What to do.

Tuesday, August 4

Waterloo Public Library has a Community Concert from 6:30 to 8 pm at the Main Library. Bring a blanket or chair, grab a snack, and settle in to listen - or sign up when you arrive for a chance to perform.

Cambridge's favourite trivia host Rell has Famous Quotes Trivia at Four Fathers Brewing. Starts at 7 pm.

AOK Craft Beer + Arcade has Drag Bingo with the always amazing Sasha Tease at 8 pm.

Wednesday, August 5

TWB Brewing has Brains On Tap — "Every Good Adventure Starts with Good Shoes" with Mark Needs. Mark will prepare you for the adventure of your life! He'll map the lifecycle of an adventure, identify visible and hidden preparation, assess our readiness, and apply lessons from adventures past. Tickets are $15 and include a 12 oz draught or non-alc beverage.

The Engineering Leadership Community - KW Chapter (ELC KW) is a local
community for engineering leaders to connect with peers facing similar challenges. This week, they have their Hike & Happy Hour starting out from the Victoria Park Pavilion at 4:30 pm.

Thursday, August 6

KPL has a free family screening of Zootopia 2 at 10:30 am at the Central Library.

The Sandhills Lawn Games Club cordially invites you to come play at Sandhills Park in Kitchener from 6 to 8pm. It's an all ages pop-up installation that celebrates the improvisational cultures of public space. Developed by @shalaks_j, graphic design by @nicole_beno, and soundscape by @sheppard__haley.

Bring your lawn chair to the front lawn of Castle Kilbride in Baden for an evening of live music under the open sky. This week's concerts features Unleashed. Admission is by donation, and the show runs weather permitting. 

Head to Uptown Waterloo for the Uptown BIA Night Market at the Waterloo Public Library. Taste local treats, browse local vendors, enjoy entertainment from musicians and performers, and take part in fun pop-up programming.

Try out the Pinch Pay What You Can Improv Workshop & Jam! Improv builds confidence, teaches storytelling, improves listening, and helps you to be present in the moment. Taking an improv class is like supercharging your creative brain! All skill levels welcome. 7 - 9pm at the Waterloo Visitor Info Centre - 10 Father David Bauer Dr.

Kitchener Blues Festival, Canada’s largest true blues festival, returns to Downtown Kitchener for its 26th year, with more than 35 bands across four stages over four days. The festival kicks off Thursday, August 6 with a ticketed fundraising concert at the OLG Clocktower Stage in Victoria Park featuring Bill Durst, Sass Jordan, and Kim Wilson and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, with proceeds helping keep the rest of the weekend’s music free for everyone. 

The Rabbid Fox has Disney Music Bingo at 8 pm.

Friday, August 7

One of comedy’s most talked-about voices hits Centre In The Square in Kitchener. Known for his viral street interviews and no-filter takes on culture and politics, Ryan Long has built a massive online following and his live show goes further than the clips, packing in new material, unexpected turns, and fast-paced energy that only happens in the room (and this room happens to be Centre in the Square!). 

The Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery has an opening celebration for Belonging, the first retrospective of renowned Red River Métis artist Rosalie Favell that showcases a powerful curated selection of her lens-based works from 1982 to 2024. This exhibition celebrates Favell’s groundbreaking photographic practice—from seminal series like Living Evidence and Plain(s) Warrior Artist to her expansive archive Facing the Camera—which invites us to bear witness and explore the complex themes of identity, empowerment, same-sex desire, community and the nuanced search for belonging through a lens that is both deeply personal and subtly subversive. 7 to 10 pm. There's an artist talk, too, on Saturday from 2 to 3 pm.

The beautifully strange descends upon 44 Gaukel Street in Downtown Kitchener for this year’s KW Night Market. Browse eerie art, curious crafts, and unforgettable gifts from more than 50 dark artists and vendors at this free indoor-and-outdoor bazaar, curated by JUNO and Emmy-winning artist My Pet Skeleton — who’ll be showing his own strange and beautiful work too. Arrive early: the first 100 registered ticket holders score a signed limited-edition Mothman poster and a collectible Make Your Own Monster booklet featuring 50+ artists. 

Phil with Some Skil has Summer Jams Music Bingo at Rural Roots Brewing from 7:30 to 9:30 pm.

Fan favourite Joe Salema returns for a special solo performance at TWB Brewing's Patio Music Series. 7 pm.

Saturday, August 8

It's Summer Short Can day at Short Finger Brewing! Head on down to 20 Hurst Ave. for a day of family-friendly fun, live music, food from Arabella Park, and more.

Join the Savon Duo (Sam Domzella, piano, Yvon Arseneault, cello) for the sixth concert of the Savon Summer Music 2026 series! This concert will feature the duo playing works for cello and piano by Bach and Beethoven, all in the key of G Major or G minor. Admission is free/pay what you can at Knox Presbyterian Church at 7:30 pm.

August is Emancipation History Month in Canada so it's a good time to learn some local Black history! Stroll Walking Tour's Black history walking tour in Downtown Kitchener invites you to learn the stories and names of early Black settlers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, teachers, domestic workers and the Queen's Bush Settlements. 2 - 3:30 pm.

Bring your appetite to Riverside Park for the Cambridge Ribfest & Craft Beer Show. It's a weekend of mouth-watering ribs and chicken, Ontario craft beer, ciders, and cocktails, live entertainment all weekend, and a Kids Fun Zone. This festival features exclusively local and Ontario-based vendors, and admission is free with donations accepted at the gate in support of Rotary Cambridge Sunrise. 

Step back into the golden age of ocean travel at High Seas Teas at Castle Kilbride in Baden. Costumed staff lead a guided tour of the castle and its special exhibit, Vogue Voyages: Fashion from the High Seas 1912–1939, followed by lemon chiffon tea on the front lawn with treats from around the world — think British scones and baklava. Teas run from 1 to 3 P.M. and move indoors in the event of rain or heat.  

Mind Club has a Golden Hour Photo Walk edition of Get Snappy this Saturday from 7 to 9 pm. You'll spend about an hour walking through the park together, with Raza Naqvi guiding you with creative prompts while you take photos.

CRM Productions presents the Canine Cabaret at The Jazz Room. It's an evening of drag, burlesque and vocal performances all benefitting Pound Dog Rescue, an established rescue operating primarily in the KW area rescuing and rehoming dogs across south western Ontario. Performers include Chris P Corpse, Rrrrrandi, Myra Mains, Quinta Sensual, and more!

Hunter Collins (Video On Trial, Roast Battle Canada) headlines Rusty Nail Comedy at TWH Social at 8 pm.

TWB Brewing has TWB Unscripted, an interactive improvised musical comedy show with comedians from the touring comedy show Scriptless in Seattle! This fast-paced, interactive “Whose Line”-style performance blends quick wit, musical comedy, and audience participation into a one-of-a-kind evening. No scripts, no safety nets—just pure, unscripted! Tickets are$40 each and includes a 12-oz beer or non-alcoholic beverage.

Farm League Brewing has an Emo Night with not one, but two sets from punk/emo cover band The Sideswipes. Tickets are $20 in advance.

Block 3 Brewing has an indie music night with Jitensha, Ella Ruth, and Johanna Daze starting at 7 pm.

Sunday, August 9

Dance Fit Jam is a two-hour dance fitness event happening from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Hepcat Swing in Waterloo. Four local instructors will be bringing together a mix of genres like Bollywood, Persian, Belly Dance, Latin, Kpop and other global dance styles into one fun, welcoming Zumba-style workout.

The Princess Cinema has Cat Video Fest 2026 at 2 pm. A portion of all tickets sold will be donated to KWSP Humane Society.

ODDFEST 2 is headed to Cambridge this Sunday! Head down to Main Street (between Ainslie and Water) for a vendor market, live music, and games and activities for the whole family. 12 to 6 pm.

The summer is still going strong, and so are your Kitchener Panthers. You’ve got seven home games left to catch the Panthers on the field at Jack Couch Park next to the Aud. This Sunday is the Stuff the Bus game in support of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.

The Waterloo Concert Band invites you to an evening of music in Waterloo Park at the new "Barnshell" (Eby Farm). Bring your own chair or picnic blanket. Admission is free, and donations are gratefully appreciated to help support the band.

Socratica and The Margins Club present Socratica at the Margins, a reading picnic at Waterloo Park (next to the Potters' Workshop) at 2:30 pm. Anyone is welcome to come and read a book, write in a journal, sketch, paint, or any similar creative activity that doesn't involve a screen (i.e. no laptops allowed). Live music and snacks provided, just bring yourself and pets are welcome, too!

Monday, August 10

Cambridge Public Library has a Mario Kart Tournament for kids ages 6 to 18 from 2 to 4 pm at the Old Post Office.

The Princess Cinema has a 40th Anniversary screening of Aliens at 7 pm.

Grab a treat from one of the local businesses of Uptown Waterloo and find a seat at Waterloo Public Square for an evening concert with the Waterloo Concert Band. Admission is free, and donations are gratefully appreciated to help support the band. Music starts at 7 pm.

Ways to get involved.

Imagine reaching your retirement years only to find yourself without a safe place to call home. For too many older adults in Waterloo Region, this is becoming a reality. Older adults are the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness in our community. Rising housing costs, fixed incomes, health challenges, and the loss of family support are leaving more seniors vulnerable to housing insecurity than ever before.

Through Moving for Good 2026, our community is coming together to support SHOW’s new modular supportive housing project. These 10 new homes will provide more than just a roof, they will offer stability, dignity, and the wrap-around support that help older adults remain housed, connected, and hopeful.

Whether you participate as an individual, create a team, or walk with family and friends, you'll be helping create a future where older adults can age safely and with dignity.

Together, we can ensure that more older adults have access to the safety, stability, and support they deserve. Can't join us on walk day? You can still make a meaningful impact by supporting a participant or making a donation to the campaign.

Are you a talented artist, performer, leader, or visionary?The Majdi-Bou-Matar Bursary, named after the visionary founder of MT Space, the bursary offers $5,000 and a year-long mentorship with MT Space designed to fit the recipient. This bursary is open to performers, leaders, and adminstrators who are: Racialized (newcomer, immigrant, refugee) and/or Indigenous, emerging in their craft/career in the Canadian performing arts sector and within commuting distance of MT Space (located in KW region).

The deadline to submit is August 31, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST.

What to read.

Can you be an eco-friendly foodie? Here's some tips from Jasmine Mangalaseril (CBC KW)

Questions still linger about substance that leaked from Cambridge data centre (Joe McGinty, The Record)