Things to do in Ottawa, the Outaouais, Eastern Ontario and beyond (March 31 to April 13, 2025)

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Wondering what to do in Ottawa this weekend? It is a great time for a road trip in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario or the Outaouais. In fact, there’s SO much going on that I keep adding new items, so please keep checking back here regularly. Happy road tripping!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WEEK OF MARCH 31 TO APRIL 6

Catch Atlético Ottawa’s season opener at TD Place

Soccer fans, take note: Atlético Ottawa takes on the Halifax Wanderers in the opening game of the season on Saturday, April 5, at TD Place. It’s a pay-what-you-can fundraiser for CHEO.

Enjoy maple fun across Ontario

Sugar bushes across the province will be offering special events during the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association’s Maple Weekend (April 5 and 6). Participating farms in Eastern Ontario include spots in Fournier, Morewood, Wendover, Moose Creek, Lancaster, Kemptville, Almonte, Pakenham, McDonald’s Corners, Lanark, North Elmsley, Portland, Westport, Fermoy, Athens, Mallorytown and Pembroke.

Cheer for competitors at a snowmobile race in Calabogie

Snowmobilers, here’s one for you: The Calabogie 500 hill drag race roars into the Calabogie Peaks Resort on Saturday, April 5. (Given the changeability of spring weather, PLEASE check the website before venturing out, as this event is weather dependent.)

Channel your inner Scot at Beechwood Cemetery

Beechwood Cemetery is hosting a National Tartan Day celebration on Saturday, April 5, presented by the Sons of Scotland Pipe Band. The evening of Scottish music, poetry, history and light refreshments is a fundraiser for the band, so members can travel to represent Ottawa and Canada abroad. Doors open at 6:30pm and the event starts at 7pm.

Browse for handmade goods in Ottawa and Pakenham

Warmer weather must be on its way, because the first local studio tour of 2025 is here! You can enjoy art, crafts, food and heritage locations on the Pakenham Maple Run Tour (April 5 and 6). As well as meeting the artists and shopping for paintings, art glass, pottery, textile art, mosaics, photography, jewellery, clothing, soaps and more, you can nosh on pizza, baked goods and more, and enjoy local craft beer and cider. The Maple Run Tour website provides details on all the tour participants (there are more than 30 artisans) and the nine tour venues, which include a church, a one-room schoolhouse, a sugar bush and a library. You’ll need a car—or a bike and lots of stamina—for this self-driving tour, as the whole route is about 40 kilometres long.

Also coming up, at the EY Centre in Ottawa, the Originals Spring Craft Sale (April 3 to 6) is an immensely popular annual sale of handmade goods created by more than 140 artisans from across Canada. Items will include textiles, jewellery, skin care products, candles, ceramics, wall art, garden decor and gourmet foods.

Eat tamales at Lansdowne Park

The Tamal Festival (Saturday, April 5) is an afternoon celebration at Lansdowne Park of a staple of Latin American and Caribbean cuisine: the tamale! Chefs will be cooking up tamale recipes from countries across Latin America, including Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela. As well as tamales stuffed with beef, chicken or pork, there will be sweet, vegetarian and vegan varieties. You can also nosh on churros, Mexican bread and cakes, and there will be kids’ activities, too. Admission is free, but be prepared to pay cash for your tamales and other purchases.

See a play or a concert

Plays on stage in Eastern Ontario this week include Mary Poppins in Kemptville; Trident Moon, a drama about the 1947 partition of India, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa; and comedies by Ottawa Little Theatre and Kanata Theatre. See my theatre guide for details.

If music is more your speed, check out my concert listing, which includes this week’s show by Heart at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Join a car rally in Chesterville

On Saturday, April 5, the Chesterville and District Lions Club is holding its 35th annual Car Rally. Registration starts at the Legion at 11am and the event starts at noon.

Learn about birdwatching in Navan

You can learn more about your local feathered friends at Birding 101, a workshop at Robert Plante Greenhouses in Navan on Saturday, April 5. Birder Rebecca Boyar will teach you how to identify common backyard birds, share tips on birds’ preferred foods and feeder types, and explain how to attract more birds to your yard.

Dine well in Perth and Prince Edward County

Looking to save money but still dine well? Perthalicious (March 24 to April 6) will give you the chance to do just that. Throughout the two-week promotion, 15 Perth restaurants will be offering deals on special three-course prix fixe menus. It’s a great chance to try a new-to-you restaurant or revisit an old favourite.

Similarly, Countylicious (March 27 to April 13) is a chance to get a good deal on good food in Prince Edward County. The 13 participating restaurants are offering multi-course prix fixe menus for lunch, dinner or both, starting at $20 per person, excluding gratuities.

Get psychic insights in Smiths Falls

On Saturday, April 5, the Global Culture Trading Post in Smiths Falls will be hosting its Spring Psychic Fair. Practitioners will be offering tarot readings, energy cleanses, psychic consultations, palm readings, tea leaf readings, reiki, bone throwing and more. 

Check out a film festival in the Outaouais

A wide range of French-language movies are screening this week as part of the Festival du film de l’Outaouais (April 3 to 11). As well as placing a special focus on Argentinian films, the festival features movies from Canada, France and beyond.

Go to a music festival in Montreal

Festival de la Voix is a Montreal celebration of vocal music. From April 4 to 27, it will offer concerts—everything from choral music to R&B—and master workshops, mainly on Montreal’s West Island.

Check out a family expo in Nepean

The Ottawa Parent & Child Expo at the Nepean Sportsplex (April 5 and 6) promises fun for the whole family, with everything from costumed characters (Rubble from PAW Patrol will be there) to an inflatable bouncy slide, video games, animal presentations, princesses and more. Plus, there will be free goody bags for the first 1,500 visitors each day.

Get home improvement ideas in Cornwall

The Home & Leisure Expo at the Benson Centre in Cornwall (April 4 to 6) will feature a wide range of exhibitors, including renovation, home decor, landscaping and outdoor recreation companies. There will be a makers’ market, too. Free admission.

WEEK OF APRIL 7 TO 13

These are just a few of the events coming up this week. I’m still adding events to this section, so keep checking back!

Paddle the Raisin River near St. Andrews

The arrival of spring means many canoeists are keen to get their paddles in the water. One of the first opportunities of the season is the Raisin River Canoe Race, happening in St. Andrews West (just north of Cornwall) on Saturday, April 12. You can register online in advance. You may also be able to register in person on the day of the race, if space is still available. The event includes a pre-race breakfast in St. Andrews Parish Hall and a post-race dinner at the Char-Lan Rec Centre.

Eat poutine in Petawawa

It must be spring, because poutine festival season has started! Petawawa Poutine Feast (April 10 to 13) is four days of gooey, squeaky-cheese fun at the Petawawa Civic Centre.

Get vacation inspiration in Ottawa

Planning your summer vacation? All kinds of exhibitors—representing Canadian and international destinations—will be on hand with ideas at the Travel and Vacation Show at the Rogers Centre in downtown Ottawa (April 12 and 13). That same weekend, you could also check out the Ottawa Cottage Life & Backyard Show at the EY Centre (April 11 to 13). Vendors will be on hand selling everything from water toys to barbecues.

Enjoy Easter fun in Kemptville

Kemptville is getting a “jump” on its Easter festivities by hosting its Easter Bunny Hop a week before the long weekend! On Saturday, April 12, from 10am to noon, the fun will include egg and cookie decorating, bouncy castles, a dance party, an Easter egg hunt and the chance to meet furry friends from Happy Little Farmstead.

Shop for unique items in Merrickville

The Merrickville Spring Makers’ Market (April 12 and 13) will feature a wide range of local artisans—and the selection of vendors will change each day. Shop for jewellery, art and many other unique pieces at the Merrickville Community Centre. Admission is free.

Looking for more tips on things to see and do in Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais, northern New York state and beyond? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your Weekend Getaway Guide.

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.