73+ fun events in and around Ottawa, September 21 to 27

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From events to celebrate Ottawa’s bicentennial and Franco-Ontarian Day to classic car shows, studio tours, fairs, harvest festivals, porchfests, a cat show, a War of 1812 re-enactment and an archaeological dig, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais and beyond this week. Enjoy!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Take the family to a fall fair in Carp or McDonald’s Corners

With a midway, a petting zoo, the SuperDogs show, a demolition derby, live music, agricultural competitions, a lawn tractor pull, a beer garden and more, the Carp Fair (September 24 to 27) has something for everyone in the family. And on Saturday, September 26, you can also check out the McDonald’s Corners Annual Fall Fair in Lanark County.

Celebrate Ottawa’s 200th birthday

The City of Ottawa is marking its 200th anniversary this year. While some events have already happened and others are scheduled for later this year, this week sees a veritable smorgasbord of birthday bashes. And all OC Transpo trips are free from 3am Saturday until 3am Monday. Here are just a few of the anniversary events you can enjoy; check Ottawa Tourism’s list of Ottawa 200 events for even more ideas!

• a block party with food vendors and live music in front of Ottawa City Hall (September 26)
• Nuit Blanche, an all-night arts festival featuring everything from illuminated seesaws to aerial dancers (from 7pm on September 26 to 7am on September 27)
• Bytown Together, a day of fun at the Bytown Museum including live theatre and music, a heritage fair, and (for the first 500 guests) a free pancake breakfast (September 26)
• the final event of the SoundScape music and arts festival—a free concert under the Plaza Bridge featuring Hollerado, the Bytown Sea Shanty Collective, Layla Staats and many others (advance registration recommended) (September 26)
• a celebration in Strathcona Park in Sandy Hill (September 26)
• a historical walk in Centretown (September 27)
• Winds Over Ottawa, an interactive art installation at Andrew Haydon Park in the west end (daily until September 30)

Immerse yourself in the War of 1812 in Dunvegan

Living history re-enactors will be converging on the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan for a War of 1812 weekend on September 26 and 27. Surrounding the buildings, tented encampments will offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of military and civilian life. You can see what’s cooking over the fires, hear live historical music, pop into the one-room schoolhouse, have your kids take part in a children’s military muster, or learn about blacksmithing, rope making, spinning and leatherwork. Don’t forget to bring some cash to buy unique items in the vendors’ market.

Take a studio tour in lots of places

Seven studio tours are happening this weekend, on September 26 and 27. You can choose from two in Ottawa or venture further afield.

The New Edinburgh Artists’ Studio Tour is a self-guided tour of the central Ottawa neighbourhood. You can browse for paintings, mixed media, jewellery, pottery and more.

Artists from Hintonburg to Carlingwood will be opening their Ottawa studios to visitors during the second weekend of the West End Studio Tour. Meet the artists, browse their wares and pick up something unique to enliven your home.

The first weekend of the Chelsea-Wakefield Studio Tour is happening this weekend. It features 22 artists this year and continues next weekend (October 3 and 4).

The Apples & Art Studio Tour in Cornwall, Akwesasne and the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SDG) is a big one, featuring 77 artists at 41 stops across the region.

The North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour will showcase almost three dozen artists from across North Frontenac, at stops in Snow Road Station, Plevna, Ompah, Cloyne, Fernleigh and Ardoch. Wondering where North Frontenac is? It’s southwest of Ottawa, just past Lanark County.

And a bit further afield, you can also check out the Bancroft Studio Tour (about three hours west of Ottawa; second weekend) and the Tweed and Area Studio Tour (north of Belleville). If studio tours are your thing, don’t miss my big list of studio tours across our region.

Cheer on competitors in a fire truck pull at Lansdowne Park

Teams of 10 will attempt to pull a fire truck weighing over 10 tonnes a distance of 100 feet in the Ottawa Fire Truck Pull on Saturday, September 26, at Lansdowne Park. You can cheer them on if you’re not feeling up to a superhuman feat of derring-do. It’s a fundraiser for Epilepsy Ottawa and the Ottawa First Responders Foundation.

Get literary in Montreal

This is the first week of the Festival International de la Littérature in Montreal (September 23 to October 3). Events include everything from readings to films and concerts. Ticket prices vary.

Catch a comedy show in the Glebe

Sketcheeee! is a sketch comedy revue coming to the Ottawa Acting Studio in the Glebe on September 25 and 26. Twelve comedy writers and performers will be dishing up all kinds of funny scenarios.

Enjoy family fun at Kingston’s airport

Wheels on the Runway (Saturday, September 26) is a one-day event at YGK Airport in Kingston. Family fun on the schedule includes a performance by the SkyHawks parachute team (weather permitting), a children’s train, and the chance to check out big machines (snow plows, tractors, fire trucks and more).

Delve into all things mystical in Cornwall

At the Cornwall Psychic and Crystal Fair (September 25 to 27), you can consult palm readers, intuitive healers, astrologists and others, and shop for crystals, singing bowls and similar items.

Bring your kids to see fire engines in Gatineau

Gatineau Fire Station No. 5 is having a free open house on Saturday, September 26. As well as seeing fire engines and meeting firefighters, families can enjoy face painting, bouncy castles, live entertainment and more.

Dig into a turkey supper in Chesterville

It’s still a few weeks until Thanksgiving, but it’s not too early for a turkey supper! Christ Church United Church in Chesterville is hosting a Harvest Supper on Sunday, September 27. You can dine in or get takeout.

Join reconciliation events in Ottawa or Almonte

Reconciliation Through Art is a multi-day Almonte event tied to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Most of the events are happening next weekend, but you can register for a free Métis dancing class on Sunday, September 27.

In Ottawa, Rideau Hall is holding a Doors Open event on September 26 and 27. Visitors can see Indigenous art and there will be reconciliation-related activities.

Applaud a play all over

Plays opening in our region this week include The Cottage in Ottawa, Something Rotten! in Kemptville and Come From Away in Gananoque. This is also your last week to catch Son of a Preacherman at the NAC and Having Hope at Home in Perth. For details on these and many other plays, see my theatre post.

Learn how to pamper your cat in Nepean

Attention, all feline fans: The Ottawa Cat Show is coming to the Nepean Sportsplex on September 26 and 27. Vendors will be selling everything from cat food and cat toys to cat-themed art. Cat groomers, cat furniture makers, vets—they’ll all be there. Speakers will be talking about feline topics. And, of course, there will be a competition of pretty kitties that will lead to the judges’ picks for top cats.

Go to a musical revue in Cornwall

The Seaway Valley Theatre Company is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a fundraising musical revue called Sixth and Broadway. The show will run on Friday and Saturday nights, and Saturday afternoons, from September 25 until October 10.

Check out a 55+ show in Ottawa

The Fifty-Five Plus Lifestyle Show is coming to the Cohere Centre (formerly the EY Centre) in Ottawa on September 25 and 26. Browse booths featuring all sorts of vendors, including travel, furniture, home renovation, health services and real estate companies. Free entertainment includes music by the Dueling Pianos and a talk by fashion journalist Jeanne Beker.

Plant trees in Kingston

Want to do your part to maintain Canada’s forests and combat climate change? You can plant trees at Lemoine Point Conservation Area in Kingston on the morning of Saturday, September 26.

Power through a long-distance run in Prescott-Russell

Did you know that a 72-kilometre rail-to-trail route runs through much of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, just east of Ottawa? On Saturday, September 26, keen runners can tackle all or part of it during the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail Challenge. You can choose lengths ranging from 12km to 100km (the long one can be done as a solo or a relay). The video above gives you a sense of what the largely flat trail looks like.

Eat poutine in Kingston or ribs in Pembroke

You can indulge your love of cheesy comestibles at Kingston Poutine Feast, taking place at the Kingston Memorial Centre from September 24 to 27. Ribs more your style? You can check out Pembroke Ribfest in Pembroke Waterfront Park from September 25 to 27.

Go to a festival in Barrhaven

DreamFest 2026 (Saturday, September 26) raises awareness of cerebral palsy and other disabilities. Along with 1K, 2K and 3K walks, there will also be a kids’ zone, live music, a vendors’ market, food stalls and more. It’s all happening at Larkin Park in Barrhaven.

See cool cars in Cornwall or Napanee

The Cornwall Community Museum is hosting a Heritage Market and Car Show on Saturday, September 26. Shop for antiques, collectibles and artisans’ products, and check out the Cornwall Olde Car Club’s display of vintage automobiles in the park just west of the museum. It runs from 10am to 3pm.

At Guitars ‘n’ Cars in Napanee on Saturday, September 26, you can see hundreds of classic cars and enjoy lots of live music. Other amusements include a pancake breakfast, a barbecue lunch and a 50/50 draw. The event runs from 9am to 3pm.

Shop for handmade items in Ottawa and Mountain

On Saturday, September 26, the Ottawa Art Gallery is hosting a Mini Market featuring a range of local artisans and crafters. It runs from 1pm to 8pm.

At the Red Barn Quilt Show and Sale (September 26 and 27, from 10am to 4pm), you can shop for locally made quilts, candles, charcuterie boards, knitted items, produce and more. Refreshments will be available from the 4H Café, parking is free and admission is by donation (proceeds will go to Dundas County Hospice). It’s all happening at Ben and Anja Berends’ farm, 10461 French Settlement Road in Mountain, Ontario (just south of Ottawa, between Osgoode and Hallville).

Get artsy in Ottawa or Bath

The Vegans Who Snack Food and Art Festival will see some 70 food vendors and artists selling their wares at Ottawa’s Parkdale Market on Friday, September 25, from 5pm to 9pm. The event will go ahead if it’s just raining, but in case of a severe storm, it will be bumped to Saturday.

Pique is a quarterly festival of innovative and avant-garde arts performances at Arts Court (67 Nicholas Street). The fall edition, taking place this year on Saturday, September 26, will be completely free for the first time.

Just south of Napanee, Bath Artfest (Saturday, September 26) will give you the chance to see and buy pieces from more than 30 local artists in Centennial Park in Bath.

Arrange flowers for a good cause in Westboro

On Saturday, September 26, you can admire Japanese ikebana flower arrangements and make your own bouquet to take home during Flowers for Food at the Westboro Legion (10am to 2pm). The suggested donation is $20, and the money goes to the Westboro Region Food Bank.

Mark Franco-Ontarian Day all over

Did you know that the Franco-Ontarian flag was first flown on September 25, 1975? To celebrate the anniversary, communities all over the province will be celebrating Franco-Ontarian Day on Friday, September 25. Events in Eastern Ontario this year include the following:

• a flag-raising, speeches, music and more at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orléans;
• music and a poetry reading at uOttawa;
• a flag-raising, a talk and a tree-planting at Saint Paul University;
• art activities, music, a flag-raising and food at the Vanier Community Association;
• a flag-raising and a parade in Rockland;
• a Gala de la francophonie in Cornwall, featuring live entertainment and a three-course meal; and
• a morning flag-raising and an evening Moonfruits concert in Kingston.

And on Saturday, September 26, there will be a free Community Gathering and Heritage Fair in Casselman to celebrate Franco-Ontarian culture; it runs from 11am to 3pm.

Enjoy Oktoberfest in Ottawa, Aylmer or Perth

The downtown area of Aylmer is hosting two days of Oktoberfest fun on September 25 and 26. Free attractions include live music and a family fun zone. You can also buy festive treats, including sausages, flammekueche (a type of flatbread-style pizza) and craft beers.

The Tavern on the Falls, next to Rideau Falls off Sussex Drive, is hosting an Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, September 26. From 2pm to 5pm, you can enjoy German-inspired food, beer and live Bavarian-style music.

That same day, you can check out the oddly spelled Ottoberfest, an all-day celebration featuring local breweries. It’s happening in the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park.

The Peter Knippel Garden Centre in Leitrim (south Ottawa) has organized an Oktoberfest Fall Market on Saturday, September 26. The fun includes a craft beer garden, German-style food, live music and more than 50 local vendors. It runs from 10am to 4pm.

Also on Saturday: Perth Brewery is throwing an Oktoberfest Party with live music, barbecued goodies, fresh pretzels and beer (2pm to 7pm), while the Riverhead Brewing Company Oktoberfest in Kingston runs from 2:30pm to 9pm.

See cutting-edge animation in Ottawa

As any true animation fan knows, there’s far more to animation than children’s cartoons and The Simpsons (fun as they can be). To see more than 200 cutting-edge shorts and features from around the world, head to the Ottawa International Animation Festival (September 23 to 27). It’s the festival’s 50th anniversary, so expect some fun celebrations.

Join an archeological dig in Quyon

This weekend, Les Amis du Sault des Chats (Friends of the Chats Falls) are running a free, public archeological dig in Quyon, in the Quebec region of the Pontiac. People of all ages are welcome to pick up a trowel or a brush to participate in some real archaeology. The dig is taking place at the stone foundation of a former Hudson’s Bay Company trading post that closed in 1837. Participants are finding pioneer and trading post items. The dig is open from 10am to 4pm on September 26 and 27 (and again on October 3 and 4). If you’d like to participate, the group invites you to contact them by email (see details in the link above).

Celebrate fall in Wakefield

On Saturday, September 26, Parc nature Eco-Odyssée in Wakefield is holding an Autumn Colour Festival from 10am to 4pm. Free fun includes face painting, inflatable games, arts and crafts, a guided walking tour, a treasure hunt, a walking maze, and storytelling in English and French. You can also get a 15 percent discount on watercraft rentals to explore the water maze by boat.

Meet authors in Cornwall

Readers Take Cornwall (Sunday, September 27) is a chance to meet authors and buy their books in a wide range of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mystery and romance. It’s happening at the Best Western from 10am to 3pm.

Shop for antiques in Trenton

It’s a bit of a drive, but if you love old antiques, you might be inspired to drive to Trenton for the Homestead Antique Market on September 26 and 27. More than 45 vendors from various parts of Ontario will be on hand.

Learn about old-time drugstores in Carleton Place

Did you know that September 25 is World Pharmacists Day? Well, now you do. The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum is marking the occasion with a talk called Prescriptions of the Past on Sunday, September 27, starting at 1pm. Local bottle collector Adin Daigle will take guests into the world of Carleton Place’s early drugstores and the sometimes-quirky medicines they sold. Admission is $5 and includes refreshments.

Head to a harvest festival in Ramsayville, Blackburn Hamlet or Delta

During the Delta Harvest Festival on Saturday, September 26, you can visit craft sales and a quilt show, enjoy live music, see blacksmithing demonstrations and a 1937 fire truck, check out a scarecrow competition, and more. Delta is about 90 minutes southwest of Ottawa.

Closer to home, Carrot Fest at Ottawa Farm Fresh on Ramsayville Road (in the Greenbelt, just off the eastern end of Walkley Road) is your chance to help harvest more than 10,000 pounds (!) of organic carrots. Festival fun this week on Saturday, September 26, includes live music, face painting, food and a carrot fermenting demonstration. You can also shop in the farm store. The festival continues next week, on Saturday, October 3. Both weeks, the festival runs from 10am to 2pm.

And on Sunday, September 27, the free Fall Farm Fest at Just Food Community Farm in Blackburn Hamlet will offer wagon rides, greenhouse tours, gardening workshops, live music and more, as well as the chance to buy products from local vendors. It runs from 11am to 3pm.

Shop for dolls and miniatures in Nepean

The Ottawa Dolls and Miniatures Show returns to the Nepean Sportsplex on Sunday, September 27, from 10am to 3pm. As well as shopping for small items, you can try your luck in various raffles and check out a display of “fashion royalty” dolls.

Enjoy great music all over

Here are just a few of the concerts and music festivals happening in and around Ottawa this week:

• September 23 to 27: POP Montreal International Music Festival, Montreal
• September 25: Kellylee Evans, Deep River
• September 26: Veranda, Gatineau
• September 26: Prescott Porchfest
• September 26: Belleville Porchfest
• September 26: Thirteen Strings, Ottawa
• September 27: Daniel Lanois, Ottawa
• September 27: Custom 300, Carleton Place

Discover architecture or geography in Ottawa

Ottawa Architecture Week actually lasts longer than a week, with the first event on September 21 and the last on October 9. The activities are designed to engage visitors in the nuts and bolts of architecture and urban design. The theme this year is Currents of Bytown, so there will be a special emphasis on water and on the city’s 200th birthday. Events this week include a sketching tour at Kìwekì Point, on Wednesday, September 23; a tour of the Cliff Energy Centre on Thursday, September 24; and a walk delving into the history of Ottawa’s waterfronts on Sunday, September 27.

And if you’re free to attend an event on a weekday afternoon, you can join in the launch of A Sustainable World on Thursday, September 24. This new learning platform, developed by Canadian Geographic and the Aga Khan Foundation, combines interactive maps, real-world data, and stories from around the world to illuminate the connections between global challenges, from climate change and education to health and gender equality, while showcasing how communities are responding to them.

Celebrate apples in Peterborough

If your travels take you to Peterborough this weekend, you can check out Applefest at Lang Pioneer Village Museum on Sunday, September 27. The fun includes wagon rides, old-time schoolyard games, craft demonstrations, live music, sheep shearing, apple tic-tac-toe and much more.

CONTINUING EVENTS

Don’t miss these ongoing museum exhibitions, sales and other events.

• Ontario Culture Days (until October 4, 2026)
• Rising Suns: Art from the Confederacies of the Great Lakes and Rivers, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (until October 11, 2026)
• Helen McNicholl: An Impressionist Journey, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (until October 12, 2026)
• ሀሌታ | Haleta: The Threshold of Being, Ottawa Art Gallery (until November 8, 2026)
• On Guard For Thee…, Priest’s Mill Arts Centre, Alexandria (until November 8, 2026)
• One World Bazaar, Manotick (until November 22, 2026)
• Napoleon—The Immersive Saga, Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau (until January 10, 2027)
• Wild Colour, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa (until January 10, 2027)
• Close to Conflict—Canada and the American Civil War (until February 28, 2027)

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 30: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
• October 1 to 4: Kingston Writersfest
• October 2 to 4: Reconciliation Through Art, Almonte
• October 2 to December 5: Ontario Festival of Small Halls, multiple locations
• October 2 to 4: Carleton Place Pumpkinfest
• October 3: Fall Colours Walk, Blueberry Mountain, Lanark
• 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: Signatures Handmade Market, Ottawa
• October 22 to 25: Gatineau Hills Fiddle Festival, Chelsea
• October 22 to November 15: Countylicious, Prince Edward County
• October 24: Mystic Market, Smiths Falls
• October 24: Vankleek Hill Fibre Frolic
• November 6 and 7: Orléans Cork and Fork Festival
• November 13 to 26: European Union Film Festival, Ottawa

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.