29+ events in and around Ottawa, July 28 to August 3

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Are you ready for the long weekend? All sorts of cool stuff is happening in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais and Montreal! You can visit artists and makers around Eganville, do yoga with puppies in Ottawa, see fireworks in Gatineau, celebrate all things Scottish in Maxville, learn to tango at Zibi, watch tube racers in Morrisburg, hit a poutine festival in Cornwall, see an outdoor movie, check out a mystical fair, head to a car show and so much more!

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Bounce to your heart’s content at the RA Centre

The Big Bounce Canada is a collection of all sorts of inflatables, including a giant slide, and it’s not just for kids. The bouncy castle attraction offers separate timeslots for toddlers, tweens, young teens and adults. It will be on the grounds of the RA Centre (2451 Riverside Drive) from August 1 to 3.

Celebrate francophone culture in Gananoque

Le FestivILES (July 31 to August 3) is a four-day celebration of francophone music, food and more. You can enjoy French or bilingual movies, circus performances, theatre, children’s activities and other fun in Joel Stone Park and other locations in Gananoque.

See a movie outdoors in Ottawa

The Ottawa Titans are presenting an outdoor screening of Field of Dreams at Ottawa Stadium on Coventry Road on Thursday, July 31. Bring your lawn chairs! The gates open at 8pm and the movie starts at 8:45pm. Tickets are $10 per person. All proceeds will go to the Field of Dreams Foundation, which supports local youth charities.

And on Friday, August 1, you can see the criminally underrated John Cusack (OK, I’m a fan) in the rom-com-with-an-edge Say Anything outdoors on the Sparks Street Mall, between Kent and Lyon streets. Chairs, blankets and picnics are all welcome. The movie starts at 8:30pm, and admission is free.

Celebrate Scotland at the Glengarry Highland Games in Maxville

Pipe bands! Caber tossing! Whisky tastings! Fiddlers, dancers and a tug of war! And men in kilts! What else could it be but the Glengarry Highland Games? This festival of all things Scottish pretty much takes over tiny Maxville, north of Cornwall, this weekend (August 1 and 2). There’s also a kids’ fun area (delightfully known as the Wee Bairns Tent), a kilt run, a clans parade and more.

Shop for art or crafts in Carleton Place, Wakefield or Chaffey’s Lock

The Shooting Stars Art Show continues at the ACP Art Hub Gallery (127 Bridge Street, Carleton Place) until September 7, 2025. The member-run gallery is open seven days a week and features original artworks by ACP artists, including paintings, photography, sculpture, fibre art, jewellery, pottery, wood art and more.

Art in the Park continues in Parc Roquebrune (Turntable Park) in Wakefield on Saturday, August 2, from noon to 4pm.

And in the Rideau Canal community of Chaffey’s Lock, you can check out a Heritage Craft Market on the lawn of the Opinicon restaurant from 9am to 3:30pm. Some 40 vendors will be on hand, and funds raised will support the Chaffey’s Lock Community Hall and the Chaffey’s Lockmasters’ Museum.

Learn to tango at Zibi

The summer-long series of free dance lessons at Zibi (28 Booth Street, Ottawa) continues on Thursday, July 31, with a tango dance class presented by Siempre Tango Ottawa in partnership with the NAC. The one-hour class starts at 7pm.

Check out cool cars in Combermere

Attention, car fans: You can get your motor running this weekend! On Sunday, August 3, in Combermere, CO Blitz includes a car show but there’s much more than that to enjoy, including a horseshoe tournament, water slides, live music and an outdoor dance.

Head to a street festival in Chesterville

This week’s Meet Me on Main Street celebration in the Township of North Dundas is taking place on Wednesday, July 30, in Chesterville. Local vendors and food producers selling their products will include King’s Lock Distillery, Kemptville Brewing, Smokie Ridge Vineyard and Windmill Brewing, and The Townships will be providing the live music.

Get metaphysical in Little Italy or Nepean

Tarot card readers, psychics, astrologers and many other New Agers will be on hand at the Ottawa Psychic and Crystal Fair at the Nepean Sportsplex (1701 Woodroffe Avenue) from August 1 to 3. You can shop for crystals and jewellery, too.

At Next Door Ottawa in Little Italy (955A Gladstone Avenue), you can drop into the Ottawa Mystic Market on August 2 and 3 for tarot and oracle readings, the chance to shop for candles and crafts, and more.

Do yoga in Ottawa

There are a surprising number of cool yoga events this weekend, including the following:

• a sunset sound healing yoga session at Britannia Beach on Friday, August 1, beginning at 6:30pm (admission by donation, with $20 suggested);
• an outdoor flow yoga class on the patio at the Tavern at the Gallery (National Gallery of Canada) on Saturday, August 2, starting at 9am;
• a free yoga class in the park outside Fallingbrook School in Orleans on Saturday, August 2, starting at 9am;
• yoga with puppies (!) at Elevate Yoga on Elgin Street on Saturday, August 2 (sessions at 10am and 11:15am)

Shop at a market

On Thursday, July 31, you can hit the weekly Hintonburg Night Market at 1088 Somerset Street West or the weekly ByWard Night Market.

On Saturday, August 2, the popular 613flea market returns to Lansdowne Park. This week, the 140 vendors—who sell food, vintage clothes, handmade items, antiques and more—will be setting up shop outdoors.

Take a studio tour in Eganville

The Bonnechere Valley Inspired Tour (August 2 and 3) will feature more than 40 local artists, food makers and artisans located at 13 stops in Bonnechere Valley Township, in and around Eganville. The self-guided tour starts with a drum and smudging opening ceremony at the Bonnechere Museum in Eganville and continues with stops at artist studios, shops, century farms and museums. Maps will be available at each stop. You can meet painters, jewellers, woodworkers, weavers, photographers, soap makers, food producers and many other creators, and purchase their works. You can also see over a dozen artistically painted doors around Eganville and check out a barn quilt trail in the countryside (see photo above).

Tour hours are 10am to 4pm each day. On Saturday evening, there’s a farm-to-table dinner (tickets required) in a restored heritage barn.

Make a splash in Blackburn Hamlet

The Blackburn Hamlet Community Association is throwing a Splish Splash Summer Bash for kids aged 3 to 10 at the splash pad at 190 Glen Park Drive on Sunday, August 3, from 11am to 3pm. The fun will include outdoor games, snacks and music. In case of rain, the event will be moved indoors and will end at 1:30pm.

Get your country fix in Carleton Place

For country fans, the three-day Goodwood Music Festival is coming to Beckwith Park (August 1 to 3). Over a dozen acts will be taking to the stage, including the Small Town Socials, Ambush, and Gail Gavan. Campsites are available if you’d like to make a weekend of it. Beckwith Park is on the southeastern edge of Carleton Place.

Go to a tube festival in Morrisburg

Morrisburg will be a magnet for families this weekend during the Tubie Festival (August 1 to 3), which features a parade, a dance, bouncy castles and—the highlight of the weekend—an exciting tube race on the St. Lawrence River! (The race is on Sunday afternoon.)

Enjoy a fair in Lombardy

The Lombardy Fair (August 1 to 3) is a year older than Canada—the event is celebrating its 159th anniversary this year. Hay bale tossing and frying pan throwing contests, livestock shows, a demolition derby, chicken pie bingo, live music, lawn mower races, a beer garden, truck and tractor pulls, and a mullet competition are among the attractions.

Cheer for athletes in Ottawa

Lots and lots of sports events are happening in Ottawa this weekend! Here’s who you can cheer on to victory, and where.

• At TD Place, you can root for the Ottawa Redblacks on Thursday, July 31; the Rugby Women’s Canadian 15s on Friday, August 1; the Ottawa Blackjacks on Saturday, August 2; and Atlético Ottawa on Sunday, August 3.
• The 2025 Canadian Track and Field Championships (July 30 to August 3) are happening at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility in Mooney’s Bay Park.
• The gruelling Ironman competition will pretty much take over Ottawa on Sunday, August 3, with all competitors doing a 3.8km swim at Britannia Beach, followed by a 180km bike ride through city streets and a 42.2km marathon run, also on city streets. Yikes!

See fireworks in Gatineau

Les Grand Feux Casino Lac-Leamy is back! The huge fireworks show at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau returns for another month of spectacles featuring gorgeous pyrotechnics synched to cool soundtracks. The event is happening every Wednesday and Saturday night from July 30 to August 16. The grounds open at 6pm so you can enjoy live music, get dinner and drinks from one of the many stands and food trucks, and get in position for the show, which starts at dusk. Each night, a different country takes responsibility for the fireworks; on Saturday, August 2, Japan will be doing the honours.

Nosh on poutine in Cornwall

At Cornwall Poutine Feast (July 31 to August 3), you can chow down on everyone’s favourite curds-and-fries treat (including vegetarian and gluten-free variations), and enjoy music and other entertainment, at Lamoureux Park (100 Water Street East).

Have fun for a good cause in Ottawa

On Saturday, August 3, from 4pm to 9pm, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa is hosting Race for Wishes. The family-friendly fundraiser is aiming to raise $30,000 to help grant three life-changing wishes for local children facing critical illnesses. The event will feature live music, a DJ, harness racing, kids’ activities, a barbecue and refreshments, silent auctions, raffles, and more, in support of Make-A-Wish® Canada. Free admission, but donations are welcomed.

Join a huge celebration in Smiths Falls

Smiths Falls Old Home Week (August 2 to 9) looks poised to be an epic celebration of the Rideau Canal community and its history. Events this long weekend include a strongman fire truck pull, a parade, a wellness fair featuring a 40-foot inflatable colon (now that’s something you don’t see every day), a drone show and a heritage walking tour.

Shop, shop, shop in Prescott or Kingston

In Prescott, the King Street Promenade on Saturday, August 2, will see the namesake street closed to cars from Edward Street to George Street. Then, the pedestrian-only road will be home to all sorts of fun, including live music, vendors, street entertainers, bouncy castles, sidewalk sales and more, from 11am to 4pm

The Princess Street Promenade returns to Kingston on Saturday, August 2. Princess Street, one of the city’s main commercial roads, will host this free pedestrian street festival from 10am to 5pm. Merchants will hold special sales, street entertainers will roam, community groups will offer fun activities and Princess will be closed to vehicles from Division Street to Ontario Street.

Head to a rock show in Ottawa

As well as hosting the Big Bounce event I mentioned earlier in the post, the RA Centre is also hosting a Rock and Gem Show on August 2 and 3. Learn about rock hunting, shop for stones and gems, and more.

Enjoy food truck fare in Montreal

On Friday, August 1, dozens of food trucks will gather at Montreal’s Parc Olympique for First Fridays, a celebration of food truck fare. Confusingly, it no longer runs just on Fridays; this year, it will run on Fridays and Saturdays (so this edition will run on August 1 and 2). This event is usually really popular, so I’d take transit to the site, if I were you. It’s a five-minute walk from the Viau metro station.

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.)

• August 8 to 10: Ottawa International Busker Fest
• August 8 to 10: Twist Fibre Festival, Saint-André-Avellin
• August 8 to 10: 1000 Islands Kingston Poker Run
• August 8 to 17: Water and Dirt Festival, Renfrew County
• August 9 and 10: Trainfest, Smiths Falls
• August 14 to 17: Ottawa Greek Festival
• August 16 to 24: Capital Pride, Ottawa
• August 22 and 23: Ottawa Valley Buskerfest, Pembroke
• August 22 to 24: Upper Gatineau Whitewater Festival, Maniwaki
• August 24: Tour de Bonnechere, Eganville
• August 27 to 31: Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival
• September 6: Latin Sparks Festival, Ottawa
• September 10 to 14: Cityfolk, Ottawa
• September 19 and 20: Kanata Craft Beer Festival
• September 20: Taste of Wellington, Ottawa
• September 24 to 28: Ottawa International Animation Festival

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.