Things to do in Ottawa, the Outaouais, Eastern Ontario and beyond (May 19 to May 25, 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 MAY 19 to MAY 25

Discover artists and artisans in Brockville, Williamstown or Val-des-Monts

The season’s first Twilight Tuesdays Makers Market is taking place on the Brockville Railway Tunnel plaza on Tuesday, May 20, from 4pm to 7pm. Some 30 crafters and creators will be selling their wares, and there will be food and entertainment, too. The market takes place on the third Tuesday of every month until Tuesday, September 16.

The Glengarry Artists’ Collective is holding its annual juried art show at the Glengarry Nor’Wester and Loyalist Museum in Williamstown from May 23 to June 7. The show launches with a wine and cheese vernissage on Friday, May 23, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Visitors will be encouraged to vote for their faves for the People’s Choice Award.

On May 24 and 25, Arts-aux-Parcs is a two-day arts fair at Ecole du Sommet in Val-des-Monts, Quebec. The free event will feature about 60 artists.

Browse for bargains in Ottawa, West Carleton, Carleton Place or Oxford Mills

You can choose from FOUR community-wide garage sales on Saturday, May 24: the Great Glebe Garage Sale in Ottawa’s downtown Glebe neighbourhood; the West Carleton Community Garage Sale in Carp, Fitzroy Harbour, Galetta, Kinburn and Dunrobin in Ottawa’s rural west end; and sales in Carleton Place and Oxford Mills. Find links and more in my garage sales post.

Dig into some ribs in Kanata

This weekend’s Kanata RibFest and Poutine (May 23 to 25) offers live entertainment, craft beer and, of course, lots of gooey ribs. And free parking! It’s all happening at the Community Hub at 400 March Road. (If you like ribfests, check out my big list of local rib festivals.)

Buy some new plants in Orleans

The Gloucester Horticultural Society is holding its annual fundraising plant sale at the Orleans Fruit Farm (1399 Orleans Boulevard) on Saturday, May 24, from 9am until noon (or until the plants run out). Perennials, veggies, shrubs and tree seedlings will be available.

Kick up your heels at Ottawa’s Polish Fest

Polish Fest is a one-day celebration of Polish food, music, dancing, arts and crafts. It’s happening in the ByWard Market on Saturday, May 24, from 11am to 8pm. Admission to the family-friendly event is free.

Chomp on cheese in Kingston

Attention, connaisseurs of cheesy comestibles: The Great Canadian Cheese Festival is happening at Fort Henry in Kingston on May 24 and 25. As well as sampling and buying cheeses from over 100 Canadian makers, you can attend tutored tastings, enjoy live music and bring your kids to a children’s cheesemaking workshop.

Attend a powwow in Ottawa

The Odawa Traditional Powwow is taking place at the Odawa Native Friendship Centre on St. Laurent Boulevard from May 24 and 25. The event will celebrate the centre’s 50th anniversary with traditional Indigenous dances (including a Round Dance on Saturday night), drumming, storytelling, music and cuisine. There will be special activities for children, too. Admission is free but donations are appreciated.

Paddle for prizes in Spencerville

The Spencerville Mill Canoe Poker Run will see canoeists and kayakers take to the South Nation River at 9am on Saturday, May 24, and paddle to Spencerville. Prizes are up for grabs, paddlers get lunch at the end of the race, and the money raised goes to the Spencerville Mill and Museum.

Celebrate spring in Smiths Falls

The weather this week hasn’t been particularly balmy, but that doesn’t mean you can celebrate the season at the Spring Festival at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum on Sunday, May 25. From 11am to 2pm, the fun will include a scavenger hunt, bouncy castles, axe throwing, a barbecue, live music and more.

Go for a walk or a run in Ottawa or St-Jérôme

On Saturday, May 25, Ottawa’s Hike for Hospice is a 5K walk from the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre in Britannia Park and back, along riverside trails. It raises money for end-of-life care services.

Running more your speed? Then why not register for one of the races in the enormous Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend (May 24 and 25)—one of Canada’s biggest running events? Choose from 2K, 5K and 10K races, a half-marathon or a full marathon, or a kids’ race. (If you’re not participating, keep the race’s road closures in mind while driving around town this weekend.)

Much smaller but with the promise of wooded trails, the Course nature de la Rivière-du-Nord in St-Jérôme (in the southern Laurentians) on Sunday, May 25, features 3K, 5K and 10K races, as well as a 1K route for kids.

Get growing in Montreal

The Great Gardening Weekend at the Montreal Botanic Garden (May 23 to 25) offers all sorts of fun for green thumbs, including gardening workshops and children’s activities.

Go to a farmers’ market in Navan

The monthly Original Navan Market (Sunday, May 25) is like a farmers’ market on steroids, with a huge range of local vendors. The first market of the season is happening at the Navan Fairgrounds (1279 Colonial Road) from 9:30am to 2pm. (Regulars will note that the market has changed its hours this year, opening half an hour earlier and closing an hour earlier.)

Love those lilacs in Franktown and Prince Edward County

I have two ways for you to celebrate the sweet scent of spring this weekend. Not far from Ottawa, the Franktown Lilac Festival in Lanark County (Saturday, May 24) features a breakfast, live music, children’s activities, a craft market, a silent auction and wagon rides, among other fun.

A bit further afield, the Rotary Lilac Ride (Sunday, May 25) lets you choose a 25K, 50K or 100K bike route through lilac-laden Prince Edward County.

Shop for vintage finds in Kingston

In downtown Kingston, you can explore an outdoor vintage market on Montreal Street (between Princess and Queen) on Sunday, May 25, from 10am to 5pm.

See cutting-edge dance and theatre in Montreal

The Festival TransAmériques (May 22 to June 5) is North America’s largest contemporary dance and theatre festival. This year, it’s offering 20 shows across multiple venues. Expect lots of cutting-edge choreography and thought-provoking performances by artists from places around the world, including Canada, Argentina and Burkina Faso.

See LGBTQ movies in Toronto

There’s much, much more to the world of movie relationships than boy meets girl—and you can see lots of those movies all in one city. Inside Out: Toronto LGBT Film Festival (May 23 to June 1)—a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movies—is the largest such event in Canada and one of the five top LGBT film fests in the world.

Bike ’til you drop in Montreal

The Go Bike Montreal Festival (May 25 to June 1) gives you the chance to take several bike tours of the island of Montreal on car-free streets.

Go to a rodeo in Lansdowne

I know just about zilch about rodeos, but if you’re more of an expert on ropin’ and ridin’, you just might be interested in the Black Creek Pro Rodeo in Lansdowne (that’s the village of Lansdowne, near Kingston, NOT Ottawa’s Lansdowne Park) from May 23 to 25.

Cheer for monster trucks in Ottawa or Kingston

OK, so I know even less about monster trucks than I do about rodeos! That being said, I will simply point you to Monster Spectacular, billed as “Canada’s biggest monster truck tour.” It will be roaring into the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Saturday, May 24, and then heading to Slush Puppie Place in Kingston on Sunday, May 25. Both events are afternoon shows, starting at 2pm.

Enjoy wrestling at TD Place

And now we’ve come to the category I know the least about at all: wrestling! A Premier Canadian Wrestling event called Bytown Brawl: A Quest for Glory is coming to TD Place at Lansdowne Park on Saturday, May 24. That’s all I know, but if you’re a wrestling fan, it might be up your alley.

Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km 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.