42+ fun events in and around Ottawa, May 25 to 31

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From dinner in a vineyard and Zumba on the Hill to ribfests, psychics and wooden boats, this week has something for just about everyone. You can enjoy music on porches in Smiths Falls, see jousters in Maxville, check out two different Asian markets in Ottawa, thrill to a pow wow in Maniwaki or go to a silent disco in Plantagenet. Plus, there are plays and garage sales galore!

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Hone your thrifting skills in Ottawa

If you love hunting for deals in thrift stores but secretly suspect you could be doing better, then you might want to sign up for Up Your Clothing Thrift Game, an evening workshop at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Hintonburg on Thursday, May 28. All participants will receive a goody bag and a one-night only discount on all clothing and accessories in the store.

Catch a concert in Shawville

East Coast folk singer-songwriter Dave Gunning will be in concert at Little Red Wagon Winery in Shawville on Sunday, May 31. You can come just for the show or book dinner as well.

Buy lavender in Yarker

The Lavender Queen Lavender Farm in Yarker is holding its annual plant sale sip-and-shop on Saturday, May 30. Sip on lavender lemonade as you shop for phenomenal, English, super blue and hidcote blue lavender plants for your garden.

See cutting-edge dance and theatre in Montreal

The Festival TransAmériques (May 28 to June 10) is North America’s largest contemporary dance and theatre festival. This year, it’s offering 19 shows across multiple venues. Expect lots of cutting-edge choreography and thought-provoking performances by artists from countries around the world.

Browse for collectible coins in Ottawa

The Ontario Numismatic Association is holding its 64th annual Coin Show and Convention at the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre on Coventry Road on May 29 and 30. As well as attending talks about coins, you can browse a big vendors’ market for new-to-you finds.

Get historical in Maxville

Hear ye, hear ye, all lords and ladies! (Because, of course, when travelling to the past voluntarily, none of us wants to be a stable cleaner, right?) The Glengarry Renaissance Festival (May 30 and 31) is a weekend packed with jousting, falconry, faeries, pirates, a mermaid, a trebuchet, music and more. Check out the video above from last year’s event; it looks like a lot of fun. It’s happening at the Maxville Fairgrounds.

Shop from local vendors in Ottawa and Morrisburg

The Collab Centre FUNdraiser Market (May 29 and 30) will feature more than 50 Ottawa vendors in a licensed warehouse setting, with a heated outdoor terrace where you can enjoy dishes from around the world.

The Home, Trade and Craft Show in Morrisburg (Saturday, May 30) brings a wide array of local vendors together at Earl Baker Park.

Sing sea shanties in Hintonburg

Arrrgh, mateys! If you’re hankering to sing some classic sailors’ tunes, head over to Beyond the Pale Brewing Company in Hintonburg on Friday, May 29, for sing a sea shanty night. No experience or, indeed, talent required—just the willingness to have fun. Grog will be available to whet your whistle.

Admire wooden boats in Merrickville

Sirens Boatworks is hosting the Merrickville Wooden Boat Show on May 30 and 31. As well as checking out some 65 classic wooden watercraft—and maybe buying one!—you can munch on BeaverTails, enjoy live music and more. Do check out the event’s website and Facebook page before visiting for details on parking, which is very limited (there will be a shuttle bus from other Merrickville locations).

Watch sheep being shorn in Morrisburg

On May 29 and 30, Upper Canada Village is hosting its Fantastic Fibres and Terrific Textiles event. Staff will be divesting sheep of their warm woolly coats in the Loucks Barn. Meanwhile, over at the Woollen Factory and the McDiarmid Home, you can see how people in Eastern Ontario washed, carded, spun and wove wool in the 1860s. You can learn about rug hooking and see a costume display in the Ross Barn, and find out how flax is turned into fibre in the Physician’s Barn. And in the Robertson House yard, there will be a display of handiwork by Akwesasne artisans. The activities are included with museum admission. Advance ticket purchase recommended.

Visit an Asian night market in Ottawa

If you like to browse for unique products, nosh on Asian street food and enjoy live entertainment in the cooler hours of the evening, you’re in luck: there are TWO Asian night markets happening this week in Ottawa, both from May 29 to 31! On Somerset Street West, you can check out the Ottawa Chinatown Night Market (see video above). A little further west, the Ottawa Asian Fest Night Market is taking place at LeBreton Flats.

Enjoy traditional drumming and dancing in Maniwaki

Take in a weekend filled with First Nations drumming and dancing at the Kitigan Zibi Traditional Pow Wow (May 30 and 31) on the grounds of the Kitigan Zibi School in Maniwaki. The event starts each day with a grand entry ceremony at noon.

Do Zumba on Parliament Hill

One of the many things I love about Ottawa is that we’re chill enough about our major historic sites to dance in front of them. See exhibit A: the free Zumba classes that take place on the lawn of Parliament Hill every Sunday afternoon, from May through September. You can check one out on Sunday, May 31, from 4pm to 5pm (weather permitting).

Head to Smiths Falls for free music

In seven locations, Smiths Falls is hosting Smiths Falls Porchfest—a free day of live music, performed on people’s porches—on Saturday, May 30. This year’s event will also feature a community-wide garage sale for the first time.

Make a sun catcher in Manotick

Lume Club in Manotick is hosting a sunlit terra workshop on Thursday, May 28. Participants will use pressed flowers and resin to create one-of-a-kind sun catchers, all while enjoying charcuterie and mocktails. All materials will be supplied.

Support a good cause in Ottawa

Jack’s Gala: Reaching for the Stars (Saturday, May 30) is a gala evening of fine dining, live entertainment and auctions to raise funds for a cure for an Ottawa boy with spastic paraplegia type 4, a rare genetic disease and neurological disorder. It’s taking place at the Brookstreet Hotel in Kanata.

On Sunday, May 31, you can join one of the many PetValu Walk for Dog Guides events taking place across the country, including walks in Arnprior, Greely, Kanata, Kingston, Orléans and Renfrew.

Also on Sunday, Ottawa’s Hike for Hospice is a 1K and 5K walk to raise money for end-of-life care services. Note that the venue has just changed. It is now taking place at the Capital Funeral Home Cemetery at 3700 Prince of Wales Drive.

See artists at work in Merrickville

If you have the flexibility to do a weekday road trip, then the Merrickville Art Walk on Thursday, May 28, might be right up your alley. From 11am until 4:30pm, artists will be working on new pieces on streets throughout the pretty Rideau Canal village. It’s a great chance to see creators at work … and perhaps buy one of the finished pieces before someone else sees it!

Enjoy a concert or a silent disco in Plantagenet

It’s shaping up to be a busy weekend at Mariposa Farm in Plantagenet. On Saturday night, singer-songwriter Jim Bryson will be entertaining the guests at a festive duck dinner. And late Sunday afternoon, the farm is hosting an ecstatic dance silent disco experience. What is that? I hear you ask. As far as I can tell, it involves everyone wearing headphones and dancing to the beat of their own drummer. Colour me intrigued.

Chow down on barbecue in Ottawa or Prescott

Hankering for barbecue? Head to Sparks Street for Ottawa Ribfest (May 27 to 31). Eight rib makers will be grilling up saucy goodness, and most will be offering gluten-free and/or pork-free options.

An hour south of the city, Prescott Ribfest (May 29 to 31) is a three-day celebration of barbecue happening at Fort Wellington in Prescott. The fun will include a trivia night, a Ribfest Idol competition, a kids’ zone, a market and, of course, lots of ribs. And you can hop on the free Prescott Trolley to travel from the fort to sites like the Prescott Pop-Ups retail market.

Go to a festival in Ste-Anne-de-Prescott

It’s Antique Days Festival weekend in Ste-Anne-de-Prescott (May 30 and 31), with a packed slate of events. Highlights include live music, food truck fare, tractor pulls, antique machinery demonstrations, a climbing tower, a Nerf battle zone and a church bazaar. Ste-Anne-de-Prescott is about an hour and 15 minutes east of Ottawa, close to the Quebec border.

Go to a wellness festival in Manotick

The Sacred Summer: Wellness and Spiritual Expo at the Manotick Legion on Saturday, May 30, is the place to go for psychic consultations, tea leaf readings, shamanic clearing, crystals, palmistry, intuitive guidance and similar.

Enjoy theatre all over

If you like musicals, this is a good week for you. The new Canadian musical The Perfect Time continues its run in Almonte, while Orpheus Musical Theatre’s production of Singin’ in the Rain opens at Centrepointe. You can also see the premiere of Far From Home, a play about British evacuees at Ottawa’s Elmwood School during the Second World War, at uOttawa; the farce A Fox on the Fairway in Cornwall; the comedy The Perils of Persephone in Kemptville; and a family show, Va falloir toujours toujours, at the National Arts Centre. See my theatre post for links and details.

Browse for bargains in Ottawa and Gatineau

At least five community-wide garage sales are happening in Ottawa on Saturday, May 30, in Little Italy, South Keys Greenboro/Hunt Club, Riverside South, Bay Ward and Orléans. There’s also a smaller sale in Lowertown. And across the river in Gatineau, you can check out a big garage sale on rue Principale in the Aylmer sector. See my garage sales post for links and info.

P.S.: If you’re looking to save even more money, you can cruise curbs throughout the city for FREE items during Giveaway Weekend (May 30 and 31), when residents across the city are encouraged to leave their unwanted stuff out front with a sign saying “free.”

Play drag bingo in Hammond

In the mood for some glam games? Then you might enjoy the royalty-themed drag show and bingo at Hammond Golf in Hammond on Sunday, May 31.

Enjoy cutting-edge dance and theatre in Montreal

The Festival TransAmériques (May 28 to June 10) is North America’s largest contemporary dance and theatre festival. This year, it’s offering 25 shows across multiple venues. Expect lots of cutting-edge choreography and thought-provoking performances by artists from places around the world, including Canada, Kyrgyzstan and Brazil.

Dine in a vineyard in Navan

It’s not too late to get a seat at Dine in the Vines, a dining event at Domaine Perrault Vineyard in Navan on Saturday, May 30. The dinner’s three courses will be paired with Domaine Perrault wines, and you’ll enjoy it all surrounded by the vineyard.

Have some laughs in Ottawa or Burnstown

American standup comedian Ron White is bringing his blue-collar storytelling to the Hard Rock Casino Ottawa for two shows, on May 28 and 29.

Neat Coffee Shop in Burnstown is hosting a comedy night on Friday, May 29, featuring MC Casey Corbin, opening act Jason Harper and headliner Chuck Byrn. That same night, the Toronto Comedy All Stars will be at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

Bike ’til you drop in Montreal

The Go Bike Montreal Festival (May 24 to 31) gives you the chance to take several bike tours of the island of Montreal on car-free streets. The Tour de l’Ile (May 31) regularly attracts thousands of keen cyclists.

Go to a fair at the Earl Armstrong Arena

Most fairs take place in the summer and fall, but you can get the jump on midway season at the Celebrate Summer Fair, taking place on the grounds of the Earl Armstrong Arena (2020 Ogilvie Road, Ottawa) from May 29 to 31. If fairs are your jam, don’t miss my big list of more than 30 fairs happening this year in and around Ottawa.

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.