Lots of festive fun is on the calendar this week, with half a dozen Santa Claus parades, wreath-making and card-painting classes, Christmas craft sales galore, and holiday festivals in Carleton Place, Perth, Middleville and Westport. Not quite feeling fa-la-la-la-la yet? You could go to the Ottawa Charge’s season opener at TD Place, see Hay Fever in New Edinburgh, see “mildly sexy lumberjacks” in a music and comedy show in Brockville or Pembroke, or catch a flick at the European Union Film Festival. And those are just a few of your choices!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Shop for art in Alta Vista
- Bring the family to a Santa Claus parade
- Cheer for the Charge at TD Place
- Have some laughs in Brockville or Pembroke
- Catch a concert in just about any genre
- Shop for bright shiny objects in Kingston
- Check out Ladies Night in Kemptville
- Enjoy a play in Ottawa or Winchester
- Head to a Christmas market
- Paint holiday cards in Mississippi Mills
- Hear Bach in Montreal
- Get mystical in Ottawa
- Enjoy a festive day in Perth, Westport, Carleton Place, Stittsville or Middleville
- See cool movies in Ottawa and Montreal
- Taste whisky with paired food at the Diefenbunker
- Make a wreath in Winchester
- SAVE THE DATE
- NEED A PLACE TO STAY?
Shop for art in Alta Vista
On Saturday, November 22, Art in the Neighbourhood is holding its 8th annual Fall Art Show at Emmanuel United Church in Alta Vista (691 Smyth Road). You can shop for pieces by more than 25 local artists from 10am to 4pm. Free parking and free admission.
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 Prescott on Friday; downtown Ottawa, Kanata, Westport and Kingston on Saturday; and Maxville on Sunday. See my big list of Santa parades for links to these events and many others.
Cheer for the Charge at TD Place
You can catch the Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women’s Hockey League in their first game of the 2025–26 season, as they face off against the New York Sirens at TD Place on Saturday, November 22.
Have some laughs in Brockville or Pembroke
Canadian Steam is billed as “a music and comedy show with mildly sexy lumberjacks.” From the video above, it looks like a hoot. It’s on stage at the Festival Hall @ L’Equinoxe in Pembroke on Thursday, November 20, and at the Brockville Arts Centre on Friday, November 21.
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. It’s a packed schedule featuring everyone from Jann Arden in Belleville to the Lemon Bucket Orkestra at the Rainbow Bistro and Blue Rodeo at the NAC.
Shop for bright shiny objects in Kingston
The Kingston Lapidary and Mineral Club is holding its 2025 Fall Rocks Show and Sale at the Tett Centre in Kingston from November 20 to 23. Shop for gems, jewellery and one-of-a-kind gifts.
Check out Ladies Night in Kemptville
On Friday, November 21, the shops of downtown Kemptville will be rolling out a bit of an extra welcome for women during Ladies Night. Pick up your shopping passport (and a complimentary mocktail) at Salamander’s restaurant, check out the special deals at participating shops, then wrap up the evening at Z’Amoré restaurant.
Enjoy a play in Ottawa or Winchester
Wow, five new productions are opening on stages in and around Ottawa this week. In Ottawa, you can choose from Les Belles Soeurs at the Gladstone Theatre, Hay Fever at the Elmwood School, Annie at Centrepointe and The Real Sherlock Holmes in the Stuart Holmes Arena in Osgoode. Just beyond the city limits at the Old Town Hall in Winchester, the Dundas County Players are performing Lost in Yonkers. For details on these and many other plays, see my theatre roundup post.
Head to a Christmas market
Christmas craft sale season is in full swing again this weekend, with holiday markets happening in all sorts of places, including Centretown, the Glebe, Stittsville, Gatineau, Winchester, Renfrew, Brockville, Westport, Pembroke and MANY other communities. See my giant holiday markets post for details on these and other sales.
Paint holiday cards in Mississippi Mills
If you’re free to take a craft class on a weekday, you might be interested in this workshop to make holiday cards using watercolours and ink. It’s taking place in Mississippi Mills on Friday, November 21.
Hear Bach in Montreal
Artists from around the world come to Montreal each year to celebrate the music of Johann Sebastian Bach during the Montreal Bach Festival (November 15 to December 7). This year, the choices include three concerts at St. Joseph’s Oratory, a performance of Bach’s 6 Partitas by German-Iranian pianist Schaghajegh Nosrati on November 26, a concert by Argentine accordionist Théo Ould on November 27 and jazz interpretations of Bach’s pieces by pianist Paul Lay (December 2; see video above).
Get mystical in Ottawa
On November 22 and 23, the Ottawa Mystic Market is your chance to shop for crystals and tarot cards, meet with psychics, and explore all sorts of alternative ideas. It’s happening at Next Door Market and Event Space on Gladstone Avenue.
Enjoy a festive day in Perth, Westport, Carleton Place, Stittsville or Middleville
In Perth, the Downtown Heritage Perth Business Improvement Association is organizing a holiday shopping event called Once Upon a Christmas on Saturday, November 22. From 10am to 4pm, you can enjoy live music, a vendors’ market, hot chocolate, horse-drawn wagon rides, BeaverTails, face painting and more. You can even learn to curl!
Down the road in Carleton Place, Winterfest will be taking place on Saturday, November 22, from 4pm to 8pm.
During the free, family-friendly event, you can enjoy live entertainment, free horse-drawn wagon rides, sidewalk sales and a vendor market—and that’s just the beginning of the fun.
The Middleville and District Museum is hosting a Victorian Christmas celebration on Sunday, November 23, from noon to 3pm. Visitors can decorate gingerbread cookies, pose for photos in a vintage red cutter, do crafts, and enjoy hot chocolate, apple cider and sweet treats. It’s an indoor/outdoor event, so wear your woolies.
And boutiques in the charming village of Westport will likely be thronged from November 21 to 23, during the Holiday Hop ‘N’ Shop event. The fun will include a parade, shop promotions, a Christmas market, live music, an ugly sweater competition and pet photos with Santa. On Sunday, you’re even encouraged to wear PJs while you shop.
See cool movies in Ottawa and Montreal
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 films 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.
And in Montreal, the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), which runs from November 20 to 30, presents more than 120 movies from dozens of places, including Taiwan, Lebanon, Ukraine, Senegal, Croatia and Brazil.
Taste whisky with paired food at the Diefenbunker
The Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum is holding its annual whisky tasting fundraiser on Saturday, November 22. Fine whiskies chosen by SFR Distillery will paired with dishes from The Swan at Carp and desserts from Stella Luna Gelato Café, and there will be a silent auction, too. Tickets include a tax receipt for a portion of the ticket price.
Make a wreath in Winchester
There are still a few tickets left (as I type this on Wednesday) for a holiday wreath-making workshop at Yoga on the Farm Studio in Winchester on the afternoon of Sunday, November 23. Participants will come home with a 12-inch wreath they’ve crafted themselves from fresh greens and dried florals.
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 27: Baby, Please Come Home, Alexandria
- November 28: CPKC Holiday Train, Finch, Merrickville, Smiths Falls and Perth
- November 28: Alight at Night Festival begins, Morrisburg
- November 28 and 29: Christmas in the Village, Manotick
- November 28 to 30, and December 5 to 7: Christmas in Old Aylmer
- 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.