Vintage Fest returns to Uptown Waterloo in a new and unexpected location
Posted May 15, 2025 03:51:04 PM.
Last Updated May 15, 2025 03:51:12 PM.
A unique festival is set to take over Waterloo Public Square this Victoria Day Long Weekend.
Vintage Fest is presented by KW Famous with support from the Uptown Waterloo BIA. It’s a celebration of all things vintage but also a showcase of local artists and performers.
KW Famous founder, Robin Lindner, was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show and said the festival came about in a very organic fashion.
“As KW Famous started, we just became friends with a lot of artists, and that was our network of people. Instead of putting our ideas out to them, we thought they would put out their own ideas to come to life, and we would help them out,” she said.
The center piece of the festival will be the vendors market. It will spread-out across the levels of the parking tower, across the street from Waterloo Public Square.
Lindner said there was something about the parkade that stuck in her mind.
“I live uptown and always looked at it and been like, you know what, something needs to happen here. What a great view of the city and the whole square you can see from up there.”
Linder said they reached out the Uptown Waterloo BIA about their idea and they were welcomed with open arms.
BIA Executive Director, Jeyaz Balaskanthan, told The Mike Farwell Show, this is exactly the kind of event the city needs.
“It’s going to bring thousands of people on a May long weekend when we’ve never had something like this happen,” he said.
Balaskanthan went on to say, “Our hope is that we kick a**, which we are going to do, and continue this every year. It becomes a tradition. When the May long weekend comes, it’s Vintage Festival.”
Live entertainment will take over the square all weekend long. Several musical acts will be performing. There will be designer fashion show, break dance demos and a classic car show. There will even be a pop-up roller disco on the roof of the parkade. Some rumours about an after-party have also been circulating.
Vintage Fest runs Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18 from 10 a.m to 6 p.m.
Admission is free.
