Where We Are 
Sängerfest 2012 will be held from June 28 to July 1, 2012 in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, in the heart of southern Ontario's fertile farming region. It's a place where the past and the future live perfectly together: it's the home of one of the world's largest old-order Mennonite populations, and the home of the world-famous Blackberry smartphone!
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Closest Airports
Kitchener-Waterloo is well-connected with three nearby airports:
- Toronto Pearson International Airport: Only one hour from Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada's biggest airport welcomes flights from around the world.
- Waterloo International Airport: Our small airport is only 15 minutes away from the city centre, and welcomes direct flights from Ottawa, Calgary, and the Dominican Republic (so that's why it's "International")
- London International Airport: Not to be confused with its UK counterpart, this regional airport is one hour away from Kitchener-Waterloo. It welcomes the following direct flights: Delta flights from Detroit, United flights from Chicago, Westjet flights from Winnipeg and Calgary, and Air Canada flights from Toronto.
Places to Stay
Our talks with the hotels are going very well. All evening group events, most meals and the first mass choir rehearsal will be held at the Holiday Inn in Kitchener.
We have secured a good room rate for the Saengerfest participants and guests at both the Holiday Inn and the Radisson Hotel across the road. This is wonderful because these two hotels are very close, and no transportation will be needed to get "home" whenever someone wants. Both hotels have a great hot breakfast for two persons included in the room rate for us. Breakfast for additional people in the same room will be only $10 each.
Check out the Holiday Inn and Radisson websites to determine how many rooms your choir will need. We would like to know your estimate by July. There are quite a few other events happening in Kitchener at the same time as Saengerfest, and we hope people don't have to drive farther because we did not hold on to enough rooms.
If you're thinking of bringing your RV instead, you can stay ten minutes away at the city's edge in Bingeman Park.
Places to Visit
- Village of St. Jacobs: This quaint village only 20 minutes away is full of the traditional character of our region. Learn about our Mennonite heritage at the Visitor Centre, explore the history of the railroad and electricity at The Mill, and indulge in some sweets at the Maple Syrup museum. The village is full of artists and craftmakers, from painting to quilting, metalworks to glassblowing.
- St. Jacobs Farmers Market: Agriculture and Mennonite culture are alive and well here. Open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in the summer, this huge market offers the best in local produce, meat, and handicrafts. You can even take a short walk to the local stockyards to get a front-row seat at the livestock auction, or visit old-order Mennonites on a horsedrawn trolley tour.
- Joseph Schneider House: A dynamic community museum in downtown Kitchener on the edge of beautiful Victoria Park. This farmhouse was built by one of the area's first pioneers, Joseph Schneider, a Pennsylvania-German Mennonite.
- Art Galleries: Kitchener-Waterloo is home to the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, which sits next to the Perimeter Institute, the futuristic, ultra-modern home of world-renowned theoretical physics. Close to our venue at the Centre in the Square sits the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, featuring impressive works from our famous and upcoming artists.
- The Great Outdoors: Kitchener-Waterloo offers several golf and mini-golf courses, stunning hiking opportunities in nearby provincial and municipal parks, and an extensive river system with great summer-tubing, canoeing, and zip-lining. Ten minutes from the centre, Bingemans has a speedway, waterslide park, 9-hole golf, and canoeing.
- For The Choir Directors: Visit Music Plus in downtown Kitchener! It boasts one of the largest selections of choral music in North America!
- Not Far Away: The world-famous Stratford Shakespearean Festival Theatre (45 min), CN Tower in Toronto (1.5 hr), Niagara Falls (2 hr), and the Welland Canal (2 hr). And can you imagine doing Sängerfest and an African safari at the same time? You can have both! The African Lion Safari is only 30 minutes away in nearby Cambridge.
- Websites to Check Out: Although we will continue to update our site with more details, our local tourism authorities have plenty of information: The Region of Waterloo and The City of Kitchener.
Questions?
Please Email us if you have any questions or suggestions! We look forward to seeing you in Kitchener-Waterloo in 2012!