GRFF returns, Uptown gets magical, and spring art blooms outdoors
TL;WR for May 20 through May 26 2025
What to do.
Tuesday, May 20
Help Map Accessibility in Uptown Waterloo with AccessNow MapMission! This is a fun, community-driven initiative to help make Waterloo more accessible for everyone. Hosted by The Regional Tourism Organization 4 in partnership with Explore Waterloo Region, the City of Waterloo, and the Uptown BIA, this event is part of National AccessAbility Week (May 26–June 1, 2025). Virtual orientation is on May 20 at noon and the mapping day is May 27.
Bring the family to a free outdoor screening of “Despicable Me 4” at The Gaslight District in Cambridge. Pack your snacks and enjoy movies under the stars.
Kitchener Public Library has Meet the Artists Night - (dis)Ability: An Art Showcase at 6:30 pm. Meet the artists who have submitted artwork for this exhibit held in the Central Library Art Gallery, lower level. The exhibit features work by people of all ages with lived experience with disability, residing in or with a connection to Waterloo Region.
He’s going to drink your milkshake. Check out a screening of There Will Be Blood at the Princess Cinema at 7 pm.
Wednesday, May 21
Take a tour of our neighbourhoods and the architectural styles that are found in our city, plus a few side stops around Bloomingdale with At Home in Waterloo, presented by The Region of Waterloo Library and the City of Waterloo Museum. 6 pm at the Bloomingdale Branch.
Join the Region of Waterloo Museum for Kids Korner at the Elmira branch to get crafty and imaginative with a wide range of art materials! Mix and match mediums to create something truly special and your own. The Region of Waterloo Library in collaboration with Spectrum Waterloo Region's Community Space is happy to host Kids Korner with Spectrum, to create a safe and supportive environment for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, allies, and families in the region to connect and create!
actOut Theatre presents Disney’s High School Musical JR, running May 21 - 24 at Cambridge Arts Theatre. Its 30+ cast of youth from around the region have been working hard to show off their triple-threat skills in this high-energy show.
Rusty Nail Comedy’s PRO AM night at TWH Social is only $5!!
Check out the KPL Green - Book & Bike: A Community Bike Ride and Discussion at 6 pm.
Campfire is back in Uptown Waterloo with Miranda Journey and Mandippal from 6 to 8 pm in Waterloo Public Square!
The City of Kitchener’s Public Works Week open house and family fun night is on May 21 from 5 to 8 pm at the Kitchener Operations Facility. This free event has something for everyone, including touch a truck, equipment simulator, hands-on public works activities, tour of the Kitchener Operations Facility, face painting, balloon animals, public works staff to meet, food trucks and more!
Thursday, May 22
Join Jeans ‘n Classics at Centre In The Square for an electrifying tribute to Pink Floyd, featuring classics from “The Wall” and “Dark Side of the Moon.” It’s an evening rock fans won’t forget.
The Detweiler Meeting House music season opens with “Maestro Mark” (Mark Diller Harder). If they were ever to make hymn-leading into an Olympic event, Mark could easily get a place on the Canadian team. Come ready to sing!
The Grand River Film Festival is back from May 22 to May 25. Catch screenings of full-length films and short films from local, Canadian, international, and student filmmakers, with a mix of ticketed and free events. Please visit grff.ca for more information on the movie line-up or grff.tickit.ca to purchase tickets. Follow them on Instagram at @grandriverfilmfest.
Wave Maker Craft Brewery has trivia with Sammy at 7 pm.
The Margins Club’s Quiet Reading Night is back at Midnight Run Cafe from 6 to 8 pm.
Friday, May 23
Come enjoy the warm spring breeze as it blows between rows of artworks hung from clotheslines in Homer Watson House & Gallery’s spacious back yard for Spring Breeze Clothesline Art Sale on May 23 from 5-8pm. Local artists will have everything from small hanging sculptures to watercolour paintings clipped to the line. Grab a snack from the Café du Monde Crêperie food truck, and listen to some local music.
Grand River Opera presents Norma and the Valkyrie, a thrilling operatic experience that weaves together the passion and power of two legendary heroines. Two local shows—Waterloo on Fri. at Knox Presbyterian Church and Cambridge on Sat. at Central Presbyterian Church.
Explore Uptown Waterloo in a whole new way with Magic & Shenanigans. Twelve amazing magicians from six different countries, along with professional comedians, actors, and improv specialists, will guide you through the secrets of Uptown Waterloo. There are ticketed tours and free public experiences on corners across Uptown.
Jared Nathan headlines Rusty Nail Comedy this week with a shows on Friday and Saturday at TWH Social.
Animal Boy with No Beauty and Heirloom play Midnight Run Cafe. Doors at 7:30 pm, show at 8 pm.
Saturday, May 24
KWAG has a loaded weekend to celebrate the return of the summer. Check out its new community garden, the 50/50 Garden of Reslience, the new exhibition from Couzyn van Heuvelen—CAMP, and the launch of the publication Billy Gauthier: Sila.
Starting tonight, Dallas Nightclub presents its new music series Saturday Nights Live! First up in the series are City Ground & Mojo Cola starting at 8 pm (doors at 7:30 pm).
Check out Drone Day, an annual international event founded in Waterloo celebrating experimental sound and community. Hosted by Andrew Jacob Rinehart, this year’s lineup will feature an eclectic assortment of local artists sharing ambient dreamscapes, synthesizer improvisations, experimental DJing, and more! Pay what you can. Waterloo Park Bandshell at 7 pm. This is about drone sound, not flying drones.
Centre in the Square has A Whole New World: The Musical Magic of Alan Menken at 7 pm.
Yvonne and Rob play The Rabbid Fox starting at 7:30 pm.
Sunday, May 25
The Princess Cinema has Ocean with David Attenborough, a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean. 1:35 pm.
Good Co. x Farm League x The Boathouse present Daniel James McFadyen at 8 pm (doors at 7 pm).
Monday, May 26
The Duke of Wellington has an open mic night from 6:30 to 10 pm.
Ways to get involved.
Call for Cultural Ambassadors!
The Region of Waterloo Library is thrilled to be partnering with the Multicultural Festival of Elmira to host Cultures United on September 20 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Gibson Park in Elmira. As part of the larger Multicultural Festival, Cultures United allows visitors to embark on an interactive journey to explore a variety of cultures through all five senses.
As a Cultural Ambassador, you will create an immersive experience at your table by sharing stories and items that showcase your culture, such as clothing, music, artifacts, and snacks. You will be provided an honorarium for your time, as well as reimbursement for snacks. Click here to learn more about Cultures United and apply to be a Cultural Ambassador.
What to read.
Food columnist Jasmine Mangalaseril spills the tea on a Stratford tea sommelier (CBC KW)
The Henry Ford of Bathroom Fans (Kurtis Rideout)