Things to do in Ottawa, the Outaouais, Eastern Ontario and beyond (September 9 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 9 TO SEPTEMBER 15

Catch a music festival in Ottawa, Appleton or Prince Edward County

The CityFolk Festival will be keeping things lively at Lansdowne Park (1015 Bank Street, Ottawa) from September 11 to 15. The lineup includes The Beaches, Hawksley Workman, Greta Van Fleet, Rise Against, Milky Chance, and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. Day passes, multi-show passes and full festival passes are available at a range of prices.

Folk in the Forest (Saturday, September 14) is a one-day mini-festival in Appleton featuring six musical acts, including Ian Tamblyn and Soul Meadows. The fun starts at 2pm and the ticket price includes a barbecue dinner.

This is the first full weekend of the Prince Edward County Chamber Music Festival (September 13 to 15, and September 20 to 22), which will present concerts by string quartets, cellists, pianists and others. The shows will include a performance of The Goldberg Variations by a string trio, a concert by the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and two evenings devoted to the music of Franz Schubert.

Enjoy a film festival in Quebec City

The Quebec City Film Festival (September 11 to 15) will be screening dozens of features and short films from Canada and abroad, with a special focus on Quebec movies.

Catch a fair in Spencerville

The Spencerville Fair (September 12 to 15) has a parade, a midway, live music, chainsaw-carving demonstrations, a pumpkin competition, livestock shows and more.

Look for clothing bargains in Gatineau

La Grande Fripe bills itself as “the largest second-hand clothing and accessories market in the Outaouais.” It’s taking place at Habitude Design (425, boul. St-Joseph) in Gatineau on September 14 and 15.

Shop for art in the Glebe or Carleton Place

The Arts Carleton Place Art Hub is holding an opening celebration on Thursday, September 12, from 5pm to 8pm. If you go, you can also check out the gallery’s current show, Sizzling Hot, which runs until September 29.

The Glebe Fine Art Show returns to the Glebe Community Centre (175 Third Avenue, Ottawa) on September 14 and 15. More than 30 artists will be on hand, selling works in a wide range of media. The show is open from 10am to 4pm both days, and admission is free.

Dig into filling food in Orleans or Arnprior

If you love barbecue and/or gravy-covered fries, head east this weekend for the Orleans Ribfest and Poutine (September 13 to 15) to enjoy ribs, pulled pork, barbecued chicken, over 50 kinds of poutine, live music and more. It’s happening at Centrum Plaza, 255 Centrum Boulevard in Orleans.

Speaking of poutine, Arnprior Poutine Feast is happening from September 12 to 15 in Robert Simpson Park in Arnprior.

Peek behind the scenes in Ottawa-Gatineau and Carleton Place

During Doors Open Carleton Place on Saturday, September 14, you can tour 11 buildings across the Lanark County town, including a baseball bat factory, an 1870s log home and a Victorian woollen mill that’s being converted into apartments.

The format of Open NCC (Saturday, September 14) is similar to that of Doors Open. National Capital Commission (NCC) sites all over Ottawa-Gatineau will be holding free events and activities to showcase the NCC’s work in fields such as historic preservation and environmental sustainability. There will be bike tours, walking tours, boat tours, an archaeological dig and much more.

Learn about women in the Cold War

The Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum is holding a panel discussion on the topic of women in Canada’s Cold War Military. The evening event on Thursday, September 12, is free of charge, but advance registration is required.

Celebrate butter tarts in Stittsville

The Stittsville Butter Tart Festival Market is happening at Village Square Park (6154 Abbott Street East, Stittsville) on Saturday, September 14, from 10am to 2pm. Hosted by the Market at the Barn and partners, it will feature butter tarts from 16 bakers, live music, vendors, artisans and a tart contest.

Browse through a night market in Perth

On Saturday, September 14, from 5pm until 10pm, the Perth Night Market will feature more than 90 artisans and crafters from Lanark County and beyond. Visitors can also live entertainment designed to appeal to all ages, ranging from face painting and stilt drumming to live music and a “live art” painting performance. Many downtown shops will be open late during the event, and several streets will be open to pedestrians only. (A shuttle service will operate from 2pm to 10:30pm to ferry shoppers from parking lots on Perth’s outskirts to the market site.)

Hang out with goats in Luskville

Have you ever wanted to practise your plank while surrounded by goats, or simply snuggle a few of them? Well, you’re in luck, because Mountain View Farm in Luskville, Quebec, is hosting goat yoga and goat snuggling sessions this fall, starting on Sunday, September 15. (If you can’t make it this weekend, there will be other chances on September 29, October 6 and October 20.)

Admire bonsai in Ottawa

Are you a fan of very small trees? The Ottawa Bonsai Society is holding its annual show at the Embassy of Japan (255 Sussex Drive) on September 14 and 15. Admission is fre

Relive the ’80s in Smiths Falls

Bust out those leg warmers and shoulder pads, my friends: an Epic ’80s Block Party is coming to Smiths Falls on Saturday, September 14. From 4pm to 10pm, you can get in the retro groove with DJ tunes, a photo booth, a fashion show and more on Russell Street East.

Discover local food and wine vendors in Prince Edward County

Taste! Community Grown is a one-day Prince Edward County food fair taking place at Parsons Brewing Company (876 County Rd 49, Picton). On Saturday, September 14, you can sip and sample your way around a vendors’ market to discover some new-to-you tastes.

Get nostalgic in Cumberland

Travel back in time at Memories of Childhood, a special event at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum on September 14 and 15 from 10am to 4pm. Adults aged 50 and up are admitted free, and they’re encouraged to bring their younger friends and family with them. (Children five and under are admitted free, too.) Performers from MASC, a local group that introduces children to the arts, will be bring the games and playtimes of the past to life.

Startle your tastebuds at the Shaw Centre

If you like it hot, you’ll love Heating Up the Capital, a hot sauce expo coming to the Shaw Centre in Ottawa on Saturday, September 14. From 10am to 6pm, you can sample fiery flavours from 40 vendors and buy your favourites to take home.

Channel your inner Scot in Carleton Place

Pipes, drums and Highland dancers will all be on hand to celebrate the Carleton Place Community Tattoo on Sunday, September 15, starting at noon at the Captain Roy A. Brown Legion Branch 192.

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 16 TO SEPTEMBER 22

Visit a market in 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.

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.

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.

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.

Enjoy a turkey fair in 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.

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!

Do yoga to help kids with cancer

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.

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.