January 1st, 2026

Happy New Year, Waterloo Region!

Wishing you the very best start to 2026.

Bit of a shorter one again due to the holiday, but we'll be back at it as normal on Monday.

Hope you're keeping warm & there's some quite interesting 'random facts' today.

In today's email:

• the first person ever convicted of speeding
• some great family-friendly events
• local sport updates
• Wilbur
• & more

Let's dive in 👇

-Ross at Grand River Buzz

WHAT'S HAPPENING

General (Ongoing Events)

​Winter Crafternoons | Schneider Haus, Kitchener | Sat, Jan. 3rd & Sun, Jan. 4th from 11am-4pm | "We will have multiple craft projects available each weekend, so come on down and enjoy some quality family time and tour our historic house in its coziest season!"

​Ontario Men's & Women's Curling Championships | Woolwich Memorial Centre, Elmira | Sun, Jan. 4th to Sun, Jan. 11th | "Kids 12 and under are free! Full event, weekend, single day and single draw passes available."

Friday, January 2nd

​Little Elves in Training: Gingerbread Clay Ornament | TWB Brewing, Kitchener | 1pm | "Join us for a magical, hands-on holiday workshop where kids get to sculpt, decorate, and bring their very own gingerbread clay ornament to life."

​Matthew James: Live | Block Three Brewing, St. Jacob's | 6pm | "Influenced by artists like Matt Maeson and Sam Fender, he’s found his voice in alternative and indie-pop/rock, crafting songs that explore themes of resilience and self-discovery."

​Musical Bingo: Pop 2000-2020 | EVO Kitchen & Bar, Cambridge | 7pm | "From chart-topping anthems to unstoppable dance-floor classics, this Musical Bingo is packed with two decades of hits you definitely know and love!"

​Rusty Nail Comedy | TWH Social, Kitchener | 7:30pm | Headliner: Kyle Lucey

​Red Hot Ramble | The Jazz Room, Waterloo | 8pm | "An irresistible blend of New Orleans soul and Canadian charm creates pure musical magic."

Saturday, January 3rd

​Family Feud, Family Edition! | EVO Kitchen & Bar, Cambridge | 1pm | "This Family Edition is designed to be fun for kids, teens, and parents alike. No trivia knowledge needed — teams try to guess the most popular survey answers, making it easy, interactive, and hilarious for all ages!"

​Liam Grier: Live | Block Three Brewing, St. Jacob's | 6pm | "Liam blends a unique concoction of soul, folk, & mellow grooves"

​Sidney Barnabi: Live | Rural Roots Brewery, Elmira | 7:30pm | "Join us on our heated patio for a cozy night of live music featuring Sidney Russell, along with father-and-son duo Ryder & Cliff Russell - bringing country, classic rock, and crowd-favourite acoustic hits."

​Rusty Nail Comedy | TWH Social, Kitchener | 7:30pm | Headliner: Kyle Lucey

​Queen Kong | The Jazz Room, Waterloo | 8pm | "Queen Kong specializes in the performance of both traditional and original klezmer music. In April 2024, the band was awarded the “Instrumental Band of the Year” by the Canadian Folk Music Awards"

Sunday, January 4th

​New Year's Levee | Kitchener City Hall | 11am-4pm | "Plan for an afternoon full of family-friendly fun with this year’s New Year’s Levee activities: games, prizes, live music, magic, face painting, balloon twisting & more!" (this looks like an awesome event for the family, and you'll be able to skate outside as well!)

​Leathercrafting Cardholder Workshop | Metro Restaurant, Kitchener | 1pm | "In this 2-hour workshop, you'll dive into the art of hand-stitching leather as you create your very own minimalist cardholder to take home. Under Gavin's expert guidance, you'll learn essential techniques like saddle-stitching, beveling, burnishing, and sealing edges."

Upcoming Events

​Blue Rodeo: Lost Together - The 40th Anniversary Tour | Centre in the Square, Kitchener | Fri, Jan. 9th & Sat, Jan. 10th at 8pm | "Blue Rodeo has defined the sound of Canadian roots rock with their signature blend of folk, country, and rock, earning a devoted fanbase, 12 JUNO Awards, and a permanent place in Canadian music history."

Farmers Markets

​St. Jacobs | Saturday, January 3rd (7am—3:30pm)

​Kitchener | Saturday, January 3rd (7am—2pm)

​Cambridge | Saturday, January 3rd (7am—1pm)​

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

WEATHER

🌨️ Thu, Jan. 1st | HIGH -9° | NIGHT -10° | 40% POP | 5-10cm ❄️

🌨️ Fri, Jan. 2nd | HIGH -6° | NIGHT -7° | 60% POP | 2-4cm ❄️

🌨️ Sat, Jan. 3rd | HIGH -6° | NIGHT -8° | 40% POP | <1cm ❄️

⛅️ Sun, Jan. 4th | HIGH -5° | NIGHT -12° | 30% POP

SPORTS

🥅 Kitchener Rangers | 5th overall | 2nd in Western Conference

• 12/30: Kitchener at Sudbury | Highlights​
  • Rangers lost 4-3
  • #16 Dylan Edwards was the leading Ranger, with a goal and an assist
• 12/31: Kitchener at North Bay | Highlights​
  • Rangers won 4-2
  • #39 Jason Schaubel was the first star of the game, making 28 saves
• Next Game:
  • Fri, Jan. 2nd | Barrie at Kitchener | 7pm | Tickets​

🏀 KW Titans

• 12/30: Lake Erie at KW
  • Titans won 132-95, helped on by a standout 2nd quarter where they scored 42 points
  • #10 Tyshon Groce had an excellent game with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists
  • #20 Tyshon Pickett had the most points, with 20 off the bench
• Next Game:
  • Sun, Jan. 4th | KW Titans vs Montreal Tundra | 3pm | Tickets | "Twins game: twin up & match!"

ADOPTABLE PET OF THE WEEK

Meet Wilbur!

Wilbur's an almost 3 year old male domestic shorthair/mix, with a lovely grey coat.

"A sweet boy with a gentle soul. He may be a little shy at first, but once he feels safe, his true personality shines - especially if you offer head scratches! Wilbur is a certified purr machine and will happily reward your kindness with nonstop rumbling. He's looking for a calm, patient home where he can settle in at his own pace and become a loving, loyal companion."

Tap here to find out more.

And there are tons of dogs, cats and other animals that are looking for their forever homes. You can find the adopt page here.

* if you adopt a cat or any pet from these emails, reply and let me know! I'd love to send you a special gift to help get things started

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

"As we head into 2026, what is the one local business in the region you’re determined to visit more often in the new year?" 🎉

Hit reply to this message to let me know and I'll share some of the best responses next week!

RANDOM FACTS OF THE DAY

The first person convicted of speeding was going 8 mph. In 1896, Walter Arnold was caught doing four times the speed limit (which was 2 mph) in his horseless carriage - leading to a chase by a police officer on a bicycle and a fine of one shilling.

Pound cake is named after its original recipe. The name comes from the fact that the traditional 18th-century recipe called for exactly one pound each of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar.

Polar bear skin is actually black. Underneath all that thick, white-looking fur, their skin is black to help them absorb and retain heat from the sun. Their fur is actually translucent and hollow, reflecting light to appear white.

THANK YOU!

Hope you have an awesome day and we'll be back Monday 💪

​

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