Try something a little different this year
Guelph has a thriving bar scene, which is enjoyed by many university students. With a bar or club on practically every corner downtown, there may seem like a lot of options, but they can start to feel similar after a while. Luckily, for those who are underage or just looking for something a little different, Guelph also offers a variety of alternative entertainment options. You’ll find everything from board games to indie movies to improv shows and much more.
Guelph has recently seen a boom of activity when it comes to themed cafés and game-based entertainment. Since October 2015, two new board game cafés, three escape rooms, and a video game café have opened or are scheduled to open this month. With such a high volume of niche-based venues opening at around the same time and within the same vicinity, one would assume that the competition gets a bit tough, but local business owners are quite optimistic.
“Board game cafés, escape rooms, and all of that is growing like positive weeds in every community. So why not Guelph?” said U of G alumnus and local entrepreneur, Thomas Gofton.
Gofton is credited as “influencer” of The Round Table board game tavern—which was the first of its kind to open in Guelph—as well as the Khronos Gauntlet adventure rooms, and Afterlife, a video game café set to open this month.
As a lifelong resident of Guelph, Gofton said that “it’s a very Guelph thing for businesses to support each other […] and bring in people from afar to experience them all.”
Kevin Bowman, another U of G alumnus and co-owner of The Boardroom—which just had its soft opening in late July—said that he is not worried about the competition from The Round Table because each business offers a unique experience and “it’s a very different vibe on the inside.”
The Round Table has been outfitted to look like a medieval lair, complete with stone walls and fantasy-inspired scenery and menu options.
According to Gofton, the approach is “heavily immersive in theme and service, but not so excluding or esoteric that only a certain demographic was accepted or would understand it.”
The Boardroom has a very modern, yet somehow retro vibe, finished off with a homey smell of waffles and popcorn.
“We try to set up our place to be as welcoming for anybody and everybody, even if you’ve never played board games before,” said Bowman, who owns the cooperative business with four other U of G grads.
Like the two board game cafés, Guelph’s escape rooms all offer vastly different themes and experiences. The Khronos Gauntlet has a similar medieval fantasy vibe to The Round Table; Fantescapes—yet another former Gryphon venture run by Shawn Johnson and Glenn Roberts—immerses you in the realm of a genie’s lamp or an alien autopsy; and Exitus delves into a more family-friendly puzzle rooms, like the professor’s study.
“We’re what they call a traditional escape room,” explained Craig Maben, co-owner of Exitus. “It’s based on all the puzzles and the ciphers and the games—all the locks and keys.”
Escape rooms give patrons the opportunity to immerse themselves into a fictional scenario and take a step away from any type of screen, if only just for an hour.
“I think it’s the live experience that everyone likes,” said Maben. “You’re physically out in a room with all your friends for an hour trying to solve puzzles.”
If you prefer watching the action unfold on the big screen, The Bookshelf Cinema downtown offers screenings of indie films that may not be played at the bigger theatres, as well as documentaries and films from local artists.
Cinema manager Peter Henderson has been at the helm of The Bookshelf Cinema since it started in 1988 and actively seeks out films that may not have made it to the bigger chain theatres.
Swiss Army Man, The Lobster, Captain Fantastic, and the new Frank Zappa documentary, Eat That Question, are just a few of the rarer titles that have recently played on The Bookshelf’s screen.
The Guelph Movie Club also hosts monthly events at the small, but cozy cinema that offer audience members a chance to vote on which movie will be played—often screening classics like Indiana Jones or the original Ghostbusters.
The cinema makes up just one part of The Bookshelf community, which is also comprised of an independent bookstore and the eBar, a resto-bar on the second floor that often hosts live music events, DJs, poetry slams, comedy nights, and burlesque shows.
“It’s an integrated, cultural hub,” explained Henderson. “It’s a cool place with a bunch of different things to do under one roof.”
Another cool avenue to explore in Guelph is its budding comedy and improv scene. With many local comedians taking every chance they get to work a crowd, shows are happening on a regular basis at various venues—sometimes even at the local cat café.
The Making-Box plays a huge role in fostering the success of comedy in Guelph, offering a live comedy and improv venue, as well as classes for anyone looking to learn some new skills.
“We brought a happiness to Guelph that it hasn’t seen before,” explained Making-Box co-founder Jay Reid, who used his applied entrepreneurship class at the University of Guelph to develop the business.
“Taking an improv class is gasoline on a friendship fire,” said Reid. “Often people discover a part of themselves that they never experienced before and they find an incredible community of people who say ‘yes’ and support each other and have the most fun while doing it.”
The Making-Box recently exceeded their Kickstarter goal of $20,000 to relocate and expand their theatre at a new location on Wyndham Street. While they are currently waiting on some legal infrastructure to go through, if all goes to plan, the new comedy hub will be open by November this year.