This newsletter will change the character of the neighbourhood.
TL;WR for May 16 through May 22 2023
What to do.
Tuesday, May 16
Over at KPL, learn about Swedish Death Cleaning. Learn how your possessions can not only interfere with living your best life, but how they can also stand in the way of leaving your best legacy. Tuesday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Central branch.
Waterloo Public Library x Wordsworth Books presents a discussion with author Carolyn Huizinga Mills at 7 p.m. Mills is a local fiction writer and teacher as she discusses her second adult fiction novel Sins of the Daughter.
The Falls Road has an open stage night—plus $3 tacos. Come out and maybe here Waterloo Region’s next big act.
BeccaHosts has Music Trivia Night at the Duke starting at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 17
Are you looking to improve or maintain your spoken French skills? If so, check out the region’s French-language Toastmasters group, Toastmasters d’Expression Française de Kitchener. They meet on Wednesday nights to chat, present speeches, and host the occasional debate. They’re inviting free drop-ins at their next meeting on Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m. Email toastmasters.efk@gmail.com for more info and to get the Zoom link or follow them on LinkedIn.
TWB Brewing Co-Op has Trivia Night with Seen on Screen Podcast: Sitcoms with Sam at 7 p.m. Your team could win a $50 gift card to TWB! Tickets are $10/person and include a 12 oz beer plus unlimited (ish) popcorn, courtesy of the Apollo Cinema!
Rusty Nail Comedy heads to Cambridge at the Foundry Tavern with headliner Manolis Zontanos at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 18
TheBikingLawyer will be in Waterloo for a Know Your Rights Workshop on Thursday, May 18 at 7 p.m. Learn more about what to do if you're involved in a collision, reporting dangerous drivers, and more. Event is at Molly Bloom’s and Ziggy’s will be there with prizes.
Murals add vibrancy and personality to any city. Explore what the downtown Cambridge mural collection with Stroll Walking Tours. Walk starts at 6 p.m.
KPL’s Asian Heritage Month Film has a screening of Everything Will Be at 6:30 p.m. The film follows a year in the life of several Chinatown denizens, including a 90-year-old Chinese newspaper street vendor and a second-generation tea shop owner, as they navigate this community in flux.
Shannon Down, Executive Director of Waterloo Region Legal Services, will be at the Waterloo Public Library’s main branch to share information on the important things to consider when writing a will. Did you know you can leave an endowment in your will for your favourite local charity?
Friday, May 19
Enjoy authentic Mexican food by The Lord Of The Tacos - every Friday and Saturday on the TWB patio. Speaking of TWB, they have a Bottle Shop Pop-Up at Aura-La Pastries + Provisions on Frederick St. from 11 to 4 p.m.
Create Waterloo is hosting Movies in the Parking Lot with a screening of Back To The Future. Arrive anytime after 7:30 p.m., movie starts when the sun sets. The Funnel Cloud food truck will be on site too.
Rural Roots has 80s Night Music Bingo with BeccaHosts at 7:30 p.m.
Rusty Nail Comedy is back at the Crazy Canuck DTK with headliner Patrick Hakeem at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 20
Pop some tags and make your next great fashion find at the KW Famous Vintage Fest. This first-time collaboration between KWFamous, Market Road Antiques, and the St. Jacobs Market District takes place over the Victoria Day long weekend. You can explore vintage clothing and antiques from over 50 vendors. There’ll be live music and entertainment, amazing food and drink, and more.
Over at the Flamboro Speedway, it’s Klotz Auto Repair Night #1 with Canadian Vintage Modifieds, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Pure Stocks, SOMA Modifieds, and more. We have no idea what any of that means. Races start at 6:30 p.m.
Stroll Walking Tours invites you to meet some of Berlin’s, now Kitchener’s earliest Black settlers: entrepreneurs, teachers, domestic workers, & lawyers who lived and contributed here. Black Presence in Berlin starts at 10:30 a.m.
KPL’s Tech Showcase features the Janome Embroidery Machine on Saturday, May 20 at 10 a.m. at the Grand River Stanley Park branch. Learn how you can personalize your tea towels, t-shirts and more.
Danae Olano is playing the KW Jazz Room as part of the “Women in Jazz Series” sponsored by DIVA International. Show starts at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 21
The Hub has Koo Koo Kanga Roo live on stage. Doors at 12, show at 1 p.m.
The Princess Cinema has a screening of Princess Mononoke at 3:45 p.m.
Join the Kitchener Panthers for their home opener at 2:00 p.m. vs the Welland Jackfish. Catch exciting Intercounty Baseball League action and cheer on your Panthers!
Monday, May 22
It’s a holiday, but the team at TWB will be serving cold beers from 11 to 5 p.m.
The Apollo has a holiday Monday screening of The Parent Trap at 2 p.m.
Over at the Princess Twin, catch a screening of Master Gardener at 4:10 p.m.
Monday is another race day at the Flamboro Speedway with the Spring Fever Enduro 150 starting at 4 p.m.
Ways to get involved.
Grab your clubs for the Forever 90’s Charity Golf Party at @badlandsgolfkw on June 17 in support of Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region. Mamas Kitchen 90’s Band will be performing live and DJ @analog_soundsystem will be spinning 90’s hits. A special shout out to for donating their golf course for this event!
What to read.
‘We are here, and we are here to stay’ — first Asian Heritage Day a celebration of diverse Canadian cultures (Robert Williams, The Record)
Record-breaking year in Waterloo Region for industrial, commercial construction in 2022 (Liz Monteiro, The Record)
New 'coppa plate' at St. Jacobs spot sparkles (Andrew Coppolino, Waterloo Chronicle)
Themuseum Hosts Exhibition of Indigenous African Diaspora Art (Arti Dani, Community Edition)
Beyond the Familiar: Getting a Taste for #DRK's Uncut Culinary Gems (Chris Tiessen, Toque Magazine)