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Kate's 5 fun things to do in and around Waterloo region: May 30 to June 1

Kate's 5 fun things to do in and around Waterloo region: May 30 to June 1

CBC30-05-2025
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The calendar will turn a page this weekend from May to June with some moderate temperatures in the forecast ahead of what's expected to be a hot week.
Art Market returns to uptown Waterloo Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. This monthly market features handmade goods created by local artists, crafters, and makers and people can also enjoy live music in Waterloo Public Square.
The Treading Theatre Festival has performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Schneider Haus in Kitchener. The festival features local and independent artists with a few different productions in different areas of the museum including the attic, kitchen and outside.
Theatre festival featuring independent artists coming to Kitchener
4 days ago
Duration 1:03
There's a new festival in Kitchener this week. The Treading Theatre Festival features plays by local and independent artists. It will transform the Schneider Haus national historic site into a stage. Co-creators Ciarán Myers and Maria Colonescu told CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty more about the festival.
The Fergus Fiber Festival is Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be demonstrations, displays, vendors and live animals including alpacas, sheep and angora rabbits at the event in downtown Fergus.
There's a citywide yard sale in Stratford Saturday morning with people setting up on their front lawns, driveways and trunk sales in parking lots.
The Etsy Waterloo Region Spring Market will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at RIM Park in Waterloo, featuring more than 75 local artisans.
A Bike Month kickoff event is going to be held in Royal City Park near downtown Guelph Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a community ride, a free repair stand plus activities for children.
On Sunday, there's a Writer's Market and Summertime Storytelling Clothesline Art Sale at Homer Watson House and Gallery in Kitchener. Art for sale will include pieces themed primarily around the literary world.
If unique vehicles are your thing, there will be the Downtown Guelph Exotic Car Show Sunday starting at 12 p.m.
The Kitchener Panthers host the Barrie Baycats on Sunday with first pitch at 2 p.m. at Jack Couch Park.
The Guelph Royals have a 1 p.m. game Saturday at home versus the London Majors, then hit the road Sunday to take on Hamilton.
If you need to drive this weekend, here are some local gas prices:
Open Ears
All weekend
Various locations downtown Kitchener
This festival features a mix of local, national and international artists in a variety of unique performances and workshops. The festival plays with sound. That includes an art installation that combines data, sound and light that people can interact with, a synth petting zoo — synthesizers and electronic instruments people can try out — and various performances people can watch and experience.
There are some free events and some are ticketed.
Open Ears website
Pride Eve Party
Saturday 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
22 Bridgeport Rd. W., Waterloo
On the eve of Pride month, this all-ages party will have something for everyone. The afternoon begins with a clothing swap, then there's line dancing, an open mic session, live music and a drag show. Throughout the event there will also be vendors and services set up in the hall.
Guelph Dance Festival
All weekend
Various locations
This festival features various dance performances, workshops and a dance party to celebrate.
Workshops and performances in Exhibition Park are pay-what-you-can while there are ticketed events at the River Run Centre and the University of Guelph ImprovLab.
New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale
Friday 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m. until late afternoon
New Hamburg Arena
This very popular event gets underway Friday night when people can get a preview of the incredible quilts that will be on the auction block on Saturday, listen to music, check out some vendors and take part in the Voices Together Community Hymn Sing in the grandstand.
On Saturday, there's a pancake and sausage breakfast to start the day. A special run will begin at 8 a.m. and then the quilt auction gets underway at 8:30 a.m.
There are family events throughout the day including a kids zone and an outdoor "work and play" auction.
Bee and Pollinator Day
Saturday 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Waterloo Public Library, Eastside Branch
Celebrate bees and other pollinators at this all-ages, drop-in event. People can make a bee house, create pollinator-friendly seed paper and plant flowers using seeds from the seed library.
Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Waterloo Public Library, Eastside Branch
Local author Kate Jenks Landry will be reading from her new picture book A Summer Without Anna. There will also be special activities, songs and crafts.
Kitchener author's new book tells nostalgic story of summers spent in cottage country
2 days ago
Duration 1:32
Kitchener author Kate Jenks Landry has a new children's book out. A Summer Without Anna tells the story of a young Junie who spends the summer with her grandparents because her older sister is sick. While Junie misses her family, she also has little adventures — including looking for an elusive giant turtle. Kate Jenks Landry told CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty more about the new book, which was inspired by the author's own life.
Bonus: Hohner Ave. Porch Party
Saturday 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Hohner Avenue, Kitchener
Bring a lawn chair and some snacks and lawn hop to various concerts in the neighbourhood for this annual porch party. Performers include Michael Bennett, Eric Jackson and the Willow River Band, Silvia Dee and The Boyfriend, Gin Lane, Friday Empire, The Knockoffs and more. The finale will feature Mixology a capella chorus and Onion Honey.
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Obsessed with Labubus? Why you may want to rethink this unboxing trend
Obsessed with Labubus? Why you may want to rethink this unboxing trend

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Obsessed with Labubus? Why you may want to rethink this unboxing trend

New, Kate Bueckert 'Every trend has a shelf life,' University of Guelph marketing professor Jing Wan says They're a little cute, a little scary — and very, very trendy. Labubu dolls are one of the latest must-have items being driven by social media posts of people unboxing them. The little elf-like toy monsters were created by Japanese artist Kasing Lung and they come in boxes, so people can't tell which one they're getting when they buy them. Videos of people unboxing Labubu dolls are popular on TikTok, with people screaming happily when they get a Labubu they want, or in tears when it's one they don't want. The Chinese toy maker behind Labubus, Pop Mart, is forecasting a 350 per cent profit jump for the first half of 2025 as global demand for the wildly popular Labubu characters surges. Allie Luk of Ajisen Ramen understands the power of Labubu. The Waterloo, Ont., restaurant is running a promotion where they're giving away a doll each month. "The reaction's definitely been through the roof," Luk says of the Labubu doll giveaway. "We've been getting thousands and thousands of comments and tags online. We have people tagging up to even like 20 or 30 friends and families for extra entries to win." It's an obvious win for the restaurant because people are also sharing photos and videos of their food, Luk says, which is "creating a lot of buzz." While it was younger customers who understood the first giveaway, as they prepare for a second Labubu doll winner, Luk says they're seeing people of all ages taking part. "We saw this as like a really unique opportunity to be able to connect sort of with our all of our guests simultaneously across all the age groups. And it's really fun because we saw that we would be able to connect with our customers in the way that sort of goes beyond food and ramen," Luk said. Unboxing excitement similar to gambling: Expert Celebrities Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Kim Kardashian have been spotted with Labubus, sometimes as an accessory on their bags. WATCH | Labubu maker Pop Mart forecasting a 350% profit surge: But while Labubus are the current must-have toy, some are worried about the waste they're creating — especially when some TikTok videos show people destroying or throwing out Labubus they don't want. Jing Wan, a marketing and consumer studies professor at the University of Guelph, compared the excitement of unboxing a Labubu to gambling. "You get that anticipation, hope, all wrapped up together when you're about to unbox and find out which exact model that you've pulled and you get to see whether it's maybe one of the models that you were looking for to complete your collection or maybe it's a rare version," she said. "There are actually rare Labubu dolls out there as well that are worth quite a bit of money. And so if... you think you're getting one of those, you can be quite excited." This can lead to overconsumption, Wan said. People will buy Labubus just for the rush, but they may not even want the doll they get. "Normally when we buy products, we're spending money on a specific thing that we want," Wan said. With blind boxes, "you are voluntarily spending money on things that you probably don't actually want. And so you're now buying a lot of things just simply in the hopes of getting that one thing." LISTEN | U of Guelph professor says Labubu doll excitement can lead to overconsumption, environmental concerns: Media Audio | The Morning Edition - K-W : Professor Jing Wan said the demand for specific Labubu dolls means overconsumption is a big problem. Caption: Have you heard of Labubu dolls? They're the current 'need to have' craze sweeping through TikTok and social media. Jing Wan, a University of Guelph professor, says this trend may boost people's moods but it's also hurting the environment. Open full embed in new tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. 'Creating a lot of waste' Then, there's the environmental impact of these kinds of unboxing trends. "That's creating a lot of waste," Wan said. "These dolls are made out of plastics. There's also opaque packaging that typically goes around the dolls so that even when you open the paper box, you don't know what's inside it. You can't see it. That's part of the blind box rush," she added. "That's a lot of plastic to be produced by these sorts of products where some people are actively disposing of them because they don't want them." CBC K-W reached out to Pop Mart for comment about concerns around Labubus waste but did not hear back. 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What's happening during the long weekend in Waterloo Region and beyond?
What's happening during the long weekend in Waterloo Region and beyond?

CTV News

time2 days ago

  • CTV News

What's happening during the long weekend in Waterloo Region and beyond?

Many people across southern Ontario will be celebrating the civic holiday this weekend as we step into August. Here are some of the events going on: World in a Weekend: International Puppet Festival When: Thursday, July. 31 – Monday, Aug. 4 (various hours) Where: Various locations throughout Stratford, Ont. International puppeteers have arrived in Stratford. Watch as they bring colourful and creative characters to life, one string at a time. The International Puppet Festival is taking place at various locations throughout Stratford, Ont. and includes a mix of free and ticketed events. Waterloo Rib & Beer Fest When: Friday, Aug. 1 – Sunday, Aug. 3 (various hours) Where: RIM Park (2001 University Avenue East, Waterloo) People wanting to tempt their tastebuds over the long weekend can head to RIM Park for Waterloo Rib & Beer Fest. Aside from meaty morsels, event goers can also catch some live music and enjoy the kids' zone. Ontario Pirate Festival When: Saturday, Aug. 2 – Monday, Aug. 4 (11 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily) Where: Marden Park (7368, Wellington County Road 30, Guelph) Hoist the Jolly Roger, grab your treasure map and prepare for a rollicking good time as the Ontario Pirate Festival returns to Guelph. Swashbucklers and landlubbers alike can wander through the pirate village of Dry Bluffs, perusing merchants and craftspeople, watching live performances and immersing themselves in the pirate's life. Sunflower Fest When: Aug. 2, 3, 4 and 7, 8, 9, 10 Where: Brantwood Farms (251 Powerline Road, Brantford) Summer is in full bloom at Brantwood Farms as Sunflower Fest kicks off over the long weekend. Guests are invited to enjoy the beauty of the golden fields, take a wagon ride, pick sunflowers and, of course, grab a few photos. Tree for Three at Mill Race Park When: Sunday, Aug. 3 (7 p.m. – 8 p.m.) Where: Mill Race Park (36 Water Street North, Cambridge) Music lovers are invited to enjoy an evening of free music in Mill Race Park as Tee For Three brings their traditional folk music to Cambridge. Event goers should bring a lawn chair or a blanket so they can sit back and enjoy the tunes from England, Fance and beyond.

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