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TL;WR for May 28 through June 3 2024
What to do.
Tuesday, June 4
Join Grand River Pride at Farm League Brewing for a fabulous celebration of love and diversity at their Pride Open Mic & Karaoke Night. The evening kicks off with an open mic session followed by a chance to sing your heart out during karaoke.
If you were old enough to listen to music in the 00s, tonights your night to shine at BeccaHosts’ 2000s Music Bingo at The Duke of Wellington.
The Apollo has a screening of I Saw the TV Glow at 7 pm.
Wednesday, June 5
University of Waterloo’s Work-Learn Institute is hosting The Future-ready workforce series: Building inclusive workplaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ students at 1 pm. Join this free, online event to learn more about the challenges 2SLGBTQIA+ students face in the workplace. Attendees will learn about strategies for building a safe and inclusive work environment for all.
The R+T Park x Block Three Brewing Co. are hosting a Charity Pop-Up Beer Garden to help raise money for the Farwell4Hire Campaign on Wed., June 5 from 2 to 5 pm. Farwell4Hire is a campaign run by Mike Farwell in support of cystic fibrosis research. Join them for an afternoon of fun, tasty food and a pint in hand while supporting a great cause!
KPL has a Drop-in Bike Repair with Red Raccoon Bike Rescue at the Stanley Park Branch at 6 pm. Red Raccoon Bike Rescue volunteers will provide the knowledge and tools for you to learn how to repair your bike and get back on the road!
Carol Bradley was commissioned to create The Necklace by the City of Kitchener during her Artist in Residency in 1996. The 42’ sculpture elegantly strings together more than 100 white earthenware vessels on steel rods and brackets to decorate the curved outer wall of Kitchener Council chambers. Learn how Carol created the piece at a talk at the 44 Gaukel Creative Workspace at 7 pm.
Thursday, June 6
Jack Couch Park in Kitchener comes alive with cheering and home runs as the Kitchener Panthers take the field against London Majors.
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 June 6–8, 13–15, and 20–22.
Sorry kids, skibidi is not a valid word in Scrabble. Check out Game On! Scrabble at KPL Forest Heights at 6:30 pm.
“Let’s Eat!” Music Bingo at The Rabbid Fox features a playlist dedicated to food with songs like “Chocolate Rain”, “Candy Shop”, and “Red Red Wine”.
The AfroVibes Festival is back for its second year in Downtown Kitchener for three days of African culture, art, music, dance and community June 6-8, 2024. The festival is an extension of Digimillennials, a digital publication that amplifies African culture across Canada. This year’s AfroVibes festival includes Afrokaraoke in Waterloo Town Square on June 6, a panel discussion on the Black business landscape, community empowerment, and cultural advocacy at Den 1880 on June 7, the main festival on June 8 on the Gaukel Block and at Carl Zehr Square, and the official after party on June 8 and THEMUSEUM.
Friday, June 7
Join the City of Kitchener, Spectrum, and OK2BME for the Together in Pride Ride on June 7. The ride is being organized to celebrate Pride Month and bring attention to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community across Waterloo Region. There will be prizes for the best Pride-themed bike decorations or clothing!
Rusty Nail Comedy has Drew Behm at Indulge in Cambridge and Moe Ismail at Morty’s in Waterloo.
BeccaHosts has 80s Music Bingo at Rural Roots in Elmira at 7:30 pm.
Saturday, June 8
Join David Gascoigne, two-time past president of Waterloo Region Nature, as they explore the Westheights Park Natural Area at the Forest Heights Hike leaving from the Forest Heights KPL branch at 10 am.
The Grand River Flamenco Fest takes over KPL with Swingin’ Storytime for kids with Flamenco dancing at 2 pm and Flamenco Songs: Two Voices, a performance and talk about Flamenco singing at 3 pm.
Join Waterloo Public Library and Words Worth Books for a book reading with children’s author Anna Humphrey. Anna is launching her new graphic novel series, Buns Gone Bad, and is the author of the wildly popular Mega Bat Series for young readers.
The Princess has a screening of Life In Climbing with a Q&A with cast members Koichiro Kobayashi & Naoya Suzuki and director Sokichi Nakahara at 4 and 7 pm.
Unlock the power of emotion in your writing with Farzana Doctor, acclaimed author and psychotherapist. In this dynamic workshop, Farzana shares her expertise on integrating emotion-based strategies to enrich your writing and overcome writer’s block at Writers' Craft Workshop: Emotion-based Writing Strategies, 1 pm at KPL Central Branch.
Nitish Sakhuja headlines Rusty Nail Comedy at the Crazy Canuck DTK starting at 7:30 pm.
Sunday, June 9
Crossing the finish line in a race is one of the best feelings in the world. What could be better? How about crossing the finish line and sitting down for a delicious lunch at The Cambridge Mill? That’s precisely what’s in store at The Cambridge Mill Race on June 9. The race offers an 8 km run or a 1 km kids’ race on the Walter Bean Trail, followed by lunch at The Mill!
Celebrate Pride Month with flair at the Pride Drag Brunch hosted by House of Adam and Steve at the historic Walper Hotel. Enjoy a vibrant performance by talented drag artists, including Miss Fiercalicious from Canada’s Drag Race, and a delightful brunch buffet and mimosas.
Looking for a musical way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Waterloo? Check out the Grand Porch Party, an annual community event celebrating local music and arts. Started in 2011, this tradition transforms neighbourhood porches in Uptown Waterloo into stages, where musicians of all genres perform for visitors strolling through the streets.
Summer is for shopping! Explore The Gaslight District Square Market very Sunday in June to discover local vendors, artisans, and small shops. A different rotation of vendors will be on hand each week, and no two weeks will be the same.
Monday, June 10
The Princess Original has a screening of I Used To Be Funny at 7 pm.
Daniel Lew is a Chinese-Canadian folk-pop artist with a mission to uplift the world. Ten years ago, he suddenly went deaf in his left ear and developed tinnitus. This trauma caused him to devote his life to music. Everyday he sings soulfully as if it's the last time. His songs have been called a self-help book due to their introspective nature. He has self-produced three albums, and has been featured by CBC Radio One, Jade Music Festival, and Daily Hive Vancouver. Catch Daniel live at Emmanuel United Church at 7 pm.
Ways to get involved.
Did you know children make up 38% of the people accessing food assistance in Waterloo region? Of the more than 36,400 people supported by the Community Food Assistance Network last quarter, nearly 14,000 are kids.
From September to June, many of these children depend on school food programs for their breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. When school breaks for the summer, so do these food programs which means that for the summer, many children can no longer fill their bellies with the food they’ve been relying on all year long.
That’s why, every summer, the Food Bank of Waterloo Reegion run the Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. campaign because unlike school, hunger doesn’t take a vacation.
From now until August 31, their goal is to raise 1.5 million meals for parents and children in need. Donate now to Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. to help ensure no family goes hungry this summer.
What to read.
Big-hearted Domino’s franchisee happy to lend a helping hand (Mark Bryson, The Record)
Kitchener working on new plan for Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts (Catherine Thompson, The Record)
24 free things to do this summer near Waterloo Region (CuratedKW)