Things to do in Ottawa, the Outaouais, Eastern Ontario and beyond (September 16 to September 22)

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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, the Outaouais or northern New York state. In fact, there’s SO much going on that I keep adding new items, so please keep checking back here regularly. And you might also want to check out my lists of summer and fall fairs, artist studio tours, 45+ farmers’ markets, upcoming concerts and 9+ ribfests. Happy road tripping!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 16 TO SEPTEMBER 22

Savour fresh bread in Ottawa

Keto dieters will want to give this one a miss, but for all you carb lovers out there (and I count myself among you), there’s the Real Bread Festival (Sunday, September 22) at Almanac Urban Mill and Bakery on Canotek Road in Ottawa. Buy tickets online in advance so you can shop for fresh baked goodies from a range of Ottawa bakeries and hone your own kitchen skills in workshops focusing on baking with buckwheat, brioche dough and sourdough.

Enjoy a free music festival in Westport

Westporch (Saturday, September 21) is an all-day festival of free musical performances on porches across the pretty Rideau Lakes village of Westport. It runs from 9am to 9pm. The night before, there’s also a kickoff party by the Joe Grass Band at the Cove Inn (the $30 tickets for that one include a donation to Westporch).

Have some family fun in Old Ottawa East

The Main Event is a two-day neighbourhood celebration in Old Ottawa East. It kicks off with indoor and outdoor family movies on the night of Friday, September 20, followed by a festival from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, September 21, along La Grande Allée (185 Main Street). The amusements on Saturday will include a kids’ fun zone, a garage sale, live music and more.

Visit a market in Orleans, Cumberland or Bourget

The Bourget Community Market on Saturday, September 21, will see vendors setting up their tables beside the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail from 10am to 3pm.

That same day, the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans is hosting an Autumn Treasures Market from 10am to 3pm. At the dog-friendly event, your pooch can even get a nail trim!

Also on Saturday, September 21, the Harvest Market run by the Cumberland Farmers’ Market will see up to 120 vendors—crafters, artists, farmers and food makers—descend on the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum from 9am to 3pm.

Get literary in Montreal

This is the first weekend of the Festival International de la Littérature in Montreal (September 18 to 28). Events include everything from readings to films and concerts. Ticket prices vary.

Browse for gemstones in Nepean

This one’s for the rockhounds out there: The Ottawa Lapsmith and Mineral Club is running its annual Gem and Mineral Show at the Nepean Sportsplex on September 21 and 22. Shop for gemstones, minerals, fossils, jewellery, crystals, beads, equipment, carvings and more. You can also learn how to identify gems and minerals via displays, demonstrations and hands-on activities.

Taste and bid on fine wines in Ottawa

The Music and Beyond festival is hosting two festive fundraisers this week.

On Thursday, September 19, a French early-music ensemble called La Chapelle Harmonique will present In Vino musica, a concert combining wine tasting with musical performances related to the wines. It’s taking place at MacKay United Church (39 Dufferin Road).

And on Friday, September 20, you can attend a vintage wine auction at the Embassy of France (42 Sussex Drive). Over 100 bottles will be auctioned off, including French wines from Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Cheval Blanc and Château Pontet-Canet, as well as Italian, Spanish, Australian and Californian wines.

Cycle country roads west of Kingston

The Discover L&A Ride (Saturday, September 21) is a 56-kilometre bike ride—not a race—along a largely rural route that starts and ends in Adolphustown. Along the way, you’ll enjoy cookies, apple cider donuts and other treats. And tickets are a deal at just $35.

Weed out invasive plants in Gatineau Park

The folks at Gatineau Park are looking for volunteers to help clear common periwinkle—an invasive plant that crowds out native plants—from a section of the park on Saturday, September 21. You’ll get lunch in return for your labour!

Dine well for a good cause in Ottawa

Harvest: A Feast of Fall is a gala event featuring fine fare whipped up by chefs from a range of popular local restaurants, including Aiana, Coconut Lagoon, Restaurant 18 and Les Fougères. The fundraiser for Youturn, a non-profit organization that serves at-risk youth, is taking place at the Ottawa Art Gallery (10 Daly Avenue) on Wednesday, September 18.

Raise a glass at the National Gallery

The Tavern at the Gallery, tucked into a courtyard on the north side of the National Gallery of Canada, is hosting an Oktoberfest celebration on September 21 and 22. From 1:30pm to 5:30pm, you can enjoy German-inspired food, beer and live Bavarian-style music by The Polka Brats.

Hunt for bargains in Renfrew

Attention, bargain hunters: The Renfrew Legion is hosting a big garage sale on Saturday, September 21, from 9am to 1pm. The indoor-outdoor event will run rain or shine.

Walk your pooch for guide dogs in Kemptville

Kemptville Dollars for Dogs is a fundraising walk for Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. Registration opens at 9am on Sunday, September 22, at the Kemptville Campus (75 Campus Drive), and the first 30 registrants get a goodie bag. Don’t forget to bring your dog to join in the fun!

Enjoy a fair in Richmond, Middleville or Lyndhurst

Every year, about 8,000 people descend on the village of Lyndhurst—population 500—for the Lyndhurst Turkey Fair. Taking place this year on Saturday, September 21, from 10am to 4:30pm, the free family event features music, a classic car show, helicopter and boat rides, and more. The video above will give you a sense of the event! Lyndhurst is about 90 minutes southwest of Ottawa.

Other fairs you can check out this weekend include the 180th Richmond Fair (September 19 to 22) and the Middleville Fair (September 21).

Dance to the music at a Greenbelt farm

The Kichesippi Shores Music Festival is a one-day event on Saturday,September 21, at Beetbox Farm. It’s located between Crystal Bay and Kanata in the NCC Greenbelt. The music starts at 1pm and goes until midnight on two stages. The grassroots festival will showcase local bands, including Ras Lee & The Vibes Band, Otis Strange, and Better Living Through Chemistry. Bring your bathing suit and towel if you want to swim at Secret Beach, and a water container and a lawn chair are good ideas, too. Beer and cider from the Kichesippi Beer Co. will be available, along with food truck fare.

Shop for crafts in Manotick

If you’ve been visiting this website for a while, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of the One World Bazaar in Manotick. The sale—which opens for the season this year on September 19 and runs through November 17—features goods gathered from artisans in countries around the world. The family behind the event adheres to fair trade practices and deals directly with artisans. The resulting sale is enormous! The bazaar’s core days are Friday through Sunday, but it’s also open some Thursdays, as well as Thanksgiving Monday; see the website for details.

Plan an adventure in Ottawa’s west end

Taste of Wellington (Saturday, September 21) is a one-day festival along Wellington Street West, between Island Park Drive and Bayswater Avenue. At staggered times between 10am and 4pm, you can browse sidewalk sales, sample foods (for a fee or donation to the Parkdale Food Centre), see demonstrations, enjoy live music, check out a roller disco and inflatable air curling, and more! There will be fun for kids, too.

And on September 21 and 22, artists from Hintonburg to Carlingwood will be opening their Ottawa studios to visitors during the West End Studio Tour. Meet the artists, browse their wares and pick up something unique to enliven your home.

Immerse yourself in the War of 1812 in Dunvegan

Living history re-enactors will be converging on the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan for a War of 1812 weekend on September 21 and 22. Surrounding the buildings, tented encampments will offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of military and civilian life. You can see what’s cooking over the fires, hear live historical music, pop into the one-room schoolhouse, have your kids take part in a children’s military muster, or learn about blacksmithing, rope making, weaving and leatherwork. Don’t forget to bring some cash to buy unique items in the vendors’ market!

Exercise for a good cause in Ottawa

The 24-Hour Yogapalooza event (September 21 and 22) is a fundraiser for CHEO’s work to help treat and prevent childhood cancers. It features yoga classes around the clock at the Ottawa Art Gallery. Advance registration for classes is advised, and the suggested donation is $25 per class.

On Saturday, September 21, the 1-kilometre Walk for Dementia raises funds to support community programs for people living with dementia. The walk will take place at the Dementia Society Centre (2327 St. Laurent Boulevard), starting at 10am.

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 23 TO SEPTEMBER 29

Enjoy a writers’ festival in Kingston

Kingston WritersFest (September 25 to 29) features readings, panel discussions, workshops and other events geared to both writers and readers, including events for teenagers and at least one online talk. Learn about graphic novels, poetry and other genres, try your luck at a literary trivia contest, hear from CBC books maven Shelagh Rogers, and more.

Support conservation in Wakefield

Now here’s a provocative question for nature lovers: “Wolves, Moose, and Bears: Are Big, Sexy Animals Overrated?” You can head to the Centre Wakefield La Pêche to learn the answer at a talk by television host and Carleton professor Michael Runtz on Saturday, September 28. The evening will also feature a musical performance by Marc Audet. It’s a 55th anniversary celebration for the Ottawa Valley chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

Learn how to pamper your cat in Nepean

Attention, all feline fans: The Ottawa Cat Show is coming to the Nepean Sportsplex on September 28 and 29. Vendors will be selling everything from cat food and cat toys to cat portraiture and cat physiotherapy. Cat sitters, cat groomers, cat furniture makers—they’ll all be there. Speakers will talk about feline fitness and the joy of cat fostering. You can even learn how to register your puss as a therapy cat. And, of course, there will be a competition of pretty kitties that will lead to the judges’ picks for top cats on Sunday.

Join a free bike ride in Ottawa or Prescott-Russell

Kidical Mass is a worldwide movement that uses large public rides to encourage kids to ride bikes and to inspire cities to create bike-friendly infrastructure. There’s a free Ottawa Kidical Mass bike ride on Saturday, September 28, starting and ending at Laroche Park near the Bayview O-Train station. The ride will be at a nice, slow pace that will suit even beginning riders, and participants are encouraged to bring snacks or picnics to enjoy in the park after the ride. (The Merry Dairy ice cream truck will be in the park, too.)

Did you know there’s a 72-kilometre rail-to-trail route that runs through much of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, just east of Ottawa? On Sunday, September 29, you’ll have the opportunity to join a free group ride along the westernmost part of the trail. The event starts at Bushtukah in Orleans and you’ll cover 53km in total, including a stop for refreshing beverages at Broken Stick Brewing in Hammond. This isn’t a race! Riders will be divided into groups based on speed, from “extra chill” (15 to 20km/h) to “fast” (30 to 34km/h).

Shop for handmade items in Mountain, Petawawa or North Frontenac

At the Red Barn Quilt Show and Sale (September 28 and 29, from 10am to 4pm), you can shop for locally made quilts, handbags, wall hangings, fibre arts items, artisanal pottery, woodwork, glass pieces and local produce. Refreshments will be available from the 4H Café, parking is free and admission is by donation (all proceeds will go to the Naomi Family Resource Centre). It’s all happening at Ben and Anja Berends’ farm, 10461 French Settlement Road in Mountain, Ontario (just south of Ottawa, between Osgoode and Hallville).

Petawawa Heritage Village is hosting an Artisan Market and Music in the Park on Saturday, September 28 from 10am to 3pm.

On September 28 and 29, the North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour will bring visitors to some two dozen artists’ studios across North Frontenac including stops in Mississippi Station, Plevna, Ompah, Cloyne and Ardoch. Wondering where North Frontenac is? It’s southwest of Ottawa, just past Lanark County.

Get artsy at Arts Court in Ottawa

Pique is a quarterly festival of innovative and avant-garde arts performances at Arts Court (67 Nicholas Street). The fall edition, taking place this year on Saturday, September 28, will feature art installations, experimental music, drag performances and much more. Pique will showcase some 30 artists and curators on eight stages, indoors and out, and admission is pay what you can ($35 to $65).

Join the Wiggle Waggle Walk and Run to help pets

The Wiggle Waggle Walk and Run (Sunday, September 29) is a major fundraising event for the Ottawa Humane Society. You can choose from a 1K kids’ fun run, a 2K Furry Fun Run (with your pet), a 3K walk, or 5K or 10K runs. All routes start and end at Lansdowne Park and travel along the Rideau Canal.

Head to a fibre festival in Beachburg

If you’re a needleworker, the Field to Fibre Festival in Beachburg on Sunday, September 29, promises lots of inspiration. Artisans and farmers will be giving demonstrations—spinning wool into yarn, making tapestries, shearing sheep, threshing flax and transforming fleece into felt. You can shop for textiles, yarn and crafting tools, and browse for unique handmade items. The event is a collaboration between the Ottawa Valley Makers and the Beachburg Agricultural Society.

Enjoy Oktoberfest in Ottawa or Kingston

The Tavern on the Falls, next to Rideau Falls off Sussex Drive, is hosting an Oktoberfest celebration on September 28 and 29. From 1:30pm to 5:30pm, you can enjoy German-inspired food, beer and live Bavarian-style music by The Polka Brats.

Meanwhile, in Kingston, Riverhead Brewing Company is throwing an all-day Oktoberfest party on Saturday, September 28. As well as launching its Oktoberfest Lager, the brewery will be offering other beers and beverages, German-style games and food, and live music.

Discover Smiths Falls’ connection to the Beatles

Did you know that the first Beatles record ever pressed in North America came off the line at an RCA Victor plant in Smiths Falls? A free afternoon talk at the Smiths Falls Community Theatre on Sunday, September 29, will delve into the plant’s fascinating history. The talk is being organized by the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum, which is currently home to an exhibition about the Beatles. Note that the talk is free but space is limited, so nab a ticket online if you’re interested.

Celebrate fall in Wakefield or at the Experimental Farm

On Saturday, September 28, Parc nature Eco-Odyssée in Wakefield is holding an Autumn Colour Festival from 9am to 5pm. Free fun includes face painting, bouncy castles, a craft workshop, children’s entertainers, a guided walking tour, a treasure hunt and a walking labyrinth adventure. From 9am to 7:30pm, you can also pay to explore the park’s water labyrinth by boat.

Also on Saturday, September 28, you can celebrate Canadian Forest Week and National Tree Day at the site of the future Botanical Garden of Canada. The Canadensis Garden Fall Celebration offers lots of family fun and learning experiences: an art exhibit and sale with more than 20 artists, live music with folk singer Jessica Pearson, horse-drawn wagon rides, a children’s scavenger hunt, craft tables and more. Explore the site to learn about Canada’s native plants and trees and to admire art installations. Admission and parking are free.

Learn about architecture in Ottawa

Ottawa Architecture Week actually lasts a bit longer than a week, with the first event on September 22 and the last on October 4. The activities are designed to engage visitors in the nuts and bolts of architecture and urban design. Events range from a birdhouse painting workshop for children aged 4 to 8 and design workshops for older children to an all-ages urban sketching tour near Little Italy and a panel discussion at Library and Archives Canada. On Sunday, September 29, a free talk will be offered on Zoom.

Take the family to a fall fair

With a midway, a petting zoo, a corn maze, the SuperDogs show, a demolition derby, live music, agricultural competitions, a lawn tractor pull, a beer garden and more, the Carp Fair (September 26 to 29) has something for everyone in the family.

On Saturday, September 28, you can also check out the McDonald’s Corners Annual Fall Fair in Lanark County.

Plan for a happy retirement in Ottawa

If you’re heading toward the “seniors’ discount” years or are already happily retired, you’ll probably enjoy the Fifty-Five Plus Lifestyle Show at the EY Centre on September 27 and 28. There will be talks, demonstrations, vendors’ booths, free samples and swag, along with live music by Dueling Pianos and Bowser & Blue. 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.