Tag Archives: community event

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News -2026-07-28- Kitchener ‘Unplugs’ King Street with First Week-long Pedestrian Event

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CKMS News -2026-07-28- Kitchener ‘Unplugs’ King Street with First Week-long Pedestrian Event

Eren Yoruk

Kitchener, ON — For the first time, King Street in downtown Kitchener has been transformed into a week-long pedestrian-only space as the City launches King Street Unplugged, a pilot project aimed at creating a more people-focused downtown.

Running from July 26 to 31, the event closes a section of King Street between College and Young Streets to vehicle traffic, replacing it with live entertainment, games, workshops, markets and family-friendly activities. Mayor Berry Vrbanovic says the initiative builds on previous car-free events but marks the city’s first attempt at a week-long pedestrian experience.

Manager of Downtown Development and Innovation Aura Hertzog says the project responds to community feedback seeking more welcoming public spaces where residents can connect while supporting local businesses. If successful, the pilot could become an annual event.

The city will evaluate the initiative by gathering feedback from businesses and visitors, monitoring attendance and measuring community engagement throughout the week.

Local businesses are already seeing positive signs. Mandy Kowitz, owner of Square Peg, says she noticed increased foot traffic on the first day and expects more customers throughout the week.

Visitors also welcomed the idea. Resident Mila Purcell says closing King Street for a full week creates a more enjoyable downtown experience and hopes the event returns next year.

For more information about King Street Unplugged, visit downtownkitchener.ca.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News -2025-07-31- Caribana Ignite returns to the region with a scorching summer schedule

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CKMS News -2025-07-31- Caribana Ignite returns to the region with a scorching summer schedule.

dan kellar
Kitchener – Caribana Ignite, a celebration of Caribbean culture, has returned to Waterloo Region, with events taking place throughout the summer and culminating in a two-day family-friendly festival and Carnival parade in late August.  For its second year, along with all the new lead-up events, the festival organisers have also teamed up with a costume designer to offer special Carnival costumes, which are only available to residents of Waterloo Region.

From an ongoing weekly patio night in Kitchener, to presenting at an Argo’s game, to a pop-cup caribana in Waterloo and attending regional events, the Caribana Arts Group has organised a summer full of events ending with the a street festival in downtown Kitchener on August 22nd and 23rd.  Over 15,000 people attend the inaugural festival in 2024.

This show features interviews with Geraldine Stafford an organiser of the Caribana Ignite festival and Steve Roth, the manager of special events for the City of Kitchener.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

CKMS News – 2024-09-06- Kitchener’s inaugural Endless Summer music festival aims to “keep the summer vibes rolling”

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CKMS News – 2024-09-06- Kitchener’s inaugural Endless Summer music festival aims to “keep the summer vibes rolling”

dan kellar
Kitchener, ON –With shifting demographics in the downtown, and the return of thousands of college and university students to the region, the city of Kitchener is hosting the inaugural Endless Summer music festival on Saturday.

Featuring Canadian artists such as Rêve, Helado Negro, Born Ruffians, and I, the Mountain, the festival is free to attend and is headlined by Juno award winner TALK.  DJ Joanna Magik will be performing a set and filling the silence between sets.  In a press release the city described Endless Summer as an event which will “keep the summer vibes rolling”.

This show features an interview with the Manager of special events for the city of Kitchener, Steve Roth,  who speaks about the inaugural Endless Summer music festival taking place in the Victoria Park Commons on Saturday the 7th.  The free event runs from 2-11pm.

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

Wordsworthy Literary Award marks 40 years of independent bookselling in Waterloo

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MP Holmes
Waterloo, ON

To commemorate its 40th anniversary, the only independent bookstore in Waterloo, Wordsworth Books, has revived the Wordsworthy Literary Award. The award, presented for the first time in several years, recognizes outstanding literary contributions from Canadian authors and is intertwined with the bookstore’s history.

One of the owners of Wordsworth Books, Mandy Brouse, explains why the award has been revived and how it connects with the store’s history. Over the past 40 years, Wordsworth Books has weathered the challenges to its business, including recessions, the ION LRT construction, and the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the loyalty of its customer base.

The winner of the 2024 Wordsworthy Literary Award will be announced at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 at the store’s Uptown Waterloo location.

In Conversation With Rashmi

Peggy Dietrich & Kira Burt – In Conversation with Rashmi

Poster 8'11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Peggy Dietrich, the idea for “The Women in the Moon” came suddenly. What she quickly scribbled has now turned into a children’s book that explores and celebrates the ties that bind women
While the book is the brainchild of Dietrich, it was a family affair. Her granddaughter, Ali, did the illustration for the book. The idea of the moon connecting people is inspired by her relationship with her grandchildren. While it is a children’s book, Dietrich said it speaks to women of all ages as well. We, as women, can join together to form a healing community throughout the globe. We just have to look up at the moon and believe in ourselves, says Peggy Dietrich who wrote The Women in the Moon

Kira Burt, has worked at the library for 3 years as a Children’s Programmer. She has worked with kids of all ages from preschool to teens for many years and continues to enjoy it. An outdoor person, she has always enjoyed cycling and being outside and was one of the first to volunteer to be a rider for the Book Pedaler. The Book Pedaler is all about getting out into the community and meeting people where they are. We also want to be an active and engaged part of the community, says Kira Burt

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3 Nines Rewind, CKMS LTA / Live On-Site, Events

Winterloo 2019 – CKMS Live-on-location

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THIS COMING SATURDAY and SUNDAY (Jan. 26th and 27th, 2019) CKMS-FM is LIVE on location and Live-to-Air at the Uptown Waterloo Town Square!!!
We will be providing live music and interactive DJ sets at 2019 Winterloo Festival!!!

Winterloo is an outdoor FREE community winter festival with cool winter activities open to all to get involved in.

Hosted by the City of Waterloo; come join us for ice sculpture carving competitions, dog sled racing, CKMS-FM live DJ sets during the Uptown “Shake N’ Skate”, food trucks such as Tim Horton’s and Beaver Tails, ice fishing games, winter golf in Waterloo Park, snowman building contests, horse and buggie tours, and so much more!!!!
All FREE FOR YOU, FAMILY, FRIENDS AND YOUR COMMUNITY of the Waterloo region!



Music: CKMS DJ’s DJ Denim, DJ JD, DJ Yasin, Nattyphsicist, Francis Claire, Yenniefer Storange, Jeff Stager, Bob Jonkman and many more CKMS DJs and programmers Live-On-site!! We will be LIVE-To-AIR on the FM and stream!!
DJ set times will be announced and updated on our Facebook page this week!


Any questions or details on how you can get involved with CKMS or Winterloo email office@radiowaterloo.ca or cam@radiowaterloo.ca

Hope to see you this coming weekend at the Winterloo Festival!