Whether you want to learn about medicinal plants, play bingo for a good cause, save money on Broadway tickets or take a free bike tour, this week’s Heads Up post has all the news you need to know. For those with big budgets, there’s a gourmet seaplane excursion in Quebec. I’ll even tell you when you can watch contestants from The Amazing Race Canada enjoying some kilted fun in Eastern Ontario!
You can tour a natural medicines garden at Akwesasne
Thanks to the great, free Off the Hook newsletter published by Perch magazine (also the source of the Amazing Race tip later in this post), I found out about an intriguing-sounding tour at Akwesasne. Plant Medicines: Gifts from the Land is a 2.5-hour tour of a natural medicines garden led by Sateiokwen Bucktooth of Snipe Clan Botanicals. The Mohawk traditional knowledge keeper shares insights into the ways plants such as columbine, lemon balm and yarrow can be made into healing salves, tonics and other products. The tour includes an herbal tea tasting and is offered for groups of three to 10 people.
More than 50 writers will be at Kingston WritersFest
Tickets are available now for Kingston WritersFest (September 25 to 29), which will see some 50 writers descending on K-Town to give workshops, readings and talks.
The NCC is offering free tours on September 14
Open NCC is a once-a-year event that sees the National Capital Commission (NCC) offering free tours and activities at sites across Ottawa–Gatineau. This year, it’s taking place on Saturday, September 14, from 10am to 3pm. I’m mentioning it now because some activities require advance registration. They include a bike tour to see the latest improvements at Westboro Beach, a bike tour of Confederation Boulevard, a Rideau Canal boat tour and a sneak peek at the new facilities at Kìwekì Point (formerly Nepean Point). Activities at other sites, including Gatineau Park and Mer Bleue, will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Train de Charlevoix extends its service into December
The Train de Charlevoix—a scenic rail connection between Montmorency Falls on Quebec City’s eastern edge and La Malbaie in the Charlevoix region—has added new dates this fall. Trains will now run seven days a week until Thursday, October 31, and then on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until Sunday, December 8. (Note: The current railway lockout does not affect its operations.)
Fundraising events abound this fall
If you’d like to attend a fancy event for a good cause this fall, you have no shortage of galas from which to choose! Get out your party clothes and prepare to be wined, dined and entertained at the following events.
- The Autumn Evening for Autism (Thursday, October 17) will feature a four-course pairing menu by Chef Michael Blackie at NeXT in Kanata. Save $25 per ticket if you purchase by September 15.
- Black Tie Bingo, presented by Emond Harnden (Saturday, November 2), is a glam bingo—see the video above—that has raised $480,000 for Bruyère’s end-of-life care in the last decade. It’s happening at the Infinity Convention Centre in Ottawa.
- The Blue Door Gala, presented by Caivan (Thursday, November 7), is a fundraiser at the Infinity Convention Centre for The Ottawa Mission’s Food Services Training Program (FSTP). Dishes will be prepared by Executive Chef Ric Allen-Watson and FSTP students.
You can get deals on Broadway tickets in September
Heading to NYC in early September? Then check out the deals during NYC Broadway Week, which actually lasts almost two weeks (September 3 to 15). Two-for-one deals are available for tickets to more than 20 shows, including Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, Six and The Lion King.
Cornwall and SDG will be on The Amazing Race Canada
Attention, fans of The Amazing Race Canada! Don’t miss the episode airing on Tuesday, August 27. That’s when Cornwall and the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry will take their turn as a filming locale for the popular reality show. According to SDG Tourism, the episode will involve kilts, street hockey and alpacas (not all at the same time, presumably).
Gourmet seaplane flights promise a memorable splurge
Money no object? Then you might be interested in gourmet seaplane flights in the Mauricie region of Quebec offered by Hydravion Aventure. The company will fly your party to a secluded outdoor locale for a fancy feast…for prices starting at $458 per person. Those had better be some tasty hors d’oeuvres!
Cow pie draw goes online
If you want to try your luck in the Glengarry Harvest Fall Festival’s Cow Pie 50/50 Draw this year, you don’t even have to attend the September 8 festival to be eligible to win—you can buy tickets online.
And if you’re wondering what, exactly, a Cow Pie 50/50 Draw is, let me enlighten you. The organizers sell 225 numbered tickets per draw. (There will be two draws this year, one at noon and another at 2pm.) They let a cow named Bessie into an enclosure marked with 225 numbered squares. When Bessie makes her first…um…drop, the person holding the ticket for that square wins. It’s all in good fun and a major fundraiser for the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan.
Do you want to sing?
OK, so this isn’t a road trip per se…although the choir does sometimes sing in places beyond Ottawa! The Ottawa Celtic Choir is an un-auditioned women’s choir that sings the songs of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and other Celtic places, and it’s looking for new members. Rehearsals are held on Tuesday evenings at St. John the Evangelist Church on the corner of Somerset and Elgin streets in Centretown, starting September 10.
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.