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. Happy road tripping!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WEEK OF OCTOBER 28 TO NOVEMBER 3
Marvel at magic in Cornwall
Magician and illusionist Ray Anderson is giving two shows at Cornwall’s Aultsville Theatre on Saturday, November 2: a family-oriented performance in the afternoon and a “hypno-comedy” show (standup comics plus a hypnosis segment) in the evening.
Spend the weekend seeing one-act plays in Perth
Studio Theatre Perth is hosting the Eastern Ontario Drama League’s One-Act Play Festival this year. From November 1 to 3, you can take in nine one-act plays produced by theatre companies across Eastern Ontario, including Ottawa Little Theatre, Kanata Theatre, North Grenville Community Theatre, Theatre Night in Merrickville and Studio Theatre Perth.
Visit a Diwali bazaar in Ottawa
This week, Indians around the world are celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights. To celebrate the occasion, Brampton Authentic Indian Foods is hosting a Diwali Mega Bazaar in a tent outside its store near Meadowlands Drive and Woodroffe Avenue. From October 29 to November 1, you can browse for decorations and snacks, and enjoy live music, dance and games.
Eat well for less in the Outaouais and Montreal
Two separate restaurant promotions will give you the chance to enjoy multi-course menus at all sorts of restaurants for a special price in November. In Montreal, MTLàTABLE (October 31 to November 17) offers deals at more than 100 restaurants throughout the greater Montreal area. The newer Outaouais au menu event (October 31 to November 16) is modelled on the Montreal promotion and features 24 restaurants in various Outaouais communities, including Gatineau, Chelsea and Montebello. They’re great chances to try a new-to-you restaurant!
Enjoy a village fair in Westboro
It’s been a long time since Ottawa’s Westboro neighbourhood has been a separate village, but that’s not stopping All Saints’ Anglican Church Westboro from recapturing the vibe with a Village Fair on Saturday, November 2. Along with a sale of crafts, used books, baked goodies, vintage collectibles and more, you can enjoy coffee, treats and lunch.
Meet artists in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry
Christmas in the Country (November 2 and 3) is a self-driving studio tour showcasing artists and makers in various communities throughout Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, including Chesterville, Ingleside, Morrisburg and Winchester.
Catch a concert
If you’re in the mood for some music this weekend, don’t miss my big list of local concerts to find out who’s on stage at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa, Motel Chelsea in Chelsea, Litte Red Wagon Winery in Shawville, StoneCropAcres Winery + Vineyard in Morrisburg and many other venues.
Have some laughs on Elgin Street
Looking for a few chuckles? Live on Elgin has you covered with two shows this weekend: headliner Jesse Singh with openers Ethan O’Reily and Johnny Bhatta on Friday, November 1; and a show by Ahmed Al-kadri on Sunday, November 3.
Shop for comics in Orleans and vintage in Little Italy
On Saturday, November 2, Vintage Pop-Up 613 is hosting a Drag Party Vintage Market at Next Door on Gladstone Avenue in Little Italy. Browse for vintage and sustainable clothing, accessories and home decor from local vendors, from 11am to 5pm, and catch a drag catwalk at 1pm. Admission is by donation, with proceeds going to Kind Space.
The Orleans Comic Book and Novelty Show is a one-day event at Place d’Orleans on Sunday, November 3. Shop for comics, toys, crafts and more, and meet comic writers and artists. Costumes encouraged!
Check out a wedding venue in Richmond
Getting married soon? Jabulani Vineyard and Winery in Richmond is hosting a Sip and See event on Sunday, November 3, where you can see the venue and meet photographers, DJs, musicians and other vendors who can bring your dream day to life there. It doesn’t even have to be a wedding—Jabulani hosts all sorts of special events and parties. You can enjoy wine and treats while you’re there, too.
Pop into a craft fair
Christmas craft fair season really kicks off this weekend with a huge slate of bazaars and sales. Check my big Christmas markets list for details of events in Nepean, Orleans, Kanata, Gatineau, Almonte, Winchester, Merrickville and more.
Go mountain biking for prizes in Beachburg
The BORCA Fall Poker Run Ride on Saturday, November 2, is a non-timed mountain biking event on trails in and around Beachburg. Compete for prizes and enjoy a chili lunch after the ride (BYOB is allowed) at the Whitewater Inn.
Enjoy a burlesque show in Ottawa
If you’re looking for more from your Halloween week than ghosts and snack-sized chocolate bars, The Shadows … and What We Do in Them might be your bag of treats. The three-hour show at the Gladstone Theatre runs from October 30 to November 2 (except Oct. 31) and features dancers, aerialists, pole dancers and burlesque performers.
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 4 TO NOVEMBER 10
Test your trivia wits in Maxville
A trivia night at the Metcalfe Centre in Maxville on Friday, November 8, will raise funds for the Maxville Manor redevelopment project and the Glengarry Pioneer Museum. Chili and snacks will be available, there’s a cash bar, and you can bid in a silent auction, too.
See cool movies in Ottawa and Montreal
OCan24 is a three-day celebration of Canadian movies at the Bytowne Cinema at 325 Rideau Street (November 7 to 9). Sixteen movies are on the program, including short narrative films and short documentaries, some by Ottawa directors. On Saturday night, the featured film is Stealing Vows, a heist movie set against the backdrop of Toronto’s South Asian wedding industry (see video above).
A francophone film festival called Cinemania is running at multiple theatres in Montreal from November 6 to 17. The movies come from a range of francophone countries, including France, Belgium, Morocco and Tunisia—and Canada, of course. There’s something for just about every taste, whether you like coming-of-age stories, documentaries, comedies, sports movies or animation. And if you’re not bilingual, don’t worry—most of the movies are subtitled in English.
Enjoy standup by big-name comedians in Nepean and Perth
If you’re a CBC fan, you’ve almost certainly heard of both Shaun Majumder and Derek Seguin. Shaun Majumber was a mainstay of CBC-TV’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and he’ll be doing standup at the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe in Nepean on Tuesday, November 5. Montreal standup Derek Seguin has made more than 40 appearances on the CBC Radio show The Debaters and often pops up on other shows. You can catch his standup show at Studio Theatre Perth on Saturday, November 9.
Head to a francophone music fest in Montreal
Looking to discover some cutting-edge francophone music? Then check out Coup de coeur francophone (November 7 to 17), which features emerging and avant-garde musicians working in French, from across Canada and around the world. Shows are scheduled in cities across Canada, but the main hub is Montreal.
Go to a farmers’ market in Navan
At the Original Navan Market (Sunday, November 10), you can browse for foods, crafts and more from a huge range of local vendors. It’s happening at the Navan Fairgrounds (1279 Colonial Road) from 10am to 3pm. This is the last market of the regular season.
Speaking of markets…
This weekend offers a whole new selection of Christmas craft fairs to visit, including events in Chelsea, Kinburn, Stittsville, Kemptville, Arnprior, Cornwall and more.
How about a concert?
It’s a big week for live music in Ottawa, with both Sarah McLachlan and Bruce Springsteen playing shows at the Canadian Tire Centre. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to concerts this week. You can also see Chantal Kreviazuk at the NAC, Soul Asylum at the Bronson Centre, tributes to Tony Bennett in Brockville and Led Zeppelin in Pembroke, and the Orchestre symphonique de Gatineau playing Rachmaninoff. Plus, Connie Kaldor is performing in both Chelsea and Old Ottawa South. See my concert roundup for details.
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.
6 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.
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