Poutine is just one of those dishes: You either can’t get enough or you can’t stand the thought of it. If you’re in the “can’t get enough” camp, you’re in luck, because there are LOTS of poutine festivals coming to Ottawa, Gatineau and Eastern Ontario in 2026!
Every year, it seems there are more events are devoted to what more and more people are deeming Canada’s National Dish. (Hey, whatever happened to maple syrup, Nanaimo bars and butter tarts?)
The sticky dish of fries, cheese curds and gravy has become insanely popular over a relatively short period of time. Several Quebec establishments have claimed credit for inventing it in the 1950s or the 1960s, including restaurants in Warwick, Drummondville and Princeville.
Since then, it has spread far and wide; in the U.S. Northeast, it is still sometimes known as “disco fries”; in at least one Vietnamese restaurant, they top it with kimchi and pulled pork.
Not all of the American attempts at the iconic dish get top marks from Quebec connoisseurs; there was an immediate, horrified reaction from Reddit readers when news surfaced in 2017 that one New Jersey restaurant topped its version with—quel horreur!—Kraft cheese singles. (For the record, it did look pretty horrifying.)
If chips dowsed with gravy and cheese curds are your thing, here’s the scoop on some places within a day’s drive of Ottawa where you can get your fix. Note that these festivals have become so popular that some cities have rival events with similar names.
- Renfrew Poutine Feast, April 23 to 26, 2026
- Orleans PoutineFest and Street Food Frenzy, April 24 to 26, 2026
- Ottawa Poutine Fest, May 1 to 3, 2026
- Carleton Place Poutine Feast, May 7 to 10, 2026
- Barrhaven Ribfest and Poutine, May 15 to 18, 2026
- Kanata Ribfest and Poutine, May 22 to 24, 2026
- Le Grand Poutinefest Saint-Eustache, May 22 to 24, 2026
- Le Grand Poutinefest Pointe-Claire, May 29 to 31, 2026
- Le Grand Poutinefest Lachute, June 19 to 21, 2026
- Le Grand Poutinefest Mirabel, June 26 and 27, 2026
- Le Grand Poutinefest Longueuil, July 10 to 12, 2026
- Le Grand Poutinefest Vieux-Port de Montréal, July 22 to August 2, 2026
- Cornwall Poutine Feast, July 30 to August 2, 2026
- Bancroft Poutine Feast, August 6 to 9, 2026
- Brockville Poutine Feast, August 13 to 16, 2026
- Le Grand Poutinefest Gatineau, August 14 to 16, 2026
- Belleville Poutine Feast, August 20 to 23, 2026
- Petawawa Poutine Feast, August 27 to 30, 2026
- Le Grand Poutinefest Marché Centrale Montréal, September 18 to 20, 2026
- Kingston Poutine Feast, September 24 to 27, 2026
Did I miss your favourite festival of fries, gravy and squeaky cheese? Let me know in the comments!
And if you like poutine, I’ll wager you also like ribs! If so, check out my list of local ribfests.
Post updated July 18, 2026. Cover photo by Brayden Prato on Unsplash.
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As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.
4 comments
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