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 FEBRUARY 24 TO MARCH 2
Try your hand at felting in Almonte
Ever wanted to try your hand at felting—the art of making felt from wool? On Tuesday, February 25, you can join a three-hour workshop at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte on that very topic. It’s aimed at everyone from beginners to needlework stars, and all materials will be available for purchase on the day of the event. Participants will use wool to create a landscape they can take home.
Enjoy comedy in Ottawa or Kingston
Standup comedian Jeremy Hotz brings his standup comedy show Très Misérables to the Algonquin College Commons theatre in Ottawa on Thursday, February 27, and the Kingston Grand Theatre on Friday, February 28.
Also on Friday, February 28, host Ali Hassan will host a taping of the CBC Radio comedy series Laugh Out Loud at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans.
Make your own perfume in Kemptville
Ever wondered how perfumes are blended? You can sign up for the Create Your Own Signature Scent Workshop at Mama’s Cheeky Boutique in Kemptville and find out! As well as blending your own perfume that’s yours to keep, you’ll enjoy refreshments and get a 25 percent discount on the shop’s stock—which includes home decor and gift items, and new and consigned women’s clothing and accessories—for an hour after the class. The workshop takes place on Friday, February 28.
Learn how to create your own YouTube channel in Carleton Place
Here’s one for those who daydream of video stardom: a four-hour workshop on creating your own YouTube channel. Open to participants aged 13 and up, the workshop will walk aspiring YouTubers through the process of identifying their niche, naming their channel and setting it up. It’s taking place at the Arts Carleton Place Art Hub on Saturday, March 1.
See Canadian movies in Kingston
The world’s largest festival of Canadian movies is rolling out the red carpet this weekend. Movies screening at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival (February 26 to March 2) include Village Keeper, a Toronto-set drama about a woman trying to escape a cycle of abuse; a psychological thriller called Sharp Corner; and Drive Back Home, a road movie about a New Brunswick man and his gay brother driving from Toronto to New Brunswick in 1970.
Get seeds and gardening ideas
Seedy Saturdays and Seedy Sundays, where gardeners can swap seeds and ideas, are taking place throughout March and into April. This week, you can go to events in Ottawa, Brockville or Belleville on Saturday, March 1, or in Kemptville or Pembroke on Sunday, March 2.
Enjoy beer and tacos in Ottawa
The I ❤️ Beer and Taco Festival Ottawa is coming to the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park on February 28 and March 1…but as of a few days before the festival, the Saturday tickets were almost sold out! If you want to go that night, grab your tickets now, as only a few remain.
Track animals in Gatineau Park
Time is running out to join one of the guided animal-tracking snowshoe hikes in Gatineau Park. They take place on Saturdays and Sundays, in English and French, and they’re free! Snowshoes are provided. Register in advance to avoid disappointment. The last outings of the season (weather permitting) will be on March 16.
Browse for works by local artists in Kanata
The West Carleton Arts Society is presenting its Spring Fling Juried Art Show at the Kanata Civic Art Gallery from March 3 to 16. Artworks by a variety of local artists will be on display and offered for sale.
Skate by torchlight in Lac-des-Loups
Weather permitting—and that’s a big if, given this week’s mild temperatures—you can skate through a forest at night by torchlight at Patinage en fôret in Lac-des-Loups, Quebec. The photo above gives you an idea of what it’s like by day; imagine it under the stars!
Celebrate Brazilian culture in Ottawa
This sounds like a fun way to shake off the winter chill: a Brazilian Carnaval night at Club 27 in the Byward Market, on Saturday, March 1. Come enjoy DJ tunes, live music, Brazilian food, costumed dancers and more.
Explore Montreal by night
Montréal en Lumière (February 27 to March 9) is a wide-ranging event designed to get people out and about in the middle of winter. With everything from outdoor light installations and ice-sculpting workshops to wine-tasting events, concerts, chef’s dinners and a Ferris wheel, there’s something for just about everyone. And some activities are free!
Dream about golf season in Ottawa
Can’t wait till the snow melts and you can yell Fore? Then head to the Ottawa-Gatineau Golf Expo at the EY Centre (February 28 and March 1) to browse for golf gear of all sorts, learn about local courses or plan a golf vacation.
Shop for crafts in Kemptville
On Saturday, March 1, you can buy from local vendors at the Eastern Ontario Craft and Gift St. Patrick’s Day Market in Kemptville. It’s happening at the North Grenville Municipal Centre from 10am to 3pm.
Thrill to circus performances at Arts Court
Cirque a la Carte is an intimately scaled performance by Ottawa’s Cirquonscient troupe, taking place at Arts Court in Ottawa on Saturday, March 1. Jugglers, aerial acrobats and others will be on hand to amaze the crowd. The video above from the 2024 event give you a sense of what to expect.
Catch a lacrosse or hockey game
Perhaps you’re like me and didn’t realize that Ottawa has a professional box lacrosse team and this is its inaugural season! Clearly, I’ve been living under a rock. (Also, I don’t know much about sports in general, as you’ve probably gleaned if you’ve been reading this website for any length of time.) If you’d like to see the Ottawa Black Bears in action, they’re taking on the Georgia Swarm at the Canadian Tire Centre on Friday, February 28.
Hockey more your style? That same night, the Ottawa ’67s will face off against the North Bay Battalion at the Arena at TD Place. And on Sunday, March 2, the ’67s will play the Windsor Spitfires in an afternoon game.
Speaking of hockey, it’s a busy week for the Cornwall Colts. The Junior A team will play the Navan Grads on Thursday, February 27, in Cornwall; head to Rockland to play the Rockland Nationals on Friday, February 28; then head back home to Cornwall to take on the Smiths Falls Bears in an afternoon game on Sunday, March 2.
WEEK OF MARCH 3 TO MARCH 9
Note: This is just a preliminary list; I’ll be expanding it shortly!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
10 comments
Hi Laura. I am heading up publicity for an arts group in Ottawa, called Art Lending of Ottawa. We are thirty local artists and we have four shows a year at the R.A. Centre. Is there a way that I can have our event mentioned in your list. Our Holiday Art Show is on Dec. 16th. Let me know and I could send you description of the event. Thanks
Hi Leslie!Thanks for getting in touch. I know Art Lending–we have one of your paintings in our living room! I looked up your Dec. 16th show online and I’ll add a link to it in my art/craft sale post right now. Good luck with the event! Cheers, Laura
Aha, sometimes I’m further ahead of the game than I think! The show was already in my Christmas sales post at https://ottawaroadtrips.com/2022/11/01/ottawa-christmas-craft-fairs-holiday-sales-artisans/.
Hi. The Delta festival link takes one to the 2023 calendar of events.
Oops, thanks for letting me know! Sorry about that. I’ll fix it.
[…] If you’re looking for other upcoming events in and around Ottawa, check my main events post. […]
Hi, just a correction; It is Serres Robert Plante Greenhouses. Serres means greenhouses in French.
Oops–thank you! I’ll correct it.
The Cyprus exhibit at the War Museum says it continues until March 16.
Whoops–they extended it and I didn’t notice! Thanks, Heather. I’ll update the post.