The best news and events from around the Waterloo Region. Delivered Monday and Thursday mornings. For free.
🐝 Spring Forward, The Longest Place Name & a Scottish Pub
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March 9th, 2026 Good Afternoon, Waterloo Region! Spring is 11 days away. ELEVEN! I don't want to jinx things but I think we've made it. Plus with the 'spring forward' time change, it'll kick off the start of longer evenings. Exciting times indeed. In today's email:
Let's dive in 👇 -Ross at Grand River Buzz WHAT'S HAPPENING General Irish Real Life Festival | Various venues throughout Kitchener - now through St. Patrick’s Day | This week's events include a film screening, two concerts and an Irish sing along & ukulele jam. The talented Ashley MacIsaac (a world-renowned fiddler from Cape Breton) also performs Friday night at the Registry Theatre. OFSAA Girls AA Volleyball Championship | March 9th-11th | Various locations throughout the region Femme Folks Fest | Various locations & times | March 7th-15th | "Like a friendly, warm chat over the fence we invite you to gather with us and celebrate the mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and grandmothers in our lives and our community. For this, our 7th Festival - we present performances for all ages: In comedy, theatre, music, storytelling and dance." Monday, March 9th Chris de Burgh: 50LO | Centre in the Square, Kitchener | 7:30pm | "This special evening offers audiences the chance to experience de Burgh’s iconic storytelling and unforgettable melodies in a one-of-a-kind celebration of his extraordinary career." Tuesday, March 10th The Green Bench: Film Premiere | Centre in the Square, Kitchener | 2:30pm | "Through intimate conversations on a signature green bench, the film captures stories of resilience, belonging, humour, and love, while challenging assumptions about aging and highlighting the power of intergenerational connection." Make Your Own Pizza with Chef Giuliano | The Gaslight District, Cambridge | 5pm | "Reservation includes: antipasto, drink of choice, your own dough, San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella & basil, and up to 3 toppings of your choice." General Trivia | Scran & Dram Scottish Public House, New Hamburg | 7pm Wednesday, March 11th Crash Test Dummies | Maxwell's, Waterloo | 7pm | "Led by the unmistakable baritone of Brad Roberts, the band became a defining voice of Canadian alternative rock. Their cover of “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” became a standout track on the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack and further showcased their distinctive folk-rock fusion." Silver Stand-Up Grand Finale Comedy Show | The Museum, Kitchener | 7pm | "Join THEMUSEUM & Rusty Nail Comedy for a grand finale comedy show featuring the workshop participants of Silver Stand-Up. Friends, family, and general members of the public, are more than welcome to attend." Sushi Making Class | Counterpoint Brewing, Kitchener | 7pm | "All ingredients will be provided. Just come, have fun, meet some new people who love sushi and enjoy a delicious meal. Each ticket comes with one free drink." Bridge Night Market | Tapestry Hall, Cambridge | 7pm | "An evening of student‑made crafts, prints, jewelry, and plenty of good vibes. Come hang out, meet the makers, and pick up something special while supporting our creative community!" Alan Doyle with The East Pointers | Centre in the Square, Kitchener | 8pm | "The Already Dancing tour follows the upcoming release of his new EP of the same name, featuring the foot-stomping single “Nancy” with The East Pointers, who will also join as special guests for all Canadian dates." Thursday, March 12th St. Jacob's Market Food Tour | 9:30am | "Join us for a guided journey through Mennonite food, culture and history, tasting the best local vendors at the famous St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market." Music Bingo: Movie Soundtracks | Scran & Dram Scottish Public House, New Hamburg | 7pm 3 Steps To Empowered | Accelerator Centre, Waterloo | 6pm | "In honour of International Woman's Day, this event is about celebrating women's strength, building resilience, community and lifting each other up. All are welcome!" DTK Sunset Sessions: Winter Edition | Conrad Center, Kitchener | 7:30pm | "Concerts are free to attend, but space is limited. Each show will feature two top secret artists, from different genres, different places, and different styles - everything from funk, to jazz, to rock, blues, soul, pop, r&b… We’ve got you covered." Soul Show: Kyle Brown | The Jazz Room, Waterloo | 8pm | "A Toronto-based singer and actor presenting a celebration of Soul, R&B, and Funk, inspired by what he calls his Trinity of Soul - Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Donny Hathaway." Upcoming Events Lego Building Bonanza | Sat, Mar. 14th (10am) & Sun, Mar. 15th (1:30pm) | Cambridge Public Library, Queen's Square | "Bring your imagination to create. Build with activities related to the colourful building bricks. Lego is supplied, drop in for fun!" I Heart Beer Festival | Sat, Mar. 14th from 1-10pm | Bingemans, Kitchener | "Come sip your way through the best Ontario beers, ciders, and spirits, play games, and dance like nobody’s watching. Local pride, local hops, and a day (or night) you won’t forget!" - note: night session tickets are over 90% sold out Soul Dive Conscious Dance | Yoni Mudra Art Gallery, Kitchener | Sat, Mar. 14th at 7:30pm | "Guided by a series of rhythms, we start in stillness, slowly shift into embodied movement and end in stillness. A moving meditation fuelled by your soul; part mindful practice and part creative exploration." Library Events Fun, family-friendly and free. Click below to see what's happening at your local branch this week!
Community Centres The region's community centres are excellent ways to access fun & affordable/free programs and activities. They have a ton of things to do for kids & teens, and they've got some great adult & senior programs as well! * none of these events are sponsored. that will always be made obvious if so. LOCAL NEWS Waterloo Regional Police Are Looking for the Region's Next Junior Police Chief. The annual Chief for a Day contest is now open to Grade 5–8 students, who can enter by writing a 400-word essay or submitting a video on how they'd make a positive community impact - with the winner getting a full day at police headquarters in June and, new this year, a chance to present their essay at the WRPS Hearts & Heroes Awards Gala in front of 700+ guests. Entries are due May 4. [More Info] Bloomingdale Could Be Getting a Bigger, Better Library Branch - and They Want Your Input. The Region of Waterloo Library and Township of Woolwich are seeking community feedback on a proposal to move the Bloomingdale Library from its current 400-square-foot space at a local church into nearly 800 square feet at the Bloomingdale Community Centre, with open houses on March 17 and 18 and an online survey open until March 23. [More Info] Waterloo Region's New Curbside Waste Collection Program Gets Off to a Bumpy Start. With higher-than-expected demand in the first week of the new program, the Region and collector Emterra brought in extra crews and trucks - including Saturday pickups - to catch up on delays, while reminding residents that garbage will now be collected bi-weekly, organics weekly, and recycling bi-weekly on the opposite week from garbage. [More Info] Four Waterloo Region Entrepreneurs Set to Be Inducted Into the Local Hall of Fame. Junior Achievement South Western Ontario will honour Dean McIntyre of McIntyre Group and the co-founders of Alert Labs at the Waterloo Region Entrepreneur Hall of Fame gala on May 5 at Bingemans - celebrating a region with a startup legacy stretching from Schneiders and Kaufman Footwear all the way to OpenText and Research in Motion. [More Info] Kitchener City Council Had a Productive March 2nd Meeting With Several Noteworthy Decisions. Council made the Pitch Kitchener innovation program permanent with a $100,000 budget allocation, approved a new bylaw dispatch agreement with Waterloo Regional Police at roughly $587,000 annually, activated a formal response to a regional water capacity constraint affecting development across the area, and received national recognition as Employer of the Year for its support of planning professionals. [More Info] WEATHER 🌤️ Mon, Mar. 9th | HIGH 16° | NIGHT 3° | 20% POP 🌦️ Tue, Mar. 10th | HIGH 16° | NIGHT 5° | 70% POP | 5mm 💧 🌧️ Wed, Mar. 11th | HIGH 11° | NIGHT -5° | 70% POP | 15-20mm 💧 ⛅️ Thu, Mar. 12th | HIGH -2° | NIGHT -5° | 40% POP | <1cm ❄️ SPORTS 🥅 Kitchener Rangers (OHL) 2nd Overall | 1st in Western Conference
🏀 KW Titans (BSL) 3rd Overall
* what other sports would you like to see included here? reply to let me know what you'd find useful! COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT Ontario Summer Games 2026 | July 30th to August 2nd 23 different sports hosted in over 19 venues across the region.
Most events are open to the public, with some requiring tickets - details will be announced closer to the date. And if you're interested in volunteering, you can learn more about how to get involved here. * do you know of any great causes or organizations doing impactful things throughout our community? Make sure to reply & share so I can feature them in an upcoming newsletter! FOOD & DRINK IN THE REGION Scran & Dram Scottish Public House | 338 Waterloo St, New Hamburg "In auld Scottish lingo, scran means food and dram means drink. It's that sense of simple, traditional fun that drives our pub and is what we're all about. We're passionate about our community and use local ingredients to create high-quality comfort food at reasonable prices. We also have fine single malts, craft beers, live music, and much more." Here's a great 5 star google review from David last year: "We were impressed at the food and service at this place. The french fries were wonderful and had a unique flavour and are a must try item. The dishes (The Scotsman and Scotch Egg Burger) we tried are unique and well above average. Great cooks. I appreciate that they use meat, produce and gouda cheese to support local businesses. Thank you for the experience." Considering I was born in Scotland (moved here a long time ago!), I can't believe I haven't been yet. Definitely on the top of my list now... the only problem is knowing what to pick as there are so many good things. I hope they've got Irn-Bru (IYKYK). You can check out their menu here - what are you getting?! * this is not a sponsored placement, just came highly recommended. ads will always be made obvious if so. QUESTION OF THE WEEK What event around the region are you looking forward to most this spring and/or summer? 🤔 I'm working on putting together a list of "can't miss" events coming up and I'd love your input! Hit reply to this message to let me know. RANDOM FACTS OF THE DAY The first alarm clock could only ring at one time. Invented by Levi Hutchins in 1787, it was designed specifically to wake him up for work at 4:00 AM. It wasn't until 60 years later that a clock with an adjustable alarm was patented. The longest place name in the world is 85 letters long. It’s a hill in New Zealand called 'Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu'. Local residents usually just call it Taumata. A "nurdle" is a pre-production plastic pellet. Almost every plastic product starts as these tiny beads. Billions of them are produced annually, and they are unfortunately a major source of microplastic pollution in the ocean. 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'. INFO STATION:❌ Had enough of these emails? No hard feelings, just tap this link to unsubscribe. 😩 Did someone forward you this email? And now you're wondering how to get in on the action? Say less friend, tap here to sign up for yourself: grandriverbuzz.ca/signup 📖 Do you have an event, funny story or meme about the region you want to share? Hit reply to this email and let me know what you've got to be featured in an upcoming email! 👋 Have a thought, comment or feedback about the newsletter? Or maybe you just want to tell me a random joke.. whatever it is, I love getting replies and try to respond as often as possible. Reach out whenever you'd like by hitting reply. 📢 Think someone you know would love this email? Forward this to them to spread the love. ❤️ Feeling extra generous and loving? Shout us out on your favourite social media platform using this link: https://grandriverbuzz.ca/signup - it really helps spread the word! |
Grand River Buzz
The best news and events from around the Waterloo Region. Delivered Monday and Thursday mornings. For free.
March 16th, 2026 Good Afternoon, Waterloo Region! I did in fact jinx us about spring "only being eleven days away" last week & I'm sorry... Promise to be quiet about the weather until we're in the full clear. That being said, I hope you're having a great week - and lot's of great stuff going on in the newsletter below. Enjoy! In today's email: a handful of local news articles & updates March break events a fun community highlight at the mall a wooden mouse & more Let's dive in 👇 -Ross at...
March 12th, 2026 Good Afternoon, Waterloo Region! We're coming up to March break next week and this year's flying by. Hope everyone's having a great week & there's a ton going on this weekend... especially on Saturday. Let me know what you're planning to attend or how it went! In today's email: Ramona the inventor of cotton candy (it's kind of sneaky...) a question of the week tons of fun, local events for people of all ages & more Let's dive in 👇 -Ross at Grand River Buzz WHAT'S HAPPENING...
March 5th, 2026 Good Afternoon, Waterloo Region! Lot's going on around the area this weekend. Hope you're having a great week so far, enjoying the 'warmer' (but wet) weather and you got your garbage picked up. In today's email: some local 'Olympic-themed' sport events (+ a ton of other great events!) Lark sports update a planet that rains glass & more Let's dive in 👇 -Ross at Grand River Buzz WHAT'S HAPPENING General 2026 Skate Canada Cup | Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex | March 6th-8th...