Big Wins in Kitchener Tonight at the KW Titans Game - Caribana Ignite Festival Announcement and a Home Game Win

Tonight the KW Titans took on the Windsor Express and the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium was filled with Caribbean flair! To celebrate Black History Month, the KW Titans partnered with The Waterloo Region Police Service and The Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region with excitement throughout the Basketball Game.

The KW Titans took the win, but another win for the City of Kitchener took place on the Titans court when Mayor Berry announced the Caribana Ignite Festival will take place this August in Downtown Kitchener.

I was speaking with Geraldine Stafford of WRPS and the Caribana Ignite Organizing Committee after the announcement, she let me know that this will be affiliated with Toronto's Caribana and will take place 2 weeks after the Toronto Celebration. It will include a family party including glow sticks the first night, and the second day will have a mini parade and street festival. I look forward to providing more info about this new Kitchener Festival as the information is released.

It was a night of great basketball, great energy and great news for the community!

Catch the KW Titans at their next home game this Sunday February 4th at 2pm. For info and tickets visit https://www.kwtitans.com

A Collaboration of Choir, Chorus, Concert, Community and Colours will bring KWMP's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to Life this February - Enter to Win

I have attended Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat several times over the years, including when Donny Osmond took to the stage in Toronto in the 90s.

While the show has evolved on many stages since then, the story of Joseph and his Brothers still teaches us all about honesty, humility and honouring each other's special gifts.

This February the time tested musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be performed live in Waterloo Region and it is sure to be joyful experience. The show will be a community collaboration between the KWMP and The Grand Philharmonic Children's Choir. Together they will form a chorus that will take you from simple melodies sung by the children, to a rock and roll style concert performed by a Pharoah!

This family-friendly musical production will dazzle you with memorable tunes, delightful energy and inspiring stories of determination.  Your whole family will amazed by the music and lyrics of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice in KWMP's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!

Told entirely through song with the help of a main character Narrator, the musical follows preferred son Joseph. After being sold into slavery by his brothers, he ingratiates himself with Egyptian noble Potiphar, but ends up in jail after refusing the amorous advances of Potiphar’s wife. While imprisoned, Joseph discovers his ability to interpret dreams, and he soon finds himself in front of the mighty but troubled, Elvis-inspired, Pharaoh. Joseph’s solution to Egypt’s famine elevates him to Pharaoh’s right-hand man and reunites him with his family.

Grab Your Tickets Before They Are Gone!

Limited tickets are available for KWMP's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I think they would be great for a family outing or a VALENTINE'S DAY Gift!

KWMP's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be performed at Knox Waterloo, 50 Erb St. W, Waterloo, ON

from February 16, 2024 - February 18, 2024. Tickets are $29 each and are available at https://kwmp.ca/joseph-in-concert

Speaking of Valentine's Day, I love Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat so much that I am happy to host a giveaway of a Family Four Pack of Tickets to the Friday show!

Enter to Win

Enter for a chance to win a four pack of tickets to the Friday performance of KWMP's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Waterloo!

The contest listed below (it might take a minute to load the rafflecopter contest form) is for tickets only.  You must provide your own transportation.  Be sure to leave a comment with why you want to win. It works best if you are logged into your Google Account

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your Boy-Band Fever Dream is now a Fun Family Film - TROLLS BAND TOGETHER Sing-Along Edition - Review and Giveaway

I'll start with the Disclaimer - Yes, I did receive a copy for review, but this just means I'm able to give away the film as a prize too! Enter the contest at the end of this post

Remember the height of boy band fever in the 90s? You will definitely feel all the throwback vibes when you watch Trolls Band Together! While 90s boy bands are the inspiration for the Brozone band in the Troll World, boy bands from the 80s to 2000's get shout-outs in this film too. Then there is some dreamy 70s nostalgia thrown in with The Hustle and We Are Family! This film will captivate your kiddos while you are entertained with fun flashbacks of years gone by. Plus with the TROLLS BAND TOGETHER Sing-Along Edition you will be singing along to new favourites while you're kicking it back with your old tunes remixed and reimagined.

After two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are now officially a couple! As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favorite boy band phenomenon, BroZone, with his four brothers: Floyd, John Dory, Spruce and Clay. BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby, as did the family, and Branch hasn’t seen his brothers since.  But when Floyd is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious pop-star villains, Velvet and Veneer, Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than pop-culture obscurity

For more information on TROLLS BAND TOGETHER, please visit: 

Website: https://www.dreamworks.com/movies/trolls-band-together

YouTube: @UniversalPicturesAllAccess

Facebook: @trolls 

Instagram: @trolls 

TikTok: @trolls 

#TrollsBandTogether

We think your whole family will enjoy this film and we are SO EXCITED (to see you excited) to announce we have a copy to giveaway to a lucky reader!

Enter to Win

Enter for a chance to win TROLLS BAND TOGETHER Sing-Along Edition on BluRay!

Enter the rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win (it works best if you are already logged into your google account).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

January 2024 Events, Winter Activities, KW Titans Games, and Lots of Stuff to Do in the Kitchener Waterloo Area

 Please check all the links listed as info tends to change without our knowledge.  We also suggest you go through the full list as some activities require you to pre-register and many have limited spaces. Dates/Times and Prices Vary.

The top part of our list is for ONGOING EVENTS (daily/weekly events) and further down you can see the MONTH SPECIFIC EVENTS

ONGOING Events

Attractions ONTARIO coupons for https://attractionsontario.ca/coupons

Bingemans https://bingemans.com/entertainment_home.php

Playgrounds Movement and Training Centre https://kwplaygrounds.ca/

Play a Latte Cafe https://playalattecafe.com/

Skyzone Kitchener https://www.skyzone.com/ca-kitchener

Funvilla https://funvilla.ca

THEMUSEUM https://themuseum.ca/families-kids/

Early Years  https://earlyyearsinfo.ca

KPL Calendar https://kplca.evanced.info/signup/

WPL Calendar http://calendar.wpl.ca/eventcalendar.asp?lib=all

Region of Waterloo Library Calendar https://www.rwlibrary.ca/en/programs-events/virtual-programs.aspx

Cambridge Libraries Calendar https://ideaexchange.org/programs-events

City of Waterloo Museum Activities https://www.waterloo.ca/en/things-to-do/city-of-waterloo-museum.?_mid_=1764

Region of Waterloo Museum (DOON) events https://www.waterlooregionmuseum.ca/en/index.aspx#

Joseph Schneider Haus events https://www.schneiderhaus.ca/en/index.aspx

Woodside National Historic Site Self Guided Tours Thursday and Fridays https://www.facebook.com/WoodsideNHS/photos/a.797717783604573/4705277552848557

Wilmot Family Resource Centre https://wilmotfamilyresourcecentre.wordpress.com/events/calendar

Kitchener Market Events Calendar https://calendar.kitchenermarket.ca/default/Month

Breastfeeding Buddies Events Calendar https://www.breastfeedingbuddies.com/neve-home/about-services/news-events/

Indoor Skateboard Park @ Queensmount Arena - various dates and times https://www.facebook.com/events/1189515881691170/1212608496048575?active_tab=about

Grand River Conservation Areas https://www.grandriver.ca/en/outdoor-recreation/Things-to-do.aspx

Infant and Child Studies group is a group of researchers interested in better understanding child cognition: so how kids learn! All our studies are designed as games for children to play while we observe how they respond to various toys, videos or sounds. The activities are fun for the kids, and help us to understand concepts like how children learn new words, when children can begin to understand math, or what learning strategies kids use to understand new concepts. We deliver studies in person, as well as online and in take home formats.

Lab Website: http://uwaterloo.ca/infant-and-child-studies-group/ 

Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/infantstudiesgroup/

Follow us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/infantstudiesgroup/ 

Have a new child? Sign them up too: https://uwaterloo.ca/infant-and-child-studies-group/sign

Dog Friendly Events https://www.dogfriendlykw.com/events

University of Waterloo Earth Sciences Museum info https://uwaterloo.ca/earth-sciences-museum/ 

University of Waterloo Earth Sciences Walking Tours - Various locations https://uwaterloo.ca/earth-sciences-museum/walking-tours

Our BEST PLACES TO TOBOGGAN LIST can be found at https://stufftodowithyourkidsinkw.blogspot.com/2012/12/best-places-to-toboggan-in-kitchener.html there are even great recommendations in the comments of that post too!

When it is Outdoor Skating Weather, find rinks below

Outdoor Skating Rinks in Kitchener https://www.kitchener.ca/en/recreation-and-sports/outdoor-skating-rinks.aspx

Outdoor Skating Rinks in Waterloo https://www.waterloo.ca/en/things-to-do/arenas-and-outdoor-rinks.aspx

Outdoor Skating Rinks in Cambridge https://facilities.cambridge.ca/?CategoryIds=82&FacilityTypeIds=&Keywords=&ScrollTo=google-map-trigger&CloseMap=true&HasAdvancedSearch=false

Outdoor Skating Rinks in Guelph https://www.get.on.ca/living-here/outdoor_rink

FREE COMMUNITY SKATING AT VARIOUS ARENAS IN KITCHENER https://www.theaud.ca/en/events-tickets/public-skating.aspx then select Free Community Skating for schedule

or

https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/activekitchener/activity/search?onlineSiteId=0&locale=en-US&activity_select_param=2&activity_category_ids=31&activity_keyword=Free%20Skating%20Sponsored%20by%20Josslin%20Insurance&viewMode=list

Laurel Creek Conservation Area (Waterloo) and Shade’s Mills Conservation Area (Cambridge) Snow Shoeing and Cross-Country Skiing info https://www.grandriver.ca/en/outdoor-recreation/Skiing-and-snowshoeing.aspx  NOTE *Admission fee when an attendant is on duty.

Wednesdays in January and February

Skate Night Date Night at Waterloo Public Square 6-8pm https://www.waterloo.ca/en/things-to-do/all-city-events.aspx#Skate-Night-Date-Night-Wednesdays-in-January-and-February-

JANUARY 2024

January 19

PA DAY FUN

The Balloon Making Machine w/Drew Ripley at the KW Little Theatre, 2pm and 7pm

 https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-balloon-making-machine-tickets-781133710957

 Star Wars: A New Hope on January 19th for National Popcorn Day at Apollo Cinema! Please note this film has a late start at 9:15pm

https://apollocinema.ca/movies/national-popcorn-day-star-wars-a-new-hope

January 20-21

Back to Back KW Titans Games https://www.kwtitans.com/

SAVE 10% ON TICKETS AND GET A $10 COUPON FOR MERCH Info at 

https://kwtickets.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetPackageInfo?packageCode=GS%3ACITS%3A%3ADFW2024%3A&linkID=cits&shopperContext&caller&appCode&dataAccId=308&locale=en_US&siteId=ev_cits&fbclid=IwAR2DDu0k1GDukx_n6fB2mp9org2nLvflT-jGyhhKKCrjylAPD421jhmmgUI

The Iron Giant at Apollo Cinema

https://apollocinema.ca/movies/klassic-kidz-the-iron-giant-signature-edition

TriCon KW at THEMUSEUM (Downtown)

Info at https://themuseum.ca/tricon/

Tickets Checkout

Jan 25

Family Literacy Week

Let's Have a Family Party!

Parents and their Children ages zero to six years are invited to join the Family Fun Party at Camino Herbert on Thursday, January 25th from 2:30 to 5pm. Music, games, stories, food and fun! Pre-registration required. email: jwright-fedyk@caminowellbeing.ca

https://abclifeliteracy.ca/uncategorized/family-literacy-day-calendar/?filter_11_4=Ontario&mode=any#gv-view-1304-1

Jan 26

Glow Ride Bike Ride 8pm @ Kitchener City Hall https://www.facebook.com/events/336833045823552

Jan 27

Winterloo in Uptown Waterloo

Enjoy winter-themed activities in uptown Waterloo on Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Activities will include meeting the snow dogs, ice carving, snow sculptures, winter activities and much more!

https://www.winterloofestival.ca/

Get Ready for February with this Family Craft idea

https://stufftodowithyourkidsinkw.blogspot.com/2015/01/valentines-day-diy-for-whole-family-to.html

Robots Take Over the Big Screen at Apollo Cinema this January

 

This January see some well-known robots take over the big screen at the Apollo Cinema and it will be fun for the whole family!

STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE

I still remember seeing Robots for the first time in movies when I went to see Star Wars! Now you can experience the nostalgia of the friendly droids R2-D2 and C3P0 as the travel through the galaxy in Star Wars: A New Hope on January 19th for National Popcorn Day! Please note this film has a late start at 9:15pm

https://apollocinema.ca/movies/national-popcorn-day-star-wars-a-new-hope

THE IRON GIANT

The next heroic robot to take to the theatre's screen this month is The Iron Giant. This time the space-robot travels to earth and befriends a young boy.  See their adventure as they try to stay hidden from the government agents that are trying to separate the two friends on January 20th at 12:30pm and January 21st at 2pm

https://apollocinema.ca/movies/klassic-kidz-the-iron-giant-signature-edition

For all Apollo Cinema listings in January 2024 visit 

via GIPHY

Exploring illumi in Mississauga: A Mesmerizing Journey from Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario

Embarking on a road trip from Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, to Mississauga unveils a world of enchantment and wonder. Among the many attractions waiting to captivate your senses, illumi stands out as a dazzling spectacle that promises to transform your evening into a magical experience. Join us on a virtual journey as we explore the beauty of illumi and share tips for making the most of your trip.

Many will remember our first trip to illumi last year and we were so excited to visit all the displays again!

Arriving at illumi:

Upon reaching Mississauga, your anticipation grows as you approach illumi. This immersive light experience offers convenient access for visitors. The vibrant glow of the lights will guide you, creating a sense of excitement even before you enter the enchanting world of illumi.

illumi Experience:

illumi in Mississauga is a one-of-a-kind light show that combines technology and artistry to create a mesmerizing display. As you step into the illuminated wonderland, prepare to be transported into a world of fantasy. The carefully designed light installations, synchronized to music, create a symphony of colors that dance before your eyes.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Diane Morgan & Lisa McDonald (@those2girls)

The thematic displays at illumi evoke a sense of awe and wonder. From dazzling tunnels of light to intricately designed sculptures, each exhibit tells a unique story. Be sure to take your time exploring the various sections, allowing the magic to unfold at its own pace. Don't forget your camera – illumi provides countless opportunities for stunning photographs that will serve as lasting memories of your journey.

Tips for an Unforgettable Experience at illumi:

Timing is Key: This is an evening event so plan accordingly to appreciate the magic of illumi. The play of lights against the night sky enhances the enchantment.

Purchase Tickets in Advance: To avoid long queues, consider purchasing your tickets online in advance. This ensures a seamless entry, allowing you to dive into the magical world of illumi without delay.

Dress Comfortably: Wear comfortable shoes/boots as you'll be strolling through the exhibits. Dress warmly to make the most of your outdoor experience.

Plus they have free wagon rentals on site 

illumi in Mississauga is a must-visit destination for those seeking a magical escape from the ordinary. The journey from Kitchener adds an extra layer of adventure, making your road trip an integral part of the overall experience. As you bask in the glow of the mesmerizing lights, you'll carry the enchantment of illumi with you, creating memories that will linger long after the lights fade.

illumi is running until January 7, 2024. 

To purchase tickets visit https://toronto.illumi.com