All city events
Find information on all events hosted by the city's Arts and Creative Industries team. Stay updated by following the city events team on Facebook, X and Instagram, or by subscribing to What's Happening Waterloo, our monthly newsletter.
Please be aware that dates and event offerings are subject to change. We will update this webpage as soon as possible to reflect changes, but it's best to check Create Waterloo on social media for the most up-to-date information.
For other city-run and community-run events, visit the Community Events Calendar.
On this page
- City events in Winter 2025
- City events in Summer 2025
- City events in Fall 2025
- Year round city programming
- Information on how to plan your own event
Winter 2025
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New Year's Eve (December 31) |
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A family-friendly celebration in Waterloo Public Square. Bring your own ice skate to enjoy outdoor ice skating, music, crafts, and hot apple cider! The event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. |
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Skate Night Date Night (Wednesdays in January and February) |
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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. Skate Night themes to be announced.
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Winterloo (January 25) |
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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. |
Spring and Summer 2025
| Dance It Off Tuesdays (May to August) |
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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.
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Art Market (May to August) |
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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.
Additional Art Markets will be held at Open Streets (June 14) and the July 1st Community Picnic. Applications to be a vendor at the Art Markets will open in 2025. |
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Campfire (May to August) |
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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.
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Movies In The Park (June to August) |
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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.
Movie nights are brought to you in partnership with Princess Cinemas and The Beat Goes On and in support of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region. If possible, please consider bringing a non-perishable food item to donate. |
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Open Streets (June 14) |
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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. |
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National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21) |
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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." |
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July 1 Community Picnic (July 1) |
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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. |
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Day of Play (August 9) |
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Fall 2025
| Lumen (September 20) |
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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. |
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Waterloo Vampire Hangout (October 25) |
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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. |
Year round programming
| Neighbourhood Picnic Tables |
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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.
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| Trail Mix - Local Trails & Local Artists |
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Trail Mix is an auditory accompaniment for Waterloo trails.
Are you an artist that wants to be featured on a Trail Mix? Sign up to be on the Artist Roster. |
| Uptown Tunes |
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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 |
| Waterloo Park Art Walk (updated September 2023) |
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The Waterloo Park Art Walk is an outdoor exhibit that stretches though Waterloo Park from Caroline Street to Seagram Drive. The Art Walk features the work of 24 local artists selected by a jury to be part of the program. Each of the 24 pieces makes reference to the nature, scenery, and/or landscape of the park. Participating 2023 artists: Alex Bray, Anna Buhr, Aoe Girard, Asli Alin, Boris Biberdzic, Buuchau Chau, Caitlin Durbin, Casey Pisula, Christina Vogiatzis, Conan Stark, Donia Liu Neekman, Ellie Anglin, faki kuano, Hope Flynn, Jenny Hu, Kim Collins, Laura Zikovic, Madeline Belford, Maeve Hind, Natalie V. Bochenska, Onie Tam, Simone Cotrell, Soroush Dabiri, Tanner van Vliet |
Planning your own event?
For information on how to host your own event at a city facility such as the Waterloo Public Square or Waterloo Park, begin by reviewing the How To Plan an Event page and also the Event Planning Form.