This weekend (August 18 to 20), you have two great reasons to visit Cornwall, about an hour and 15 minutes southeast of Ottawa on the St. Lawrence River.
On Friday night, there will be a festive downtown market and stores will be open late. And on Saturday and Sunday, you can check out 19 cool architectural sites in and around the city as part of Doors Open Cornwall and SDG Counties. Here are all the details you need to plan a trip!
Disclosure: This sponsored post was produced in cooperation with Cornwall Tourism, which also supplied the photo of the Cornwall Community Museum at the top of the post. Photo credit: Lee Ladouceur.
Shop, shop, shop at Cornwall’s Night Market
On Friday, August 18, some 50 vendors from across Eastern Ontario and beyond will be descending on downtown Cornwall for the city’s annual Night Market. Last year, about 5,000 people thronged the streets to check out the wide array of tempting items for sale. This year, you can shop for clothing, soap, jewellery, vintage pieces, plants, baked goods and more, and a DJ will be spinning tunes to keep things lively. The hub of the fun will be the intersection of Pitt and First streets.
During the market, lots of downtown stores and restaurants will also be open late. Browse for unique gifts or gently used clothing, pick up gourmet popcorn, nosh on a salmon sushi bowl or a crispy buffalo cauliflower wrap, or even buy a wedding dress!
The event runs from 4pm to 10pm.
Discover fascinating buildings during Doors Open Cornwall and SDG Counties
On August 19 and 20, peek behind the doors of 19 intriguing buildings and sites in Cornwall and the surrounding United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry during Doors Open Cornwall and SDG Counties.
In Cornwall itself, for instance, you can see how a community TV station works at YourTV Cornwall, learn about power generation at the Saunders Hydro Dam Visitor Centre, visit the Cornwall Community Museum (located in a stone house dating to about 1840) and tour the imposing Historic SDG Jail, built in 1833. In the surrounding SDG Counties, sites include the atmospheric ruins of a huge church (St. Raphael’s Ruins) in Williamstown, the Victorian-era Aultsville Train Station in Morrisburg and the Carman House Museum—a Loyalist home built around 1815—in Iroquois.
The Doors Open event runs from 10am to 4pm on both days, but not all sites are open for the entire event. To avoid disappointment, check the website above to confirm the hours for the sites you are interested in. Admission to all sites is free that day.
Cycling the waterfront
If you’re feeling up to it, extend your visit and spend some time cycling Cornwall’s beautiful waterfront. The famed Riverside Trail extends from Cornwall all the way to Upper Canada Village near Morrisburg, with a number of scenic stops and landmarks to enjoy along the way. The Cornwall Civic Complex (100 Water Street East) is a convenient starting point to park and ride (parking is free), and the Cornwall Tourism information centre is located right in front of the Civic Complex. It’s open daily from 9am to 5pm. Stop by and grab a cycling map, visitor guide, water or some souvenirs!
Come back in September
September is shaping up to be a great month, too, with the Akwesasne Pow-Wow on September 9 and 10, the Eastern Ontario Garlic Festival on September 16, the Shorty Jenkins Curling Classic (featuring some of the world’s top curlers) from September 20 to 24, the Cornwall Culture Fest on September 23, and the Apples and Art Studio Tour on September 23 and 24. You can find out more about these events and dozens of others by checking out Cornwall Tourism’s event calendar.
Accommodations in Cornwall
Want to find a place to stay overnight in Cornwall? Use the map below to find hotels, motels, vacation rentals and more. Disclosure: If you use the map below to book accommodation, I’ll receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting this site!
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.
