usually a game that has contained an inordinate dose of the unusual—big comebacks, pivotal plays, missed opportunities, weather disruptions, emerging stars—all wrapped in the soundtrack of the most Argo-disparaging serenade imaginable. Last year when the first-place Argos were steaming toward the impossible and threatening to do the unthinkable—beat the Ticats for the third straight Labour Day after losing all of the first seven Classics at what was then Tim Hortons Field—the underdog Tiger-Cats restored the proper order of the universe with a gripping victory as part of their season’s sweep of Toronto.

In short, the Labour Day Classic is virtually never-failing pure entertainment. Beginning to end, late morning to early evening.

It is also the day when Hamiltonians open their pantries, their bank accounts and their hearts to those in need. The Purolator Tackle Hunger game is a partnership with the CFL and Hamilton Food Share, and every stadium gate will be manned by volunteers collecting donations of non-perishable food items. And online donations can also be made at the gates or from anywhere at: canadahelps.org.

The Ticats have an enormous history with Purolator Tackle Hunger. Last year, Cats’ fans donated the equivalent of 132,592 pounds of food and more than a decade ago set the still-standing record for the most ever donated to the long partnership with Purolator Tackle Hunger. In fact, the Ticats have contributed the most to the national program by any CFL team every year since, and including, 2012, the team’s final season at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

“And we are on track right now to continue to lead the CFL in Purolator Tackle Hunger donations again, as we always do,” said Kyle Lohnes, Hamilton Sports Group’s Vice-President of Partnerships.

Landing Kitchener-born JJ Wilde to perform at the Halftime Show was a major coup. She captured the 2021 Juno Awards’ Rock Album of the Year for her debut album “Ruthless” to become the first woman since Alanis Morissette 25 years earlier to earn that honour. Her first single, “The Rush” went to No. 1 on Canada’s modern rock, active rock and mainstream rock charts, just the 11th song ever to simultaneously top all three national rankings. She was also one of four musical acts honoured in 2020 with limited edition band-themed cans of Collective Arts Brewing’s Audio/Visual Lager.

On the field, the Ticats will be looking to clinch the season series with the Argos, whom they beat 51-39 at Hamilton Stadium in early July, and will continue their push toward their first divisional regular-season title in six seasons, which was constructed around their first six-game winning streak since 2019, when they went to the Grey Cup.

The team’s on-field success, the recent release of the superb first episode of the docuseries “Made in the Hammer,” and the plethora of game-day attractions around the stadium have led to this Labour Day Classic being the hottest ticket in town. A week ago, it was announced that it was an official sell-out, with a limited number of Stipley End Zone standing social tickets freed up for immediate purchase. But those tickets were quickly snapped up by the middle of this week.

Other than the 2023 Grey Cup, when there were temporary stands erected in both ends of the stadium to increase capacity, Monday will feature the largest crowd to witness a football game in Hamilton since the larger, Ivor Wynne Stadium was decommissioned in 2012.

And it’s worth remembering that because of the mid-afternoon (2:30 p.m.) start the pre-game installations in the south plaza begin at noon and the Stipley End Zone opens at 12:30.

As well as JJ Wilde’s appearance, entertainment will also include popular Hamilton band Born in the Eighties on the Stipley’s pre-game stage, DJ Prod Beenie in the Coors Original Bar and stadium DJ DJEY^2. Jonathan Pooley, known as the Singing Bus Driver (he drives for Toronto’s TTC) from Season 4 of Canada’s Got Talent, will sing the national anthem.

There will also be the customary array of appearances by club mascots, Pigskin Pete, the Ticats Dance and Cheer Team, and special attractions for the youngest Ticat fans.

There’s a lot going on, so given the swollen interest in this game, it’s probably best to get there as early as you can.