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Explore Waterloo Region From cityscapes to countryside escapes, consider this your gateway to curiosity.

10/15/2026

Thanksgiving has passed, Oktoberfest is taking its final bow, and October is settling into the part of the season where autumn and Halloween begin sharing the same calendar.
Saturday starts with markets, farm visits, fibre art, pottery and family creativity before the mood shifts after dark. Candles flicker inside historic homes, ghosts return to old halls, comedy clubs fill up, and live music carries the night. Sunday slows things down with a spooky discovery lab, a look at Leonardo da Vinci’s dreams of flight, Cuban rhythms and one more chance to hit the dance floor.

Saturday, October 17

🧵 Next In Fibre: Fibreworks 2026 @ Cambridge Public Library, Queen’s Square | All Day
Contemporary fibre art continues to fill the gallery with work exploring culture, identity, activism, photography, poetry and the possibilities of textiles throughout the weekend.

🛍️ Breslau Public School Annual Craft and Vendor Sale @ Breslau Public School | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
More than 100 local crafters, vendors and artisans fill the school alongside a Kids Korner featuring young entrepreneurs, with proceeds helping support the Breslau Public School community.

🎃 The Monster Mash Market @ Moore Farms | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Pumpkins, costumes, creepy characters, local vendors, food, coffee and live music take over the farm for one last market celebration before the season wraps up.

♟️ All-ages Open Rapid Chess Tournament @ Vector Space | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Five rapid rounds put players of every age and rating across the board from one another, with official CFC-rated games and prizes waiting for the strongest performances.

🔬 STEM Starts Here: Celebrating Waterloo Innovators @ Conestoga Mall | 10:01 AM – 2:00 PM
Hands on science, math and technology activities celebrate Waterloo Region innovators while giving the next generation of problem solvers plenty to explore.

🎨 All About Art! Kids Art Workshop @ Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Young artists can spend the morning experimenting, creating and exploring new ideas during a hands on art workshop inside the gallery.

♿ KWAG Accessibility Initiative @ Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Community members are invited to help shape a more accessible gallery by sharing their experiences, perspectives and ideas for making art more welcoming to everyone.

🪔 Pottery Workshop: Handmade Ceramic Diwali Diyas @ Yoni Mudra Art Gallery | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Celebrate the festival of lights by shaping and carving ceramic diyas by hand, creating a reusable piece that will be glazed, kiln fired and ready to glow for years to come.

🐄 Fall Barn Tours at Eby Manor | 11:00 AM
Meet the Golden Girls, explore the barn and learn how milk travels from farm to table during a behind the scenes visit to this working Guernsey dairy farm.

🍂 McDougall Cottage’s Fun-filled Fall Family Fiesta @ McDougall Cottage | 11:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Pumpkin bowling, seasonal crafts, scavenger hunts, skeleton hand ring toss, treats and costumes turn the historic cottage into an afternoon of family fall fun.

🛍️ Pop-Up Market at Paper Marché | 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Local makers and unique finds fill Paper Marché for a full day of small business shopping and an early start on the holiday gift list.

🧙 Hocus Pocus Halloween Slime Party @ Mini Playtown | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Little witches and goblins can dive into Halloween playtime, make some wonderfully messy slime and meet a pair of familiar spellcasting sisters along the way.

🏮 Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration @ Waterloo Public Library, John M. Harper Branch | 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Music, dance, Tai Chi, martial arts, poetry, crafts, children’s activities, mooncakes and more come together for an afternoon celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival traditions.

🎶 The Divines Live in Concert @ THEMUSEUM | 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Three powerhouse voices move through soul, blues, R&B and decades of unforgettable music, from classic doo-wop and Aretha Franklin to Bonnie Raitt and Amy Winehouse.

🕯️ Chilling Candlelit Evening @ Schneider Haus National Historic Site | 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Candlelight changes the atmosphere inside one of Kitchener’s oldest homes as visitors explore Schneider Haus after dark and step into an evening built for the spookier side of October.

👻 Ghost Walks at Castle Kilbride @ Castle Kilbride | 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
The Victorian mansion opens after dark for stories of strange encounters, returning antiques, lingering spirits and legends that refuse to stay buried.

😂 Yuk Yuk’s Comedy on Tour @ Kingpin Bowling Lounge | 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Stand up takes over Kingpin for a Saturday night of touring comedians, cold drinks and plenty of reasons to laugh well past dinner.

🎸 Wing Night (The Band) @ Maxwell’s | 7:30 PM
Hip hop and R&B favourites from the 1990s onward get the full live band treatment as Wing Night returns to the Maxwell’s stage.

😂 Rusty Nail Comedy featuring CJ Bishop @ TWH Social | 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM
CJ Bishop headlines another downtown Saturday night as Rusty Nail Comedy brings its lineup of stand up back to TWH Social.

🎸 Collective Soul @ Centre In The Square | 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
More than three decades of alternative rock arrive on the Raffi Armenian Theatre stage as Collective Soul brings its catalogue of enduring hits to Kitchener.

Sunday, October 18

🎃 Kids Halloween Discovery Lab @ Smartizen Early Education Academy | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Skeleton sensory bins, frozen worms, pumpkin hammering, Halloween henna, crafts and treats turn learning into a hands on spooky adventure for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

✈️ The da Vinci Dialogues ft. Professor Suzanne Kearns @ THEMUSEUM | 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Leonardo da Vinci’s fascination with flight becomes the starting point for a conversation about aviation, education, mentorship and the pathways shaping the next generation of the industry.

🇨🇺 The Buena Vista Orchestra @ Centre In The Square | 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
The sounds of Cuba fill the theatre as son, bolero and Afro-Cuban jazz come together through musicians carrying forward the spirit and legacy of Buena Vista.

💃 FREE Beginner West Coast Swing Class @ Remix Swing | 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Step onto the floor with no partner or previous experience required, learn the fundamentals of West Coast Swing and stick around for optional social dancing afterwards.

October is deep into its stride now, with fall colour by day and just enough darkness creeping into the evenings to remind everyone that Halloween is getting closer.
If we missed your event, drop it in the comments and let the community know what’s happening across Waterloo Region this weekend.
More in our events calendar: https://explorewaterloo.ca/events/list/?tribe-bar-date=2026-10-17

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10/15/2026

Another chance to look behind the scenes! 🤩

The Kitchener Rangers alongside Explore Waterloo Region are excited to continue our monthly contest: Beyond the Boards – where select fans will get the chance to go behind the scenes with an exclusive tour of our facilities, including the Rangers’ dressing room!

The tour for this month will take place on October 23rd.

Want in? Here’s how to enter:
1️⃣ Like this post
2️⃣ Follow both the Kitchener Rangers and Explore Waterloo Region pages
3️⃣ For an extra entry, comment below and tell us who you'd bring along!

Multiple winners will be selected throughout the season, so don’t miss your chance! 🙌

Winners will be contacted directly by the Kitchener Rangers.

Kitchener's oldest employee has reportedly refused to retire, citing unfinished business and an exceptionally generous s...
10/14/2026

Kitchener's oldest employee has reportedly refused to retire, citing unfinished business and an exceptionally generous shade package.

Standing 25 metres tall on Agnes Street, this century-old London planetree has spent more than 100 years showing up for work, shedding its uniform without warning, and maintaining a spotless attendance record. Its duties include producing oxygen, supervising passing ION trains, and standing perfectly still whenever management walks by.

Despite being named the 2026 Tree of the Year by Reep Green Solutions, the planetree has declined to comment on its future, insisting it remains firmly rooted in its position.

At time of publication, HR was reportedly investigating whether the tree had been collecting overtime since 1926.

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There is a certain point in October when ordinary words stop being enough.Maybe you’re fallstruck, completely swept up i...
10/13/2026

There is a certain point in October when ordinary words stop being enough.

Maybe you’re fallstruck, completely swept up in golden roads, pumpkin patches and crisp autumn air. Maybe a perfectly ridiculous photo has you squeesnapping, or a haunted attraction sends you straight into boophoria. Somewhere between an Oktoberfest celebration, an impossibly cute farm animal and a scenic drive through changing leaves, Waterloo Region has a way of inspiring its own vocabulary for the season.

Come find the word for whatever fall does to you: https://explorewaterloo.ca/2026/09/fall-escapes-in-waterloo-region/

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The air feels softer here, brushed with sunlight and the scent of pumpkins waiting to be picked.Walk hand in hand betwee...
10/12/2026

The air feels softer here, brushed with sunlight and the scent of pumpkins waiting to be picked.

Walk hand in hand between rows of gold and green, laughing as you trace the winding paths of a corn maze made for two. Wander through fields that glow beneath the autumn sky and pause to take in the simple joy of being together. Every turn of the trail feels like a love letter written in harvest tones.

Let the season bring you closer. Read the full guide and plan your perfect fall day together: https://explorewaterloo.ca/2024/09/pumpkin-patches-corn-mazes-waterloo-region/

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The air is crisp, the orchard rows glow beneath the autumn sun, and somewhere in the patch is the pumpkin you will insis...
10/10/2026

The air is crisp, the orchard rows glow beneath the autumn sun, and somewhere in the patch is the pumpkin you will insist was worth carrying all the way back to the car.

Fall in Waterloo Region is made for days spent wandering farms with a basket in one hand and a warm treat in the other. Pick apples straight from the tree, search through fields for the perfect pumpkin, sip c***r, climb aboard a wagon, and let the countryside do what it does best this time of year. These are the afternoons filled with muddy boots, full bags, rosy cheeks, and the simple satisfaction of bringing a little piece of the harvest home.

Pull on your boots and follow the season into the fields: https://explorewaterloo.ca/2026/08/pick-your-own-pumpkin-and-apple-farms/

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10/09/2026

The heart of Oktoberfest beats loudest this weekend.

Welcome to Willkommen Platz, the centrepiece of Waterloo Region’s Oktoberfest and the moment the season has been building toward. The music swells, the air fills with the scent of pretzels, sausages, and spice, and the crowd hums with the energy of celebration.

This is where tradition and togetherness meet. Where every cheer, every song, and every raised stein writes another page in a story shared across generations. Raise your glass, find your rhythm, and let curiosity lead you into the heart of Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest.

Find all the details here: https://www.oktoberfest.ca/

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A cold pint. A seat on the patio. That first sip of something brewed just down the road.Canadian B**r Day feels right at...
10/07/2026

A cold pint. A seat on the patio. That first sip of something brewed just down the road.

Canadian B**r Day feels right at home in Waterloo Region, where local brewers have turned everything from rural farms to neighbourhood taprooms into places worth raising a glass.

Follow the road to a countryside brewery in Ayr, settle into a patio in Elmira, discover something experimental in Kitchener or find a fresh pour waiting in Cambridge. Every stop brings its own flavour, its own atmosphere and another reason to explore locally.

Celebrate Canadian B**r Day with a closer look at Waterloo Region’s craft breweries and distilleries:
https://explorewaterloo.ca/2026/06/waterloo-region-craft-breweries-distilleries/

Please enjoy responsibly.

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**rDay

The leaves are glowing, the air has turned crisp, and the long weekend arrives wrapped in all the best flavours of fall....
10/06/2026

The leaves are glowing, the air has turned crisp, and the long weekend arrives wrapped in all the best flavours of fall.

Thanksgiving in Waterloo Region is made for slowing down and filling the days with the people, traditions, and little adventures that make the season feel special. Ride through colourful countryside behind a historic steam locomotive, wander into the energy of Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, taste the harvest at a local farm, or gather along the parade route as music and celebration fill the streets. However the weekend unfolds, there is plenty of room for good food, fresh air, familiar traditions, and a few new memories along the way.

Gather your favourite people and make Thanksgiving weekend one worth savouring: https://explorewaterloo.ca/2026/10/thanksgiving-weekend-in-waterloo-region/

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