Never say my weekly Heads Up column doesn’t try to offer something for everyone. This week, for fans of things that go really, really fast, I have details on an airshow and a racetrack. You’ll get the scoop on a new comedy festival and a long-distance trip for music lovers. Families can find out where to take their wee ones to pet lambs. History buffs, I have you covered with a dive into the beginnings of the Canadian Tulip Festival. And, last but not least, you’ll find tips on what to do if you encounter a bear (probably not at the tulip fest, but hey, you never know). Enjoy.
Cover photo courtesy of Topsy Farms.
Tickets to the Aero Gatineau-Ottawa airshow are on sale
If you like to plan FAR in advance, here’s a tip: You can save anywhere from $5 on an individual ticket to $35 on a family pass to the Aero Gatineau-Ottawa airshow by purchasing your tickets in advance. The spectacle is taking place on the weekend after Labour Day (September 6 to 8) at the Gatineau Executive Airport, and the Snowbirds are among the performers scheduled to appear.
You can cuddle lambs on Amherst Island
Did you know you can sign up for a foster-lamb-cuddling session at Topsy Farms on Amherst Island (in Lake Ontario between Kingston and Napanee)? For $25 to $35 per group of up to six (plus $10 for the round-trip ferry passage to the island), you can get all the woolly snuggling you can squeeze into 30 minutes. Advance reservations required. Time slots are available between Thursday, May 16, and Monday, June 17. You’ll have better luck if you can visit on a weekday, as weekends are very popular and book up quickly. The fee is $25 for visiting only and $35 if you want to feed the little woolly ones. Note that pregnant women are not permitted to interact with the lambs.
A racetrack in Calabogie welcomes amateur gearheads
Ever wonder what it would be like to take your car for a circuit on a real racetrack? It’s probably wise to book now if you’d like to enjoy the Novice Track Day experience at Calabogie Motorsports Park on Saturday, June 1. The package includes instruction and half an hour of track time, and spots often sell out. You can use your own car for $125; if you’d like to rent one of the track’s race cars, the package costs $235. Fully electric cars are not allowed.
Ottawa’s tulip displays started with a baby and a liberation
If you’ve lived in Ottawa any length of time, you probably know that our beautiful tulip displays began with a gift of tulip bulbs from the Dutch royal family after the Second World War. But if you don’t know the whole tale, you can read about it in my latest post for Perceptive Travel, about the roots (pardon the pun) of the Canadian Tulip Festival.
Memphis is a great long-distance road trip for music fans
OK, so Ottawa Road Trips focuses pretty closely on places within a few hours of Ottawa. However, I know lots of readers take longer trips—and so do I!
A few weeks ago, I spent a few days in Memphis, Tennessee. If you’re a fan of rock, soul, blues, R&B or gospel, you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to music museums. I checked out Sun Studio, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and a little ol’ place you may have heard of called Graceland, and wrote about these three Memphis music museums for Perceptive Travel.
Ottawa is getting a new comedy festival
The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival is coming to LeBreton Flats (August 9 to 11), and tickets are on sale now.
The NCC has black bear safety tips
No, these aren’t safety tips for black bears; no one is suggesting schooling wild animals on the advantages of seat belts and fire extinguishers. These are tips from the NCC for humans who may encounter a black bear in the capital region’s wild spaces, such as Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt. It turns out my first instinct (scream at the top of my lungs) is exactly the wrong approach.
Read this NCC post for the right way to avoid bears and deal with any you do come across. The good news is that, according to the NCC, “It is extremely rare for black bears to attack humans. In fact, you are more likely to be hit by lightning than to be attacked by a black bear.” Good to know.
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km 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.