Whether you’d like to sing along with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, learn a bit of local history, nab hot tickets to a Kingston concert, make holiday crafts with your kids, get a discount on Just for Laughs gala tickets, discover shops near Napanee or book a stay in the newest ski hotel in the Eastern Townships, this week’s Heads Up post has news you can use.
Plan ahead for Kingston choral concert
If you like to plan WAY in advance and you’re a fan of choral music, you may be interested in a concert by British vocal ensemble VOCES8 in Kingston on July 5, 2026. The group’s previous show at Kingston’s Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts sold out, so you might want to snap up tickets soon if you’re interested.
New ski-in, ski-out hotel opening soon in Bromont
The new Residence Inn by Marriott Bromont is set to open in January 2026 in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, about a five-hour drive from Ottawa. The extended-stay hotel is a ski-in, ski-out property at the base of Bromont mountain, which is home to 125 ski trails and 91 night slopes.
Get discounts on Just for Laughs gala nights
Every year during Montreal’s Just for Laughs comedy festival, gala nights showcase some of the biggest names at the event. The 2026 lineup isn’t confirmed yet, but if you take a chance and buy gala tickets now, you can save up to 20 percent. The offer is open until January 5, 2026.
Sign your kids up for holiday crafts in Stittsville
The Goulbourn Museum in Stittsville is holding a Family Craft Day on Saturday, December 13. The drop-in event runs from 10am to 2pm, and organizers estimate kids will spend about 60 to 90 minutes making penguin poppers, paper plate trees and snowflake pipe cleaner ornaments. Advance registration is required, which is why I’m mentioning it now!
Do a little shopping near Napanee
If your travels take you to Lennox & Addington—a region stretching from Denbigh in the north to Bath in the south, and running through Napanee—you might be interested in Naturally L&A’s Ultimate Shopping Tour. It’s a map of local stores that are great places to browse for holiday gifts.
Sing along with Bing
If the holidays don’t officially start for you until you’ve seen White Christmas, you’re in luck! The Bytowne Cinema is offering a singalong screening of the holiday classic—featuring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen—on Saturday, December 13, at 1pm, and tickets are available now.
Learn about Lanark County’s textile history
Local author Linda Knight Seccaspina does an amazing job of finding and illuminating local history. Case in point: this post about the long-gone Glenayr Knitting Mill in Lanark. As always, I learned a lot!
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.