Whether you like soup or pancakes, ikebana or wrestling, or house tours or Santa Claus parades, there’s something happening for you in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario or the Outaouais this weekend. You can also check out an arts festival for kids, a European film festival, a national soccer final and all sorts of craft sales. I also have details on Remembrance Day ceremonies around the region, too.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Eat pancakes with firefighters in Alexandria
- Catch festivals of European and outdoor movies in Ottawa
- Bring the family to a Santa Claus parade
- Tour gorgeous homes for a good cause in Ottawa
- Cheer for wrestlers in Nepean or Hammond
- Eat soup for a good cause in Carleton Heights
- Learn about the Arctic in Chelsea
- Honour soldiers' sacrifices
- Head to a play in Little Italy, Kanata or Kemptville
- Take your kids to an Ottawa arts festival
- Play trivia for a good cause in Cornwall
- Catch a concert in just about any genre
- Admire Japanese-style floral arrangements in Ottawa
- Shop 'til you drop in Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston and elsewhere
- Eat well for less in the Outaouais and Montreal
- Have some laughs in Orléans
- Catch a pro game in Ottawa
- Hear Bach in Montreal
- See an art show in Smiths Falls
- CONTINUING EVENTS
- SAVE THE DATE
- NEED A PLACE TO STAY?
Eat pancakes with firefighters in Alexandria
The Alexandria Firefighters’ Association is hosting a fundraising pancake breakfast at the Alexandria Curling Club on Sunday, November 15.
Catch festivals of European and outdoor movies in Ottawa
The European Union Film Festival will screen 28 movies at the Ottawa Art Gallery between November 13 and 28—one from each of the 27 members of the EU and a fundraising screening of an Oscar-nominated Ukrainian documentary. The movies include dramas, comedies, documentaries and more. If you can’t make it to the in-person event, you can purchase streaming access to the films online.
Last year, the first Ottawa Outdoor Film Festival was such a big success that it has moved to a bigger venue (the Bronson Centre) this year. The event on Sunday, November 15, is a fundraiser for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ottawa Valley Chapter. Attendees can enjoy three short films on environmental themes, guest speakers and a raffle.
Bring the family to a Santa Claus parade
Sure, it’s still over a month until Christmas, but the weather is usually warmer in November than December! Perhaps that’s why so many communities jump the gun and hold their Santa Claus parades early. This weekend, you can choose from Christmas parades in Kanata and Cornwall on Saturday and the village of Lansdowne (not Lansdowne Park!) on Sunday. See my big list of Santa parades for links to these events and many others.
Tour gorgeous homes for a good cause in Ottawa
Yes, it’s time for Homes for the Holidays—that annual event where we get to stroll through beautiful homes that are festively decorated, all to raise money for hospice care. The event includes seven homes from Rockcliffe to Manotick and runs from November 13 to 15.
Cheer for wrestlers in Nepean or Hammond
As I’ve previously mentioned on this website, what I know about wrestling (arm or otherwise) would fit on the head of a very small pin. But if armwrestling is your thing, you can catch the Ottawa Open Armwrestling Championships at Tailgators in Nepean on Saturday, November 14. Also that day, if Ontario Wrestling Alliance action is more your style, you can see pros battling in the ring at the Hammond Golf and Country Club in Hammond on Saturday, November 14.
Eat soup for a good cause in Carleton Heights
Soupalicious is a tasty-sounding fundraiser for Debra Dynes Family House on Sunday, November 15. Chefs from restaurants across Ottawa—including The Whalesbone, The Green Door and Heist—will gather at the Carleton Heights Community Centre to tempt visitors with soups of all sorts. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
Learn about the Arctic in Chelsea
Programming related to artist Dawn McArthur’s show of Arctic-inspired art continues at La Fab sur Mill in Chelsea. This weekend, there’s an evening of art and science on Friday, November 13, featuring presentations by Arctic scientist Dr. Dominique Fauteux of the Canadian Museum of Nature, Dr. Louise Archer of Polar Bears International and Clive Tesar with Polar Knowledge Canada. The following evening, Arctic adventurer, storyteller and author James Raffan will be giving a light-hearted yet thought-provoking stage performance called “The Accidental Canadian.”
Honour soldiers’ sacrifices
Wednesday, November 11, is Remembrance Day. The Government of Ontario has a map showing details of Remembrance Day ceremonies across Ontario. The Royal Canadian Legion has a searchable directory of Remembrance Day events across Canada. The Legion also has detailed information on the National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
Other events happening in Ottawa include the following.
- The Canadian War Museum is offering Remembrance Day-related programming from November 1 to 11.
- The Canada Aviation and Space Museum has special events and activities throughout Remembrance Week (November 5 to 11).
- The National Military Cemetery at Beechwood Cemetery has a Remembrance Day ceremony (November 11).
For details on what is open and closed across Ottawa on Remembrance Day, check this CBC post.
Here are links to information on Remembrance Day events on November 11:
- Almonte
- Arnprior
- Aylmer
- Beckwith Township
- Carleton Place
- Chelsea
- Clayton
- Embrun
- Kemptville
- Limoges
- Pakenham
- Renfrew
- Russell
- Smiths Falls
- Wakefield
On the day before Remembrance Day (Tuesday, November 10), the Pontiac Archives in Shawville is offering a morning event called The Pontiac and the First World War. The project opens access to more than 2,000 digitized pages of wartime coverage from The Equity, the local newspaper.
Head to a play in Little Italy, Kanata or Kemptville
Act quickly if you’d like to see the University of Ottawa Theatre Club’s take on Dracula at the Gladstone Theatre, or North Grenville Community Theatre’s production of the comedy I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change in Kemptville; they’re both on stage this week only. This is also the last week to catch Jane Eyre at Ottawa Little Theatre. And it’s the first week to see the Stratford Festival’s production of The King James Bible Play at the National Arts Centre and Linden House Theatre’s play The Boadicea of Britannia Street at Elmwood School in Rockcliffe Park. For details on these and many other plays, see my theatre roundup post.
Take your kids to an Ottawa arts festival
The Black Bird Festival of the Arts for Young People (November 12 to 17) is produced by the Ottawa Children’s Festival. You can choose from an array of circus and theatre performances, all at the Canadian War Museum.
Play trivia for a good cause in Cornwall
The Cornwall Community Museum is having a fundraising trivia night fundraiser on Tuesday, November 10, at Schnitzels Restaurant in Cornwall. The cost is $100 per team of four and there will be lots of prizes.
Catch a concert in just about any genre
In the mood for some live music? Here are just a few of your choices this week.
- November 11: Axios Men’s Ensemble (Ukrainian War Requiem), Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, Ottawa
- November 12: Baba & Da Boyz, Night Oat, Ottawa
- November 13: Gipsy Kings, Hard Rock Ottawa Hotel & Casino
- November 13: Yesterday Once More (Carpenters tribute), Shenkman Arts Centre, Orléans
- November 13: James Leclaire, Motel Chelsea
- November 14: Barenaked Ladies, Hard Rock Ottawa Hotel & Casino
- November 14: 56 Blues Band, Black Sheep Inn, Wakefield
- November 14: Heartbroken (Tom Petty tribute), Joshua Bates Centre, Athens
- November 15: Les Boréades de Montréal, MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
- November 15: Jan Lisiecki, The Isabel, Kingston
Admire Japanese-style floral arrangements in Ottawa
Ikebana: The Way of Flowers (November 13 to 15) features more than 25 delicate, live flower arrangements created by local artists from the Sogetsu and Ohara Schools of Ikebana. The show is taking place at the Canadian Museum of Nature and is included with museum admission.
Shop ’til you drop in Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston and elsewhere
During Shop the Blocks in downtown Cornwall on Thursday, November 12, participating businesses are staying open late so you have more time to check out their food, art, fashion, wellness and other gifts. There will be giveaways, draws, demonstrations, samplings and more.
Festive Friday is a “holiday shopping crawl” in downtown Kingston on Friday, November 13. More than 30 downtown stores ill be offering workshops, free samples, special promotions and more (hours vary). Free shuttle rides will be available, too. And there will be a draw for a $500 Downtown Kingston gift card!
Miracle on King Street promises to transform downtown Brockville’s main shopping artery into a winter wonderland on Saturday, November 14, from 10am to 4pm. Visitors can enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, photos with Santa, family crafts and other activities, local vendors’ stalls, and more.
Speaking of holiday craft sales, there are LOTS of them happening this weekend! Name a place—the Glebe, Orléans, Navan, Barrhaven, Kanata, Kinburn, L’Ange Gardien, Embrun, Kemptville, Quyon, McDonald’s Corners, Perth, Cornwall and more—and it has some sort of Christmas market this weekend. Check my big list of Christmas craft sales for links!
Eat well for less in the Outaouais and Montreal
This is your last chance to benefit from two restaurant promotions that give you the chance to enjoy multi-course restaurant menus for a special price. In Montreal, MTLàTABLE (October 29 to November 15) offers deals at more than 100 restaurants throughout the greater Montreal area. 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, Saint-André-Avellin, Maniwaki and Montebello. They’re great chances to try a new-to-you restaurant!
Have some laughs in Orléans
Francophone comedian Maude Landry brings her show Trop cool to the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orléans on Thursday, November 12. The following night, the French-language fun continues with the play Foutue fin de semaine, a comedy about two strangers forced to share a bungalow on a Caribbean vacation gone wrong.
Catch a pro game in Ottawa
In a heartbreaker for local fans of women’s pro soccer, Ottawa Rapid FC lost its semi-final match against their Toronto rivals last weekend. But TD Place is still the venue for the Northern Super League’s championship match on Saturday, November 14. The Montreal Roses will be taking on AFC Toronto, starting at 2pm.
In NHL hockey at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Ottawa Senators face off against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, November 10, and against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, November 12.
Hear Bach in Montreal
Artists from around the world come to Montreal each year to celebrate the music of Johann Sebastian Bach during the Montreal Bach Festival (November 4 to December 9). The festival also features works by other composers, old and new. This year, the performances include all of Bach’s organ works (performed across three concerts at St. Joseph’s Oratory); a mandolin concert by Grammy-winning songwriter Chris Thile; and a free evening of piano jazz by Ariane Racicot.
See an art show in Smiths Falls
The annual art show at the Heritage House Museum in Smiths Falls opens on Saturday, November 14.
CONTINUING EVENTS
Don’t miss these ongoing museum exhibitions, sales and other events.
- One World Bazaar, Manotick (until November 22, 2026)
- European Union Film Festival, Ottawa (until November 28, 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. Also, don’t forget to check my lists of plays, Christmas craft sales and Santa Claus parades.)
- November 20 and 21: Crave Food and Wine Festival, Ottawa
- November 21: Winterfest, Carleton Place
- November 21: Once Upon a Christmas, Perth
- November 22 and 23: Minoshkite Indigenous Music & Arts Festival, Ottawa
- November 27 to 29: Local Christmas Shop and Hop, Lansdowne, Lyndhurst, Seeley’s Bay, Delta and Elgin
- November 27: Noël Magique, Chelsea
- November 28: CPKC Holiday Train, Finch, Merrickville, Smiths Falls and Perth
- November 28: Rotary Diamond Gala, Kemptville
- December 3 to 6: Casselman Christmas Festival
- December 6: Ottawa Charge season opening home game, Canadian Tire Centre, 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!
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.
