43+ fun things to do in and around Ottawa, February 9 to 15

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With a long weekend coming up for many Ontarians this week, event organizers seem to be pulling out all the stops! This week’s calendar features a ton of ideas (including a few next week on Family Day, February 16). Whether you want to tap trees in Vanier, buy comics in Carleton Place, eat cheese and go tobogganing in Mississippi Station, chat with artists in Wakefield, see a magic show in a Navan greenhouse or dance the night away in Gatineau, you’ll find something here for you. Enjoy!

Winterlude cover photo courtesy of Ottawa Tourism.

Table of contents

Check out a flea market in Ottawa, Russell or Belleville

On Saturday, February 14, bargain hunters and fans of cool handmade goods can choose from two flea markets in or near Ottawa. The popular 613Flea Market is back at the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park, and the Russell Flea Market is taking place at Russell High School. If your travels take you further afield, you could check out Cupid’s Flea on Valentine’s Day in Belleville.

Savour a fundraising brunch in Kemptville

The Knights of Columbus is hosting the 26th annual North Grenville Community Sweetheart Brunch on Sunday, February 15, at the North Grenville Community Centre in Kemptville. Along with enjoying brunch dishes, live music and a draw for cash prizes, you’ll have the chance to support an array of local charities, including the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation, Beth Donovan Hospice, and Leeds & Grenville Interval House.

Catch a family-friendly festival at the NAC

The Big Bang Festival at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre (February 14 and 15) is aimed at kids aged 5 to 12 and their parents. The fun includes live music, a rope that seems to come to life, crafts, temporary tattoos, an “interactive sensory experience” and more. Many events are free, and tickets to the rest are $15 or less.

Discover the world in Ottawa and Perth

The Ottawa Multicultural Bazaar (February 14 and 15) at the Nepean Sportsplex will feature booths and vendors where you can shop for crafts, clothing and foods from many different countries. The organizers promise fun for the whole family, with workshops, raffles and more. Free admission and free parking.

The second annual Perth Multicultural Food Fair will be taking place on Sunday, February 15, at the Crystal Palace in Perth. Running from 11am to 2pm, the free event will feature food prepared by local community members from 10 countries, and there will be live entertainment, too. Get there early to avoid disappointment, as the free food offerings are first come, first served!

Raise a glass and dance in Montreal

In Montreal, you can rock on to dozens of bands and DJs during the annual Taverne Tour in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood (February 12 to 14). Bars along Mont-Royal, Saint-Denis and St-Laurent have booked live music to entertain you as you drink.

Count birds for science

No matter where in the world you happen to be, you can participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count (February 13 to 16). Run by a group of birding organizations, including Birds Canada, the four-day event encourages bird lovers to look for, identify and count birds in their favourite places. The data you submit will help scientists understand and protect birds. Even 15 minutes of observation will help! If you already use the eBird or Merlin birdwatching apps, your records in those apps over the four-day period will be included in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Easy, right?

See cutting-edge performances in Ottawa

Can’t wait for the Ottawa Fringe Festival later this year? Well, you’re in luck, as the festival is also presenting the Undercurrents Festival (February 4 to 14). Showcasing local and national artists from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and disciplines—including emerging artists and underrepresented voices—the festival includes a wide range of experimental works.

Nurture your inner geek in Carleton Place

Long-time readers will know that I use the term “geek” with the utmost affection! And if you’d like to geek out on Family Day, head to the Carleton Place Area for Carleton Place Comic Con on Monday, February 16.

Head to a concert

There’s lots happening for music fans of all tastes this week. You could hear Craig Cardiff in Wakefield, Kellylee Evans in Orleans and Nepean, Kim Mitchell and David Wilcox at the Hard Rock Casino, and Georgette Fry and Friends in Perth, among many other shows. For links to all of them, see my concerts post.

Cheer for hockey players in Brockville

The Brockville Winter Classic Weekend (February 12 to 16) is packed with fun for hockey fans. Highlights include a whole day of outdoor hockey games on February 14, followed by an NHL alumni game at the Brockville Memorial Centre. The video above (highlights from the 2023 weekend) gives you some sense of what to expect.

Take the family for snowshoeing, tobogganing and cheese in Mississippi Station

Back Forty Winterland is a one-day winter open house at Back Forty Artisan Cheese in Mississippi Station on Saturday, February 14. Enjoy snowshoeing, tobogganing and lots of food from local producers. You can bring your dog on the trails, too, as long as you keep Fido on a leash. New this year is the opportunity to book an hour in the property’s sauna.

Enjoy magic in Navan

Magician Chris Pilsworth is giving a family-friendly performance in the Robert Plante Greenhouses in Navan on the morning of Sunday, February 15. Tickets are just $6 each (plus HST) and kids two and under will be admitted for free.

Learn photography skills for free in Ottawa

Happiness Habits 613 has declared February “28 Days of Happiness” and is offering all sorts of free activities to perk up the grey cold of an Ottawa winter. On Sunday, February 15, they’ve organized a Photography 101 session hosted by experts from Henry’s at the Ottawa Art Gallery. Even though it’s free, you do need to register in person online because spaces are limited.

Have some maple fun in Vanier

Grab your cordless drill and head to the Vanier Museopark’s Richelieu Forest to help tap maple trees for the Vanier Sugar Shack on the morning of Saturday, February 14. Snowshoes will come in handy, too. In a nod to tradition, volunteers will be rewarded with bowls of pea soup for their efforts. Check out the video above to see what you can expect. It’s hard to believe this all happens right in the middle of the city!

Meet artists in Wakefield

Artists Marie Drolet and Oleksandr Polishchuk (L’atelier de l’Aube) are currently working on a huge porcelain mural called Ces animaux qui nous habitent (The Animals That Live Within Us). The nature-themed work will be installed at the Wakefield La Pêche Community Centre in late 2026. On the afternoon of Saturday, February 14, the artists will be giving a presentation at the community centre. You can learn about their creative process, ask questions, and see sketches, molds and pieces of porcelain that will be used in the final work.

Sing with others—even if you “can’t sing”

As someone who loves music but can’t carry a tune in a bucket, the idea of a community sing-along that is open to folks of all musical abilities (or none at all) really appeals to me. And singing with others is supposed to be good for your physical and mental health, so there’s that! I’ve been to a few Pitch (im)Perfect Singers events in the past and can highly recommend them. The group is launching its 2026 season on Tuesday, February 10, at Trinity United Church on Maitland Avenue in Ottawa. It goes without saying that all are welcome (unless you’re feeling under the weather).

Catch a play

Two musicals are debuting in the region this week. In Carleton Place, the Mississippi Mudds are staging Hadestown: Teen Edition, while in Cornwall, the Seaway Valley Theatre is presenting Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Continuing shows in Ottawa include The Piano Teacher at the GCTC, August: Osage County at the Gladstone Theatre and The Drowning Girls at the Ron Maslin Playhouse in Kanata. For more details on these shows, as well as lots of plays coming up later this year, see my theatre post.

Have some laughs in Nepean or Kingston

My Funny Valentine is a night of stand-up comedy hosted by Ottawa’s Pierre Brault, featuring headliner Rick Currie (Just for Laughs, CBC’s The Debaters) and a hand-picked lineup of Ottawa comics. It’s on stage at the Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe on Friday, February 13.

If Steve-O of Jackass fame is your cup of funny, you can see him at the Kingston Grand Theatre on Saturday, February 14.

I’ll also flag a stop at Algonquin College in Nepean by married, neurodiverse comedy duo Darcy and Jer on Monday, February 16.

See a new exhibition in Ottawa or Almonte

The National Gallery of Canada’s latest exhibition opens on Friday, February 13. Entitled Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast, it was curated by the Audain Art Museum in Whistler, B.C. The show features close to 60 works, including poles, panels, masks, bowls and other sculptures. It focuses on a selection of 14 carvers active from the 1950s to present day, highlighting the pivotal role of women artists within the larger tradition of Indigenous carving along the coast of British Columbia. It runs until Sunday, July 26.

Over in Almonte, the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum is hosting A Stitch in Time: The Palestine History Tapestry. It’s a selection of tatreez (Palestinian embroidery) pieces from the Palestine History Tapestry, a collection of more than 100 panels that Palestinian women in refugee camps have hand-stitched. The museum is hosting it in partnership with Palestine Museum U.S., and there’s a vernissage on Saturday, February 14, from 1pm to 4pm. The show opens that day and runs until April 19, 2026.

Save money when dining out in Kingston

As part of Kingstonlicious, a dining promotion that runs until late March, over three dozen Kingston restaurants, cafés and other food purveyors will be offering deals. Check the website regularly for information on upcoming chef’s dinners and overnight hotel packages.

Enjoy a winter festival in Ottawa, Perth and elsewhere

You can celebrate winter in Perth at the family-friendly Frost and Fire Winter Festival on Saturday, February 14. The fun will include skating, outdoor laser tag, crafts, tubing, chainsaw carving, axe throwing, hot chocolate and hockey. Downtown businesses will be offering special promotions, and you can browse for treats and handmade items at the vendor marketplace inside the Crystal Palace. (The main event is on Saturday, but activities are scheduled throughout the weekend.)

Here are a few more winter festivals happening in Eastern Ontario this week:

• Ottawa: Winterlude, January 30 to February 16
• Arnprior: FamFest, February 14 to 16
• Renfrew: Frewfest, February 14 and 15
• Pembroke: SnoSpree, February 9 to 16
• Barry’s Bay: Flannel Fest, February 11 to 16
• Algonquin Park: Winter in the Wild, February 14
• Delta: Family Fun Day, February 16

Dance the night away in Gatineau

This weekend, Gatineau hosts its own version of Igloofest, Montreal’s popular winter electronic music festival. With multiple DJs and musicians, you’ll be able to dance yourself warm no matter how far the mercury falls. It’s happening at Place des Festivals Zibi from February 12 to 14.

Go forest bathing in Frontenac Provincial Park

Forest bathing is a meditative practice of walking mindfully through the woods. Curious? Certified nature and forest therapy guide Claire Beach is offering a three-hour forest bathing experience on Saturday, February 14. Participants will head to Frontenac Provincial Park for the walk, which will be followed by snacks and tea. Register by 5pm on February 12.

Fish with your family all over

Four times a year, Canadian residents can fish in Ontario for free and without a fishing licence. The first of these 2026 events is Family Fishing Weekend (February 14 to 16). If you want to enter a draw for a $500 fishing prize pack, you can join a public event near you or fish with your family and submit your “family event.” (Full instructions are on the event’s website.) Public events in Eastern Ontario include activities in Nepean, Osgoode, Constance Bay, Wendover, Perth Road, Eganville and Sharbot Lake.

There’s also an ice fishing derby organized by the Friends of Hoople Creek, happening near Ingleside on Saturday, February 14.

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.