Trusted by over 4500 explorers. Become a Partner.
Happy long weekend, friends!
May Two-Four is finally here, and the Region is buzzing with markets in full swing, live music spilling out of taprooms, fireworks lighting up.
Last week I asked couples if you’all wanted to make couple friends on June 19. In-case you missed it, and intend to attend as a couple, and haven’t replied to this poll, then let me know 🙂
Couples Only: Are you down to be friends with other couples on Friday, June 19, 2026?
Now, onto the rhythm of the week.
written with love by,
your friendly neighbourhood goose 🦆
NB: Someone sent you this email? Join here to get the next one in your Inbox.
with our partners At Home Co.
THE CHEAT SHEET
Where to Market this Saturday
Spring's here, the markets are buzzing, and four are open right now. We're known for our markets, and honestly, we're proud of it.
#1 St. Jacobs Farmers' Market Thursdays 8am-3pm, Saturdays 7am-3:30pm. Year-round. The biggest year-round market in the country. Real title, not hype. Hundreds of vendors across three buildings plus a sprawling outdoor section, and yes, you'll see Old Order Mennonite farmers pulling up by horse and buggy. Go hungry, wear comfy shoes, plan a half day. Saturdays are a scene; Thursdays are calmer if you actually want to chat with the people growing your tomatoes.
This Saturday: a tractor-pulled wagon tour through the countryside with a local guide on Mennonite culture and farming (all ages). info
#2 Kitchener Market Saturdays 7am-2pm. Year-round. Food Hall weekdays 8am-3pm. The indoor, downtown, no-excuses-even-when-it's-pouring market. Some version of it has run since the 1830s. About 80 vendors each week, plus a food hall for when shopping turns into "okay, brunch now." Low-key superpower: the ION drops you at the door.
This Saturday: cook a hands-on spring menu (asparagus soup, biscuits, roasted chicken, rhubarb cheesecakes) with Chef Mady at 10:30am (all ages). info
#3 Cambridge Farmers' Market Saturdays 7am-1pm. Year-round. Galt. Soft spot for old buildings? This one's going to do something to you. Also dating to the 1830s, the current limestone market has stood on Dickson Street since 1887. Solid year-round vendors, an online pre-order system if you want to beat the crowd, and the Grand River five minutes away.
This Saturday: Blue Jays on the big screen at Galt District Square at 1pm, then a DJ on the outdoor stone stage 6-8pm. info
#4 Elmira Farmers' Market Saturdays 8am-1:30pm. Open now for 2026. Small, outdoor, unapologetically small-town. Tagline: "We Make It! We Bake It! We Grow It!" Bonus: the Elmira Community Bus stops here Saturdays from 8:05am (last pickup 11:30am), so you can genuinely skip the parking.
This Saturday: wander Church Street, check the art on Arthur Street, and enter the World Bee Day contest. info
If you've only got one Saturday: First-timer in the Region? St. Jacobs, obviously. Lived here forever? Elmira, you've been sleeping on it. Stroller and no patience for parking? Kitchener. In your "romanticize your life" era? Cambridge.
More markets (Ayr, Hespeler, Preston, UpTown Waterloo, Wellesley) open over the next few weeks. We'll report back.
In partnership with Cheryl Goetz, At Home Co.
REGION’S RADAR (ICYMI)
Cambridge's Laminar Water is wrapping up the Region's first mobile ultrafiltration container, a $15M system that'll treat way more water at the Mannheim plant starting this summer. Read
Cambridge nature reserve rare hosted a record-breaking plant sale this past weekend, raising over $12,000 for Food Bank Gardens. Read
Laurier's Lazaridis School celebrated its 60th anniversary by closing the Toronto Stock Exchange, a rare honour for a Canadian business school. Read
ROLL OUT ROOTS
House of the Week: This heritage home in Kitchener was originally built in 1815
New Work: General Manager, ONroute
Volunteer: Gallery Interpreter at the MUSEUM
Adopt a pet: Raspberry a gentle heart, warm and fuzzy feels
RIDDLE ME
Victoria Park in Kitchener has a statue of Queen Victoria that has stood in the park for over a century. When was it unveiled?
Last week's answer: Bouquet 💐 And the winners are all moms (mom figures included) you all are the best❣
RIFFS & RIBS
I know some of us here are suckers for live music, a band playing at a restaurant, a local pub, a brewery. The best combination, food and humans singing, right?
Live music playing at eateries
FRI, MAY 15
Brian Gardiner plays live in the taproom (all ages) 6pm, Block Three Brewing, St. Jacobs
Darius McKinley plays solo from 6-9pm in the Main Dining Room (all ages) 6pm, Kitchener ♿️
Kat Steeves (all ages) 7pm, Boathouse DTK, Kitchener
SAT, MAY 16
Acoustic Brad & The Box Striker (all ages) 2pm, Block Three Brewing, St. Jacobs
Matt Campbell Band (all ages) 7pm, Boathouse DTK, Kitchener
Rhythm and Roots live music night (19+) 8pm, The Duke of Wellington, Waterloo
ROAM & RAZZLE
FEATURED EVENT
Dinner Club is back on Thursday, May 28, and this round we're exploring Kitchener's restaurant scene. Yes you read that right, Kitchener!
Come make new friends, meet neighbours you haven't met yet, and try a new place to eat - all good vibes, no awkward intros required. Each seat lands you at a table with a small group of neighbours at a hand-picked Kitchener spot. Take the preferences quiz and..
Got an event coming up? Submit it and it could show up right here.
THU, MAY 14
Tour: A month-long, challenge running May 1-31, with three discoveries (all ages) all month, Homer Watson House & Gallery, Kitchener ♿️ info
Social: Tapas & Trivia Night with drinks and tapas from 6pm, trivia 7pm (19+), Little Mushroom Catering, Cambridge ♿️ info
Live Show: underground live music performance vol 1 (19+) 7pm, Maxwell’s Waterloo ♿️ tix
Comedy: Rusty Nail Comedy is bringing Drew Behm to Cambridge (19+) 7:30pm, Pops and Ruby's, Cambridge tix
FRI, MAY 15
Family: Tadpole to Frog, a land-based learning session for kids exploring local pond life (all ages) 4pm, Tekanonhkwa 300 Lookout Ln, Kitchener info
Dance: Boogie Down Broadway: A Singalong Dance Party! (all ages) 6pm, Maxwell’s Waterloo ♿️ tix
Tour: Mystery Express: Rum Runners, a themed dinner train through the countryside (19+) 6pm, Waterloo Central Railway, St. Jacobs ♿ tix
Live Show: Burlesque performance with special guest Neil E. Dee, a Canadian daredevil and expert sword swallower (19+) 7:30pm, Kitchener ♿️ tix
Comedy: Rusty Nail Comedy brings Chris Quigley to Kitchener (19+) 7:30pm, TWH Social ♿️ tix
SAT, MAY 16
Workshop: Build a Nintendo Remix 99, a hands-on session restoring, modifying classic gaming hardware (all ages) 10am, Gaslight District, Cambridge ♿ tix
Comedy: Waterloo Must Laugh stand-up showcase at Rim Park's Forbes Family Hall (all ages) 5pm, Waterloo ♿️ tix
Tour: Castle Kilbride Indoor Ghost Tour through the historic National Historic Site (all ages) Baden tix
Workshop: Sorbet Sunset Palm Tree Beach paint and sip session (19+) 6pm, Score Pizza, Waterloo ♿ tix
Festival: Kultrún World Music Festival 2026 Fundraiser Gala with global sounds and a silent auction (19+) 7pm, Hampton Inn & Suites, St. Jacobs ♿️ info
SUN, MAY 17
Talk: Sacred Earth, Sacred Dialogue: Wisdom from Celtic and Indigenous Traditions (all ages) 10am, Conrad Grebel College Dining Hall, Waterloo ♿️ tix
Sports: Kitchener Panthers vs Chatham-Kent (all ages) 2:05pm, Kitchener ♿️ tix
Family: New Dundee Community Fireworks light up the village for one of Wilmot's most beloved annual displays (all ages) 4:30pm, Wilmot info
Tour: Long Weekend Band Crawl Volume 16, a multi-venue lineup of local bands across Uptown (19+) 6:45pm, Waterloo tix
MON, MAY 18
Exhibition: Continuum: RomaXLVI, the UW Architecture Class of 2026 exhibition (all ages) 1pm, The Forum at Fabrik, Gaslight District, Cambridge ♿ info
Workshop: Lily of the Valley Felt Wreath Making, a guided seasonal craft session (all ages) 7pm, Ernie's Cookhouse, Cambridge tix
Festival: Spring celebration with wagon rides through apple blossoms, hard cider, live music, a petting zoo and lawn games (all ages) 9am, West Montrose tix
TUE, MAY 19
Community: PAL - Partners Across Lifespans, an intergenerational community drop-in (all ages) 3:30pm, Wellesley Township Events, Wellesley ♿ info
Workshop: Owl Springtime Friends paint night with step-by-step instruction (19+) 6:30pm, E.V.O. Kitchen, Cambridge ♿ tix
Workshop: Sip N' Pour Workshop, a hands-on craft session in the taproom (all ages) 6:30pm, Block Three Brewing, St. Jacobs ♿ tix
WED, MAY 20
Theatre: Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (all ages) 2pm, St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, St. Jacobs ♿️ tix
Workshop: DIY mixed media workshop to make sun catchers out of embroidery hoops, mesh fabric, beads, and gems (all ages) 6:15pm, Kitchener ♿️ tix
Community: Work Bee Wednesdays, a weekly land-care gathering on Indigenous land (all ages) 6:30pm, Tekanonhkwa (300 Lookout Ln), Kitchener info
⏩️ Forward this to someone who should explore our awesome markets 🍊
↩ Hit reply & tell me your favourite section 💌
