What to do.

Tuesday, September 8

With “Practical Magic 2” hitting theatres in just a few days later The Gaslight District invites you to relive the magic of the first film “Practical Magic” on The Big Screen at 7 pm. Come out early for their mini Magic Market in The District Square from 5:30PM-8:30PM! Featuring a small handful of magical vendors and witchy artisans.

Pinch Improv invites you to play with the Physical Comedy Workshop Series. A hilarious, collaborative exploration of how to connect to your body and supercharge your improv creativity. Tuesday evenings, Sep 8-29, Downtown Kitchener. Accessible pricing available!

Wednesday, September 9

To be honest, The Aud doesn’t look a day over 50. On September 9, celebrate 75 years of musical history, epic wins, heartbreaking losses, and amazing memories at The Aud 75th Anniversary Open House from 5 to 8 P.M. Take a self-guided tour through five interactive stops and collect passport stamps at each destination along the way. Complete all five stops to unlock a photo opportunity with the Memorial Cup, and enjoy a free skate and complimentary popcorn.  

CivicTech is hosting its Season 9 Pitch Night at Builder's Club from 5:30 to 8 pm. Anyone can share a community problem and find people who want to work on it, with you, over the next few months.

What happens in Vegas...might end the world. An ex-con with big dreams, Steve is hired to chauffeur a mob boss' girlfriend for a night. He's unaware that his passenger is dead and possessed by one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Check out a screening of Armageddon Road at the Princess Cinema with a post-screening Q&A with director Karen Lam and lead actor Brian McCaig.

KPL has the Moments in Time Photography Exhibit Opening Reception at 6 pm at the Central Library.

The Whale & Ale Pub has trivia from 7 to 9 pm (and some tasty burgers).

Whether you enjoy riding on King Street or sitting in a high-rise looking at Laurier, the first-ever SummerlooFest has something for you. AJDIDIT, the rapper behind Waterloo’s official song of the summer, brings you an evening of live music and Tiktok-style challenges and games.    

Thursday, September 10

The UW Art Gallery has an opening reception for its new exhibition featuring Abraham O. Oghobase and Laura Moore on Thursday, September 10 from 5-8 pm.

The Rusty Nail Comedy team is known for bringing some of the country’s best comedians to town for their Friday and Saturday night shows—but every so often, they go above and beyond for a special Thursday show, including this one with “two-time JUNO Award losing Canadian stand-up comedian” Matt Wright! Don’t miss this show with the writer and actor from “Son of a Critch” and “This Hour Has 22 Minutes”.

The Rabbid Fox has Songs That Turn 10 Years Old music bingo hosted by the awesome BeccaHosts at 8 pm.

StartupCampWaterloo is Waterloo’s low-stakes, high-trust pitch room. Whether you’re testing a wild new startup idea, refining your story before talking to investors, or simply sharing your vision with the community, this is the place to be. They have a pre-Waterloo Tech Week event starting at 6:30 pm.

Friday, September 11

Discover the ultimate autumn celebration at the Cambridge Fall Fair from September 10 through September 13! Dickson Park will be packed with games, activities, live music and more. From carnival rides to delicious food vendors, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! 

Last Minute Gallery and the KWFamous Creative Cafe bring you a night where artists and art lovers come together to create, connect, and engage in a unique creative atmosphere. The Art Experience ‘26 features an exhibition showcasing inspiring works by artists, as well as an interactive live painting session where participants can create their own pieces of art while enjoying a beautiful and relaxing musical atmosphere. 

Hershawn Arora (ust For Laughs, Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Roast Battle, CBC LOL!) headlines Rusty Nail Comedy at TWH Social at 8 pm.

John McKinley is playing over at The Lanc from 6 to 9 pm.

The Belmont Village Bestival is celebrating its 10th year of bringing its “European-style street festival” to Belmont Ave. in Kitchener. This year’s festival will take place on Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept. 12 and features a main stage, an artist and maker market and a family-friendly music and activities. This year's opening night concert is Women in Charge, curated by Tammy Lawrence and local blues legend Cheryl Lescom, the concert features an all-women line-up featuring Elena Kapeleris on sax, Emily Burgess on guitar, Jenie Thai on keys, Vivienne Wilder on bass, and Jasmine Jones-Ball on drums.

Saturday, September 12

Whether you call them nana and a poppa or opa and oma, the Grandparents Day Heritage Hopper is a special event train ride aboard the Waterloo Central Railway. Grandparents ride for 50% off when travelling with family! All aboard for lasting memories together as you journey through the beautiful countryside of Woolwich Township and Waterloo Region’s farm country aboard this historic railway. 

Built to Flex, Product Management Waterloo's Annual Conference is happening at Catalyst Commons from 9:30 to 4:30 pm. ​Whether your role just doubled, your team just halved, or you're rethinking what product management even means right now — this is the room for product people who bend the plan without breaking the craft.

The Movement Studio KW has a free community Barre class. Swag bags for the first 50 participants and refreshments and treats provided by local businesses. 9 am at Carl Zehr Square.

Walk with a Doc is a non-profit organization that hosts free community walks every second Saturday of the month. Their first walk is on Saturdayat 9 am at Waterloo Park Skatepark. This walking program led by community clinicians is perfect for learning health tips, building healthy habits, and meeting people! It's FREE and fun for everyone to join!

Vector Space has a free chess social from 1 to 4 pm. Open for all ages and levels. Unless you're Bobby Fischer. They've been searching for you. Even made a movie about it.

The Gaslight District is the place to be for exciting Premier League action! On September 12, they’ll have Liverpool vs. Fulham live starting at 10 A.M. on one of Canada’s largest outdoor screens. BYO chairs and show off your team spirit! Visit The Gaslight District’s website for other games in September.

WPL Teen's is hosting a Community Green Day and launch of the new local Roots & Shoots Project chapter. This event is an opportunity to celebrate the work of WPL's Teen Roots & Shoots team and the projects they've developed throughout the summer.

It’s fall, and that means the monarchs are migrating. No, we’re not talking about Harry and Meghan moving back to the UK. Monarch Tagging Weekend at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory is your chance to learn about their remarkable migration and how you can help support this at-risk species. There’s games, challenges, and you can even take home a complimentary packet of Common Milkweed seeds to help support monarchs at home.   

Celebrate 110 years of farming history at Moore Farms from 10 to 3 P.M. This one hundred and ten years-in-the-making bash includes a curated vendor market, Alexander Henry’s coffee, the ice cream truck, and live music! (And cake, of course there’s cake!) 

Come down to the mouth of Schneider Creek at the Grand River for a celebratory, watershed-focused bridge party at CreekFest 2026. Held on Old Mill Road bridge at Willow Lake Park in Lower Doon (1815 Old Mill Rd) with 25+ organizations and stage/water performances. Free arts workshops from The Creek Collective, CAFKA and others, plus music, poetry, and dance performances, guided nature walks, and a mural reveal from last year's LoveMyHood community mural project. Bring a picnic lunch to eat by the creek!

CreekFest is held a block away from Homer Watson House & Gallery's annual Art Fair, so be sure to check out both events!

TriCity Synths has its Electronic Music Open Mic at the KWFamous Creative Cafe from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

TriCity Improv is back, with another night of fast-paced comedy created entirely from your suggestions! Their first show of the Fall season will be on September 12 at the beautiful KW Little Theatre building at 9 Princess Street East in Waterloo. The show starts at 8 pm, but the doors open at 7:30.

Together We're Boisterous Comedy returns to TWB on Saturday, September 12! Get ready for a night of laughs with a hilarious lineup of improv, stand-up, and musical comedy.

Waterloo Tech Week kicks off six days of talks, workshops, and meetups celebrating all the building happening across Waterloo Region. Wherever you are in the world of tech, from founders to developers to Agentic AI therapist, there's something for you in their Wygo-powered calendar. Our two favourites are Startups and Beer on Tuesday at Communitech and the Scale Canadian Tech Connect Mixer at the Accelerator Centre on Thursday.

Sunday, September 13

The Kitchener Market is the new home of the KW Punk Rock Flea Market. Explore over 40 weird and alternative vendors, live music from Nova Kate, Your Pal Bill, and Heir Loom, and beers from Short Finger Brewing and coffee from Streets Ahead Coffee Roasters.  

Show the world what you make at the Waterloo Maker Faire 2026, the region's biggest celebration of making, invention, creativity, and hands-on fun for all ages in Uptown Waterloo. 10 am to 5 pm.

Vuelve Expo Latino 2026, domingo 13 de septiembre a las 11 am, en Rincon Latino Market en Kitchener. Ellos tendra Negocios, servicios, comida, cultura y comunidad, todo en un mismo lugar, con la gente que hace de esta comunidad lo que es. / Expo Latino 2026 returns on Sunday, September 13th at 11 am at Rincon Latino Market in Kitchener. They will have businesses, services, food, culture, and community all in one place, with the people who make this community what it is.

Join Tiny Home Takeout for the 6th Annual Hunger No More, an afternoon filled with incredible local food, live music, family-friendly activities, a silent auction, artisan vendors, and most importantly, community. More than 20 local chefs and restaurants will come together to share their favourite dishes, all in support of Tiny Home Takeout's mission to ensure everyone has access to nutritious, delicious meals. This is a donate-what-you-can event with no tickets, no registration, and no barriers. Everyone is welcome.

Join Climate Action WR for great food, live music, creative workshops, local sustainability experts, and plenty of hands-on activities for all ages. You'll be able to learn new skills and about helpful resources, make climate art and join in the activities and workshops throughout the day from more that 35 local sustainability leaders! 1 to 7 in the Gaukel Block.

The Princess Cinema's Tribute to Dolly series has a screening of Steel Magnolias at 1:50 pm.

New Hamburg rocks on September 13 with LYNC’s Annual Porch Music Fest. It’s a free community event featuring live music, local food and drinks, and family fun. The fest is an awesome way to explore New Hamburg, with four locations—the Waterlot, the Imperial Market Patio, Puddicombe House, and LYNC Station. 

Monday, September 14

MT Space presents Show Then Tell!, a special evening of TELL!, including a documentary screening on incarcerated mothers writing lullabies for their children. As part of this month’s TELL! they're excited to share a screening of the Lullaby Project, directed by local filmmaker Sara Geidlinger. Ater the screening, folks will have the opportunity to present their talents, stories, passions, and just about anything else you can think of.

The Princess Cinema has a screening of Coyote vs. Acme at 9:15 pm.

Coming up in September.

Our new friend Keira at Gather & Co. is hosting Pumpkin Painting Sip & Social, taking place in Hespeler on September 25. Guests will enjoy pumpkin painting, appetizers and refreshments, social activities, giveaways and prizes, all within a fun fall atmosphere designed to make connecting with new people feel natural.

Ways to get involved.

Fitness Feeds Futures brings together wellness and philanthropy for a great cause. Participants will enjoy a 30 minute Pilates class and a 30 minute DROM practice led by Val Shah, co-owner of FS8 Uptown Waterloo (opening this fall) and Creator of DROM Practice (DRŌM™ BEYOND DRUMMING – Movement and Mindfulness), and a refreshing post-workout smoothie while connecting with colleagues and friends. 5:30 on September 24. 100% of proceeds from this event will help Food4Kids Waterloo Region who provide healthy weekend food packages to children experiencing food insecurity in our community.

What to read.

People Want to Be Seen with Alex Kinsella (Christine Goucher, 6Qs with Christine)

Former retailer Dana Shortt launches her Next Chapter with experience-based business (Brent Davis, The Record)

Excavator Collective Curates a Sensory-accessible Experience (Alex Kinsella, Community Edition)