Things to do in Ottawa, the Outaouais, Eastern Ontario and beyond (June 2 to June 15, 2025)

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Wondering what to do in Ottawa this week? It’s a great time for a road trip in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais or elsewhere in Quebec. 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 JUNE 2 TO JUNE 8

Enjoy candlelit yoga in Navan

Ah, this sounds relaxing: a 90-minute candlelit yoga class at Domaine Perreault, a winery in Navan. The flow yoga session includes a glass of wine and starts at 7pm.

Celebrate world cultures in Gatineau

Le Festival Joie de Vivre is a one-day celebration of the foods, music and traditions of the world’s cultures. It’s taking place from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, June 7, at Place de la Cité in Gatineau.

Browse for art in Chesterville

A festival celebrating all things artistic unrolls this weekend in Chesterville: Art on the Waterfront (Saturday, June 7). With all sorts of artists and vendors on hand, you’ll find lots to see and do (and buy!). As well as artists’ stalls, there will be kids’ activities, live music, martial arts demonstrations and all sorts of other fun.

Take the kids to a festival in Blackburn Hamlet or Manotick

True to its name, the Blackburn Hamlet Funfair (June 6 to 8) offers fun for the whole family—everything from fireworks, a parade and a used book sale to fun runs, bouncy castles, a climbing wall, a beer garden and a silent auction.

On the same dates, Manotick will be hosting Dickinson Days. Activities there will include a pancake breakfast, a kids’ fishing derby, a craft fair, a scavenger hunt, fireworks and much more.

Rev your motor in Ottawa

On Saturday, June 7, the Ottawa Ride for Dad is a big motorcycle event that raises funds for prostate cancer research. Register online or in person (at multiple locations) by June 6 to save $10 on your registration fee. And if you raise at least $100 in pledges, registration is free.

Check out a family-friendly festival in Chelsea

The Chelsea Days festival (June 7 and 8) will be offering some 30 free activities in the Gatineau Hills community. Basketball, skateboarding, pop-up sales, garden and walking tours, yoga, cycling, craft workshops, live music, Zumba … you name it, they probably have it. You can even build a bat dormitory. Note that, unlike previous Chelsea Days festivals, this year’s events are concentrated on the soccer field in front of Chelsea Elementary School, although there will be a few events in satellite locations, too.

Browse for bargains in Kitchissippi, Cumberland or Kemptville

The Hey Day! Giant Indoor Garage Sale, a fundraiser for the Kemptville District Hospital Auxiliary, is taking place at the North Grenville Municipal Centre at 285 County Road 44 in Kemptville on June 6 and 7. It’s one of the biggest indoor garage sales in Eastern Ontario.

And at least two community-wide garage sales are happening in Ottawa on Saturday, June 7, in Kitchissippi Ward and Cumberland. See my garage sales post for links and info.

Peek behind closed doors in Ottawa

Ever wanted a glimpse inside an embassy, a temple or your local fire station? This weekend is your chance to see inside dozens of the capital’s buildings during Doors Open Ottawa (June 7 and 8). The free event—one of the largest Doors Open events in North America—features a wide range of buildings. (Curious about the building above? It’s the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat at 199 Sussex Drive.)

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.

WEEK OF JUNE 9 TO JUNE 15

This is just the start of the list for this week. I’m adding to it daily, so keep checking back!

Admire flowers and go shopping in Alexandria

Ranunculus is a plant with big, multi-petaled flowers. (I had to look it up! Check out the photo above if I haven’t painted quite enough of a picture with words.) And Sunwheel Farm just north of Alexandria is hosting a Spring Flower Fest on Saturday, June 14, to celebrate the pretty blooms. From 10am to 3pm, you can tiptoe among more than 4,000 ranunculus plants.

While you’re in the area, you could drop into the ❤️ to Shop Local Market, taking place the same day from 10am to 4pm in Alexandria. Some 20 artisans and vendors will be featured at the market, which is also a fundraiser for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Also on June 14, Alexandria is hosting a community-wide garage sale from 8am to 5pm.

Do yoga by moonlight at Lansdowne Park

It’s a full moon on Wednesday, June 11. If you’d like to mark the occasion with a few downward dogs, you can take a moonlit yoga class on the Great Lawn at Lansdowne Park, starting at 9pm. Admission is free but donations of food (not cash) for the Ottawa Food Bank are appreciated.

Go to a pow wow in Smiths Falls

The Spirit of the Drum Pow Wow returns to Smiths Falls on June 14 and 15, with two days of Indigenous dancing, drumming and singing. Each day begins with a grand entry. It’s all happening at Duck Island (40 Abbott Street North). Note that onsite parking is open to elders, pow wow staff, dancers and drummers only.

Drive a racetrack in Calabogie

Ever wonder what it would be like to take your car for a circuit on a real racetrack? You’ll have a chance to find out during the Novice Track Day experience at Calabogie Motorsports Park on Saturday, June 14, when you can book half-hour blocks of track time. You can use your own car for $125; if you’d like to rent one of the track’s race cars, the package starts at $235. Trucks, vans, SUVs and motorcycles are not allowed.

Celebrate Cuban culture at Lansdowne Park

Grab your dancing shoes and bring your appetite: Fiesta Cubana Fest at Lansdowne Park (June 13 and 14) promises lots of dance workshops, festive food and drink, and live music. Tickets are $15 in advance (online) and $20 at the door.

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.