If the gorgeous weather lately has you thinking road trip thoughts, I have a lot of inspiration for you in this week’s event listing! You can keep it close to home in Ottawa with everything from garage sales and international cultural festivals to a Manotick craft market and Kanata beer and poutine festivals. Or you can hit the road to check buy a tree, race your car, enjoy the blues or see a play. Wherever your travels take you, have fun!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Marvel at bonsai in Ottawa
- Race your car in Calabogie
- Admire quilts in Stittsville
- Celebrate Indigenous arts in Ottawa
- Buy a tree near Brockville
- Have some family fun in Old Ottawa East
- Shop for local products in Cumberland, Bourget, Carleton Place or Calabogie
- Eat poutine in Rockland and Kingston
- See a play all over
- Enjoy cutting-edge dance at the Ottawa Art Gallery
- Browse for gemstones in Nepean
- Kick back to the blues in Kemptville
- Hunt for bargains in Ottawa
- Talk books in Kingston
- Taste and bid on fine wines in Ottawa
- Gather for peace in Carleton Place and Brockville
- Celebrate world cultures in Ottawa and Kingston
- Raise a glass at the National Gallery and in Kanata
- Enjoy family fun at Kingston's airport
- Dine well for a good cause in Ottawa
- Head to a fair in Richmond or Lyndhurst
- Dance to the music in Ottawa, Wakefield or Westport
- Shop for crafts in Manotick
- Eat well and see art in Ottawa's west end
- Immerse yourself in the War of 1812 in Dunvegan
- Exercise for a good cause in Ottawa
- Catch a concert all over
- SAVE THE DATE
- NEED A PLACE TO STAY?
Marvel at bonsai in Ottawa
Are you a fan of very small trees? The Ottawa Bonsai Society is holding its annual show at the Embassy of Japan (255 Sussex Drive) on September 20 and 21. Admission is free, but there is no onsite parking.
Race your car in Calabogie
Ever wonder what it would be like to take your car for a circuit on a real racetrack? You’ll have a chance to find out during the Novice Track Day experience at Calabogie Motorsports Park on Sunday, September 21, when you can book half-hour blocks of track time. You can use your own car or rent one of the track’s race cars; fully electric cars are not allowed.
Admire quilts in Stittsville
The Outdoor Quilt Walk (September 19 to 21) is a Stittsville event featuring more than 200 modern quilts displayed along a one-kilometre accessible forest path. The walk is free, but donations are welcomed for Quilts for Survivors, Quilts of Valour and Victoria’s Quilts.
Celebrate Indigenous arts in Ottawa
The 14th annual Asinabka Film and Media Arts Festival is taking place in Ottawa from September 18 to 21. During the multimedia event, you can see films made by Indigenous people from around the world, attend a gallery exhibition opening, enjoy lots of live music and more. Most of the events take place at Arts Court (2 Daly Avenue) or Club SAW (67 Nicholas Street); the art exhibition is at Gallery 101 (280 Catherine Street).
Buy a tree near Brockville
The Friends of the Mac Johnson Wildlife Area are launching their annual fundraising tree sale on Saturday, September 20. Taking place at the Stefan Foerster Tree Nursery (4673 Debruge Road, Tincap), the sale will support conservation work. The sale will continue on Wednesdays and Saturdays until October 1. Note that the nursery and the wildlife area are both technically in the tiny community of Tincap, which is so close to Brockville that many people don’t even realize it’s a separate place!
Have some family fun in Old Ottawa East
The Main Event is a weekend-long neighbourhood celebration in Old Ottawa East. It kicks off with a family movie in Springhurst Park on the night of Friday, September 19. From 10am to 3pm on Saturday, September 20, you can enjoy a festival along La Grande Allée (185 Main Street), including a kids’ fun zone, live music, a barbecue and an art walk. That day in the same time period, there will be fitness activities in Brantwood Park. And on Sunday, September 21, you can hunt for bargains at a neighbourhood-wide garage sale (10am to 3pm).
Shop for local products in Cumberland, Bourget, Carleton Place or Calabogie
The Bourget Community Market on Saturday, September 20, will see vendors setting up their tables beside the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail from 10am to 2pm.
Also on Saturday, September 20, the Harvest Market run by the Cumberland Farmers’ Market will see up to 120 vendors—crafters, artists, farmers and food makers—descend on the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum from 9am to 3pm.
Saturday is also the day of the Carleton Place Farmers’ Market Harvest Festival. From 8:30am to 12:30pm, you can check out pie and chili contests, enter a corn-eating contest, take your kids to a petting zoo or enter them in a tractor race, and enjoy live music and much more.
And also on Saturday, the popular Taste of the Valley food festival comes to the Calabogie Community Hall. It’s a great opportunity to buy local food products from Renfrew County vendors.
Eat poutine in Rockland and Kingston
The Bergeron Garden Centre on Highway 174 in Rockland is hosting the new Rockland Poutine and Ribfest from September 19 to 21. Along with live music, a beverage bar and games, there will be lots of rib-sticking food.
You can also indulge your love of cheesy comestibles at Kingston Poutine Feast, taking place at the Kingston Memorial Centre from September 18 to 21.
See a play all over
In the mood for some theatre? Your choices this weekend include the classic whodunnit Deathtrap, an intimate play about the eve of war, a musical comedy about health care, a drama about two Eastern Ontario bachelor farmers, and a comedy about curling. See my theatre post for details on these and many other shows coming up later this fall.
Enjoy cutting-edge dance at the Ottawa Art Gallery
The one-day Alchemy Fest on Saturday, September 20, will showcase a wide range of fusion and contemporary performances by local dancers. The genre-bending shows will include belly dance-flamenco fusion and metal belly dance.
Browse for gemstones in Nepean
This one’s for the rockhounds out there: The Ottawa Lapsmith and Mineral Club is running its annual Gem and Mineral Show at the Nepean Sportsplex on September 20 and 21. Shop for gemstones, minerals, fossils, jewellery, crystals, beads, equipment, carvings and more. You can also learn how to identify gems and minerals via displays, demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Kick back to the blues in Kemptville
The Kemptville Legion is hosting BBQ and Blues on Saturday, September 20. You can dance to tunes by Garrison Blues and chow down on treats by Battlefield Barbecue, a veteran-owned business that contributes a portion of all profits to Wounded Warriors Canada.
Hunt for bargains in Ottawa
Three big neighbourhood-wide garage sales are happening in Ottawa this weekend: sales in New Edinburgh and Findlay Creek on Saturday, and in Old Ottawa East on Sunday. See details in my big garage sales post (scroll to the end).
Talk books in Kingston
At Kingston WritersFest (September 18 to 21), you can attend writing workshops, panels and author talks focusing on all sorts of genres, from short stories and mysteries to creative non-fiction. Invited authors include Madeleine Thien (The Book of Records), Otoniya Okot Bitek (We, The Kindling), Jeanne Beker (Heart on My Sleeve) and Ira Wells (On Book Banning).
Taste and bid on fine wines in Ottawa
On Friday, September 19, you can attend the Ottawa Wine Auction at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre (290 Lisgar Street) from 7pm to 9pm. It’s a fundraiser for the Music and Beyond festival.
Gather for peace in Carleton Place and Brockville
Heartfulness Ottawa is hosting a celebration of the United Nations International Day of Peace at the Beckwith Community Centre in Carleton Place on the morning of Sunday, September 21. The ceremony will include music, a guided relaxation and more.
That afternoon, Zen Acres in Brockville will be hosting an International Day of Peace soundbath and meditation event, starting at 3pm. Admission is by donation.
Celebrate world cultures in Ottawa and Kingston
At the Great India Festival (Maha Bharatotsav) at the RA Centre on Riverside Drive, you can enjoy Indian music, dance and food, take a yoga or meditation workshop, see a cooking demonstration…the list goes on and on. The festival runs from September 19 to 21.
Also this weekend, the Festival culturel d’Ottawa is coming to the Maison de la francophonie d’Ottawa in Britannia on Saturday, September 20. The fun will include a parade, a fashion show, live music and dancing, and a culinary competition.
In Kingston, the Intercultural Arts Festival on Sunday, September 21, will feature music and dance performances by some 30 groups, cultural pavilions, more than 50 artisan and craft vendors, and international cuisine. The free event is taking place downtown in Confederation Park and Springer Market Square, and on Ontario Street, from 11am to 5pm. Several downtown streets will be closed, so the organizers advise taking public transit or getting to the area by foot or bike.
Raise a glass at the National Gallery and in Kanata
The Tavern at the Gallery, tucked into a courtyard on the north side of the National Gallery of Canada, is hosting an Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, September 20. From 1pm to 5pm, you can enjoy German-inspired food, beer and live Bavarian-style music.
At the first-ever Kanata Craft Beer Festival (September 19 and 20), you can sample the wares of almost three dozen beverage makers, and nosh on fries, tacos and other fun fare. Live music in genres from country to disco (!) will keep things hopping (see what I did there?).
Enjoy family fun at Kingston’s airport
Wheels on the Runway (Saturday, September 20) is a one-day event at YGK Airport in Kingston. Family fun on the schedule includes live K9 demonstrations, 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.
Dine well for a good cause in Ottawa
Harvest: A Feast of Fall is a gala event featuring fine fare whipped up by chefs from a range of popular local restaurants, including Aiana, Coconut Lagoon, Perch, Norca, Parlour and Paper Tiger. The fundraiser for YouTurn, a non-profit organization that serves at-risk youth, is taking place at the Ottawa Art Gallery (10 Daly Avenue) on Wednesday, September 17.
Head to a fair in Richmond or Lyndhurst
Every year, about 8,000 people descend on the village of Lyndhurst—population 500—for the Lyndhurst Turkey Fair. Taking place this year on Saturday, September 20, from 10am to 4:30pm, the free family event features music, a classic car show, helicopter rides and more. The video above will give you a sense of the event! Lyndhurst is about 90 minutes southwest of Ottawa.
This weekend, you can also check out the 181st Richmond Fair (September 18 to 21), which will offer a parade, a demolition derby, live music, craft competitions, livestock shows and much more.
Dance to the music in Ottawa, Wakefield or Westport
The Cranium Festival (September 18 to 21) is bringing live hip-hop, R&B and DJ performances to multiple venues across the city, and many of the shows are free. On Sunday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm, House of Paint! is hosting a free dance battle in Ogilvy Square, just off Rideau Street beside the Rideau Centre.
The Kichesippi Shores Music Festival is a one-day event on Saturday,September 20, at Beetbox Farm. It’s located between Crystal Bay and Kanata in the NCC Greenbelt. The music starts at 1pm and goes until midnight on two stages. The grassroots festival will showcase 14 bands, including Ras Lee & The Vibes Band, Freshwater Pearls, Better Living Through Chemistry, and Rooty Naky & the Rootables. Bring your bathing suit and towel if you want to swim at Secret Beach, and a water container and a lawn chair are good ideas, too. Food and drink from local providers will be available.
Also on Saturday, September 20, Fête de la Musique in Wakefield is a fundraiser for Maison le Ricochet, a local mental health organization. The Wakefield Covered Bridge and Fairbairn House will be rocking to tunes by five house DJs and a live drumming workshop. Admission is free but donations to the charity are appreciated.
Westporch (Saturday, September 20) is an all-day festival of free musical performances on porches across the pretty Rideau Lakes village of Westport. It runs from noon to 10pm. The night before, there’s also a kickoff party by Dead Root Revival at the Cove Inn (the $25 tickets for that one include a donation to Westporch). The Cove is also hosting a Westporch Hangover Party on the afternoon of Sunday, September 21.
Shop for crafts in Manotick
If you’ve been visiting this website for a while, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of the One World Bazaar in Manotick. The sale—which opens for the season this year on September 18 and runs through November 23—features goods gathered from artisans in countries around the world. The family behind the event adheres to fair trade practices and deals directly with artisans. The resulting sale is enormous! The bazaar’s core days are Friday through Sunday, but it’s also open some Thursdays, as well as Thanksgiving Monday; see the website for details.
Eat well and see art in Ottawa’s west end
Taste of Wellington (Saturday, September 20) is a one-day festival along Wellington Street West, between Island Park Drive and Bayswater Avenue. At staggered times between 10am and 6pm, you can browse sidewalk sales, sample foods, see demonstrations, enjoy live music, check out a roller disco and a dog photo booth, thrill to circus performances, learn about EVs, take a free yoga class, and more! There will be fun for kids, too.
And on September 20 and 21, artists from Hintonburg to Carlingwood will be opening their Ottawa studios to visitors during the West End Studio Tour. Meet the artists, browse their wares and pick up something unique to enliven your home.
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 20 and 21. 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, weaving and leatherwork. Don’t forget to bring some cash to buy unique items in the vendors’ market!
Exercise for a good cause in Ottawa
The 24-Hour Yogapalooza event (September 20 and 21) is a fundraiser for CHEO’s work to help treat and prevent childhood cancers. It features yoga classes around the clock at Sacred Union yoga studio in Manotick. Advance registration for classes is advised.
On Sunday, September 21, the 1-kilometre Walk for Dementia raises funds to support community programs for people living with dementia. The walk will take place at the Dementia Society Centre (2327 St. Laurent Boulevard), starting at 10am.
Catch a concert all over
Musical acts coming to stages across our region this week include Keith Urban, Mélisaa Ouimet, Korn, The Skydiggers, Jack De Keyser and the Mark Ferguson Jazz Quartet. See my concerts post for details on these and many other shows.
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 24 to 28: Ottawa International Animation Festival
- September 24 to 28: POP Montreal International Music Festival
- September 28 to 30: Reconciliation Through Art, Almonte
- September 30: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- October 3 to December 6: Ontario Festival of Small Halls, multiple locations
- October 4 and 5, and 11 and 12: Annual Biology Butterfly Show, Carleton University, Ottawa
- October 18: Mystic Market, Smiths Falls
- October 18: Fall Colours Walk, Blueberry Mountain, Lanark
- October 22 to 26: Ottawa International Writers Festival
- October 23 to 26: Gatineau Hills Fiddle Festival, Chelsea
- October 25: Vankleek Hill Fibre Frolic
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.