December 1st, 2025

Good Afternoon, Waterloo Region!

Here we are in the final month of 2025. (did this year go super fast for anyone else?!)

24 days until Christmas, and a ton of great events happening around the region. There truly is something going on for all ages and interests.

In today's email:

• a must try for eggs benny lovers
• question of the week
• are sharks or trees older?
• a special community highlight
• & more

Let's dive in 👇

-Ross at Grand River Buzz

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Monday, December 1st

​Holiday Concert with the Ceremonial Band of the Waterloo Regional Police Service | St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Kitchener | 7pm

​Preston Tree Lighting Ceremony | Central Park | 6pm | "Join us as we officially welcome the holiday season with the Preston Tree Lighting Ceremony - a heartwarming evening of light, music, and community spirit."

​Holidays With Hope | Woolwich Memorial Centre, Elmira | 4:30-6:30pm | This event goes on all week, with each evening celebrating different holiday celebrations from around the world. The 5 days will explore Turkish, Indigenous, Jewish, Guatemalan and Nigerian traditions (1 each night).

Tuesday, December 2nd

​Beginner Line Dance Class | Remix Swing, Waterloo | 6pm

​Fused Glass Ornament Workshop | Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo | 7pm | "Create 2 fused glass ornament with local artist Laurie Spieker"

Wednesday, December 3rd

​Kids Cake Class | Ernie's Roadhouse, Cambridge | 6pm | "Join us in making this adorably festive reindeer cake!"

​Psychic Night: Dining with the Dead | EVO Kitchen & Bar, Cambridge | Dinner starts at 6pm | "Join psychic medium Kerrilynn Shellhorn for an unforgettable and powerful evening of connection to the other side. Her strong sense of humour and deep spiritual insight make for an engaging and uplifting experience."

​Euchre Night | TWB Brewing, Kitchener | 7pm | Check in by 6:45pm & if you're new to Euchre you can come early at 6:30pm to learn the basics ahead of time

​Laurier Jazz Ensemble Concert | WLU - Theatre Auditorium, Waterloo | 7:30pm

​Rusty Nail Comedy: PROAM Night | TWH Social, Kitchener | 7:30pm

​Zillenial Trivia Night | AOK Craft Beer & Arcade, Kitchener | 8pm | "How well do you remember the iconic shows, movies, songs and more that defined a generation (well... 2 generations combined)?"

Thursday, December 4th

​Christkindl Market | Kitchener City Hall | 10am-9pm | Vendors, food stalls, live music, performers and more! (this event is also running throughout the weekend)

​Bailey's Holiday Night Market | Bailey's Local Foods, Waterloo | 4-9pm | They also run an online farmers market where you can pick up your order later (on your next visit).

​Candlelight Evening Tour | Castle Kilbride, Baden | 6pm | "A self-guided tour with costumed staff in rooms. Entertainment by Local Vocals. And finish your tour with shortbread and warm cider."

​Soup & Stew Basics | FoodZen, Cambridge | 6pm | "Skip the heavily processed soups and learn the foundations of making soups and stews from scratch."

​The Professional Palette: How To Taste Like A Sommelier | Langdon Hall, Cambridge | 6:30pm | "A guided exploration of how sommeliers approach wine analytically and sensorially, breaking down acidity, tannin, body, and balance in a way that’s accessible"

​One Love, One World: Canadians for Jamaica | Maxwell's, Waterloo | 6:30pm | "Featuring an exciting lineup of talented regional artists coming together for a powerful cause. This special benefit concert will raise funds in support of hurricane relief efforts in Jamaica."

​Beer Stein Making Workshop | Wave Maker Craft Brewery, Cambridge | 7pm

​Midtown Radio Holiday Variety Show | AOK Craft Beer & Arcade, Kitchener | 8pm | "Enjoy music, poetry, and comedy from fabulous Kitchener/Waterloo entertainers!"

​Shawn Desman: Back To Life | Centre in the Square, Kitchener | 8pm

Upcoming Events

​Disney's The Muppet Christmas Carol | Thur, Dec. 11th & Fri, Dec. 12th | Centre in the Square, Kitchener | "Featuring a screening of the complete film with the musical score performed live to film."

​​Chicopee | Projected to open on December 20th. The main building will be open from December 1st onwards to pick-up passes and lease equipment (keep a lookout for signs as they're 'under construction' at the moment).

​KrampusKINDL | Fri, Dec. 5th, Sat, Dec. 6th & Sun, Dec. 7th | 44 Gaukel St., Kitchener

* none of these events are sponsored. that will always be made obvious if so.

LOCAL NEWS

Major Industrial Development Set to Bring Jobs to Waterloo. Construction has officially begun on the $50 million Waterloo North Business Park. The joint venture between Perimeter Development Group and Skyline Group of Companies will add 240,000 square feet of much-needed industrial space to the city's north end, signalling strong economic confidence.

Wonders of Winter Festival Launch The 33rd annual Wonders of Winter festival officially opened in Waterloo Park on Saturday, November 29, illuminating the park with over 100,000 lights and more than 120 displays. The festival, which remains free to the public, features a mix of traditional light displays and community programming like "Story Nights" in the historic Log Cabin. | Info​

"Make The Season Kind" Campaign Kick-off CBC Kitchener-Waterloo launched its annual "Make The Season Kind" campaign to support The Food Bank of Waterloo Region during a time of historically high demand. The initiative aims to raise critical funds and food donations, with new elements this year including a school challenge to engage students in learning about food insecurity and social justice. | Info​

Kitchener 2051 Speaker Series Focuses on Thriving and Caring Communities. The City of Kitchener hosts its final speaker series event on December 3 at the Conrad Centre to discuss the draft official plan, featuring expert panelists exploring themes of vibrant community development and collective wellbeing, with a statutory open house at 6 p.m. and panel discussion from 6:30-8:00 p.m., free registration still available. | Info​

Waterloo Alum Launches UPI Health to Democratize Therapy. Steve Hallman has returned to the region to launch UPI Health, a startup focused on improving access to therapy. Highlighted by Communitech as a "boomerang" success story, Hallman's venture represents the growing "Tech for Good" movement within the local ecosystem.

WEATHER

🌨️ Mon, Dec. 1st | HIGH -4° | NIGHT -6° | 70% POP | 1-3cm ❄️

🌤️ Tue, Dec. 2nd | HIGH -2° | NIGHT -7° | 40% POP | <1cm ❄️

☁️ Wed, Dec. 3rd | HIGH -3° | NIGHT -6° | 30% POP

🌧️ Thu, Dec. 4th | HIGH -6° | NIGHT -13° | 40% POP | 1cm ❄️

SPORTS

🥅 Kitchener Rangers | 7th overall

• 11/28: Niagara at Kitchener
  • Kitchener win 6-3
  • #3 Jakub Chromiak was the first star with 3 assists and #18 Cameron Reid had 2 goals
  • ​Highlights​
• 11/29: Kitchener at Brantford
  • Kitchener lose 4-3
  • Tough loss for the Rangers after coming back from a slow start in the 1st period
  • ​Highlights​
• Next Games:
  • Tuesday, December 2nd | Niagara at Kitchener (Teddy Bear Toss Night) | 7pm | Tickets​​
  • Wednesday, December 3rd | Kitchener at London | 6:30pm

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT

​The Food Bank of Waterloo Region​

"For more than 40 years, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region has been dedicated to ensuring everyone in our community has access to nourishing food. In the past year alone, we’ve distributed 9.6 million pounds of food—helping to ensure people have the food they need, when they need it most. And with the support of our generous community, we’ll keep working toward a future where no one goes hungry."

Especially around this time of year, the Food Bank does such a great job of bringing resources together to help out those in need. There's many ways you can get involved and even small contributions make a difference.

Tap here to see how you can help. And you can also check out their 'most needed items' on this page if helpful.

FOOD & DRINK IN THE REGION

​Darlise Cafe | 33 Queen Street South, Kitchener

I came across a conversation lately where someone had asked "What's the best eggs benny in town?" - and the overwhelming answer was the Darlise Cafe.

Located in downtown Kitchener and run by a husband/wife duo - their main goal is delivering 'fresh' food. Fresh ingredients for all their recipes, and they try to make everything from scratch... baking all their pastries, muffins and more each morning.

Something interesting I read too - 'Chef Darryl' always has one or two apprentices from the local high schools or colleges working - as training the next generation of chefs is very important to him. A great initiative and way to support the community.

Let's hear what Jordan has to say in her 5 star google review a couple months ago:

"Great food! Good variety on the menu but not so big that it’s overwhelming. Fairly priced for good homemade quality.
We had an eggs Benedict special, breakfast burrito, and eggs and bacon. Ask for their homemade hot sauce! It’s 🥵🔥🔥. We went Sunday afternoon and didn’t have to wait for a table. It’s fairly big inside."

You can check out this week's specials here. And also their Benedict, Pancake & Crepe menu (if you click on the top left hand corner you can see their other menus as well)

* this is not a sponsored placement, just a recommendation i've seen come up a lot. ads will always be made obvious if so.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Reader! - What's your favourite event, tradition or 'must do' each holiday season? 🎄

Reply with your answer and I'll share some responses next week!

RANDOM FACTS OF THE DAY

Trees have their own internet. Trees can communicate and share nutrients with one another through an underground network of fungi called mycorrhiza. Scientists have nicknamed this the "Wood Wide Web." * highly recommend the book 'The Hidden Life of Trees' - a fascinating read

You are taller in the morning. Because gravity compresses the cartilage in your spine throughout the day, you are about 1 cm taller when you wake up than when you go to bed.

Sharks are older than trees. Sharks have existed for about 400 million years, whereas the earliest trees appeared around 350 million years ago. Sharks also predate the rings of Saturn. * I can't wrap my head around this?! so cool.

THANK YOU!

Hope you have an awesome day and we'll see you Thursday. 🐝

​

ps. I'd love your feedback. Whether it's something you like, or hate, or want to see more/less of - please let me know! My goal is to make sure you're getting value from these emails, and the important info you need. Just hit 'reply'.

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