Waterloo celebrating its uptown with Lumen festival

WATERLOO — Waterloo is celebrating the uptown with a new nighttime festival that combines light, art and technology.

Lumen will take place at more than 25 locations throughout the city’s core on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 6 to 11 p.m. with the headline performance by DJ Kid Koala.

“This is our tribute to uptown and thinking about it in a different way,” said Sonya Poweska, culture program specialist for Waterloo.

The uptown made it through lengthy light rail construction, followed by a major project to beautify King Street through the core. This year Waterloo Park also marks its 125th anniversary, so there’s a lot to celebrate.

The free festival has been a year in the making, drawing together artists, community partners and sponsors.

“It’s really a labour of love for our city,” Poweska said. “We’ve got a lot of support from people in the area who really love uptown and want it to thrive.”

Installations, performances and community art will be happen throughout the uptown, including at Waterloo Park, Waterloo Public Square, Waterloo Public Library, Button Factory Arts, Centre for International Governance Innovation, and Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery.

Kid Koala will be there with his Satellite Turntable Orchestra project, and he’s going to enlist the audience to help him make music. Fifty turntable stations will be set up, with room for four people at each one.

“You get to DJ alongside him,” Poweska said.

She’s hard-pressed to pick a festival favourite.

“I can’t answer that question because every single one of them offers something so unique to participate in,” she said. “It’s really hard for me to not get excited about all of this.”

The city hopes to host Lumen again, but a festival this ambitious needs a lot of support.

“Everybody’s really come together to see something like this happen,” Poweska said.

Find out more at waterloo.ca/lumen.