Kitchener seeing big crowds for downtown festivals, events this summer

It seems downtown Kitchener is the “place to be” this summer.

The downtown core is proving popular with summertime events and festivals attracting big numbers so far this season.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic was on The Mike Farwell Show on Tuesday and confirmed about 22,000 people showed up for Canada Day weekend celebrations.

“I think we’ve kind of been knocking it out of the park so far,” Vrbanovic said. “It’s been pretty amazing.”

There was an even bigger turnout for K-W Ribfest and Craft Beer Show a couple weeks ago, with almost 40,000 people stopping by Victoria Park over the three days.

It’s not just big festivals and events drawing big crowds either.

“The sunset sessions that the BIA has been running on Vogelsang Green —  they have been packed some Friday nights,” explained Vrbanovic. “The latin dancing we’ve been doing in Carl Zehr Square during the week, that’s certainly brought lots of people together. The benefit is, while they’re down there—  they’re obviously participating in the activities but they’re also getting out to the restaurants and supporting them.”

It seems locals aren’t just heading downtown to have fun with friends and family, as some are also choosing to call the core home.

Cory Bluhm is Executive Director of Economic Development with the City of Kitchener and said there’s been a recent residential boom, adding to the bustling landscape.

“Just to give you context, over the last five years alone there’s been 3,000 new units opened; so apartments, condos. It’s about 5,000 new people living directly in the core,” Bluhm said. “Over the next two to three years, we’ll see another 1,600 coming along —  those are the ones that are under construction now, and that’s another 3,000 people.”

Whether people are walking around the corner or travelling from across town, Bluhm said downtown vibrancy is on an upward trajectory and he expects that will continue.