Things to do in Ottawa, the Outaouais, Eastern Ontario and beyond (March 3 to March 30, 2025)

59K

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 3 TO MARCH 9

If the photo of flowers above has you dreaming of spring, keep reading to find out how you can get seeds and gardening advice at multiple events this month.

Celebrate women at a Perth breakfast

Saturday, March 8, is International Women’s Day, and CFUW Perth & District and Lanark County Interval House and Community Support are marking the occasion with a breakfast at the Civitan Club of Perth. Lawyer, entrepreneur and community advocate Michelle Foxton, lawyer will be giving a talk titled Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: Women Leading Change in Lanark-Frontenac.

See a play in Ottawa or Kingston

Lots of plays are opening or continuing in Ottawa and Kingston this week, including a Carole King musical in Nepean, a romantic comedy in Kingston and The Shawshank Redemption at the Ottawa Little Theatre. See my theatre guide for links and details.

Get cycling inspiration in Gatineau

With some 100 exhibitors showing off the latest cycles and promoting bike trips all over the world, the Gatineau-Ottawa Bicycle Show (March 7 to 9) is a great opportunity to get yourself equipped for two-wheeled adventures this summer. It’s happening at the Palais des Congrès de Gatineau.

Catch a multimedia event at Arts Court

Pique is staging a two-day festival this week; usually, its quarterly events are single-day affairs. This one will feature over a dozen artists on multiple stages. As always, it looks like it will be an eclectic presentation of contemporary music, visual art, film and much more—everything from Nigerian electronica to glow-in-the-dark weaving. It’s happening at Arts Court on March 7 and 8, and admission is pay-what-you-can.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Ottawa

OK, St. Patrick’s Day is still over a week off, but hey—it’s never too early to celebrate, right? Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éirann (Ottawa Irish Arts) is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day ceili (dance) at the St. Brigid’s Centre in Lowertown on the afternoon of Sunday, March 9. Ellen MacIsaac and the Celtic Choir will provide the music, and Irish dancers of all skill levels will be invited to take to the floor. Soda bread, tea and other traditional treats will be available. Advance ticket purchase required.

Learn to paint in Carleton Place

If you’ve ever wanted to learn to paint with watercolours, this month is your chance. LapisDragon Arts is offering a series of three one-hour watercolour courses in Carleton Place this month, with an introduction on Sunday, March 9, and follow-up classes on the next two Sundays. Sign up for one, two or the whole series.

Learn to scuba dive in Gatineau

Scuba Finatics Ottawa (yes, I spelled that right) is running an introduction to scuba class at the Centre Sportif UQO in Gatineau on the morning of Saturday, March 8. Rental gear is included in the class price. The session can also serve as a refresher class, if you’ve dived before.

Freeze your buns off for a good cause

Canadian Geographic’s nationwide Polar Plunge is happening on Sunday, March 9. The event raises money for Canadian Geographic and Royal Canadian Geographical Society activities and initiatives, including research and a podcast. Doesn’t this seem like the year we should all be supporting better knowledge and understanding of our country? If (like me) you’re too chicken to jump into frigid water yourself, you can always pledge your support to a braver soul and come out to cheer for the swimmers!

An unrelated event, the Brockville Polar Plunge, will raise money for the Special Olympics, and you can register onsite. It’s taking place on Saturday, March 8.

Amuse your kids during Quebec’s March Break

Most of Ottawa-Gatineau’s national museums are offering March Break activities for kids during Quebec’s March Break (March 1 to 9). See my March Break guide for details on museum fun and more.

Get treats at Giant Tiger

The Giant Tiger location on Wellington Street in Hintonburg is reopening on Saturday, March 8, and the managers are promising giveaways and tasty treats for visitors.

Take little ones for a hike in Arnprior

Ottawa Valley Air Paddle is running a Little Explorers Hike on Saturday, March 8, on the Macnamara Trail in Arnprior. The one-hour, two-kilometre hike is geared to children aged three and up. Along the way, there will be a scavenger hunt, birdy bingo and other fun. Hot cocoa is included, too. Worried the kids will run out of steam before they run out of trail? You can bring a sled to pull them in.

Enjoy magic in Brockville or Cornwall

Magician/illusionist Michael Bourada is doing an afternoon show at the Brockville Arts Centre on Saturday, March 8. The video above gives you a taste of what to expect!

The previous evening (Friday, March 7), an adult-oriented comedy/magic show by Ryan Lalonde will be on stage at the Aultsville Theatre in Cornwall.

Play female-themed trivia in Ottawa

At Ottawa’s Bicycle Craft Brewery, they’re celebrating International Women’s Day with a beer release, pizza and a women-themed trivia game. It’s all happening in the afternoon on Saturday, March 8.

Drop into a craft/artisan market in Ottawa

Among the craft shows you can check out on Saturday, March 8, are the Femme Fest International Women’s Day Market at Next Door Ottawa, which also includes live music and talks; the International Women’s Day Beer Release and Market at Beyond the Pale Brewing; and Square Lemon’s Spring Is Coming Craft Market at the Glebe Community Centre (where there will also be a free workshop on making a decoupage magnet). Crafts are also among the goods—along with antiques, vintage clothing and more—at the 613flea market at the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park on Saturday.

Visit a sugarbush

In these days when many of us are feeling especially patriotic, what could be more Canadian than visiting a sugarbush? Lots of them are open for the season now, offering taffy on snow, wagon rides and lots of other amusements. Check out my big sugar shack guide for details on sugarbushes throughout Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais.

Kick back with country for CHEO in Carleton Place

Here’s a deal: You can enjoy some great music and support children’s health at the same time by going to the Country Matinee for CHEO on Sunday, March 8. Headlining the musical entertainment is Gord Barnes and Laredo. The fundraising dance at the Carleton Place Arena runs from 2pm to 5pm, with a spaghetti dinner to follow.

Have some laughs in Ottawa

Comedian David Cross—perhaps best known for playing Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development—brings his standup show to the Bronson Music Theatre in Ottawa on Wednesday, March 5.

Raise a glass in the ByWard Market

Byward Beerfest (March 7 and 8) is a two-night craft beer festival at the Lowertown Brewery in the ByWard Market. You can sample brews by a range of local microbreweries, along with tasty bites from Lowertown. There’s live music, too.

Find some gardening inspiration

Did you miss the Seedy Saturday/Sunday events last week? Then head to Carp, Kingston or Montreal on Saturday, March 8, or Westport or Peterborough on Sunday, March 9, to trade seeds and gardening advice.

Pick up kids’ gear in Carleton Place

The Mom2Mom Sale (Saturday, March 8) is an annual fundraising event in Carleton Place for the North Lanark Highland Games and the North Lanark Agricultural Society. Shop for gently used children’s clothing, toys and more. Donations for the Lanark County Food Bank are encouraged.

Refresh your craft supplies in Ottawa and Kemptville

The Art and Craft Supplies Yard Sale at the North Grenville Municipal Centre in Kemptville (Saturday, March 8) is billed as a sale by crafters, for crafters. No finished goods will be on sale, but you can buy yarn, paint, beads and all sorts of other creative supplies. The following day (Sunday, March 9), you can check out a similar Destash Your Stash event in the ByWard Market.

Get mystical in Cornwall

You might just connect with the world beyond at the Cornwall Psychic and Crystal Fair at the Cornwall Civic Complex (March 7 to 9). Astrologers, psychics, intuitive readers and many more folks will be on hand.

See the circus in Gatineau

This week, at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, you can see circus performances by Ottawa’s Cirquonscient. With gravity-defying aerial acts and hula hooping, the family-friendly show travels metaphorically from the Paleolithic period to the future. Shows will take place at 11am and 1pm on Friday, March 7, and 11am on Sunday, March 9, and they’re free with museum admission.

Sample fine wines in Prince Edward County

At Élevage: PEC Winter Wine Festival (March 8 and 9), you can taste wines and ciders from local producers at 16 sites scattered across Prince Edward County. You can buy a passport that entitles you to five tastings at various venues, as well as one “elevated experience,” such as a cellar tour or the chance to chat with a winemaker.

Catch one of many concerts

Maybe some live music is just what you need to shake off the late-winter blues. Fortunately, concerts galore are on the schedule across our region this week—everything from the New Orford String Quartet in Almonte and the Vancouver Chamber Choir in Kingston to Our Lady Peace at the Canadian Tire Centre and Angelique Francis at Ottawa’s Gladstone Theatre. Check my concert listings for links to these and many other shows.

WEEK OF MARCH 10 TO MARCH 16

I’ll be adding more events to this section shortly!

Enjoy films from around the world in Ottawa

The International Film Festival of Ottawa (March 12 to 23) features 22 Canadian and foreign feature-length movies from film festivals around the world, each paired with a short. Screening locations include the ByTowne Cinema, Arts Court and the Ottawa Art Gallery.

See Irish dancers at Centrepointe

The National Dance Company of Ireland is bringing its touring show, Rhythm of the Dance, to the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe in Ottawa on Wednesday, March 12. The show features a live band and world-champion Irish dancers. The video above gives you a taste of it.

Learn about permaculture in Almonte

Scott Sigurdsen and Marisa Buccione abandoned their city jobs for a more fulfilling life in Lanark County. On Monday, March 10, Scott will be giving a talk titled My Recovery from Permaculture at the Almonte branch of the Mississippi Mills Public Library. He’ll be reflecting on their decade-long journey to develop agricultural ecosystems on a five-acre organic farm on the banks of Indian Creek.

Enjoy March Break fun with your kids

Museums, historic sites, theatres, art schools and other organizations are offering all sorts of family-friendly fun during Ontario’s March Break (March 8 to 16). See my March Break guide for details.

Have some laughs in Smiths Falls

The Great Canadian Comedy Caravan comes to the Station Theatre in Smiths Falls on Saturday, March 8. Standup comedians Todd Reid, Matt Watson and headliner Rob Pue will be entertaining the crowd.

Get your farming fix at the EY Centre

The EY Centre out by the airport seems like an unlikely location for an agricultural exposition, but that is where the Ottawa Valley Farm Show will be taking place from March 11 to 13. Some 360 vendors will be on hand to showcase the latest in agricultural technology, seeds and more. You can also check out talks and workshops, a quilt and antiques exhibition, a toy auction, and other diversions.

Speaking of seeds…

This week’s Seedy Saturday/Sunday event—which give home gardeners the chance to trade seeds and gardening advice—are taking place in several Eastern Ontario locales, including Almonte, Cornwall and Maynooth on Saturday, March 15.

WEEK OF MARCH 17 TO MARCH 23

These are just a few of the upcoming events this week. More to come shortly!

Learn about a new Indigenous project in Almonte

Ginawaydaganuc Village is a new initiative conceived by a group of Indigenous Elders. Their aim is to create a sustainable centre dedicated to economic and social innovation, where community members can connect and collaborate. (The video above provides an introduction.) At an evening event on Friday, March 21, at the Almonte branch of the Mississippi Mills Public Library, you can learn more about this hub, to be built on seventh-generation principles. Advance registration is required.

Explore humanity in Kingston

That heading promises an event for deep thinkers, and that looks like exactly what you’ll get at Poetics of Humanity, a free event at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts in Kingston at 5pm on Friday, March 21. Guests are invited to bring a poem, a picture or a song to participate in a creative collaboration that aims to answer some big questions: How do we think—or rethink—humanity in the face of racial discrimination? What does it mean to be and feel human, to embody humanity within and beyond the academy?

Catch a comedy show in Orleans

The In the Black Comedy Show at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans (Friday, March 21) features a packed lineup of Black standup comics from across Canada, including Dawn Xanklin (Ottawa), Statuesse (Calgary), enoje OzJam (Toronto), Sarah St-Fleur (Montreal–Toronto) and George Rivard (Yukon).

WEEK OF MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30

This is just a preliminary list. I’ll add lots more events soon!

Enjoy South Asian dance in Montreal

The Montreal Natyanjali dance festival brings together dancers from across Canada and the United States to showcase Indian classical dance. It’s taking place in Montreal on Saturday, March 29.

See Brent Butt in Ottawa

Corner Gas creator and star Brent Butt is bringing his standup comedy show to the Bronson Music Theatre in Ottawa on Friday, March 28.

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.