Once Halloween and spooky season has wrapped up, there is a familiar and rather boring lull until the holiday season starts. Of course, some may pull out the tinsel and snowflakes as soon as the clock strikes 12 a.m. on November 1st. However, if you give it a minute before Mariah Carey is allowed back into your home, here are some fun activities to fill the gap between celebrations while Canadian weather is also at its moodiest.
Classic-themed get-togethers are always a good way to show off your creativity and have some fun. Indulge in a TikTok trend and host a Charcuterie or Butter Board Night with your friends to shake up the potluck status quo. This can also be done by trying your hand at iconic movie and television show dishes or using any rules you can come up with to challenge your friends – like only being able to use ingredients that start with the letter C or having to prepare it with your non-dominant hand. If you decide to go with the board route, you can split up the boards by courses, themes or food categories so everyone gets to take part in creating their own unique board. And speaking of boards, a Game Night is always an option. You can combine games for the ultimate challenge or have everyone bring their own favourite game. If you’re a sucker for the competitive thrill but aren’t into board games, you can always rely on a Murder Mystery Night. With plenty of free templates online, get your friends to dress up in character and see where the evening takes you. If you have a large group, a classic game of Mafia is a shorter and simpler way to incorporate murder and intrigue into your night.
Waterloo also has no shortage of tricks up its sleeve with unique events to partake in during November. Dog-Friendly KW is hosting a Paw-liday Festival in downtown Kitchener on the 26th and 27th. Also in downtown Kitchener is the Art Walk. You can download the map and self-guided tour brochure from the DTK website to uncover the 99 art installations including murals and sculptures that decorate the community. The Kitchener Market takes place on Saturdays and so does the Cambridge Farmers’ Market which runs through the whole year. As one of Canada’s oldest markets, it offers a change of scenery from the usual crowd of St. Jacob’s. Another unique activity to look into is Conestogo River Horseback Adventures, which is a ten-minute drive or 25-minute bus ride on the GRT 202 from campus. They offer horseback riding lessons, trail trips and wagon rides if you are looking for an outdoor activity that is truly out of the ordinary. Waterloo also boasts a wide variety of trails to check out before the snow and mud take over. Some trails are fully paved like the 2.5 km Spurline Trail that connects downtown Kitchener to uptown Waterloo, and some are partially paved like the 8 km Laurel Trail which goes through the University of Waterloo to Columbia Lake, a beautiful park area to catch the last of the fall foliage.
Alternatively, if you are looking to stay inside with some creativity-based activities, consider hosting a Paint Night. You can get all the essentials from the dollar store for this entertaining night. You can all paint the same thing as a competition, take turns rotating paintings around, paint without looking or just go the traditional route. An Anything But Clothes party is another way to tap into your creativity – especially if Halloween already feels like a distant memory and you want to dress up all over again.
Finally, one of the only good things to come out of pandemic lockdowns is PowerPoint Nights. Try themes like which movie character each of your friends is, your life in songs or explain that image, where everyone finds complex and interesting photos online and they are distributed randomly for others to explain what could possibly have led to this image.
The lull between Halloween and the holiday season will be different for everyone, especially if you’re an eager keener and desperate to start the holiday festivities as soon as possible. This downtime is an opportunity for reflection, studying, socializing and some much-needed rest following midterms. Before exams and chaos arrive, take this opportunity to enjoy your hobbies,
have some fun with friends and explore Waterloo. Hopefully, these ideas will be a helpful and entertaining way to navigate this lull while the leaves continue to fall and snow seems to be just around the corner.