Whether you’d like to check out a music festival in Long Sault, forest races at Tremblant or a culinary fundraiser at the Ottawa Art Gallery, I have tips for you in this week’s Heads Up post.
Looking to save money? I point you to a Facebook page that lists free Ottawa activities and events, and I also show you how you can use your PRESTO card to get discounts on events and attractions.
If you (like me) are peeved that Ottawa no longer has an intercity bus terminal, there’s a link to a column on that very topic. Speaking of buses, I also have the scoop on a shuttle to a whitewater rafting centre in Foresters Falls.
Read on for details!
Cover photo courtesy of Megabus.
Events
- Looking for a posh addition to your trip to Nordik Spa-Nature in Chelsea? On September 2, 3, 9 and 10, the spa is offering the Chef’s Table, a seven-course tasting menu with paired wines, open to just 12 guests per evening.
- Tickets are available now for Harvest: A Feast of Fall, a culinary fundraiser for YouTurn Youth Support Services. It’s happening at the Ottawa Art Gallery on Wednesday, September 16.
- Tickets are also available for the Lost and Sound Festival. Fifteen bands will be playing the two-day event at Lost Villages Brewery in Long Sault (August 21 and 22).
- La Classique Tremblant is a full day of forest runs at Tremblant resort in the Laurentians on Saturday, October 17. Runs range in length from 3km to 30km; there’s also a 1km course for kids. The video above (from last year) gives you some idea of what the event is like. Registration is open now.
- Thinking ahead to Halloween: You can sign up now for a paint night at the Osgoode Legion on Wednesday, October 28. Participants will come home with a painting of a “sugar skull.” (Check the link to see what this could look like.)
- Unhappy news for antiques lovers: The Odessa Antique Show, scheduled to take place on August 8 and 9, has been cancelled.
Discounts and deals
- Did you know that your PRESTO card also gives you discounts on all sorts of events and attractions? The deals apply mainly to events/attractions in the Greater Toronto Area, but the program is something to keep in mind if you’re heading to Southern Ontario. Among the deals closer to home is a discount at Escape Manor, an escape room attraction with a location in Ottawa.
- This week’s VIA Discount Tuesday deals are $15 off most economy fares in the Quebec City–Windsor corridor (for trips between August 18 and 31, 2026), and $15 off most economy fares on the Canadian, the Ocean and regional trains (for trips between September and October 5, 2026). Use the discount code TUESDAY. Book by 11:59pm Eastern on Tuesday, August 4.
- Looking to save money on fun (aren’t we all)? Check out a great Facebook page called Free Ottawa Events and Activities.
Other news
- Hear, hear to Bruce Deachman’s recent column in the Ottawa Citizen, calling attention to the embarrassing fact that Ottawa no longer has an intercity bus terminal. (You’ll need a free Citizen account to open the link.) By the way, if you often take buses in Ontario and Quebec, you won’t to miss my guide to the network of bus companies serving Ottawa.
- If you have a WestJet flight this week, make sure the airline has confirmed it before you head to the airport. The one-day flight attendants’ strike earlier this week is still having an impact on WestJet’s schedules.
- The National Capital Commission has re-opened the section of the Ottawa River Pathway behind Parliament Hill. The path had been closed for repairs and upgrades since 2022.
- Above the Ottawa River Pathway, you might notice some tall mirrored towers near the Supreme Court of Canada. They’re part of the ventilation system for the Cliff Energy Centre, which supplies heating and cooling to nearby buildings. The CBC video below gives you an inside peek at the centre.
- If you’ve always wanted to try whitewater rafting but don’t have a car, here’s news for you: OWL Rafting is now offering shuttle packages from downtown Ottawa to its whitewater rafting centre in Foresters Falls, about 90 minutes west of the city.
- The Ontario East Economic Development Commission is pointing to two upcoming projects—construction of a Great Wolf Lodge in Cornwall and improvements to the Prescott Russell Recreational Trail—as signals that the region’s tourism prospects are on the rise.
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.
