The winter season can be tough, especially in Ontario, and especially during finals season. But instead of sitting at home when there isn’t much else other than schoolwork going on, we should take full advantage of the experiences Waterloo has to offer. You may be aware of them already, so I encourage you to turn this article into a little checklist for your holiday season.
Wonders of Winter Festival of Lights
This has always been one of my favourite Christmas activities since I was a kid when visiting my lovely grandparents in Waterloo for the holidays. Set up in Waterloo Park, this beautiful light display runs every evening from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. until January 1st! Enjoying the park and the nature it holds on its own is great, but the magic of Christmas just doesn’t seem complete without the colourful and elaborate decorations that bring some cheer during dark winter nights. For more information, check out the website.
Ice Skating
Unfortunately for all you casual skaters out there, the (perfectly located) rink at Waterloo Public Square is closed for the season. However, there are many other outdoor rinks scattered around the region that are open to students. A couple of the closer ones to the university area are in Forwell Park and Mary Allen Park, the first located up King Street near the highway, and the second in a small neighbourhood a couple of blocks east of King Street. So, be sure to have your skates ready after class!
St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market
Okay, this isn’t technically a holiday thing, but it’s still a farmers’ market! It’s going to be cozy and happy regardless of the time of year. With plenty of food, drinks, décor, knickknacks and whatever else your heart desires, the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market is an absolute must if you’re planning to do some local Christmas shopping for your loved ones (including yourself). For info about parking and hours, here’s a handy link.
University Events
There is always so much going on at school, only about a quarter of which I’m aware of. But if you do keep tabs on university events, you’ll notice the insane amount of clubs hosting holiday activities around this time of year. From movie nights to bake sales, they’ve thought of it all! For students at Laurier, student-led faculty associations like the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) or Lazaridis Students’ Society (LazSoc) can be very useful resources for discovering what’s happening on campus at this time of year. You can find them both on Instagram @auslaurier and @lazsoc, respectively.
I must admit, I need to take my own advice and get out of my boring school routine so I too can properly enjoy every moment of the holiday season. We take a lot of the small, but delightful things around us for granted, and as every wholesome Christmas movie would indeed inform us, it’s about time we start to appreciate them.