WE'RE OUT!

Happy pleasant week friends,

I love how alive our region is this time of the year. Music everywhere and all of us swaying from close or far. Happy Canadian Multiculturalism Day and Canada Day coming up this week. So much fun lined up, so let’s ride our region’s rhythm!

with love,

your friendly neighbourhood goose 🦆

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DINNER WITH FRIENDS

Last week I asked you’ll if we should skip dinner club in July as, you know, summers get busy for everyone 😎 but looks like 80% want to add it to your summer calendars. So we’ll continue once I get some tweaks sorted cause I’m listening and working on making things better… will share details soon.

For those coming to the after-party tomorrow, see you there!

LOVE WATER

Water is essential for our survival. Has been a hot topic since last year. In case you didn’t know we have a shortage in our region. So I shared insights last week and looks like many of you want to stay updated. I will do my best to share real, helpful info as they unfold.

ICYMI

You might have missed one of the quietest acts of generosity in the region: an 87-year-old Waterloo resident has raised half a million dollars over a lifetime for affordable housing, proving a single person can move the needle on the issue everyone's talking about. Read

When Kitchener's Frederick Lanes was facing closure, a group of devoted bowlers simply bought the place, keeping the lanes open and a beloved local hangout alive for another generation. Read

ROLL OUT ROOTS

Work: multiple roles open, WRHN

Volunteer: Red Racoon Bike Rescue

House of the week: c1852 has a lovely country style charm

Adopt a pet: Gary means business when it comes to adoption. Waiting to be friends :)

AT HOME IN THE REGION

You know how list prices on realtor.ca feel completely random lately? I asked Cheryl about it. Turns out it's on purpose. Some homes here in Waterloo Region are priced low to start a bidding war, some are at value, and some are priced high to negotiate down (or the seller is just stuck on what their neighbour got back in 2021). So she basically tells her clients to stop reading into the list price and look at what actually matters instead.

👉 Cheryl breaks down the 4 numbers to keep in mind before you offer →

RIDDLE ME

Last week’s answer: the summer solstice, the year's longest day, traditionally a time of renewal and thanksgiving for many Indigenous communities

ROAM & RAZZLE

Because there is so much to explore every-single-day.

Got an event coming up? Submit it and it could show up right here.

THU, JUN 25

Exhibit: Interactive exhibition celebrating women in science, tech, engineering, and math, from Nobel laureates to local giraffe researcher Anne Innis Dagg (all ages) open now, Waterloo info

Fitness: Guided, sensory-slow forest-bathing walk along Hespeler's Mill Run Trail to ease stress and reconnect with nature (all ages) 10am to 12pm, Cambridge info

Concert: Four rising local indie acts (Ella Ruth, Sean Castillo, Christian Miles, and Emily Gilbart) share one stage (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo tix

Dance: Salsa lessons, live performances, and open-air social dancing until 11pm in the square (all ages) 7pm to 11pm, Waterloo info

Film: Outdoor big-screen showing of Clueless under the stars at Waterloo Park's Hilltop (all ages) 9pm, Waterloo info

FRI, JUN 26

Concert: Night of emerging indie-rock talent at Maxwell's (all ages) 7pm, Waterloo tix

Dance: Salsa, bachata, and merengue lesson followed by social dancing at the outdoor bar on Gaukel (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener info

Concert: Outdoor Sunset Session concert on Vogelsang Green (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener info

Concert: Outdoor summer concert series on the Main Street Promenade (all ages), Cambridge info

SAT, JUN 27

Community: Bring broken household items, tools, and electronics for volunteers to help repair (all ages) 9:30am to 12pm, Kitchener info

Food: Farm strawberry social with fresh-picked berries and homemade treats at Moore Farms (all ages) 10am, Ayr tix

Community: Hop between pop-up vendors and shops along the Main Street Promenade (all ages) 11am, Cambridge info

Party: Pride patio party with music and good company at TWB Co-operative Brewing (all ages) 1pm, Kitchener info

Concert: The Grace San Andres Trio plays an afternoon set in Centennial Park (all ages) 1pm, Ayr info

Social: Live DJ Saturdays spinning in the Gaslight District Square (all ages) 6pm, Cambridge info

Dance: Line dancing on Queen Street East with Mario from Urban Cowboy (all ages) 6pm, Hespeler, Cambridge info

SUN, JUN 28

Street Party: Outdoor Galt Jazz set on the Main Street Promenade (all ages) 2pm, Cambridge info

Festivities: Early Canada Day fireworks and festivities at Bingemans (all ages) 5pm, Kitchener tix

Party: Bad Livin 3 Roadshow pre-party with bikes and good times at Short Finger Brewing (19+) 1pm, Kitchener info

MON, JUN 29

Active: Summer roller skating session in Carl Zehr Square (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener info

Concert: Music Monday concert in the park at McLennan Park (all ages) 7pm, Kitchener info

TUE, JUN 30

Family: Messy outdoor art and play for little ones at Sir Adam Beck Park (all ages) 10am, Baden info

Party: East Coast kitchen party with fiddles and stomping tunes in Carl Zehr Square (all ages) 5pm, Kitchener info

Dance: Dance It Off Tuesdays with an East Coast Swing lesson and live big-band music in the square (all ages) 7pm to 10pm, Waterloo info

CANADA DAY

The Kitchener Public Library's history folks say that at the very first Dominion Day here, back in 1867, more than 5,000 people packed into the village of Berlin (now Kitchener) for a shared meal at the village hall, with toasts and songs going around the room. Almost 160 years on, that's still pretty much the plan. We've just spread the table out across a few parks.

So here's how I'd do July 1, morning to night. Grab what you like.

Start early in Cambridge at Riverside Park, where the city's celebration opens things up. Good spot for a coffee and a seat before the Cambridge parade rolls through mid-morning, kiddie float, carnival and all.

Late morning, take your pick. McDougall Cottage does music and treats if you're feeling the history angle, Doon Heritage Village in Kitchener has its grand reopening, and Wave Maker Brewery in Cambridge is running its own Canada Day thing if you'd rather have something cold in hand.

Around noon, Downtown Kitchener fills up Carl Zehr Square with food and entertainment, a nice central place to land for the afternoon.

Then make your way to Waterloo Park for the finale. The Community Picnic at the Hilltop runs all evening with food trucks, an art market, giant games and live music, and it wraps with an LED drone show at 10pm. Honestly a fitting echo of that first big gathering, everyone out together as the light goes.

A few other options worth knowing: if you want laughs to end the night, there's a Canada Day comedy special in Kitchener, and Ayr celebrates with live music at Cowan Park in the evening.

Most of this is outdoors, so you’d want to check the links before heading out, since it's weather dependent.

However you spend it, happy Canada Day, from all of us, spread around the tables.

RIFFS & RIBS

We love live music, and food, and the outdoors 🙂 This week’s breakdown of live music performances at eateries is below (click image).

⏩️ Forward this to someone who is missing out on all the fun in the sun ☀

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