Kitchener, Waterloo, Townships of Woolwich and Wellesley

Why not start your day with art? There’s lots to choose from!

The Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery is small but has a big presence in the Canadian contemporary art world. From humble beginnings in a bicycle shed to its current location at Centre in the Square, KWAG connects people and ideas through art.

THEMUSEUM, part-science centre, part-gallery and all fun, is an arts destination that families will especially appreciate, thanks to interactive exhibitions designed to “awe, inspire and enlighten.” Intersecting art, science & technology, they have created Southwestern Ontario’s only digital immersive experience called EYEPOOL. Next, walk through the brightly-coloured facade (containing a computer-encoded message while evoking the region’s Mennonite heritage) of The Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum. It’s the largest community museum in Ontario and home to the region’s hall of fame.

Note that Kitchener also lays claim to some stellar annual festivals. Famously, there’s the celebration of Bavarian folk culture (and yes, beer) at Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest; Christkindl Market is a traditional-style German Christmas market, and the standout Kitchener Blues Festival heats up 4 summer days each August, plus there’s the newcomer Caribana Ignite Festival.

Whatever you choose, make time to relax at one of the many local indie cafés, for instance Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters, Matter of Taste Coffee or Stockyards Coffee Co.

Explore the Township of Woolwich with an eye out for horse-drawn buggies, the reins likely held by a descendant of German and Dutch-speaking Pennsylvania Mennonites. Their unique history is shared at The Mennonite Story, a museum devoted to Old Order Mennonite culture, located on the grounds of St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market in a 19^th century log house. The St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market itself is the largest year-round indoor-outdoor farmers’ market in Canada. The St. Jacobs Market Food Tour gives you a delicious behind-the-scenes look and offers a chance to learn more about Mennonite food, culture and market history. (Available seasonally.)

Just north of the market lies the charming village of St. Jacobs, with specialty shops like St. Jacobs Mennonite Quilts and Conestoga River Pottery. TriSisters Art House is a good place to see (and buy) the work of local artisans.

A fifteen-minute drive brings you to the West Montrose Covered Bridge, a.k.a. The Kissing Bridge, the last covered bridge in Ontario. Why “kissing”? Rumour has it that, once upon a time, courting couples would stop their horse-drawn carriages mid-bridge, sharing a private smooch away from prying eyes.

On to Elmira, and the opportunity to learn more about life in the township via the self-guided Downtown Elmira Art Walk. For a lunch stop with foods rooted in the Mennonite tradition, try the Kitchen Kuttings Café (and market). Elmira, by the way, is home to the Guinness Book of World Record-holding Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, where many a pancake is flipped and sticky fingers licked.

Located in the St. Jacobs Market district, the year-round St. Jacobs Country Playhouse presents a vibrant lineup of productions, including the beloved holiday Panto tradition. The venue’s design pays homage to the region’s heritage, incorporating turn-of-the-century-style masonry and heavy timber in a nod to traditional Mennonite architecture. It’s not the only stage in the area, though.  There’s also the Hildebrand Schoolhouse Theatre in St. Jacobs Village, a striking venue housed in a renovated 1867 schoolhouse.

Waterloo is known for its universities (Wilfrid Laurier and the University of Waterloo), world-famous technological advancements (e.g., the Blackberry, subject of a Hollywood movie no less) and great festivals (for instance Lumen and the UpTown Waterloo Jazz Festival). Both campuses are a pleasure to stroll through, with stops at the University of Waterloo Art Gallery to view the work of emerging and mid-career artists, or at the U of W’s Earth Sciences Museum—a must for those curious about fossils and dinosaurs.

Not far from campus you’ll find the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Canada’s only gallery devoted to contemporary ceramics, glass, and copper enameling, which hosts a beautifully curated shop selling unique Canadian-made pieces. The nearby Button Factory Arts Centre was once busy turning out buttons, buckles and cufflinks, and today is a vital part of Waterloo’s arts scene.

Waterloo is one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in south-central Ontario, something you may want to experience via the city’s public art maps. Or, jump on the Iron Horse Trail that links to Kitchener. Either way, if refreshments are required, stray from the path and stop at a local café, for instance cozy Midnight Run Café, the European-style Café 22 or the Bauer Bakery & Café, purveyors of all manner of baked goods.

Wellesley Township Heritage and Historical Society has created both walking and driving tours, an engaging way to experience this rural corner of Waterloo Region. The walking tour of Hawkesville takes you past historical properties of note. You may also be interested to see a plaque commemorating the 1863 site of the Emancipation Day picnic, when over 2,500 people gathered to celebrate the end of British Empire slavery. Kitchener’s “Black Presence in Berlin Tour,” looking at the Queens Bush settlement and Kitchener (formerly Berlin) is another way to learn more about the region’s Black history.

While in the township, sample local treats like summer sausage, shoo-fly pie and apple butter. One way to do that is by going to Wellesley’s annual Apple Butter and Cheese Festival, famed for both food vendors and crafts. You don’t have to wait for festival-time for good local eats though, not with homemade meals at Schmidtsville Restaurant and Gift Shop in Wellesley, or Pennsylvanian Dutch cooking at The Olde Heidelberg Restaurant and Tavern. Speaking of local, Grammy’s Boutique & Espresso Bar has a unique gift selection including products by local makers.

Waterloo Region has a happening restaurant scene — take a peek at the Explore Waterloo Region Food & Drink guide to chart your culinary course. In Waterloo itself, some local foodie favourites include the stylish Wildcraft Grill + Long Bar, Solé Uptown (in a 150-year-old Seagram’s building) and The Bauer Kitchen, located in a Soho-inspired restored felt factory.

Post-dinner entertainment can be found at Kitchener’s Centre in The Square (in the same building as the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery!). One of Canada’s notable venues, it also introduces kids to the magic of live performance through its educational series and runs the Kitchener Creates initiative, which supports local artists. Community theatre is alive and well too, at the art deco former Waterloo County Registry Building, where the Registry Theatre puts on music, plays, dance and film screenings. For vintage cinema, get your ticket to The Princess Original Cinema. The theatre’s eclectic mix of screenings (international, indie, and Canadian films, plus a concert series) offers film lovers a chance to explore beyond the mainstream.