Getting rid of red tape for events.
TL;WR for June 11 through June 17 2024
What to do.
Tuesday, June 11
Mark your calendar for the final installment of the City of Kitchener’s SDGtalks series on June 11—Partnerships for the Goals. This event will begin at 3 pm with a market focused on sustainable consumption featuring local vendors and community organization exhibitors. You can also get a tour of the SDG Idea Factory.
The Gaslight District has a free outdoor screening of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. They have Canada’s largest outdoor screen and the screening happens rain or shine! Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy the film! Movie starts at 7 pm.
The Princess Twin has 7 and 9:15 pm screenings of In a Violent Nature, a slasher film from the perspective of the slasher.
Wednesday, June 12
TWB Brewing has Disney Trivia with Seen on Screen Podcast. Tickets are $12/person and include a 12 oz beer plus unlimited (ish) popcorn courtesy of the Apollo Cinema!
Building a successful product isn’t about one great idea. It is about taking small actions every day that help to build a successful career or product over time. Dinah Davis shares her story and tips on doing this at Gender Equity Tech presents The Career Building Formula.
Remix Swing has a free west coast swing open house at Knox Presbyterian Church at 8 pm.
Astronomy on Tap: Kitchener-Waterloo is back at The Crazy Canuck Kitchener DTK on Wed., June 12 with two guest speakers: Ana Ennis, from the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, who will speak about the death of stars like our Sun. Then, Perimeter Institute researcher Luciano Combi will then share how we can observe and model the deaths of stars, to understand the origin of heavy elements like gold.
Thursday, June 13
CreateWaterloo’s first Movies in the Park of the summer is Migration. Movie starts at sunset.
At the dawn of civilization, one girl had a bright idea. The Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre presents Firebringer, a comedy musical set in prehistoric times. It tells the story of a group of early humans discovering fire, leading to chaos and hilarity as they navigate this groundbreaking innovation. Shows run 13–15 and 20–22.
Author Peggy Plet leads the Black Presence in Berlin Stroll Walking Tour in Downtown Kitchener. The tour shares Kitchener’s connection to the early Black settlers of the Queens Bush settlement in the late 1800s and early 1900s. You’ll hear the stories of Black teachers, a Black lawyer, and Black domestic workers who impacted the city during its formative years.
Celebrate Pride at Spectrum’s 3rd Annual Fundraising Gala with comedian Brandon Ash-Mohammed, who was recently named a JFL Montreal New Face and the winner of a Canadian Screen Award for his work as head writer on Canada’s Drag Race. The evening features dinner from B Elegant Catering and is MC’d by award-winning playwright, performer, fragrance aficionado extraordinaire, and producer Robert Watson.
BeccaHosts has 80s Music Bingo at the The Rabbid Fox Tavern starting at 8 pm.
The Silent Book Club is meeting silently at Midnight Run Cafe. Bring your current read to enjoy a silent book reading with fellow quiet book lovers. 6 pm.
Friday, June 14
Minds Eye Studio Art Gallery and Yoga Studio and Culture Fancier have an artist reception for Donnique Williams at 7:30 pm. Donnique Williams’ exhibition Magnitude + Bond reveals the power of words as they imbue layers of meaning between scraps of paper. And in turn, how the creative act reveals truths about oneself and one’s harvest.
The Matt Bruzzese Collective plays TWB Brewing at 7 pm. Pay what you can.
Midnight Earth Events is hosting a two-day Queer & Here market at 44 Gaukel. Shop from over 25+ 2SLGBTQIS+ local small businesses!
Sam Nabi and Friends have a hip hop jam at Short Finger Brewing from 6 to 8 pm.
The Grand River Black Music Festival and Conference is a Black-led project celebrating Black music and artistry across Canada and the world. The annual event takes place at the Kitchener Public Library Central Branch. It features talks, panel discussions, and live performances from Jully Black, Zochi, Erroll Starr, Reharm, Solitair, and the Toronto Mass Choir.
Maxwell’s EMO Night returns with Strike Tyson and DJ Rob Da Selekta at 7:30 pm.
Ten Minute Detour plays Farm League Brewing with very special guest Gavin McLeod at 8 pm.
Chris Locke, Jackie Pirico & Michael Balazo return to the Yeti for Laughsquatch. 7:30 to 11 pm.
Rusty Nail Comedy has Benji Rothman at The Crazy Canuck DTK and Kyle Brownrigg at Den 1880. Both shows start at 7:30 pm.
Counterpoint Brewing Co. has a summer night of Miles Davis' favourites with the Brownman Akoustic Trio at 8 pm.
Saturday, June 15
Celebrate community spirit across Kitchener during Neighbours Day! Explore your neighbourhood or visit somewhere new for a fun day of activities and live entertainment. From interactive workshops to engaging performances, Neighbours Day is a time to build a stronger sense of belonging in our community.
JP Sunga is playing two live shows for Neighbour’s Day. 2 pm at 39 Meadowlane Dr. and 5 pm at 10 Albion St.
The KW Breakers headline the City of Waterloo’s Open Streets Festival on Willis Way from noon to 6 pm.
TWB Co-operative Brewing is launching this year’s Hydrocut Session IPA on Sat., June 15 at the Glasgow entrance of the Hydrocut trail. 10 am to 4 pm.
Pinch Cabaret, an amazing celebration of variety, community, and artistic cross-pollination is back this week! The evening features comedy, R&B, theatre, clown, poetry, opera & more! Button Factory Arts, Saturday June 15, 8pm. Sliding scale tickets ($5-$30) available here.
The first-ever Gruhn St. Porch Party is on Sat., June 15 during the City of Kitchener’s Neighbours Day. It has a great lineup of local musicians, games, crafts, and activities throughout the afternoon. To top it all off, at 6 pm they're having a community picnic in the park with music from Midtown Radio.
Dance the evening away with live latin music on Queen St. in Cambridge. Latin Music on Queen runs from 6:30 to 11 pm at 5 Queen St E, Cambridge.
You don’t have to fly to Las Vegas to catch world-class boxing! Syd Vanderpool is hosting Destiny Boxing Fight Night at Bingemans, featuring amazing local amateur boxers going toe-to-toe live. Doors open at 6:30 pm, fights start at 7 pm!
The Pinch Cabaret is KW’s monthly variety show, performance laboratory, and community arts party. An unexpected mix of comedy, RnB, theatre, clown, poetry, opera and who knows what else! This edition of Pinch Cabaret will be guest-hosted multi-talented poet, comic, and musician Braeden Etienne. Get ready for a diverse bill that will surprise and delight audiences while bringing together disparate artistic communities!
Comedy in the ‘Berg with headliner Max Sheldrick at the Scram & Dram at 7:30 pm.
Sunday, June 16
Solitair plays the courtyard at KPL Central Branch at 1 pm.
Song/Craft is a unique concert series at TWB Brewing. Hosted by Coraline James, Song/Craft celebrates the art of songwriting in an intimate and laid-back setting. Each event features a handful of talented musicians, with their own distinct style and approach to songwriting.
Wave Maker Craft Brewery has an open mic from 1 to 4 pm.
Monday, June 17
The Princess Original has a screening of Paris is Burning, a chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality. 7 pm.
Ways to get involved.
Daniel Rust, a UWaterloo student and owner of Capstone Painting, has created a $1000 Trades Scholarship to support and encourage high school students in Waterloo Region who are passionate about pursuing a career in trades. The nice folks at the Grand River Construction Association have pledged to match the scholarship, too.
Learn more about the scholarship and how to apply here.
What to read.
“They’re not afraid of cars, not afraid of people, not afraid of anything. They’re living their best lives.” Video shows rats running wild in uptown Waterloo (Mark Bryson, The Record)
Focus on female athletes encouraging for local women’s sports (Daryl Morris, CTV News)