What to do.

Tuesday, May 26

The Princess Cinema has The Secret World of Arrietty - 4K Restoration at 6:45 pm.

Wednesday, May 27

Learn about the builders at the Catalyst Commons' Demo Day Member Showcase. They'll be set up in Glasgow Hall Kitchen to demo and showcase what they're working on. There will be a pop-up lunch for purchase from The Three (salads, bowls). Meet tech entrepreneurs from the Conestoga Entrepreneurship Collective and members at Commons in tech, design, healthcare, manufacturing, and more. 

The University of Waterloo's Centre for Astrophysics and Kitchener Public Library present A History of the Telescope at the Central Library at 7 pm.

The 18th annual Grand River Film Festival is back from Wednesday, May 27 to Sunday, May 31 at the University of Waterloo - Cambridge architecture campus and the Gaslight District. The festival features great local, Canadian, and international features and shorts and all events are pay-what-you-can.

Hearts Open for Everyone and Quilt of Belonging present a screening of the award-winning documentary "A Dream Called Khushi". This moving 35-minute film follows the journey of a young Rohingya girl born in a refugee camp as she defies extraordinary odds to pursue her right to education and a future in Canada. 6:30 pm at the TriSisters Art House in St. Jacobs.

Try something new, learn to dance! Remix Swing is hosting free West Coast Swing intro classes this week: Wednesday May 27 from 8-9 PM, Thursday May 28 from 7-8 PM, and Sunday May 30 from 8-9 PM. Beginners welcome and no partner is needed! 

​CivicTechWR is a community group that brings together people from different sectors and backgrounds to actively solve civic challenges in our local community using design and technology. Check out their hack night this Wednesday from 5:30 to 8 pm.

Get ready for a night of outrageous laughs, greasy goodness, and classic Trailer Park Boys chaos with Randy Bobandy at Randy’s Cheeseburger Picnic at Maxwell's Concerts & Events. Doors open at 7:00 pm, show starts at 8:00 pm.

Thursday, May 28

The David Johnston Research + Technology Park has teamed up with Block 3 Brewing to bring the community together for great beer, and a fun time at the first Beer Garden of the summer! Join them for a great afternoon building connections in the park. Los Rolling Tacos will be on site too! 2 to 5:30 pm.

Pinch Presents: SHOW & TELL, at 7 pm at Vogelsang Green in Downtown Kitchener. Anything goes at this monthly open mic. Comedy, Music, Poetry, Drag, Lectures, Rants, etc! 5 min spots, performer sign up at 7 pm, show starts at 7:30 pm. Plus, it's FREE (just reserve your spot online).

Award-winning science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer returns to KPL in conversation with Marcel Gagné to discuss The Downloaded 2, his compelling follow-up to The Downloaded, a thought‑provoking thriller that plunges readers into a mind‑bending digital future where identity, memory, and morality collide. 

Wave Maker Craft Brewery has music bingo at 7:30 pm.

It's darts night at TWB Brewing. Individuals welcome, partners rotate after each game. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 day of and include a 12-oz draught beer or non-alcoholic beverage.

Rusty Nail Comedy is bringing two headliners to its show at Pops & Ruby's in Cambridge. Jason Allen (Cottage Country Comedy Festival, The Brantford Comedy Festival, The Edmonton Comedy Festival) and Manolis Zontanos (The Comedy Network, Just For Laughs, MTV Canada) will be on stage, along with special guest Dylan Lindsay.

​Are you worried that using AI might be making you stupid? Exercise that big ol' brain of yours with Mind Club, an in-person session where you'll do math, science, language, logic, and reasoning. 6:30 pm at Builder's Club.

The London Major are in town to take on your Kitchener Panthers at 7:05 pm.

Friday, May 29

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the annual Mennonite Relief Sale – full of food, fun and the highlight of the weekend, the Quilt Auction. All money raised throughout the weekend goes to support the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a not-for-profit relief, service and development and peace agency.

TWB Brewing's Patio Music Series brings you classic and alternative rock with WorkBuzz. No tickets. No reservations. Just great beer, good vibes, and live music. 7 pm.

Keith Pedro headlines Rusty Nail Comedy at TWH Social at 7:30 pm. Pedro's been nominated for a Juno Award and he's made a name for himself as one of the standout performers on "Roast Battle Canada," earning a Canadian Screen Award nomination for his work on the show.

Head to the Union KW for an exciting night of live karaoke featuring amazing cover bands performing a selection of tunes from Big Shiny Tunes volume 3! Whether you want to take the stage or sing along with the crowd, this is an event you won't want to miss!

Live in a Dive at Short Finger Brewing features Cam in the Van with special guest Ella playing summer staple on the SFBC patio — violin, disney covers, green day covers, and more. 6 to 8 pm.

Counterpoint Brewing has Mud Skunks playing live from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Becca Hosts has general trivia at Rural Roots Brewing at 7:30 pm.

Saturday, May 30

The Cambridge Sculpture Garden has a garden design masterclass with landscape Designer Heather Jerrard (My Landscape Artist) to demystify the garden-planning process. Whether you are starting with a blank slate or refreshing a tired corner of your yard, this session provides the professional foundations and "tricks of the trade" needed to create a stunning, functional landscape. 9:30 to 11 am.

Waterloo Public Library, in partnership with Team DAVE, 4917 Team, and Rockway Robotics, invite you to meet your future overlords...wait, what? Meet the robots from 1:30 to 3:30 at the John M. Harper Branch.

Drop what you're doing and head Kitchener's Central Frederick neighbourhood for the annual Hohner Avenue Porch Party! From school choirs and garage bands to seasoned professionals, the porch part brings together performers of all kinds—each one adding their voice to the rhythm of the street. 3 to 8 pm.

Make some new friends at TWB Brewing with Spring Speed Friending with Hello, Stranger at 6:30 pm. Hello, Stranger is a speed friending event that makes meeting new people easier. Come curious, leave connected! Ages 25-35.

Did you know that Drone Day started right here in Kitchener-Waterloo with the Weird Canada. Today, Drone Day is celebrated around the world, often in inspiring and unusual places! This isn't flying robotos, it's a celebration of drone tones and experimental music. This year, you can join the Waterloo chapter of Drone Day at the Uptown Parkade at 7:30 pm!

Rusty Nail Comedy has headliner Freddy Prioia at Morty's Pub. Prioia's high-energy performance and various celebrity impressions have made Freddy an audience favourite. 7:30 pm.

Shake off the weekday grind and come dance it out at The Union for a night of surf and garage rock grooves at the Landlocked Luau Vol 3. Line up includes Vox Confidential, Thee Growlits, Chairmen Of The Boards, The TrebleTones, and a DJ set from Zodiac Thriller.

Spectrum presents Spectrum After Dark: Pride Edition 2026 at the Kitchener Market from 7:30 to 11 pm. Presented in partnership with TWB Co-Op Brewing, Spectrum After Dark is an incredible celebration to ring in Pride month for the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community! This evening will be a place to come together with friends to dance and party with June just around the corner. There will be live DJs, drag performances, great drinks, and more.

The Society of Beer Drinking Ladies Presents: Bevy #1 at Arabella Park. Toronto's Society Clubhouse co-founder Erica has moved to Kitchener (smart move!) and is launching the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies to create a welcoming space for women folks to connect and hang out over great beer. A portion of ticket and swag sales will be donated to the excellent work of SPECTRUM.

On Saturday, May 30, The Boathouse presents Into the Video, a late-night haven for the dark and the dance-driven. From 11PM–2AM, they're summoning a soundtrack of goth, post-punk, dark wave, industrial, EBM, and metal—deep cuts, heavy rhythms, and shadow-soaked energy designed to keep you moving. $10 cash at the door. 19+.

Light the Night 7 is night-time 5k through Uptown and the university district followed by a DJ and dancing in Waterloo Town Square. It's brought to you by the fine folks at WHYNOT, Runners in Motion, Runner's Choice Waterloo, and Uptown Waterloo.

Sunday, May 31

Kinusaiga is a beautiful textile art form that originated in Japan and was traditionally created by repurposing pieces of silk from old kimonos. Learn the basics of this art form with Cool Aunt Creatives at their Kinusaiga workshop at Metro Restaurant at 1 pm.

It's supposed to be 19 and sunny on Sunday. Perfect weather to watch your Kitchener Panthers take on the Hamilton Cardinals at 2:05 pm. It's also free freezie day for fans under 18.

Head down to Homer Watson House & Gallery for Mediumship Development with Sandy from 4:00-7:00pm! Sandy of Vestika's Oddities & Wellness will guide you through connecting to your spiritual senses, sharing her practice for respectful mediumship while attempting to reach former residents of the House. Together you will build and hone your mediumship skills, starting from any skill level, even if you have never practiced mediumship before! Register now so you don't miss this special day!

Monday, June 1

Recharge and flow with some yoga by the Grand River in the Cambridge Sculpture Garden! Whether you're a beginner or a pro, this is the perfect chance to stretch, breathe, and unwind surrounded by amazing art and nature. Bring your mat and some water, and get ready to flow with good energy in a chill, inspiring location. 6 pm. Classes are led by professional yoga instructors from Atlas Yoga Studio.

Ways to get involved.

Do you live in Waterloo Region? Have 5 minutes to shape the future of school food? Globally, the most transformative school food programs feature beautiful meal service for everyone. Student programs do address potential hunger gaps, but above all, they’re proactively establishing equity and building community. They integrate learning and connection to local agriculture, and involve students in growing, planning, preparing, and serving.

Can you imagine a Canada where a nutrition breakfast or lunch is available for every student? Nutrition for Learning is getting ready to test new program models right here in the region this fall, and they want your input.

Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, adult student, or simply someone in the community passionate about wellbeing and youth equity, they hope you’ll give them 5 minutes of your time to help shape the future of school food.

Help shape the future of Kitchener by joining the City of Kitchener’s Resident Panel! Panelists will take part in workshops and discussions to share their perspectives on local priorities and issues, helping guide the City’s next strategic plan. The City is looking for 40 community members from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Panelists are selected by lottery, so no special expertise needed, just your perspective.

What to read.

Waterloo startup turns pads and tampons into cancer screens (Robert Williams, The Record)

Birding Hotspots in Waterloo Region (Brian Smith, Community Edition)

De-platforming Music Consumption (Harleen Kaur Dhillon and Ayden Elworthy, Community Edition)

'Best pizza possible': No humble pie here. Take a bite of these elevated slices (Jasmine Mangalaseril, CBC KW)

Where to go on safari.

Looking for the trip of a lifetime? Friend of the newsletter Chef Nick Benninger presents Kenya: The Food Safari with Chef Nick, a thoughtfully curated journey that blends the very best of a classic African safari with a deeper, culinary perspective.

You can expect everything that makes a Kenyan safari so unforgettable, from game drives in some of Africa's most iconic landscapes with incredible wildlife encounters and expert local guides to beautiful lodges and immersive time in nature. But there's more to this safari. Chef Nick is layering in a unique culinary dimension featuring shared meals and conversations centered around local ingredients and food culture. This journey is designed to feel familiar in all the right ways, while offering something a little deeper for those who are interested.