Conexión Latina is a high-energy Latin music band, founded in 2020 in Waterloo, Ontario that brings together talented musicians from across Latin America and Canada. Their diverse backgrounds create a unique and vibrant sound that celebrates rich musical traditions. From Cuban salsa all the way to Colombian cumbia, their infectious rhythms are guaranteed to get your hips moving! The dance floor is open—come feel the music with Conexión Latina! 

Shantell Powell is a two-spirit Inuk/Mi’kmaw/settler raised on the land and off the grid. A graduate of the Writers’ Studio at Simon Fraser University, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and the LGBTQ+ Novel Immersive at GrubStreet, she writes speculative fiction and poetry. She’s a finalist this year for the Brave New Weird prize and the Aurora Award. Her writing appears in Strange Horizons, Augur Magazine, The Deadlands, On Spec Magazine, and more. Shantell will be reading fantastical poems which draw inspiration from the storytelling of her Inuit ancestors. 

https://shanmonster.dreamwidth.org 

Culture Philippines of Ontario is non-profit, community-based and youth-centered organization established in 1985. Their objective is to retain Filipino cultural heritage by providing music, dance and performing arts instructions to children in Canada and share it with the community. 

https://culturephilippinesofontario.com/ 

This group will have a performance by the male adult group as well as a teen group. 

Nachde Rangeelay Bhangra Academy is a local Bhangra team from Brampton, Ontario. They use the folk roots of Bhangra and combine it with a twist of modern choreo. Their goal is to grow Bhangra so it will be available to future generations and keep the Punjabi folk dance culture alive. They have an academy with over 300 plus students and growing. They are also active in the entertainment industry providing a high energy  performance for all sorts of events.

Levant for Culture and Arts is a community driven organization dedicated to fostering inclusion, expression, and connection through arts and cultural programming. They empower newcomers, people with diverse abilities, and marginalized voices to share their stories, celebrate heritage, and build a sense of belonging in the Waterloo Region and beyond. Through music, dance, visual arts, and storytelling, Levant creates accessible and inclusive spaces where creativity bridges cultures and strengthens community ties.

www.levantcanada.org