Coffee and a DJ: Escape the daily grind with new Sunday music series in downtown Kitchener
CBC
If you’ve ever wanted to groove to music while drinking coffee, the Kitchener Downtown BIA has you covered this winter.
A new weekly event starting Sunday, called Sunday Grind, is meant to put a spotlight on downtown cafes while a local DJ brings the beats.
Spanning over 10 weeks, a different cafe will host the event each Sunday.
Arnold Yescas, the arts and culture manager at the BIA, is the mastermind behind the idea.
“I created this Sunday Grind because January, February, March are typically slower seasons of the year, and we have so many amazing cafes downtown. So I created this program to showcase our amazing cafe culture and bring a little music flair to it as well,” said Yescas.
The first cafe to host is Fresh Ground near the Kitchener Market. It is a completely plant-based non-profit cafe with the Working Centre.
Cassandra Polyzou, the community tools and enterprise hub lead at the Working Centre, says she hopes this event attracts more regular customers to the cafe.
“What we're trying to do is create spaces where diverse people feel welcome and they can afford and access a variety of things, whether it's wonderful plant-based food and coffee or it's Recycled Cycles, which is our community bike shop or Worth A Second Look, which is our thrift store, which is just down on Market Lane behind us.”
Polyzou says all profits from Fresh Ground and other Working Centre spaces go back into the organization to support shelter, housing and outreach work.
Everyone working at Fresh Ground is employed through the Working Centre, including Beaux Young. He says the event allows people an opportunity to attend a daytime event.
“To see that happening mid Sunday afternoon, I think opens that opportunity up to people who might not be wanting to go out in the evenings but still are craving that kind of experience.”
Sunday Grind is steering away from the bar and beverage scene, according to Yescas.
“I think you know, every event that we design that comes downtown, alcohol is usually one of the main focuses. So we found that activating cafes, especially in the early hours of the days, it's just a great vibe and experience.”
Owen Fleming, owner of Eardrum Productions, plans on delivering the great vibes by DJing. He usually plays for weddings and upbeat parties.
If you’ve ever wanted to groove to music while drinking coffee, the Kitchener Downtown BIA has you covered this winter.
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