All city events

Head to Waterloo Public Square every Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for a lively evening of dance! Local dance groups will be leading fun and engaging sessions each week, offering something new and exciting for everyone. All skill levels and abilities are welcome. Dance night themes to be announced.

• May 27
• June 3, 10, 24 
• July 8, 15, 22, 29
• August 5, 12, 19, 26

Browse through a wide selection of handmade goods created by local artists, crafters, and makers while listening to live music in Waterloo Public Square. The market runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. with live music from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• May 30
• July 25
• August 15

Additional Art Markets will be held at Open Streets (June 14) and the July 1st Community Picnic.

Apply to be a vendor at this year's Art Markets by April 17, 2025.

Grab a seat on a nearby patio or gather around the fire in Waterloo Public Square and listen to live music performed by different local musicians. Happening on select Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Performing artists to be announced.

• May 21
• June 18
• July 16
• August 20

Hosted on the West side of Waterloo Park near the Bandshell, bring a blanket or your favourite hoodie and join us for these fun movie nights on the big outdoor screen! Movies begin at sundown. Movie titles to be announced.

• June 12, 26
• July 10, 17, 24
• August 7, 14, 21

Movie nights are brought to you in partnership with Princess Cinemas and The Beat Goes On, in support of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region. If possible, please consider bringing a non-perishable food item to donate.

Open Streets returns to uptown Waterloo! Join us on Saturday, June 14 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. for a fun-filled day that will take over Willis Way and Waterloo Public Square. Enjoy live performances, music, an art market and more.

View more information on our Open Streets web page.

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This day recognizes the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples, communities and nations.

The City of Waterloo has been marking this occasion for the past seven years by partnering with local Indigenous artists who create and install original art pieces on the surface of Waterloo Public Square. These artworks serve as a visual reminder of the territory and land on which the city was founded.

For 2024, Maddie Resmer, of Western Sky Designs, created a mural based on the Algonquin word “ànikobidigàn”. Watch Maddie's video to learn about the significance of this years mural design and their recognition of the day.

Artist Statement: “ànikobidigàn” means both ancestor and descendant, but its literal translation is “they are strung together”. In Anishinàbeg culture, we walk in a good way when we live our lives in ways that equally honour those who’ve come before us as well as those who will come after. It is through finding balance and connection to the rest of creation that we best honour those who have loved us into being, and those who will one day call out to us in the stars. Intentionally so, the design can be interpreted in many ways - as the start of life, as the end, or as somewhere in between. No matter where we are, we can find peace in knowing that the ànikobidigàn are always holding our spirits close. This piece is dedicated to Nimàmà (my Mother), Gabwe-Mikinàk Kwe; my best friend in this world and in the next."

Spend the afternoon in Waterloo Park with local artists, food trucks, giant games, and a spectacular LED drone show that will light up the sky. The event runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

View more information on our July 1 Community Picnic web page.

Come have a Day of Play in Waterloo Park! Located on the East side of Waterloo Park near Silver Lake, there will be art activities, games, adventures, and more. A day of non-stop fun for everyone! The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. More details to be announced.

Lumen is an annual, free, all-ages festival that is open to the public and run by the City of Waterloo’s Arts and Creative Industries team (Create Waterloo). The event features the work of artists as they explore the interplay of light, art, and technology in installations located throughout uptown Waterloo.

Are you an artist interested in participating in this year's Lumen festival? Apply to our Lumen Call for Artist Proposals by April 3, 2025 by 5 p.m.

View more information on our Lumen web page.

Get ready for a night of frightful fun from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Waterloo Public Square. Dance to the beats by our on-site DJ, enjoy live tunes from a local artist, and unleash your creativity in the thrilling Vampire Fashion Show.

Head to the Waterloo Public Square ice rink from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and skate along to the amazing tunes spun live by DJ King Kadeem or get warm with treats from the Hissing Goose Coffee Roasters.

Each week will feature a different music playlist theme.

• January 8: Bollywood
• January 15: Hip Hop
• January 22: Retro (cancelled due to weather)
• January 29: Dance Music
• February 5: Metal and Punk
• February 12: Reggae and Dub (cancelled due to weather)
• February 19: Country
• February 26: Retro (cancelled due to weather)

Discover the magic of winter with family and friends at Waterloo's largest winter festival! Head uptown from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. to watch award-winning ice carvers, take part in winter-themed activities, and explore all that uptown Waterloo's winter culture has to offer.

View more information on our Winterloo web page.

City of Waterloo invites the public to come enjoy these creative, unique, and vibrant picnic tables featured in the Neighbourhood  Picnic Table Program.

In 2021, in partnership with the City of Waterloo's Neighbourhoods team, Create Waterloo commissioned 18 local artists to create custom artwork on picnic tables located in one of six community gardens throughout Waterloo. In 2022, another 12 tables were added to the collection in four new neighbourhood parks. In 2023, an additional nine artists painted picnic tables in three more neighbourhood parks throughout Waterloo. In 2024, 12 more picnic tables were painted by local artists in five different neighbourhood parks.

 View each picnic table and its location on our online map.

• Heasley Park: Sharon Ye, Tara Nix, Kate Short, Sophie Corbett, Shannon Stehr, Tanner van Vliet
• Pinebrook Park: Lupita Guerrero, Lucy Lan, Christie Shen, Allie Brenner, 
  Simone Contrell
• Haida Park: Kate Hernden, Esther Slevinsky, Chrissy Kuiack, Brie Pointer
• Patchwork Community Gardens EMS Site: Chanel Leong, William August Swinson, Baz Kanold
• St. Moritz Park: Ekaterina Abesheva, Kavita Saini, Mayah Moosajee, Donia Neekman, Blair Kelly, Lee Angold
• Sundew Park: Moumita Rowchowdhury, Aoe Girard, Tara Cooper
• Laurelwood Park: Jason Panda, Danielle Petti, Esther Slevinsky
• Roselea Park: Ashley Guenette, Aoe Girard, Madeline Belford
• Glen Acres Park: Tanner van Vliet, Kate Short, Lori Zenker
• Anndale Park: Sophie Corbett, Kat Hernden, Donia Liu Neekman
• West Wind Park: Isabelle Boucher, Denise Derbez, Hilary Wright
• Old Post Park: Shannon Stehr, Jillian Belkwell, Tanner Van Vliet
• Brighton Park: Ella Dowhaniuk, Kat Herden, Elizabeth Campbell
• Bluestream Park: Jenny Hu, Miho Nagayama, Autoro Gaitan

Applications to participate in this year's Neighbourhood Picnic Table Program will open in March, 2025.

Trail Mix is an auditory accompaniment for Waterloo trails. 

• Step #1: Select your favourite local Waterloo trail
• Step #2: Strap on some hiking shoes/boots
• Step #3: Find the hidden QR codes along the trail
• Step #4: Use your phones camera to scan the QR code
• Step #5: Put on your headphones and listen to the Trail Mix!

Trail Mix is currently being updated. Stay tuned for updates.

 

Are you an artist that wants to be featured on a Trail Mix? Sign up to be on the Artist Roster.

Scan the QR code featured on the kiosk or the trailer in Waterloo Public Square and enjoy listening to a playlist of local artists.

Now playing: Volume 2 (updated November 2024)

Featured artists: Midnite Vice, Amanda Braam, Sam Nabi, Clefs of Moher, Tragedy Ann, Painting Pelicans

The Waterloo Park Art Walk is an outdoor exhibit that stretches through Waterloo Park from Caroline Street to Seagram Drive. 

The Art Walk features the work of up to 24 local artists selected by a jury to be part of the program. Each of the art banners makes reference to the nature, scenery, and/or landscape of the park. This initiative began in 2020 and is updated annually. 

Participating 2024 artists: Blair Kelly, Kenzie Tanith Janveaux, A. Decker, Ama Liyanage, Sara Nieto, Arturo Gaitán, Aoe Girard, Wayne Gascho, Wen Li, Madeline Belford, Cam Mathew, Laura Zikovic, Ashley Zikovic, Amy Esplen, Charlotte Hancock, Allie Brenner, Asli Alin, Sabrina Romano, Ken Daley, Lupita Guerrero, Lisa Attygalle, and Alex Bray.

Applications to participate in this year's Waterloo Park Art Walk will open in May, 2025.