ROAM & RAZZLE
So many things-to-do in the region!
FEATURED EVENTS
Make art and craft while mingling. Carry your current work in progress; sketching, painting, stitching, (any medium), settle in with coffee and tea while you create alongside other makers. Studio night with friends. The series runs Thursday evenings.
Rural Roots Brewing turns seven and is throwing the kind of party that works whether someone turns up for the beer or the dogs. Doors open at noon with a dog-focused vendor market, local rescues bringing adoptable dogs, and a fundraiser garage sale raising money for Saving South Paws. Live local music starts at 3:30pm and builds toward headliner Sheltered Life, with beer and food going all day and the celebration carrying on into the evening. The dog side of things wraps around 5pm, so anyone going mainly for that should aim early, while the music crowd gets the back half of the day. Seven years in Elmira is worth a full afternoon.
Got an event coming up? Share it here.
MULTI-DAY EVENTS
Festival: Downtown Kitchener hands its main square over to classic rock for two free nights, drawing a lawn chair crowd that mostly owned these records the first time around (all ages) Fri, Jul 24 from 7pm and Sat, Jul 25 from 5pm, Carl Zehr Square, Kitchener info
Convention - Ragnarok 6.0: THEMUSEUM turns into a two-day tabletop convention, now in its sixth year and pulling players from across the country. Board games, RPGs and miniatures share the floor with vendors, a bring and buy marketplace, craft drinks and a contingent of Vikings, and games run in blocks so people pick their slots rather than camp all day. (all ages) Sat, Jul 25 and Sun, Jul 26 from 8am, THEMUSEUM, Kitchener info
King Street Unplugged: In front of City Hall closes to cars for a week and fills with free programming from 11am daily, the rare thing worth wandering into without a plan. Kids' zone, markets, live music, dance lessons and roller skating rotate through, and Tuesday afternoon brings the Family Splash Jam finale with Drew Ripley's Big Balloon Show. (all ages) Sun, Jul 26 to Fri, Jul 31 from 11am, King St W and Carl Zehr Square, Kitchener info
Theatre - Return to Grace: Matt Cage plays Elvis across the whole arc, from the Memphis beginnings through the Vegas years, backed by a live band and dancers (all ages) Thu, Jul 23 to Wed, Jul 29, St. Jacobs tix
Theatre - Sorry...I'm Not Sorry! Neil Aitchison spends the show as RCMP Folksy humour, a little political satire and some Canadian songbook numbers, in a schoolhouse theatre small enough that the front row becomes part of the bit. (all ages) Thu, Jul 23 to Wed, Jul 29, St. Jacobs tix
THU, JUL 23
Family: Plasticine sheep at the Market Farmyard craft table with Artshine, no registration needed (all ages) 10am, St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, St. Jacobs info 🆓
Food: A guided tour of the tie stall barn to meet the A2 Golden Guernsey dairy cows, followed by a farm fresh dairy tasting (all ages) 10:30am, Eby Manor, Waterloo tix 💲
Outdoor Concert: Lunch from a local restaurant, a rotating mix of live music and a splash pad for cooling off (all ages) 12pm, Carl Zehr Square, Kitchener info 🆓
Tour: The 1820 Log Cabin story, from Waterloo's first German-language schoolhouse to a home for Black freedom seekers (all ages) 1pm, Waterloo Region Museum, Waterloo info 🆓
Community: Trivia, snacks and prizes on plants, bugs, animals and sustainability, run by the Nith Valley EcoBoosters Youth Advocates (all ages) 6pm, Wilmot Recreation Complex, Baden info 🆓
Outdoor Dance: Free dance lessons at 7pm, live performances and salsa until 11pm with The Underdog Dance Corp. (all ages) 6pm, Waterloo Public Square, Waterloo info 🆓
Outdoor Concert: Eric Jackson and the Willow Band on the front lawn of a Victorian estate, a lawn chair crowd, admission by donation (all ages) 7pm, Castle Kilbride, Baden info 🆓
Night Market: Local makers, food and live music fill the library's lower parking lot (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo Public Library, Waterloo info 🆓
Film: Raiders of the Lost Ark on the big screen after sunset, blanket territory, donations go to the Food Bank of Waterloo Region (all ages) 8:30pm, Waterloo Park Hilltop Picnic Area, Waterloo info 🆓
Comedy: An open mic hosted by stand-up Sarah Thompson, five minutes per performer, sign-up at 6:45pm, no heckling (19+) 7pm, TWB Co-operative Brewing, Kitchener info 🫳
FRI, JUL 24
Community: Microplastics, their impact on animals and us, and plastic as a resource, with the Earth Science Museum (all ages) 12pm, City of Waterloo Museum, Waterloo info 🆓
Food: A sip, snack and stroll route through Preston's restaurants and cafes, with live music at the Gazebo (all ages) 4pm, Preston Towne Centre, Cambridge tix 💲
Art Market: Handmade goods from local artists, crafters and makers, with live music from 7pm (all ages) 5pm to 9pm, Waterloo Public Square, Waterloo info 🆓
Outdoor Concert: Live music on the Stone Stage, every Friday all summer (all ages) 6pm, The Gaslight District Square, Cambridge 🆓
Outdoor Concert: Two top secret artists from different genres, one of ten free downtown concerts this summer, music at 7:30pm (all ages) 7pm, Vogelsang Green, Kitchener info 🆓
Concert: Noise and experimental music from Ontario's greatest and strangest artists, presented by Senseless Sensibilities (all ages) 7pm, Emmanuel United Church, Waterloo info 🆓
Comedy: Four to seven comics at an undisclosed Uptown cafe, with the address emailed at 8am the day of the show (19+) 7pm, Uptown Waterloo tix 💲
Comedy: Toronto comic Gavin Coscarella brings his conversational, observational set to the pub (19+) 7:30pm, Morty's Pub, Waterloo tix 💲
SAT, JUL 25
Community: A thousand artifacts, 2000 photographs and 200 books in the old Wellesley school, open the last Saturday of the month (all ages) 10am to 2pm, Wellesley Township Heritage and Historical Society, Wellesley info 🆓
Market: Curated vintage from the coolest dealers around, presented by White Tiger Vintage as the Wayback Festival's companion market (all ages) 12pm, Gaukel Block, Kitchener info 🆓
Mystery: A two-hour detective adventure on the heritage rails, with puzzles and hidden clues pointing to who haunts the railway (all ages) 12pm, Waterloo Central Railway, St. Jacobs tix 💲
Concert: The UWaterloo Jazz Ensemble plays Paul Simmons, Duke Ellington and Paul Williams, free in the Great Hall (all ages) 2pm, Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo info 🆓
Outdoor Dance: Free line dancing hosted by Kynamics on the Stone Stage (all ages) 4pm, The Gaslight District, Cambridge info 🆓
Party: A night swim rave in the waterpark after dark (all ages) 7:30pm, Big Splash Waterpark, Kitchener tix 💲
Family: Mini golf with a Christmas in July twist (all ages) Hole In Fun, Kitchener tix 💲
Comedy: Bryan Hatt headlines Rusty Nail's Saturday night show in downtown Kitchener (19+) 7:30pm, TWH Social, Kitchener tix 💲
SUN, JUL 26
Food: Two hours on the heritage dinner train with a spirit-inspired menu and Grand River countryside views (all ages) 12pm, Waterloo Central Railway, St. Jacobs tix 💲
Motor Show: TWB shuts its parking lot for a first classic car, truck and motorcycle show, with Kojo's Korner food from 1pm and Echo Theory playing 3pm to 5pm (all ages) 1pm, TWB Co-operative Brewing, Kitchener info 🆓
Outdoor Concert: Jazz on the promenade in downtown Cambridge (all ages) 2pm, Lower Main Street Promenade, Cambridge info 🆓
Outdoor Concert: The Waterloo Concert Band's summer series brings the Grand River Opera to the Barnshell, free with donations welcome (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo Park, Waterloo info 🆓
Outdoor Concert: The Galt Kilties concert band plays a free outdoor set for Cambridge Summer Live (all ages) 7pm, Central Park Gazebo, Cambridge info 🆓
Outdoor Concert: Flamenco cante, guitar, percussion and baile in the square, with guest performers and students at intermission (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo Public Square, Waterloo info 🆓
MON, JUL 27
Sports: Drop-in shinny for the 55 and over crowd, with sign-ups by group so friends end up on the ice together (all ages) 12pm to 1:20pm, 2001 University Ave E, Waterloo tix 💲
Outdoor Concert: Folk rock from Sydney Jones at the Rotary Bandstand, free (all ages) 7pm, Victoria Park, Kitchener info 🆓
TUE, JUL 28
Family: The Cambridge Public Library sets up in Hut 6 with a free activity for Big Screen Tuesday (all ages) 6pm, The Gaslight District, Cambridge info 🆓
Outdoor Dance: East Coast Swing and live music in the square, all skill levels and abilities welcome (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo Public Square, Waterloo info 🆓
Film: The Emperor's New Groove on the largest screen of its kind in Canada (all ages) 7pm, The Gaslight District, Cambridge info 🆓
WED, JUL 29
Concert: Jack Wyndham and Mary Catherine Pazzano play a free set in the atrium (all ages) 11am, Cambridge City Hall, Cambridge info 🆓
Community: Indus Space runs short challenges on keeping astronauts healthy in space, built for youth under 18 (all ages) 1pm, City of Waterloo Museum, Waterloo info 🆓
Family: TEAM T&J bring their Jumpin' Jamboree to Central Park for Cambridge Summer Live (all ages) 6:30pm, Central Park, Cambridge info 🆓
Community: A weekly land restoration night of tree planting, garden tending and weeding alongside knowledge keepers and Elders (all ages) 6:30pm, Tekanonhkwa Restoration and Land-Based Learning, Kitchener info 🆓
Workshop: Reclaimed ceramics and glass get cut and shaped into coasters or a decorative piece (all ages) 6:30pm, Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo tix 💲
Outdoor Concert: The Ayr Pipe Band plays a free evening set beneath the willow trees, a lawn chair kind of night (all ages) 7pm, Centennial Park, Ayr info 🆓
Share this with someone looking for events in the region 🎊
with love,
🦆 your neighbourly goose
More from this week: Live Music at eateries & more in this week’s newsletter
⭐ Updated, every Wednesday - the best of our three cities and four townships, free, friendly, full of life. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
