If you like food (and who doesn’t, right?), you can check out a wine and food festival, two restaurant promos, and a free baking get-together this week. Family fun more your style? Choose from five Santa Claus parades. This is also the weekend for the popular Homes for the Holidays tour, an Ottawa Indigenous festival, two Tom Green standup shows, concerts by Hawksley Workman and Connie Kaldor, a theatre festival in Merrickville, a variety show in Almonte, and much more. Wherever your road trips take you, enjoy!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Have some laughs in Ottawa, Cornwall or Rockland
- Catch festivals of European and outdoor movies in Ottawa
- Make a wreath and sip a cocktail in Chelsea
- Meet new friends over baked goodies at the NAC
- Bring the family to a Santa Claus parade
- Tour gorgeous homes for a good cause in Ottawa
- Catch a concert in just about any genre
- See a variety show in Almonte
- Sample fine food and wine in Ottawa
- Enjoy an Indigenous festival in Ottawa
- Head to a play in Little Italy, Kanata or Merrickville
- Check out a silent cabaret in Ottawa
- Play trivia for a good cause in Cornwall
- Shop 'til you drop in Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston and elsewhere
- Eat well for less in the Outaouais and Montreal
- See a new gallery exhibition in Almonte
- SAVE THE DATE
- NEED A PLACE TO STAY?
Have some laughs in Ottawa, Cornwall or Rockland
Funnyman Tom Green is giving two shows in the region this week—on Wednesday, December 12, at the Aultsville Theatre in Cornwall, and on Friday, December 14, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. If you can’t catch him this week, he’ll be in Kingston on December 4 and Montreal on December 5.
The Comedy FUNdraiser at Optimiste Performance Hall in Rockland on Friday, November 14, is raising money for two great causes: the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail and Eco East. Standup comics Lauren Lane, Fabio Ricci and Hart Shouldice, along with headliner Dan Allaire, will take to the stage at 7:30pm, kept in line by MC Eric Colllard.
Catch festivals of European and outdoor movies in Ottawa
The European Union Film Festival will screen 28 movies at the Ottawa Art Gallery between November 14 and 29—one from each of the 27 members of the EU and a fundraising screening of an Oscar-nominated Ukrainian documentary. The movies include Ciao Ciao, a drama about a dinner party that goes off the rails. The movies include dramas, comedies, documentaries and more. If you can’t make it to the in-person event, you can purchase streaming access to 14 of the films online.
Also in Ottawa for one night only is the first annual Ottawa Outdoor Film Festival at the Bytowne Cinema. Three Canadian movies will be screened on Saturday, November 15: Wildflowers, inspired by Mary Schäffer Warren’s 1908 expedition in Jasper National Park; Traversées, about five women attempting to cross Kuururjuaq Park in northern Quebec; and Electric Greg, which follows mountaineer Greg Hill as he sets out to climb 100 peaks without burning any fossil fuels. The event is a fundraiser for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ottawa Valley Chapter.
Make a wreath and sip a cocktail in Chelsea
You can sign up in advance to take a wreath-making workshop at La Cocktailerie in Old Chelsea Square on Sunday, November 16. You’ll make a spruce wreath to bring home, and the ticket price includes a festive cocktail.
Meet new friends over baked goodies at the NAC
Isn’t this a sweet idea? The Ottawa Baking Meetup invites anyone to join them in the Gail and David O’Brien Atrium of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on Saturday, November 15, starting at 1pm. Bake your favourite treat and bring enough for at least dozen people, along with a list of ingredients (for guests with allergies), then join in the snacking and socializing. It’s free! (Tip of the hat to the Facebook group Free Ottawa Events and Activities for the heads-up on this one.)
Bring the family to a Santa Claus parade
Sure, it’s still over a month until Christmas, but the weather is usually warmer in November than December! Perhaps that’s why so many communities jump the gun and hold their Santa Claus parades early. This weekend, you can choose from Christmas parades in Kemptville, Cornwall and Lyndhurst on Saturday, and Barrhaven and the village of Lansdowne (not Lansdowne Park!) on Sunday. See my big list of Santa parades for links to these events and many others.
Tour gorgeous homes for a good cause in Ottawa
Yes, it’s time for Homes for the Holidays—that annual event where we get to stroll through beautiful homes that are festively decorated, all to raise money for hospice care. The event includes eight homes from Rockcliffe to Manotick and runs from November 14 to 16.
Catch a concert in just about any genre
Music fans, don’t forget to check out my big concert list for links to all sorts of live shows this week, including Black Umfolosi in Deep River, Hawksley Workman at the NAC, Connie Kaldor in Chelsea, and the not-to-be-confused Nathan Smith in Perth and Nate Smith at Ottawa’s Hard Rock Casino.
See a variety show in Almonte
The PuppetsUp! festival is presenting A Fall Chautauqua at the Almonte Old Town Hall on Saturday, November 15. What the heck is a Chautauqua? It’s an old-fashioned variety show, and this one will feature acts ranging from highland dancing and barbershop quartet singing to poetry recitations and standup comedy. There will be two shows—an afternoon matinee and an evening performance—with money raised going to support PuppetsUp!
Sample fine food and wine in Ottawa
The Crave Food and Wine Festival on November 14 and 15 gives you the chance to sample dishes and beverages from a range of local vendors, all in a festive atmosphere. There will be chef demonstrations, too. It’s taking place at the Rogers Centre in downtown Ottawa.
Enjoy an Indigenous festival in Ottawa
The Minoshkite Indigenous Music & Arts Festival is a two-day celebration of Indigenous talent from the Ottawa area and across Canada, taking place at the Bronson Music Theatre in Ottawa (November 13 and 14). Along with performances by Amanda Rheaume, Mimi O’Bonsawin, Aspects, Qattuu, Rueben and The Bullhorn Singers, Sebastian Gaskin, Drives The Common Man, and Siibii, there will be opportunities for education and community engagement led by the Downie Wenjack Fund. Admission is pay what you can ($10 suggested).
Head to a play in Little Italy, Kanata or Merrickville
It’s opening weekend for two plays in Ottawa based on movies: Babette’s Feast at the Gladstone Theatre in Little Italy and The Spitfire Grill at the Ron Maslin Playhouse in Kanata. (OK, technically both the movie and theatrical versions of Babette’s Feast are based on a 1958 short story by Isak Dinesen.) You can also enjoy a whole weekend of short plays during the Eastern Ontario Drama League One-Act Festival in Merrickville. For details on these and many other plays, see my theatre roundup post.
Check out a silent cabaret in Ottawa
This is the sort of event that doesn’t cross my desk every day. At Hush Cabaret and Market, you can browse at a vendors’ market, then stay for an evening of silent burlesque. It’s happening at Next Door on Gladstone Avenue on Saturday, November 15.
Play trivia for a good cause in Cornwall
The Cornwall Community Museum is having a fundraising trivia night fundraiser on Wednesday, November 12, at Schnitzels Restaurant in Cornwall. The cost is $100 per team of four and there will be lots of prizes (as well as at least a few questions about Cornwall and its history).
Shop ’til you drop in Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston and elsewhere
During Shop the Blocks in downtown Cornwall on Wednesday, November 12, participating businesses are staying open late so you have more time to check out their food, art, fashion, wellness and other gifts. There will be giveaways, draws, demonstrations, samplings and more.
Festive Friday is a “holiday shopping crawl” in downtown Kingston on Friday, November 15. More than 30 downtown stores ill be offering workshops, free samples, special promotions and more (hours vary). Free gift wrapping and horse-drawn wagon rides will be available, too. And there will be a draw for a $500 Downtown Kingston gift card!
Miracle on King Street: A Dickens of a Christmas promises to transform downtown Brockville’s main shopping artery into a winter wonderland on Saturday, November 15, from 10am to 4pm. Visitors can check out two petting zoos, free swing dancing lessons, a chili competition, live music, inflatable games, beer gardens—and more!
Speaking of holiday craft sales, there are LOTS of them happening this weekend! Name a place—Ottawa, Orléans, Nepean, Barrhaven, Kanata, Carp, Richmond, Chelsea, Embrun, Rockland, Monkland, Williamstown, Carleton Place, Perth, Kemptville, Prescott and more—and it has some sort of Christmas market this weekend. Check my big list of Christmas craft sales for links!
Eat well for less in the Outaouais and Montreal
This is your last chance to benefit from two restaurant promotions that give you the chance to enjoy multi-course restaurant menus for a special price. In Montreal, MTLàTABLE (October 30 to November 16) offers deals at 150 restaurants throughout the greater Montreal area. Outaouais au menu event (October 30 to November 15) is modelled on the Montreal promotion and features 25 restaurants in various Outaouais communities, including Gatineau, Chelsea, Saint-André-Avellin and Montebello. They’re great chances to try a new-to-you restaurant!
See a new gallery exhibition in Almonte
The Sivarulrasa Gallery in Almonte is celebrating its 11th anniversary with a show featuring works by artists Dale Dunning, Louis Thériault, Deborah Arnold, Hannah Cretien and Wendy Robertson. It opens on Saturday, November 15 and runs until December 21.
SAVE THE DATE
Here are a few upcoming events you might want to add to your calendar, if you’re planning ahead. (Look for details on these events and many others in upcoming posts.)
- November 22: Ottawa Charge season opening home game, TD Place, Ottawa
- November 22: Winterfest, Carleton Place
- November 22: Once Upon a Christmas, Perth
- November 28: CPKC Holiday Train, Finch, Merrickville, Smiths Falls and Perth
- November 28 to 30: Local Christmas Shop and Hop, Lansdowne, Lyndhurst, Seeley’s Bay, Delta and Elgin
- December 4 to 7: Casselman Christmas Festival
NEED A PLACE TO STAY?
If you’re planning to head to any of these events and you need accommodation, why not use the map below to find a place to stay? If you book a place (anywhere in the world!) using the map, 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 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.