Summer isn’t over yet! You still have lots of time to enjoy a fair, see a movie under the stars, check out a honey festival, paddle through whitewater, eat Salvadoran pupusas, go to a soccer match, celebrate Ukraine, browse for antiques, cheer for leaping dogs or join a scenic bike ride. And those are only a few of the things you can do this week. Happy travels, whether your adventures take you to to the neighbourhood next door or a new-to-you town!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Catch a play in Ottawa, Gananoque and beyond
- Go to a night market and concert in Alta Vista
- Board a party cruise in Kingston
- Learn about honey in Alexandria
- Dance the night away in Gatineau
- Enjoy a scenic bike ride in the Ottawa Valley or the Kawartha Lakes
- See a family movie under the stars at Lansdowne Park
- Have fun at a fair in Cumberland, Cobden, Riceville or Maberly
- Catch a concert all over
- Celebrate Ukraine in Ottawa
- Cheer for soapbox racers in Manotick
- Paddle through whitewater in Maniwaki
- Head to a food festival in Ottawa, Smiths Falls or Petawawa
- Head to Capital Pride in Ottawa
- Go on an art walk in Merrickville
- Catch a soccer match in Ottawa
- Groove to a music festival in Val-des-Bois, Mallorytown or PEC
- Cheer for jumping dogs in Brockville
- Browse for antiques in Merrickville
- Get inspired at Zibi in Gatineau
- Enjoy blueberry treats in Mississippi Mills
- See The Wiggles at TD Place
- See the Sunset Ceremony at Fort Henry
- Make soap in Carleton Place
- Enjoy Celtic tunes and step dancing in Ottawa, Shawville or Maberly
- See award-winning photography in Montreal
- SAVE THE DATE
- NEED A PLACE TO STAY?
Catch a play in Ottawa, Gananoque and beyond
This is your last week to see The Last Five Years at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, and your first chance to see the playhouse’s new production, Murder at Ackerton Manor. In Ottawa, Death of a Salesman continues at Ottawa Little Theatre. And in Brockville, you have this weekend only to catch a youth theatre production of Fame Junior, the Musical. If your travels are taking you a few hours west of Ottawa, you could see Fiddler on the Roof in Bancroft or Murder for Two in Tweed. For details on these and many other plays, check out my theatre post.
Go to a night market and concert in Alta Vista
The Canterbury Community Association is hosting a summer concert and night market on Thursday, August 27 at the Jim Tubman Rink. The market opens at 4pm, the music starts at 5pm and the event wraps up at 8pm.
Board a party cruise in Kingston
On Saturday, August 29, you can step aboard the Island Queen in Kingston for a three-hour party cruise featuring live music by Sons of Rick.
Learn about honey in Alexandria
Have you ever wondered how bees make honey, or have you ever contemplated taking up beekeeping? Then you won’t want to miss the Glengarry Honey and Pollinator Festival at Island Park in Alexandria (102 Derby Street West) on Saturday, August 29, from 10am to 4pm. You can taste and buy honey products, enjoy live music, find out how to attract pollinators to your yard, check out an artisans market, meet representatives of local environmental organizations, and more.
Dance the night away in Gatineau
This sounds like so much fun: a free night of international dancing (bachata, salsa, konpa and more) under the stars on the Quai des Artistes in Gatineau. It’s happening on Friday, August 28, from 8pm to 11pm.
Enjoy a scenic bike ride in the Ottawa Valley or the Kawartha Lakes
The Tour de Bonnechere (Sunday, August 30) isn’t a bike race. Rather, it’s a set of five bike routes—ranging from 17.5km to 100km—in the Ottawa Valley west of Ottawa. Everyone rides at their own pace and is rewarded with a BBQ lunch at the end. Helmets are mandatory. All rides start and end at Legion Memorial Field (8A Foran Street, Eganville). Last day to register online is Friday, August 28 (registration closes at 11:45pm). Funds raised go toward local mental health and food bank initiatives.
About four hours southwest of Ottawa, the Kawartha Lakes Classic Cycling Tour on Saturday, August 29, features a variety of road and trail routes ranging from 20km to 160km. It’s a fundraiser for services for people experiencing homelessness. All rides depart (at staggered times) from the Oakwood Lions Mariposa Community Hall at 1008 Eldon Road in Oakwood.
See a family movie under the stars at Lansdowne Park
This week is your last chance of the summer to enjoy a free family movie under the stars at Lansdowne Park, with a screening of Smurfs on Thursday, August 27.
Have fun at a fair in Cumberland, Cobden, Riceville or Maberly
Feel like a fair?
At the Cobden Fair (August 28 to 30), you can enjoy a demolition derby, livestock competitions, a midway, wildlife shows and more.
The Riceville Fair (August 28 to 30) features bingo, a beer garden, truck and tractor pulls, horse shows, a spaghetti supper and other amusements.
At the Maberly Fair (Saturday, August 29), there will be agricultural and craft competitions galore, live entertainment, a petting zoo, zucchini races, children’s games, and more.
And while it isn’t *technically* a fair, 1930s Fair Day at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum on Sunday, August 30, gives visitors a taste of what a country fair was like some 90 years ago. The fun will include old-timey midway games, ice cream making, storytelling, artisans plying traditional trades and visits with farm animals. The Ottawa Valley Live Steamers and Model Engineers will also be there, giving you the chance to see hands-on demonstrations of large model locomotives. The event runs from 10am to 3pm.
Catch a concert all over
You can hear all sorts of live music in all sorts of places this week, including the free outdoor Orléans Unplugged concert on Friday, August 28. Other shows include The Salt Cellars at Motel Chelsea (August 28); The ReTreads and Four Eyed Muscle Man at the Rainbow Bistro in Ottawa (August 29); and Birds of a Feather at the Cove Inn in Westport (August 29). And the indie band Jitensha will be playing in the ByWard Market (August 27), Vankleek Hill (August 28 and 29) and Orléans (August 30).
Celebrate Ukraine in Ottawa
Ukraine Week in Ottawa actually lasts for eight days (August 23 to 30). Events earlier in the week include a movie night at the Ukrainian Credit Union (August 25), a Flamingo Crimean Beach Party with protesters outside the Russian Embassy (August 26) and a free walking tour of Ukrainian sites in Ottawa (August 27). The celebrations kick into high gear on the weekend with events at Lansdowne Park, including a free Ukrainian dance workshop (August 28) and an all-day festival of food, crafts and music (August 30).
Cheer for soapbox racers in Manotick
The Allan Haan Manotick Soapbox Derby and Picnic in the Park will be drawing families to Centennial Park in Manotick on Sunday, August 30. Participants aged 6 and up are invited to enter their homemade hot rod. After a morning of soapbox car racing on adjacent Beaverwood Road, everyone is invited to the park for the annual Picnic in the Park.
Paddle through whitewater in Maniwaki
At the Upper Gatineau Whitewater Festival in Maniwaki (August 28 to 30), paddlers can tackle the rapids of the Upper Gatineau River. If you’re an experienced paddler, you can try it on your own in a kayak or canoe; those with less experience can sign up for a guided rafting trip. The event also includes a film festival, and you can sign up for camping and/or meals.
Head to a food festival in Ottawa, Smiths Falls or Petawawa
The new Taste of Ottawa festival promises two days of international food and entertainment at the Cohere Centre (formerly the EY Centre) near Ottawa International Airport. It’s happening on August 29 and 30.
The 20th annual Salvadoran Festival of the Pupusa is happening at Brewer Park in Old Ottawa South on Saturday, August 29. From 8am to 7pm, you can enjoy music and other live entertainment, family fun, and pupusas and other dishes from El Salvador.
Smiths Falls Ribfest is coming to Centennial Park in Smiths Falls from August 28 to 30. Along with lots of barbecued meat, you can enjoy live entertainment and a makers’ market, and there’s a kids’ zone, too.
You can get your fill of everyone’s favourite gooey, cheesy, gravy-soaked treat at Petawawa Poutine Feast (August 27 to 30). Artery-busting delights will include General Tao poutine from the wonderfully named Tragically Chip Wagon and bacon double cheeseburger poutine (I think I gained five pounds just typing that). As well as poutine, the amusements will include live music, games, local vendors and more.
Head to Capital Pride in Ottawa
This year’s Capital Pride celebration continues in Ottawa until Sunday, August 30. The schedule features a huge range of activities for members and allies of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, including a community breakfast, a human rights panel discussion, a parade, drag shows, karaoke….really, the diversity is endless!
Go on an art walk in Merrickville
On the last Thursday of every month from May to September (including Thursday, August 27), the Merrickville Art Walk is bringing local artists to businesses along Main Street in Merrickville. Between 11am and 4:30pm, you can watch art being created and meet the artists.
Catch a soccer match in Ottawa
On Friday, August 28, the Atlético Ottawa soccer team faces Inter Toronto FC at TD Place at Lansdowne Park.
Groove to a music festival in Val-des-Bois, Mallorytown or PEC
In the Outaouais, Val-des-Bois en musique is a three-day music festival (August 27 to 29) in the community of the same name. The headliners are Eric Lapointe, Kaïn and Les Trois Accords.
Happy Acres Campground in Mallorytown is hosting a nostalgic music festival this weekend. The Back to the 80s Party features tribute bands playing the music of Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and lots of other ’80s staples.
And just south of Picton, Rock the County is a two-day music festival featuring a range of Canadian acts (August 28 and 29).
Cheer for jumping dogs in Brockville
The concept behind dog dock jumping is pretty simple: Dog stands at shore end of dock. Handler stands at water end, dangling toy. Dog, predictably, bolts down dock—just as handler tosses toy over water. Dog leaps into air in hot pursuit, soaring over water. Splashdown. Cheering. Repeat with next dog. The Canine Watersports Canada Championships looks like a total hoot. This year’s competition is happening in Hardy Park (80 Water Street West, Brockville) from August 28 to 30 (so ignore the dates in the old video above).
Browse for antiques in Merrickville
On Saturday, August 29, the Merrickville Antique and Artisan Show (Merrickville Fairgrounds, 106 Read Street) features some 30 dealers from across Ontario and Quebec. Shop for furniture, collectibles, books, jewellery and many other vintage items. The show runs from 10am to 5pm. Admission is $8 (children 12 and under are admitted free). New this year is a canteen; proceeds from food sales will support the Merrickville Food Cupboard.
Get inspired at Zibi in Gatineau
Saturday, August 29, is one of your last chances of the season to enjoy an Evening at Zibi. These free events bring together musicians, artists, food purveyors and others, some of who offer interactive demonstrations. It runs from 5pm to 10pm on the Chaudière Falls waterfront. After this week’s event, there will be one more on September 12.
Enjoy blueberry treats in Mississippi Mills
If you’re enjoying a Sunday drive in Mississippi Mills on August 30, you might want to swing by the Union Hall (1984 Wolf Grove Road at the corner of Tatlock Road) for its blueberry tea. From 2pm to 4pm, you can get a fresh blueberry dessert, along with a hot or cold beverage. Free.
See The Wiggles at TD Place
If you have little ones, you probably already know more than you’d like to about the Aussie children’s entertainers The Wiggles—including the fact that they are performing in two shows at TD Place at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa on Wednesday, August 26.
See the Sunset Ceremony at Fort Henry
On Wednesday nights in August—including Wednesday, August 26—you can see the Fort Henry Guard go through its paces during the Sunset Ceremony at Fort Henry National Historic Site in Kingston. The event includes precision military drills, stirring drum music and a rousing finale of fireworks and it’s quite popular, so advance ticket purchase is recommended.
Make soap in Carleton Place
Sunflower Soaps is holding another of its popular soap-making workshops in Carleton Place on Saturday, August 29. You’ll come home with two or three bars of handmade soap, plus the instructions and skills you need to make more at home.
Enjoy Celtic tunes and step dancing in Ottawa, Shawville or Maberly
Heat of the Moment Revisited is the title of a night of Celtic music and dancing featuring step dancer Danielle Enblom, fiddler Pierre Schryer and guitarist Ian Clark. They’ll be at Redbird in Old Ottawa South on Wednesday, August 26; at Little Red Wagon Winery in Shawville on Friday, August 28; and at the Maberly Community Hall in Maberly on Saturday, August 29.
See award-winning photography in Montreal
Judges sifted through thousands of photos submitted by photographers around the world to select prize-winning images, which will be on display at the World Press Photo exhibition at Montreal’s Bonsecours Market (August 26 to October 12). The show will be open daily from 10am until 10pm (until midnight on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays). Tickets are $13.50 for students and seniors and $16.50 for everyone else, plus tax; children 10 and under are admitted free. Tickets are available at the door only, and only by credit or debit.
SAVE THE DATE
Here are a few upcoming events you might want to add to your calendar, if you’re planning ahead. (Look for details on these events and many others in upcoming posts.)
- September 2 to 6: Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival
- September 3 to November 1: Gardens of Light, Montreal
- September 5: Latin Sparks Festival, Ottawa
- September 10 to 12: Big River Country Festival, Mallorytown
- September 10 to 13: St. Lawrence Writers Festival
- September 10 to 20: Toronto International Film Festival
- September 11 and 12: Kanata Craft Beer Festival
- September 11 to 13: Orléans Ribfest
- September 12 and 13: Fibrefest, Almonte
- September 12: RoadTrip Music Festival, Kingston
- September 13: Beechfest, Ottawa
- September 13: Harvest Fall Festival, Dunvegan
- September 16 to 20: CityFolk, Ottawa
- September 19: Taste of Wellington, Ottawa
- September 23 to 27: Ottawa International Animation Festival
- September 23 to 27: POP Montreal International Music Festival
- October 1 to 4: Kingston Writersfest
- October 2 to December 5: Ontario Festival of Small Halls, multiple locations
- October 3 and 4, and 10 and 11: Annual Biology Butterfly Show, Carleton University, Ottawa
- October 22 to 25: Ottawa International Writers Festival
- October 22 to 25: Gatineau Hills Fiddle Festival, Chelsea
NEED A PLACE TO STAY?
If you’re planning to head to any of these events and you need accommodation, why not use the map below to find a place to stay? If you book a place (anywhere in the world!) using the map, I’ll receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting this site!
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.
