Snow shovelling getting you down? Cheer up! After clearing your driveway, you can cocoon inside and plan your 2026 camping adventures, a theatre outing in Osgoode, a culinary evening in Gatineau or a visit with butterflies in Centretown. This week’s Heads Up post also has the scoop on a free dance class at the NAC, tickets for The Wiggles and more.
Plan ahead to camp at popular national parks
Hoping to snag a campsite at some of Canada’s most popular national parks, including Banff, Thousand Islands, Kluane and Gros Morne? Check this useful guide from Explore magazine for the dates when 2026 campsite reservations open at these and many other well-loved parks across the country.
Sign up now for a free Afro-Caribbean dance class
This sounds like fun: a free Afro-Caribbean dance class at the National Arts Centre on Monday, February 2, at 7pm. Only 50 spots are available, so you might want to snap one up quickly. It’s organized by a group called Happiness Habits 613, which is planning all sorts of other happiness-boosting events through the cold, dark days of February.
A culinary competition is coming to Gatineau
Outaouais Tourism and the École hôtelière de l’Outaouais are presenting L’Outaouais en cuisine, which will see 12 local chefs and pastry chefs developing savoury or sweet bite-sized dishes. The chefs will then work with a team of four students from the École to create and serve their creations at a public cocktail reception on Wednesday, February 25. Three prizes will be up for grabs in the friendly competition. Tickets are available now.
The Wiggles have added a second show
It looks like The Wiggles will be a hot ticket this summer. The popular children’s entertainers have just added a second performance of their Tree of Wisdom Spectacular at TD Place on
Butterflies are still flying at the Canadian Museum of Nature
Good news for procrastinators and butterfly lovers alike: The Canadian Museum of Nature has extended its very popular walk-through Butterflies in Flight exhibition. Originally slated to close on January 18, the exhibition has been extended until March 30, 2026. Admission is included with museum admission BUT spaces are limited (the space is small), so it’s a good idea to book your timed ticket online in advance. P.S.: If museums are your jam, check out my guide to current museum exhibitions in Ottawa and beyond.
An Almonte tea room has closed
And now a bit of sad news: Tea & Cake, a tea room in Almonte, closed its doors on January 18. This Facebook post thanks the business’s customers and explains that the closure was due to financial challenges.
Speaking of Almonte…
The Sterling restaurant in Almonte is hosting a three-course dinner called Pause With Purpose on Sunday, February 15. It’s billed as “a dinner for women rewriting the menopause narrative.” Colour me intrigued.
Act quickly to get mountain film fest tickets
The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival showcases award-winning movies from the Alberta festival, which focuses on mountain sports, adventure and the environment. The Ottawa edition of the festival opens at the Bytowne Cinema on Sunday, January 25, and it will run there until Tuesday, January 27. However, the Bytowne’s website has already sold out of tickets for the first two days! You may still be able to snag tickets for the 26th and 27th on Trailhead’s website.
Kingston has a National Wall of Remembrance
I missed this news in the fall, so I’m sharing it now via an article in the January 2026 issue of Thousand Islands Life. Kingston’s Macdonald Park is now home to the National Wall of Remembrance, which recognizes the contributions of the more than 118,000 Canadians (and, before 1949, Newfoundlanders) who have died while serving in the armed forces. The memorial officially opened on November 1, 2025, and you can see the opening ceremony in the video above. As well as the poppy-shaped physical memorial, there’s also an online virtual memorial that provides more information on the honourees.
This play about Olympic hockey is only running for two nights
Normally, I don’t list plays here, but since the ITR Theatre Company is staging The Olympic Flyers in Osgoode for two performances only—an evening one on Saturday, February 28, and an afternoon matinée on Sunday, March 1—I thought you might want to book your tickets early. The one-act musical tells the story of Canada’s 1948 Winter Olympics hockey team, and each performance will be followed by a Q&A with the playwright/director and cast members. P.S.: If you like live plays, don’t forget to check my theatre post, which lists plays coming up in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais.
The National Gallery is closed this week
Art fans, take note: The National Gallery of Canada is closed for annual maintenance from Monday, January 19, through Friday, January 23.
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.