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Happy Earth Day, Friends,
Your messages this week made my day(s), thank you. (Also: scammers are out there doing their thing, so stay sharp. 🧡)
What a day to be in the Region. The Lyrid meteor shower peaked overnight, up to 20 shooting stars per hour before dawn, with fireballs in the mix. One of the better years for it too, since the moon set early and left the sky dark. Hope some of you caught it. Now the sun is out, it's 18°C, and Thursday is looking just as good. Enjoy it.
I'll see some of you tomorrow at the dinner after-party 😃 and others this Saturday 😎, good times! Let's enjoy the rhythm.
Written with love by your neighbourly goose
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SUN FINALLY SHINES IN PRESTON VILLAGE
What is art, but a mirror to the hidden layers of our personality? The question I ask is how often do you get to discover your hidden layers? But you have a chance to look at that mirror a little more now.
If you've been around a while, you might be familiar with the vet clinic on King in Preston Village, the one with the animal mural on the wall. This century building now has art written on every brick, and the person responsible for that transformation is Andrea Filiatrault, who believes our region should not have to travel far to see, buy, and experience great artwork.
We have some of the best artists right here, so why trek to Toronto to see what they have to share with us. When she recently attended an art show in TO, she found her favourite work came from our own regional artists, something she'd seen coming. "I had seen them showing their work at local markets and cafes, because proper venues here are so hard to come by."
A decade of dedication to closing that gap gave birth to Mood Yellow Art Gallery & Studios. The name itself is a small philosophy. "Mood Yellow is inspired by the sun," Andrea explains, "it brings all life, and my belief is art sets the mood in any space and in your life."
This electric thought makes me want to experience every piece of art and find its story. Are you ready to experience something new? If so, mark your calendars as Cambridge now has a dedicated place to do exactly that.
And if you are an artist (or know some in the region), get your art to this bright light and make it shine even brighter. Mood Yellow houses a physical gallery, artist studios, and a workshop space with sink access and parking, open to artists who want to teach classes and lead workshops too. Andrea is also reserving space for a Cambridge-based artist residency. If you create art, this is your invitation. Mood Yellow is currently seeking prints: artists who create multiples are welcome to apply at:
Art has always been here. Now there's finally a home for it. A dedicated gallery space for us to experience our local artists opens May 1.
REGION THROUGH YOUR LENS
A garter snake soaking up the spring sun on the leaf-littered floor of the Huron Natural Area. Spotted by Joshua out for a walk, sharing proof that our trails are full of little surprises if you know where to look. 🌱
Photo by Joshua Lobo
Did you love or like this share from your neighbour?
RAD & RAW
SIGHTING
Spring wildflowers are out. Bloodroot is showing its white star blooms in Waterloo, and red trillium is flowering near Columbia Greenhouses. Look on the forest floor and shaded trails, they'll be gone in a couple weeks once the trees leaf out.
SKY
Wednesday, Apr 22 predawn - Did you wake up early to see the Lyrids meteor shower? Share the experience and pictures!
Friday, Apr 24 at 8:30pm - Venus and Uranus sit together low on the western horizon just after sunset. Venus is the bright one. Binoculars will show Uranus as a faint blue-green dot beside it. Last chance before Uranus leaves the evening sky.
RAISE YOUR HAND
City of Waterloo Sports and Recreation Grant for not-for-profit sport and recreation organizations. Deadline Apr 28. Apply
Region of Waterloo Arts Funding for artists, collectives, and arts organizations. Deadline Apr 30. Apply
City of Cambridge Community Connections Grant micro-grants for neighbourhood-led well-being projects. Deadline Apr 30. Apply
City of Waterloo Neighbourhood Fund for resident-led placemaking and belonging projects. Deadline May 6. Apply
ROLL OUT ROOTS
House of the Week: Stone bones c.1832 in Blair Village, tucked on 2.4 acres with a trout stream and the village's old bake shop.
New Work: Osteopath, Care+Space, Cambridge
Volunteer: Help care for Kitchener's forests and natural areas as a Nature Steward
Adopt a pet: Looking for a big boy with an equally bigger personality who'll warm right up the moment treats enter the room? Meet Bernie
RIDDLE ME
The Grand River, which flows through Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge, was officially designated a Canadian Heritage River for its cultural and natural significance. In what year did it earn this title?
Great to see so many got last week's riddle right! Congrats to the fastest 🌉Neal Moogk-Soulis 🌉 Valerie Clarke 🌉 Sharon Bettridge 🌉 Kathryn Naberle 🌉 Diana Murdoch
ROAM & RAZZLE
Got an event coming up? Submit it here and it could show up right here.
FEATURED EVENTS
Cambridge Jazz Festival returns to Tapestry Hall with a Sunday afternoon set from Juno-winning vocalist Kellylee Evans. Expect soul, jazz standards, and the kind of genre-blending vocal chops that built her a global following. Tapestry Hall is one of the region's best rooms for a live set, intimate acoustics in a converted heritage space. A great way to close out your weekend.
Schedule Info Sun, Apr 26 at 1-7:30pm at Tapestry Hall, Cambridge
THU, APR 23
Community: Spring Micro-Market with local makers and vendors (all ages) 11am, Square Peg, Kitchener info
Theatre: A wildly funny duet picks up where Shakespeare left off, Juliet and Romeo in their 40s (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener ♿️ tix
Live Music: Alyssa Dupuis, Ciara Leah, and Astrid Ripepi premiere a new soul and R&B show (all ages) 7pm, The Jazz Room, Waterloo ♿️ info
Comedy: Rusty Nail Comedy monthly Thursday with headliner Frank Spadone (19+) 8pm, TWH Social, Kitchener info
FRI, APR 24
Family: Earth Day themed PD Day camp at a National Historic Site (all ages) 8:30am, Schneider Haus, Kitchener info
Community: Spring Micro-Market with local makers (all ages) 11am, Square Peg, Kitchener info
Theatre: World premiere comedy by local playwright Michael Grant about moving on (all ages) 7:30pm, Elmira Theatre Company, Elmira tix
Live Music: Singer-songwriter set from Softcase (all ages) 7:30pm, Maxwell's, Waterloo info
Live Music: Saxophonist Ally Fiola leads her groove-based jazz ensemble (all ages) 8pm, The Jazz Room, Waterloo tix
Live Music: Singer-songwriter Danny Michel live (all ages), Conrad Centre, Kitchener tix
Workshop: Hands-on space for hard-of-hearing musicians, collaborators, and teachers (all ages), The Registry Theatre, Kitchener info
Family: Drop-in PD Day art camp for kids at the gallery (all ages), Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener tix
Community: drop-in creative space for queer and trans youth ages 13 to 18 (all ages), Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener tix
Comedy: Rusty Nail Comedy stand-up with headliner Patrick Hakeem (19+) 8pm, TWH Social, Kitchener info
Live Music: Hip hop artist Nardo Wick live (19+) 10pm, RARE Nightclub, Waterloo info
SAT, APR 25
Community: Earth Day programming at the Saturday farmers market (all ages) 7am, Kitchener Market, Kitchener tix
Family: Three days of axolotl-themed fun celebrating Boba the axolotl (all ages) 10am, Waterloo Region Museum, Kitchener info
Community: Earth Day community cleanup with Waterloo Region Nature (all ages) 10am, Waterloo info
Community: Spring Micro-Market with local makers (all ages) 11am, Square Peg, Kitchener info
Live Music: Sonic Uke Ensemble in the Emmanuel concert series (all ages) 7pm, Emmanuel United Church, Waterloo info
Live Music: Country star Lee Brice brings the Sunriser Tour (all ages) 7:30pm, The Aud, Kitchener ♿️ tix
Live Music: Montreal bassist Carl Mayotte presents contemporary jazz from his new album Claude (all ages) 8pm, The Jazz Room, Waterloo ♿️ tix
Live Music: Candlelit performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons (all ages), The St. Matthews Centre, Kitchener tix
Live Music: Pianist Michèle Wilmot shares her journey with hearing loss through music (all ages), The Registry Theatre, Kitchener info
Community: Burgers & Botox fundraiser for Food4Kids with Rosie's burgers and a Willibald welcome drink (19+) 12pm, Subtly You, Waterloo tix
Live Music: Rock For Oak Bridge benefit concert with Electric Crush (19+) 6pm, The Cambridge Newfoundland Club, Cambridge tix
Comedy: Yuk Yuk's stand-up with Freddy Proia, Marc Hallworth, and MC Oliver Ashton, $20 (19+) 8pm, Bingemans Kingpin Bowl Lounge, Kitchener tix
Comedy: Rusty Nail Comedy with headliner Patrick Hakeem (19+) 8pm, TWH Social, Kitchener info
Comedy: Rusty Nail Comedy with headliner Daniel Shaw (19+) 8pm, Morty's Pub, Waterloo info
SUN, APR 26
Family: KW's premiere parenting show covering pregnancy, baby, and toddler everything (all ages) 10am, Kitchener info
Live Music: Waleed Kush brings an afro-jazz matinee (all ages), Queen Street Commons, Kitchener tix
TUE, APR 28
Family: Drayton Entertainment musical, ages 7+ (all ages) 2pm, Hamilton Family Theatre, Cambridge tix
Family: exhibition tour for parents and caregivers, pay what you can (all ages), Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener tix
Comedy: Dog Mic weekly stand-up open mic, no cover (19+) 8pm, Revive Karaoke, Waterloo
WED, APR 29
Workshop: Prime Skills cooking class on smash burgers (all ages) 6pm, Kitchener Market, Kitchener tix
Workshop: Hands-on class on making steamed bao buns from scratch (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener info
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