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Happy thunderous Wednesday, friends! Anyone hear the sky roar late last night / early morning, or just me? Between that and our curious squirrels who are nibbling on wires, hope everyone stays safe.
I had an interesting week, more like a rollercoaster of emotions packed in a few days. Got to know that someone outside our Region is blatantly copying my content claiming it as his own, which is both dishonest and illegal, lying about himself, his subscriber number, and falsely advertising about him doing dinners in our Region previously. I've been on the fence about sharing this, but I feel a responsibility to keep everyone aware, as we could all get scammed if we are not aware. As Richard Ashcroft said in his lyrical genius Bitter Sweet Symphony shares, I am who I am, and I can't change that. Neither can they, what I’m alluding to is if it’s easy for someone to not have integrity, cheat once, twice, three times, there is a good chance they will do it again, so beware and ask for real proof before committing to anything.
A little about WRR, I started writing as a means of expressing my love towards the place I call home. I have family roots here from the 60’s and I feel like there is so much to know every day. I’m here to explore, share, and learn about and from all of you. I had no idea I would receive such a powerful and positive response when I initially started writing. I’m genuinely passionate about community connections among many other things, and have loved meeting so many of you thanks to this space.
Thank YOU for being here, reading, participating, getting involved. You are the reason this space exists, yes, all 4,800+ of you. WRR is 100% free, independently operated and owned (yes, it's just me). It continues to grow every day, and I would love to keep the rhythm of our region alive in this space and beyond. If you'd like to support what we're building, I appreciate any and all contributions, my friends. 🫶
written with love,
Pav, your neighbourly goose
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RHYTHM IRL
DINNER CLUB
LAST CALL: SIGN UP ENDS TUE, APR 21, 2026
Getting ready for another exciting round of dinner with new friends! We are two dinners in. More than 200 new friendships, and some wonderful conversations that didn’t exist at the beginning of this year. Sneak peek 🙂
For anyone who missed it: You take a short quiz and get matched with five neighbours you've never met. The morning of the dinner, you get your restaurant. You show up. No agenda. No judgement. Just a table of neighbours who, by the end of the night, are friends.
Next Dinner: Thu, Apr 23 at 6:30pm | After Party: 8pm
COMMUNITY CLEAN UP
Thanks to everyone who said yes to the community clean-up for Earth Day. We’ll do this on the morning of Apr 25 and get done by noon. Everyone who opted in will get a separate email from me with the details. Everyone else gets to see our picture, well maybe ;)
In case you missed the previous message and would like to join some of your good neighbours, for some meaningful work, in fresh air, and maybe make some new friends, hit the “Count me in” link below.
Clean up our parks/public space together on April 25?
ROOM OF GIVERS
Sometimes of the best ideas are also the simplest. 100 men. Each contribute $100. To a local charity. That's the whole model behind 100 Men Who Give a Damn Waterloo Region, and over the past decade, it's meant roughly half a million dollars going directly into our community.
Four times a year, members show up, hear pitches from three nominated local charities, vote on the spot, and write a cheque. The winning organization walks away with the full pot, sometimes $10,000 or more, in a single evening. No bureaucracy, no committee, no waiting.
The group currently has 120 active members who want their money to mean something. William, one of the founding members, has spent ten years learning about charities he never would have heard of otherwise, and watching the region shift, even just a little, because of it.
If you have a few hundred dollars to spare or are a charity that would like to win the pot this quarter, sign up and be part of their Apr 23 meeting.
REGION THROUGH YOUR LENS
Mom robin found a safe spot under one of our neighbour’s soffit. Such a wonderful picture reminding us we can all coexist! Diana shares the bird is settling into a tidy nest as eggs are likely on the way. Spring is officially here.
Photo by Diana Murdoch
RAD & RAW
Big exciting week for stargazers:
Thu, Apr 17 onwards (before sunrise, around 5am): A comet is visiting our solar system. It's the closest it's been in 170,000 years. It's called Comet C/2025 R3. Grab binoculars and look east before the sun comes up. You might even spot it with just your eyes if the sky is dark enough.
Sat, Apr 18 (around 5am): Four planets are lining up in the sky at the same time: Mercury, Saturn, Mars, and Neptune. Look low on the eastern horizon just before sunrise. Mercury, Mars, and Saturn you can see with your eyes. Neptune needs binoculars.
Sun, Apr 19 (just after sunset, around 8:30pm): Look west for a thin crescent moon snuggled right next to a cluster of tiny stars called the Pleiades, nicknamed the Seven Sisters. Venus will be glowing nearby too. No telescope needed.
Tue, Apr 22 (after midnight, best around 3–4am): The Lyrids meteor shower peaks. That means shooting stars, up to 20 per hour! No telescope needed. Just lie on your back, look up, and wait.
RAISE YOUR HAND
St. Jacobs Farmers Market is accepting local food, craft, and artisan vendors on a rolling basis for the year-round market Apply here
Kitchener Market is accepting artisan vendors (handcrafted goods, jewellery, accessories, etc.) for its ongoing Saturday market, year-round Apply here
Wonderfully Made Handmade Markets is accepting handmade artisan and independent food vendors for their Spring (May 2), Fall (Oct 3), Holiday (Nov 20-21), and Christmas Bazaar (Dec 11-12) markets in Waterloo Region. Apply here
TD Kitchener Blues Festival is accepting food, craft, and corporate vendors for Aug 6-9, 2026 at Victoria Park Apply here
Waterloo Arts Fest is accepting art vendors, food vendors, and musicians for Sep 12, 2026 Apply here
KW Oktoberfest is looking for vendors, performers, sponsors, and volunteers for Sep 25-Oct 17, 2026 (58th annual). Apply here
Christkindl Market (30th Anniversary) is accepting food, crafts, retail vendors for Dec 3-6 & Dec 10-13, 2026 Apply here
City of Kitchener is accepting vendor applications for the following Apply here:
Cruising on King: food and merchandise vendors for Jun 26
Canada Day: food & merchandise vendors for Jul 1
Wayback Festival: food & merchandise vendors for Jul 24-25
Kidspark: food, merchandise & activity exhibitors for Aug 16
Endless Summer: food & merchandise vendors Sep 4–5
ROLL OUT ROOTS
House of the Week: one of the original homes of what we call St. Jacob’s c1885
New Work: Hydrogeologist Modeler, Stantec
Volunteer: 2026 Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival
Adopt a pet: Ali McClaw is looking for you through those beautiful expressive eyes
RIDDLE ME
I am the last of my kind in all of Ontario. I've stood over the Grand River since 1881. I give lovers shelter from the rain, and every spring the wildflowers bloom at my feet. What am I?
First five correct answers get a shoutout next week.
A lot of you got last week's riddle right! But the fastest were 🎈Valerie, 🎈Donna Kunkel, 🎈Suzanne Braam, 🎈Norma DeNoble, and 🎈Diane Reed. All new winners, Congrats!!
ROAM & RAZZLE
Got an event coming up? Submit it here and it could show up right here.
FEATURED EVENTS
Seven local bookstores are joining forces for Independent Bookstore Day with a passport-style crawl across Waterloo Region. Pick up a passport at any participating store, collect a stamp at each location, and enter the prize draw. Participating stores: Old Goat Books, Woolf & Company Books, A Second Look Books, Wordsworth Books, KW Bookstore, Hamley's Second Chapter, and The Book Loft (St. Jacobs).
Mon–Sat, Apr 20–25 at participating bookstores across Waterloo Region
Timeless Vintage Market is back for its first outdoor edition of 2026, returning to Waterloo's Uptown Square after a long winter. Vendors are coming stocked with their best spring finds, a great excuse to browse for vintage treasures right in the heart of Uptown.
Sun, Apr 19, 1–7pm at Waterloo Uptown Square, Waterloo
THU, APR 16
Community: Multi-day Spring Micro-Market runs daily at Square Peg in downtown Kitchener through Apr 18 then again Apr 21–22 (all ages) 11am, Kitchener info
Live Music: Dead Root Revival, genre-blending blues, rock, and jazz at Emmanuel United Church (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo ♿️ tix
Community: Woolwich Grows, backyard home gardening info evening hosted by Woolwich Township (all ages) 7pm, Elmira ♿️ info
Social: Salsa & Bachata Latin Night at Rare Nightclub, hosted by The Underdog Dance Corp (19+) Waterloo tix
FRI, APR 17
Festival: ScrapFest 2026, the ultimate papercrafting destination with vendors, workshops, hands-on creativity at The Aud (all ages) 4pm, Kitchener ♿️ tix
Theatre: STOMP, explosive percussion spectacle using everyday objects at Centre In The Square (all ages) 8pm, Kitchener ♿️ tix
Theatre: Elmira Theatre: A Delicate Art, world premiere of Michael Grant's heart-warming comedy about moving on; runs Apr 17–19 (all ages) 7:30pm, Elmira tix
Live Music: Michael Mathers, This Is Stan, an Eminem tribute show at Maxwell's (19+) 7:30pm, Waterloo tix
SAT, APR 18
Live Music: Candlelight: Tribute to Coldplay, beloved Coldplay songs performed in an intimate candlelit setting (all ages) St. Matthews Centre, Kitchener tix
Live Music: Terra Spencer, award-winning Nova Scotian singer-songwriter; Registry Roots Weekend night 2 (all ages) 8pm, Kitchener ♿️ tix
Social: Hold'em for Hospice Casino Night, casino games and entertainment benefiting Hospice Grand River at DoubleTree by Hilton (19+) Kitchener ♿️ tix
Live Music: Cam Kahin + CLEOPATRICK, indie rock night with Cam Kahin at Maxwell's (19+) 7:30pm, Waterloo tix
Live Music: Anders Mogensen Quartet, Juno-winning Danish drummer Anders Mogensen and pianist Carl Winther join Kirk MacDonald and Neil Swainson for a swinging jazz night (19+) 8pm, Waterloo ♿️ tix
SUN, APR 19
Live Music: Vivaldi Four Seasons, KW Symphony string quintet with concertmaster Bénédicte Lauzière as violin soloist (all ages) 3pm, Kitchener ♿️ tix
Live Music: Brian Dickinson + Penderecki String Quartet, multiple Juno-winning pianist joins the celebrated string quartet (19+) 4pm, The Jazz Room, Waterloo ♿️ tix
Social: Hepcat Swing's 10-year anniversary, swing and blues dancing with The Douglas Watson Blues Band, beginner East Coast Swing lesson at 8pm (all ages) 7:45pm, The Alpine Club, Kitchener tix
TUE, APR 21
Live Music: Red Dirt Skinners, live music at Cambridge Arts Theatre (all ages) 6:30pm, Cambridge ♿️ tix
Talk: Our Water: Challenges & Solutions, community info event on local water issues hosted by Wilmot Township (all ages) 7pm, Baden ♿️ info
Live Music: Donovan Woods performs solo on the Cold in April tour, an emotionally resonant folk and country songwriting set (all ages) 7pm, Conrad Centre, Kitchener ♿️ tix
WED, APR 22
Community: Spring Micro-Market @Square Peg, final day (all ages) 11am, Kitchener info
Theatre: Juliet & Romeo, award-winning dance-theatre comedy at Centre In The Square (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener ♿️ tix
Theatre: Elmira Theatre: A Delicate Art, mid-week performance (all ages) 7:30pm, Elmira tix
⏩️ Forward this to someone who could apply to the vendor calls 🥜
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