Things to do in Ottawa, the Outaouais, Eastern Ontario and beyond (March 17 to March 30, 2025)

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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 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 MARCH 17 TO MARCH 23

In Ottawa, see a movie about a trailblazing hiker

In 1904, widow Mary Schäffer Warren bucked societal conventions to reinvent herself as a mountain explorer. Determined to finish her late husband’s botanical research, she set off to explore the Canadian Rockies in a series of increasingly long expeditions. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is screening a new film about Warren, Wildflowers, at its Ottawa headquarters on Wednesday, March 19. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with author and filmmaker Meghan J. Ward. Admission is pay what you can but seating is limited, so register online in advance.

Enjoy pancakes and art in Toledo and Frankville

St. Andrew’s United Church in Toledo is hosting a pancake breakfast from 8am to noon on Saturday, March 22. If you’d like to make a day of it, you could head to the Open House at the AOG Art Gallery in nearby Frankville (9am to 2pm). The gallery’s outdoor art trail (featuring some 40 contemporary sculptures) is a bit wet this time of year, so rubber boots are recommended. The two communities are a short drive south of Smiths Falls.

Get soup and a bowl for a good cause in the Glebe

The Ottawa Guild of Potters is holding its annual fundraiser for the Ottawa Food Bank on Saturday, March 22. Sign up for Great Bowls of Fire and you’ll receive a handmade bowl of your choice, along with your chosen soup and bread from a selection of Ottawa restaurants and bakeries. It’s a takeout event, so you’ll pick up your goodies at the Glebe Community Centre to enjoy at home.

Go for a hike in Arnprior

Ottawa Valley Air Paddling has offering a four-kilometre social hike along the Macnamara Trail in Arnprior on Saturday, March 22. The pace will be easy and snowshoes (if needed) will be provided.

See a play in or around Ottawa

Lots of plays are opening or continuing in and around Ottawa this week, including Grease in Greely, The Secret to Good Tea at the National Arts Centre and Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock at the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe. See my theatre guide for links and details.

Learn about a new Indigenous project in Almonte

Ginawaydaganuc Village is a new initiative conceived by a group of Indigenous Elders. Their aim is to create a sustainable centre dedicated to economic and social innovation, where community members can connect and collaborate. (The video above provides an introduction.) At an evening event on Friday, March 21, at the Almonte branch of the Mississippi Mills Public Library, you can learn more about this hub, to be built on seventh-generation principles. Advance registration is required.

Catch a comedy show in Orleans

The In the Black Comedy Show at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans (Friday, March 21) features a packed lineup of Black standup comics from across Canada, including Dawn Xanklin (Ottawa), Statuesse (Calgary), enoje OzJam (Toronto), Sarah St-Fleur (Montreal–Toronto) and George Rivard (Yukon).

Enjoy one of many concerts

Live music fans are in luck this week, as there are lots of concerts to choose from. Shows include Alan Doyle at the Brockville Arts Centre, Bel and Quinn at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans, and Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro at the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe. Check my concert listings for links to these and many other shows.

Hunt for flea-market finds in Russell and Ottawa

The second-last Russell Flea Market of the season will be held indoors at Russell High School on Saturday, March 22. Each flea market features an all-new roster of 50 vendors. This time, you’ll be able to shop for everything from handmade soaps to dehydrated dog treats. The focus is on local vendors and unique items.

Also on Saturday, 613flea returns to the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa.

Go back in time in Cumberland

On March 22 and 23, you can explore a 1920s and 30s community with a museum interpreter as your host during Tales from the Village at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum. As you step inside each heritage building on the tour, actors from Vintage Stock Theatre will bring local tall tales and folk stories to life. There will be light refreshments, too.

Get home and garden ideas in Ottawa

The Ottawa Home and Garden Show is the big draw this weekend (March 20 to 23) at the EY Centre. Lots of experts and exhibitors will be on hand to inspire your next big garden overhaul or home renovation.

Explore humanity in Kingston

That heading promises an event for deep thinkers, and that looks like exactly what you’ll get at Poetics of Humanity, a free event at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts in Kingston at 5pm on Friday, March 21. Guests are invited to bring a poem, a picture or a song to participate in a creative collaboration that aims to answer some big questions: How do we think—or rethink—humanity in the face of racial discrimination? What does it mean to be and feel human, to embody humanity within and beyond the academy?

Shop for a wedding dress in Kanata

Opportunity Bridal is holding a pop-up sale of new wedding dresses at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Kanata on Saturday, March 22. The company promises discounts of up to 80 percent on gowns galore.

Shop for collectibles in Ottawa or Smiths Falls

Ottawa’s Toy and Collectible Sale returns to the Nepean Sportsplex on March 22 and 23, with 120 vendor booths filled with toys, collectibles, anime, video games, comic books, Lego and geek-inspired art. Tickets are $5, and kids 12 and under are admitted free. Geeks (and I use that term with the greatest affection) can also check out the Smiths Falls ComicCon at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 95 in Smiths Falls on Saturday, March 22.

Check out a Montreal music festival

In the Montreal suburb of Verdun, Cabane Panache (March 20 to 23) is a four-day event featuring live music, maple goodies, shopping and more.

Get mystical in Ottawa

The Ottawa Mystic Market (March 22 and 23) promises to be “a magical haven for witches, mystics and fairy folk.” Some 25 vendors will be on hand, providing tarot card readings, crystals, incense and more. It’s all happening at Next Door Ottawa on Gladstone Avenue.

WEEK OF MARCH 24 TO MARCH 30

Get wedding inspiration in Ottawa

Tying the knot soon? Then you might be interested in checking out the Ottawa Wedding Show (March 29 and 30) at the EY Centre, where you can browse for bridal dresses, caterers, photographers, wedding planners and more.

Hear Canadian stories in Seeley’s Bay

Storyfest is an annual tradition in the small community of Seeley’s Bay, northeast of Kingston. In this year’s edition on Sunday, March 30, local writer, explorer and raconteur James Raffan will be presenting his latest show, The Accidental Canadian. This blend of stories, images, songs and humour will paint pictures of the incredible places Raffan has discovered over 50 years of rambling across Canada’s Arctic.

Have some maple fun in Vanier

The Vanier Sugar Festival at the Vanier Museopark (March 24 to 30) will give you the chance to visit an urban sugar shack, but that’s just the beginning of the fun. Other attractions include a fundraising soup competition, live music, a lumberjack competition, art making, Indigenous experiences, a country music dinner, sugar shack meals, a petting zoo, pony rides, bouncy castles, a beer garden and axe throwing. Most of the public events at the Museopark are on the weekend (March 29 and 30).

See the stars near Kaladar

Near the night of the new moon each month, weather permitting, the Lennox and Addington County Dark Sky Viewing Area offers a free Laser-Guided Stargazing Tour on Friday and Saturday nights. Each tour starts about an hour after dusk and lasts approximately 90 minutes. You’ll get a laser-guided tour of the night sky and perhaps peek through a telescope. The next tour nights are March 28 and 29. Even though the tour is free, you should go online to reserve a spot if you’re interested. The viewing area is in Erinsville, just south of where Highway 7 intersects with Highway 41 in Kaladar, Ontario.

Enjoy South Asian dance in Montreal

The Montreal Natyanjali dance festival brings together dancers from across Canada and the United States to showcase Indian classical dance. It’s taking place in Montreal on Saturday, March 29.

Dine well in Perth

Looking to save money but still dine well? Perthalicious (March 24 to April 6) will give you the chance to do just that. Throughout the two-week promotion, 15 Perth restaurants will be offering deals on special three-course prix fixe menus. It’s a great chance to try a new-to-you restaurant or revisit an old favourite.

Head to a film festival in Ottawa

The fifth annual Ottawa Black Film Festival will be showing movies in person and online from March 28 to April 1. The final lineup is still being determined, but the event usually screens a range of documentaries, shorts and feature films.

Eat pancakes in Almonte, Cornwall or Toledo

For early risers, the Cornwall Rotary Club is hosting a pancake breakfast at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Cornwall from 7am to noon Saturday, March 29. Proceeds will benefit the Children’s Treatment Centre.

St. Andrew’s United Church in Toledo is hosting its second pancake breakfast of the season from 8am to noon on Saturday, March 29.

The following day (Sunday, March 30), the Union Hall Community Centre just outside Almonte will also be hosting a pancake breakfast. This one will help fund the restoration of the hall, which has been maintained by the community since 1857. Your timed entry ticket entitles you to a big breakfast of pancakes, sausages, baked beans, blueberries, maple syrup, juices, coffee and tea.

Make a spring wreath in Perth

Wreaths aren’t just for Christmas! At Kelly’s Flowers in Perth, you can take a workshop to make a spring wreath on Thursday, March 27, beginning at 6pm.

Get gardening inspiration in Ladysmith

Pontiac Seedy Saturday (March 29) is a free event in Ladysmith that promises lots of fun and inspiration for gardeners. Swap open-pollinated and seeds, meet vendors, and attend workshops and talks—including a presentation by my friends Katharine and Eric Fletcher, who live on a farm in Quyon. It’s a great chance to learn about seed saving and environmentally responsible gardening practices.

See Brent Butt in Ottawa

Corner Gas creator and star Brent Butt is bringing his standup comedy show to the Bronson Music Theatre in Ottawa on Friday, March 28.

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.