Sure, Halloween is top of mind for many folks this week, and I have tips on all sorts of spooky fun—from a tunnel of terror in Brockville to Halloween-themed improv in Wakefield. But there’s happening this week than pumpkins and witches (fun as those are!). You can test your wits at a huge trivia match, get festive ideas at a wedding show, enjoy standup comedy, see a soccer game, go on a guided nature walk and even learn about cults. Read on for details!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Have some spooky Halloween fun
- Eat well for less in the Outaouais and Montreal
- See a play in Ottawa, Winchester, Cornwall or Gananoque
- Learn about nocturnal creatures in Kingston
- Do some holiday shopping all over
- Check out the Ottawa Wedding Show
- Catch a concert
- Be a rockhound at the Cohere Centre
- Dance the night away in Wakefield
- Play trivia for a good cause in Ottawa
- Have some laughs in Ottawa or Shawville
- Shop for comics in Orléans
- Meet an artist in Carleton Place
- Ponder the housing crisis at the National Arts Centre
- Join a Pumpkin Promenade in Almonte
- Catch a game in many places
- Learn about cults in Orléans
- CONTINUING EVENTS
- SAVE THE DATE
- NEED A PLACE TO STAY?
Have some spooky Halloween fun
Halloween is coming up on Saturday, so you have all sorts of events to choose from this week. Here’s just a small sample.
- October 28 to 31: The Brockville Railway Tunnel hosts the Tunnel of Terror (alternatively there’s the family-friendly Tunnel of Less Terror on November 1).
- October 29: Urban Arts Collective is hosting a Halloween Night Market in Hintonburg.
- October 29: The Black Sheep Inn is hosting a night of Halloween-themed improv, Scared Scriptless.
- October 29 and 30: Thrills await at the Haunted Museum at Parc des Chutes Coulonge near Fort Coulonge, Quebec.
- October 30: Take the immersive Ghost Walk of Almonte.
- October 31: The Coven Ball is coming to Allsaints Event Space in Sandy Hill.
- October 31: The Haunted Hall offers gentle fun in the afternoon and bigger scares in the evening at the Nick Smith Centre in Arnprior.
- Until October 31: Family-friendly Pumpkin Fest and the more frightening haunted-house experience sKreamers are happening at Proulx Farm in Cumberland.
- Until October 31: Similarly, Saunders Farm in Munster is hosting scary FrightFest and the tamer PumpkinFest.
- Until October 31: See thousands of carved, illuminated pumpkins at Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg.
- October 31 and November 1: The Ottawa Mystic Market is taking place at Next Door Market + Event Space in Little Italy.
P.S.: Check my Halloween events post for LOTS of other spooky ideas, including several happening on the day after Halloween.
Eat well for less in the Outaouais and Montreal
Two separate restaurant promotions will give you the chance to enjoy multi-course menus at all sorts of restaurants for a special price in November. In Montreal, MTLàTABLE (October 29 to November 15) offers deals at more than 100 restaurants throughout the greater Montreal area. Closer to home, the Outaouais au menu event (October 29 to November 14) is modelled on the Montreal promotion and features 20 restaurants in various Outaouais communities, including Gatineau, Chelsea, Wakefield, Saint-André-Avellin, Bouchette, Maniwaki and Montebello. They’re great chances to try a new-to-you restaurant!
See a play in Ottawa, Winchester, Cornwall or Gananoque
This weekend is your last chance to see a number of plays, including Rogers v. Rogers at the GCTC in Ottawa and Come From Away at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque. The Tragically Hip Musical It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken continues at the Kingston Grand Theatre. Jane Eyre is opening at Ottawa Little Theatre, and Studio Theatre Perth is presenting an evening of two one-act plays. For details on these and many other plays, see my theatre post.
Learn about nocturnal creatures in Kingston
At the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area in Kingston, you can take a Creatures of the Night hike on Friday, October 30. During the 90-minute walk, you’ll learn about the sights and sounds of some animals that are most active at night. Advance registration required.
Do some holiday shopping all over
Perhaps fearing a jarring conflict with all things Halloween, it’s a relatively quiet weekend for holiday craft sales this weekend, but there are a few. They include the Christmas Kickoff Weekend at the Smiths Falls Legion (October 31 and November 1), a trunk sale in Lancaster (October 31 and November 1), a craft market in Embrun (Saturday October 31) and the Heart of Orléans Holiday Market (Sunday, November 1). While not technically a holiday market, there’s also the Fetch Local Market at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex in Orléans on Saturday, October 31.
For links to these and many, many more events between now and December 25, see my list of 240+ Christmas craft sales.
Check out the Ottawa Wedding Show
Planning to say “I do” anytime soon? Then a visit to the Ottawa Wedding Show (October 31 and November 1) at the Cohere Centre should provide lots of inspiration for dresses, flowers, reception venues, photography, honeymoons and more. Hey, do couples still give their guests chunks of fruitcake wrapped in doilies? No? See, my own nuptial knowledge could do with a bit of an update—not surprisingly, given that when I got married, wedding-dress sleeves were so big that brides had to go through doors sideways.
Catch a concert
Feeling musical? Here are a few of the many concerts you could enjoy this week.
- October 28 to November 7: Leonard Cohen: Ten Years Gone (tribute), Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa
- October 29: Old Friends (Simon and Garfunkel tribute), Port Theatre, Cornwall
- October 30: Afro-Andean Funk, National Arts Centre, Ottawa
- October 30: Big Wreck, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Ottawa
- October 30: Disney Descendants, ZOMBIES & Camp Rock: Worlds Collide Concert Tour, Canadian Tire Centre, Kanata
- October 30: The Stamps, Motel Chelsea, Chelsea
- October 30: Al Lerman, StoneCropAcres Winery and Vineyard, Morrisburg
- October 30: Spencer Burton, Neat Coffee Shop, Burnstown
- October 30: The Adam Knapp Band, Cove Inn, Westport
- October 31: Let’s Go (Cars tribute), Farrell Hall, Perth
- November 1: The Wrecks, Bronson Centre, Ottawa
- November 1: Nepean Concert Band, St. Paul’s High School, Nepean
- November 1: Trio Hochelaga, The Isabel, Kingston
Be a rockhound at the Cohere Centre
At the Ottawa Rock ’n’ Gem Show at the Cohere Centre (October 29 to November 1), you can shop for crystals, fossils and gems from Canada and around the world. Vendors will also be selling beads, carvings, jewellery, decor and more. A new after-hours UV event on Friday, October 30 (8 to 10pm) will show off minerals that glow under ultraviolet light.
Dance the night away in Wakefield
Kaffé 1870 restaurant in Wakefield is celebrating its 19th birthday on Sunday, November 1, with live music, drink deals and Rutherfords819 pizza. Dancing encouraged!
Play trivia for a good cause in Ottawa
For over two decades, my husband has written the questions for World Trivia Night. The huge annual event raises money for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Ottawa, which provides funding for summer camps, college tuition and much more for disadvantaged kids and children in foster care. It’s not too late to gather a team of 10 people together to test your trivia knowledge and compete for some great prizes. The event is happening on Friday, October 30, at the Rogers Centre in downtown Ottawa.
Have some laughs in Ottawa or Shawville
If you’re a fan of CBC Radio’s The Debaters, you might be interested to know that host Steve Patterson is bringing the comedy show to the Bronson Centre in Ottawa for two live recordings on October 27 and 28.
On Thursday, October 29, the Rotary Club of Shawville is presenting a Good Deeds & Good Laughs Comedy Night Fundraiser at Pontiac High School. The show is in partnership with Absolute Comedy, and a cash-only canteen will be available.
And on Friday, October 30, eight local standups are on the bill for the Beacon Hill Social Club Comedy Night, happening at the Beacon Hill Community Centre.
Shop for comics in Orléans
And for a different kind of comic: The Orléans Comic Book and Novelty Show is a one-day event at Place d’Orléans on Sunday, November 1. Shop for comics, toys, crafts and more, and meet comic writers and artists. Costumes encouraged!
Meet an artist in Carleton Place
A new exhibition at the Carleton Place Gallery, The Sound of Colour, brings together paintings by artist Roy Brash inspired by a variety of musical traditions, including classical, jazz, blues, country and rock. His challenge was to capture the musicians and their instruments convincingly, as well as the essence of the music they’re performing. The show runs from October 31 until November 19, and you can meet the artist at a vernissage on Sunday, November 1.
Ponder the housing crisis at the National Arts Centre
In the 2026 CBC Massey Lectures, Housing Inc.: A Global Takeover and Our Fight for Home, Leilani Farha has been discussing Canada’s housing crisis—a situation she says has been engineered by governments and perfected by financial firms. She argues that we need more than a policy fix or a change in zoning law—we need to fundamentally reimagine the idea of “home.” She’ll be giving her fifth and final Massey Lecture at the NAC in Ottawa on Thursday, October 29.
Join a Pumpkin Promenade in Almonte
Ever wonder what everyone does with their pumpkins after Halloween? Well, in Almonte, they recycle them into the Pumpkin Promenade (Sunday, November 1). You can stroll along a walkway lined with donated jack o’ lanterns, which will later be donated to local farms for compost and feed. Snacks will be available for purchase, too (cash only).
Catch a game in many places
Feel like cheering for the home team? The Ottawa Senators are on the road all week, but you can enjoy all sorts of other hockey matches throughout the region; check the websites of the Central Canada Hockey League, the Northern Premier Hockey League, the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
Soccer more your style? Atlético Ottawa is facing Hamilton’s Forge FC at TD Place Stadium at Lansdowne Park on Sunday, November 1.
Learn about cults in Orléans
Ok, so the title of this paragraph might be a bit misleading. The Psychology of Cults is a presentation happening at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orléans on Sunday, November 1, but it isn’t specifically about cults in Orléans! Cult investigator Mike King will take audiences deep inside the world of cults—how they form, why people join and what it takes to break free. He will explore how coercion and abuse can happen in everyday life, using real-life stories, expert insights and interactive discussions. And if you buy your ticket by October 30, you can get a 20% discount with the code PUMPKINSPICE.
CONTINUING EVENTS
Don’t miss these ongoing museum exhibitions, sales and other events.
- 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.)
- November 6 and 7: Orleans Cork and Fork Festival
- November 7: Vankleek Hill Christmas Homes Tour
- November 7: Kemptville Comedy Night
- November 13 to 15: Homes for the Holidays, Ottawa
- November 13 to 28: European Union Film Festival, Ottawa
- November 14: Miracle on King Street, Brockville
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!
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.
