19 Jan 2026

Potholes are to the streets what events are to this newsletter.

Your TL;WR for January 20 to January 26

Being the ball at Putt Social in DTK.

What to do.

Tuesday, January 20

Host Wanted Products has a new Tuesday Trivia with Brock at McCabe's Irish Pub & Grill in Uptown Waterloo starting at 7 pm.

The House of Kameleon presents Drag Bingo at Arabella Park starting at 7 pm.

The Princess Twin has a screening of TIFF 2025 People's Choice Winner Hamnet at 3:30 pm.

Princess Cinemas presents the 50th Anniversary of the BANFF Mountain Film Festival, this year with two unique nights of all new films, presented at Knox Church in Uptown Waterloo.

Wednesday, January 21

Sip for a great cause at Hop House Waterloo on Wed, January 21 starting at 9 pm. Events for Charity (EFC) Laurier is hosting a Wine Wednesday fundraiser for SickKids hospital. Tickets at $10 in advance or at the door. $25 bottles of wine, $3.75 Golden Hawk shots, and $1 per oz. of wine.

Get your laugh on for $5 at Rusty Nail Comedy's Rusty Nail Comedy PRO AM at TWH Social starting at 7:30 pm.

In For Questioning Trivia is back at AOK with Brooklyn 99 trivia at 8 pm.

The Little Mushroom Dining Lounge has a Gluten Free Tapas Night (entire menu is Gluten-Free)

Trivia on Tap is BACK at Bingemans for 2026! They play EVERY Wednesday from 7pm-9pm. Hosted by Joey (formally of 91.5 the Beat)$50 Gift Card to be won for 1st place2 free apps for the following week for 3nd place!

Thursday, January 22

Get introduced to sewing journals, chat about sewing accomplishments, and start your own sewing journal at the KW Garment Sewists Guild January meeting. Northstar Travel & Associates, 678 Belmont Ave W suite 201 from 6:30 to 8 pm.

TWB Brewing has its darts night starting at 7, doors at 6:30 pm.

Friday, January 23

Don’t miss 90’s Night at the Aud when the Rangers take on the Owen Sound Attack at 7:00 pm.

Head to The Galt Club (13 Main St., Cambridge) for live music with Stephen Hodder.

Maxwell's is hosting a tribute to Shannon Regan Yung-Eun Lee on January 23, with performances by friends, loved ones, and Shannon’s favourite bands. Celebrating Shannon’s life through music, including her original music, their favourite songs, and the music of HouseCat.

Loud Library is back at Whoopsie Daisy Drinks with live readings from authors from across Southern Ontario. 7 to 9 pm.

Juliana Rodrigues headlines Rusty Nail Comedy at TWH Social starting at 7:30 pm.

Liam Grier plays Block 3 Brewing live starting from 6 to 9 pm.

Joel Betts plays Midnight Run Cafe live starting at 7:30 pm. Tix are $15.

Julian Taylor and Logan Staats with special guest Jordan Hart are on stage at Emmanuel United Church starting at 7:30 pm.

TWB Brewing is hosting Babes & Brews Speed Dating Ages 35-48 from 7 to 9 pm. Meet people in a safe, welcoming space that removes the awkwardness of working up the courage to start a conversation

Saturday, January 24

You're invited to the opening reception of Expressions 51: Forging a New Path. This exhibition highlights artworks by students from across the Kitchener-Waterloo region. 1 to 3 pm.

Tiny Home Takeout is celebrating its 5th birthday with an open house from 4 to 6 pm. Step inside the kitchen, see behind the scenes, and explore five years of community impact.

Break away from the winter blues at the Waterloo’s annual cold-weather festival, Winterloo, from noon to 5:00 pm in Uptown Waterloo! This free, family-friendly event features a live ice carving showcase, outdoor ice skating (bring your own skates or rent a pair from McPhail’s), food trucks, a comfort food crawl, and the unique Winterloo Dog Fashion Show. Bundle up and enjoy this vibrant celebration of winter fun!

ABBA Mania takes the Centre in the Square Stage on January 24. That’s not all. Canada’s #1 Bee Gees tribute band, Night Fever, starts the night off with some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Staying Alive” and “Jive Talking”.

ZED, Canada’s premier tribute to Led Zeppelin, is playing Maxwell's Concerts & Events. Doors at 7:30 pm.

Friday Empire is playing live at the Rabbid Fox starting at 7:30 pm.

TriCity Improv is heading to Guelph and taking over The Albion in Guelph for a night of unscripted, unrehearsed, and totally unpredictable comedy. 8pm. We're still mad about the Memorial Cup.

Experience an awesome night of 2SLGBTQIA+, women, non-binary comedians at the Lavender Fizz ALL STARS show at The Hawk's Nest at Laurier. Sponsored by the Women and Gender Studies program at WLU, the night is hosted by Sarah Thompson, and features acts by Lavender Fizz All-Stars.

Sunday, January 25

Ashwyn Singh's Wrong Singh to Say Tour is in Waterloo at The Jazz Room! The 7 pm is already sold out, get your tickets for his 9 pm show ASAP!

Head downtown for Sunday Grind at Yoni Mudra Art Gallery with havzxmili from 11 to 2 pm.

Celebrate Robbie Burns Day with a Scottish Themed Afternoon Tea at the Little Mushroom Dining Lounge. $50 per person +HST. Tea and food are included, alcohol is extra. Features soup, savoury, scone, and sweet courses in a High Tea style. A Highland Dance Performance is included!

Langdon Hall is hosting an exclusive wedding open house perfect for couples planning a 2026 celebration. Explore the elegant venues, lush gardens, and luxurious accommodations that blend historic charm with modern event spaces capable of hosting up to 120 guests.

Your KW Titans have their Super Hero Game on Sunday, January 25, at 3:00 where the Titans battle the Windsor Express in a show of heroic dunks and thrilling plays.

Arabella has an event that I like to think was designed just for me. Check out Beer-ducation: Cider with East Street Cider (straight outta Goderich) at 5:30 pm.

Monday, January 26

The Princess Twin has a screening of The Testament of Ann Lee at 4 and 6:50 pm. "From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers."

Cool Aunt Creatives has a Resin Coaster workshop at Ernie's Roadhouse in Cambridge from 7 to 9 pm.

Coming up later.

If you love music that feels lived-in, honest, and electric in the room, this is a show worth checking out. JJ Grey & Mofro brings a sound rooted in Southern soul, funk-infused rock, and storytelling that hits straight to the heart and you can catch them live at Centre in the Square on Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 8 pm.

On January 28, the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region and the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management’s Gendered and Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Team at Wilfrid Laurier University present an eventing with Rick Westhead, author of We Breed Lions: Confronting Canada's Troubled Hockey Culture. It's a hard-hitting and powerful look at hockey’s moment of reckoning in Canada, and the ways in which a game that is so universally loved has been rocked in recent years by court cases involving sexual assault and startling incidents of hazing and abuse throughout junior hockey.

Ways to get involved.

The Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF), Kitchener Public Library (KPL), and Midtown Radio invite you to a special panel discussion to mark the official launch of the five-part podcast series, Community by Design: Exploring Social Infrastructure in Waterloo Region.

The discussion will feature several community members who are leading local social infrastructure initiatives and featured in the podcast series. This includes WRCF’s President & CEO, Eric Avner, followed by the panel discussion moderated by Danielle Deveau, Host at Midtown Radio.

Speakers include:

Jeyas Balaskanthan, Executive Director at Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area
Kim Fowler, Executive Director at Fiddlesticks Community Centre
Nathan Stretch, Senior Manager, Community Development and Insights at Kitchener Public Library

Camps!

KWAG's March Break Camp offers a wide range of artistic activities, including drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpting. Guided by experienced Art Instructors, campers will use both traditional and contemporary techniques in a variety of mediums, express themselves, and connect with new friends in a supportive, encouraging environment!

Are you hosting a camp and want it featured? Send it on over to events@tlwr.ca!