Heads Up: Dinosaurs, waterfalls and discounts

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Heads up, folks—this week’s post has news on everything from waterfalls to festivals! Families can find out where to see animatronic dinosaurs this summer and how to get FREE VIA Rail tickets for kids. Foodies can get tickets for a fancy picnic, a gala fundraiser or a cooking class (or learn where to eat well for less than $20). I also have bookstore news, yet more tips on visiting Perth, news of a restored concert venue in Deseronto and more. Enjoy!

Table of contents

You can see waterfalls in Lanark County

Spring is the best time to admire waterfalls (safely!) from shore. Here’s a guide to three spots to see waterfalls along the Mississippi River in Lanark County.

Tickets go on sale today for gourmet summer picnic near Brockville

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a fancy summer picnic helmed by Canadian celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy. The East Coast Summer Picnic will feature a three-course meal, local beverages and live music. It’s a fundraiser to help the Eastern Ontario YMCA offer a free Work Hard, Eat Well summer camp in 2027, where young people will learn to cook healthy meals, improve their fitness and boost their self-confidence. The picnic is taking place at Maison Maitland (just east of Brockville) on Sunday, July 5. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, April 21, and ticket buyers will receive a charitable tax receipt for part of the purchase.

Some more hot tickets you might want to get quickly

Don’t you hate that feeling when you hear about an event and rush to get tickets, only to find that the event is sold out or that all the best seats have been snapped up? I suspect these upcoming events will be popular, so now might be the time to make plans.

• The Dancing Under the Stars Gala (May 1) at the St. Elias Centre in Ottawa will include cocktails, dinner, a silent auction and dancing. Funds raised go to Helping With Furniture, which provides free furniture and household essentials to families in need.
• The Terroir Wine Festival (May 2) is an opportunity to taste a variety of vintages from local winemakers at the Eddie Hotel and Farm in Prince Edward County.
• Asma’s Table offers cooking classes in Ottawa’s Westboro neighbourhood. This week’s crepe-making workshop is already sold out, but you could look into future classes if you’re keen. Upcoming workshops include caramel cooking (May 9), bread baking (May 30) and cooking with peanuts (June 6). 
• Warrange is a gala fundraiser for the Can-Go Afar Foundation and the Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation, featuring gourmet cuisine, live entertainment, a tribute to humanitarian Warren Creates, and silent and live auctions. It’s happening at the Hellenic Event Centre in Ottawa on May 19.
• Volleyball Nations League is an international tournament coming to Lansdowne Park in Ottawa (June 10 to 14).
• Jurassic Kingdom will be at Wesley Clover Parks in Nepean from June 26 to July 12. Aimed at families with kids aged 2 to 12, the walk-through attraction features more than 40 life-size animatronic dinosaurs.
• Jerry Seinfeld and Gerry Dee are among the big names coming to the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal (July 15 to 26).

A vintage opera house gets new life in Deseronto

Here’s some cool news: an Edwardian opera house in Deseronto has undergone an extensive restoration. It reopened on April 18 as a new concert venue called the Upper Canada Opera House. Deseronto is about 55 kilometres west of Kingston.

Ottawa bookstore news

Attention, book lovers: The Spaniel’s Tale, a bookshop in Hintonburg, has moved 75 metres east on Wellington Street West to a new, larger location. Just 1.6 kilometres west of The Spaniel’s Tale, you’ll find a brand-new bookstore, Love Lyla Books, which specializes in Islamic books. And Stittsville used bookshop’s Re-Read Used Books had so many books in stock that it opened a second location, in Riverside South, on April 1.

Speaking of books … how about art journalling?

Art journalling seems to be a hot hobby. I’ve written about several make-your-own-art journal workshops in recent weeks, and here’s another one. Katharine Fletcher (full disclosure: she’s a good friend of mine) is running a two-hour Creating an Art Journal workshop for participants aged 55+ and their caregivers on Thursday, April 30, at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Shawville. The class will be offered in English, and you need to register in advance.

The Quyon Ferry is still running

Wondering whether the Quyon Ferry is still running, given high water levels on the Ottawa River? Wonder no longer; the ferry’s owners have posted on Facebook to reassure everyone that the boat is still shuttling people between Quyon and Fitzroy Harbour.

Here’s some great inspiration for a road trip to Perth

Last spring, I was lucky enough to spend a few days travelling with Stephanie from the Ontario Hidden Gems website. We were in Saskatchewan at the time (we both write about places beyond Ontario!), but she also writes a lot about Eastern Ontario. Case in point is this useful post about 15 amazing things to do in Perth. If you like her content and you often explore parts of the province beyond Eastern Ontario, I highly recommend subscribing to Stephanie’s newsletter! You’ll find a link at the bottom of her post.

Save money on train tickets, festivals, meals and more

It’s no secret that prices are crazy these days. At least once during every grocery shopping trip, I find myself muttering out loud, “You want HOW MUCH for ____???” (fill in the blank with anything from blueberries to butter, depending on the week). If you’re keeping a closer eye on your budget, too, then you might be interested in these deals, which could shave a few dollars off your upcoming road trips.

• VIA Rail is offering discounts on selected trips, if you book by April 29, and travel by May 13, 2026.
• Also, VIA has two great Canada Strong deals on tickets for children and young adults, for trips taken between June 19 and September 7, 2026. Children 17 or under can travel FREE in Economy class when accompanied by an adult, and young adults aged 18 to 24 can save 25% on Escape and Economy fares.
• The Shenkman Arts Centre in Orléans has early-bird prices on its October 8 tribute show, Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic, if you purchase by April 30.
• If you book by April 30, you can save $15 on tickets to the Ancient Cacao & Sacred Sounds Mini Retreat at the Carp Ridge EcoWellness Centre on Saturday, June 6.
• The Ottawa Citizen just published a great list of 19 Ottawa restaurants where you can eat well for $20 or less. Some of the options include $4.50 croquettes in Vanier, $8.50 pot pies in Stittsville and $14 Cubano sandwiches in Centrepointe. Yum!
• Uppliva Sauna and Spa in Hintonburg is currently offering 25% off its 1-hour and 2.5-hour thermal spa circuit passes. It’s unclear when the deal ends.
• Until June 5, 2026, early-bird pricing applies to tickets to YGK Craft Beer Fest, happening at Fort Henry in Kingston on Saturday, June 13.

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.