I have a bumper crop of things for you to see and do in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais this week—everything from a home show and a costume sale in Ottawa to a food truck festival in Renfrew, the opening weekend of a musical in Gananoque, a fall fair in Metcalfe, a clothing sale in Gatineau, a paranormal investigation in Dunvegan and a fall colours walk at Leamy Lake. Read on for details.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Run or walk for a good cause in Ottawa or Kingston
- Enjoy great concerts all over
- Tuck into food truck fare in Renfrew
- Say cheers at an Oktoberfest in Ottawa or Kingston
- Find inspiration for your home at the EY Centre
- See a play in Ottawa, McDonald's Corners, Gananoque or Pembroke
- Touch a truck in Navan
- Buy a cool costume in Hintonburg
- Participate in the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- Look for clothing bargains in Gatineau
- Get a scare in Ottawa, Dunvegan or Kingston
- Delight in butterflies at Carleton University
- Celebrate fall all over
- Go to a fair in Metcalfe
- Visit with artists in many places
- Shop for crafts in the Glebe or Perth
- Catch a fashion show at Lansdowne Park
- Join a fall colours walk at Leamy Lake
- See work by diverse artists at Arts Court
- SAVE THE DATE
- NEED A PLACE TO STAY?
Run or walk for a good cause in Ottawa or Kingston
A new event, the Race to End Homelessness, will see participants walking or running 1km, 5km or 10km on Saturday, October 4. The event will raise money for the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, which represents over 75 agencies working to end homelessness in our city. All routes start at the RA Centre on Riverside Drive.
This is also the weekend for one of the capital’s biggest walk/run events, the Race for the Kids to raise money for CHEO. To participate in the 2km, 5km or 10km walk/run at Wesley Clover Parks in Nepean on Sunday, October 5, you must register online in advance.
On Sunday, October 5, the Best Buddies Friendship Walk is a 1km walk in Kingston to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It starts and ends at Lake Ontario Park.
Enjoy great concerts all over
The Ontario Festival of Small Halls is back, offering a packed schedule of concerts in intimate venues across Eastern Ontario starting on Friday, October 3, and continuing throughout the fall. Honestly, there are WAY too many concerts and locations to list here (but you WILL find them all in my huge list of local concerts). Just to give you a taste of what’s happening on the first weekend, you can catch AHI in Almonte or Morrisburg, The Pairs in Maberly or Chaffey’s Lock, Chantal Kreviazuk in Russell (her Almonte show is already sold out), and The Rowdymen in Carleton Place.
And if all that isn’t enough to choose from, check my concerts list to find out where you can see Garnet Rogers, Brian Adams, tributes to AC/DC and Anne Murray, and many more shows this week.
Tuck into food truck fare in Renfrew
Do you like food truck goodies? Microbrews? Live acoustic music? Well, you’re in luck, because the Renfrew Craft Beer and Food Truck Festival offers all those things, and it rolls into Low Square in Renfrew on Saturday, October 4.
Say cheers at an Oktoberfest in Ottawa or Kingston
Two locations of Ottawa’s Tavern Group are holding Oktoberfest shindigs this weekend: the Tavern on the Island on Saturday, October 4, and the Tavern on the Hill on Sunday, October 5. Both events will feature beer steins, German food and a live polka band.
In Kingston, Riverhead Brewing Company is throwing an all-day Oktoberfest party on Saturday, October 4, from noon to 10pm. As well as launching its Oktoberfest Lager, the brewery will be offering other beers and beverages, German-style games and food, and live music.
Find inspiration for your home at the EY Centre
The Ottawa Fall Home Show (October 2 to 5) is back at the EY Centre for four days of home-related talks and workshops. Speakers include Anita Murray of local housing website All Things Home, TV host Bryan Baeumler, home organization expert Kathy McEwan and handyman Chris Palmer. Compare products from all sorts of suppliers, including contractors, HVAC companies, landscapers, pool installers, home decor retailers and many more.
See a play in Ottawa, McDonald’s Corners, Gananoque or Pembroke
There’s a play for just about every taste this week. For comedy, there’s Jonas and Barry in the Home at Ottawa Little Theatre. Musical lovers can catch the opening weekend of 9 to 5 at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque or the season finale of High Times at the Heart Institute at the Rankin Culture and Recreation Centre in Pembroke. Things take a darker turn at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners, with a one-day-only performance of the drama My Own Private Shakespeare. For details on these and many other plays, see my theatre post.
Touch a truck in Navan
If you have a mighty machine-obsessed child, you’ll want to rumble on over to the Robert Plante Greenhouses in Navan for a free Touch-a-Truck Event on Saturday, October 4. Kids of all ages—and adults, too, if they’re so inclined—can clamber in and out of some 20 oversized vehicles, including tractors, plows and graders. They can even honk the horns! A coffee truck will be on hand serving up snacks and drinks, and you can shop for pumpkins, wreaths, fall plants and seasonal decor, too.
Buy a cool costume in Hintonburg
Here’s a chance that doesn’t come along every day: Orpheus Musical Theatre is selling off some of its old costumes on Saturday, October 4. Maybe you’re staging a play of your own, or you’re looking for a great Halloween costume, or you just like bringing a bit of theatrical flair to your office attire? Whatever your reasons, you can check out the costume sale from 10am to 1pm at 17 Fairmont Avenue.
Participate in the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Tuesday, September 30, is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Throughout our region and across Canada, communities and organizations will be holding events to reflect on the tragic impact of the Indigenous residential schools system and to honour survivors and the children who never came home. One of the biggest commemorations in Eastern Ontario is the three-day Reconciliation Through Art event in Almonte (September 28 to 30). For details on these and other events, as well as links to educational resources, see my post about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Look for clothing bargains in Gatineau
La Grande Fripe bills itself as “the largest second-hand clothing and accessories market in the Outaouais.” It’s taking place at Habitude Design (425, boul. St-Joseph) in Gatineau on October 3 and 4.
Get a scare in Ottawa, Dunvegan or Kingston
Capital Pop-Up Cinema’s slogan is “Bringing the Magic of Cinema to Unexpected Places Around the Ottawa Region.” And Beechwood Cemetery definitely fits the definition of “unexpected” movie venue! It’s the site of the movie series’ last screening of the season. On Saturday, October 4, the cemetery is hosting a unique movie double bill. First up is a classic silent movie short, Mickey Mouse and the Haunted House, with live musical accompaniment by Orchidae, a solo musical project of Gatineau musician Yolande Laroche. The main feature, a 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera, starts at 7:30pm. Admission is free and no tickets are required. Bring your own lawn chair or rent one on site (supplies are limited).
In the west end, Stittsville Haunted Heritage Tours will be putting fear into the hearts of participants on select Friday and Saturday evenings until Saturday, November 8.
The Haunted Walk and Phantoms of Yore have joined forces to offer ghost hunters a new seven-hour (!) investigation into ghosties and ghoulies and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan. The session on Saturday, October 4, is sold out, but as I type this on September 29, spaces are still available for the Friday, October 3, experience.
Closer to home, the two organizations are also offering shorter paranormal investigations at the Billings Estate National Historic Site in Alta Vista and the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum this weekend, and the Haunted Walk offers an ongoing series of ghost tours in Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto.
Delight in butterflies at Carleton University
The popular Annual Biology Butterfly Show returns to Carleton University for two weekends: October 4 and 5, and October 11 and 12. Tickets are currently sold out, but click the link above for information on joining the waitlist.
Celebrate fall all over
The Old Ottawa South Community Association is holding its annual Fall Fest on Saturday, October 4, from noon to 4pm, in Windsor Park. Amusements will include games, crafts, live music and bouncy castles. Admission is free, and food and drink will be available for purchase.
Also on Saturday, October 4, Kiwan Farms (at the corner of Hunt Club and Hawthorne roads in Ottawa) is holding a Fall Harvest Festival from 10am to 3pm, with pumpkin painting, local vendors, a photo booth and other fun.
Pumpkinfest is a three-day celebration of all things fall in Carleton Place, from October 3 to 5. The fun includes a sidewalk sale, a night market, live music, a 5km race, a circus show, a petting zoo, double-decker bus tours and much, much more.
Up in Arnprior, Fall Fest (Saturday, October 4) is a downtown celebration featuring live music, shopping, and cider and other treats. It’s taking place in downtown Arnprior from 11am to 4pm.
The Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum is hosting its Fall Fest on Sunday, October 5, from 11am to 2pm. Activities will include wagon rides, arts and crafts, a bouncy castle, museum tours and a vendors’ market.
At Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, everyone’s favourite display of thousands of elaborately carved artificial pumpkins is back. Pumpkinferno takes place throughout the reconstructed 1860s village, with eerie lights and spooky music adding to the fun. It runs on select nights until Saturday, November 1. Buy your tickets online to avoid disappointment, as this event is very popular.
In Spencerville, Happy Little Farmstead is hosting a Fall Festival on October 4 and 5. Enjoy kids’ activities, festive foods, a corn maze, hay rides and lots more. Advance tickets are available online. While you’re in Spencerville, you could also check out the Spencerville and Area Wedding Show on Sunday, October 5 (11am to 3pm; free admission but online registration is encouraged).
Go to a fair in Metcalfe
This might be your last chance this year to enjoy a local fall fair! The Metcalfe Fall Fair (October 2 to 5) features a midway, demolition derby, truck pull, puppet show, fiddling and other live music, step dancing, and lots of other fun.
Visit with artists in many places
Studio Space Ottawa is celebrating its sixth anniversary with a free open studio and art sale on October 4 and 5 at 2477-A Kaladar Avenue. The building is home to 40 studios and 54 artists, whom you can meet and see at work.
This is also the second and final weekend of the Chelsea Wakefield Studio Tour (October 4 and 5), a wonderful opportunity to drop into artists’ studios while enjoying the beginning of the fall colours in the Gatineau Hills.
In and around Eganville and Combermere, you can check out the fall edition of the Madawaska Valley Studio Tour (October 4 and 5).
The Kingston Art Tour (October 4 and 5) takes you to artists’ studios in Kingston and surrounding communities, such as Sydenham, Barriefield and Glenburnie.
And much further west, you can catch the first weekend of the Haliburton Highlands Studio Tour, in and around Haliburton (October 4 and 5, and October 11 and 12).
P.S.: If you like meeting artists and buying their works, don’t miss my big list of local studio tours.
Shop for crafts in the Glebe or Perth
The Square Lemon Artistic Association is holding a Spooktacular Craft Market on Saturday, October 4, from 10:30am to 3pm, at the Glebe Community Centre in Ottawa. Some 50 local vendors will be on hand.
The Fall Craft and Vendor Market at the Royal Canadian Legion in Perth on Sunday, October 5, will feature crafts, jams, popcorn, soaps and more. It runs from 10am to 3pm.
Catch a fashion show at Lansdowne Park
It’s a big weekend for CHEO fundraisers! As well as the Race for the Kids mentioned at the beginning of this post, there’s also Runway for Hope, an all-day fashion event at Lansdowne Park on Saturday, October 4. The event, which showcases fashion designers from Ottawa and across Canada, includes a pop-up market, a fashion show and a cocktail party. It all sounds quite glam.
Join a fall colours walk at Leamy Lake
The Ottawa Voyageurs Walking Club is running a walk to enjoy the fall colours in Leamy Lake Park on Saturday, October 4. You can choose from 5km and 10km routes, and the fee is $2 for non-members. Both walks start at the Centre de plein air du Lac-Leamy (100 Rue Atawe, Gatineau), with registration beginning at 9:30am and the walks at 10am.
See work by diverse artists at Arts Court
The Multicultural Artists’ Coalition is offering two events at Arts Court in downtown Ottawa this weekend.
The 2025 ART+ Fall Showcase on Saturday, October 4 (4pm to 7pm) will feature performances in a wide range of music and dance disciplines, by artists whose roots stretch from Ottawa to the Philippines, Nigeria, Haiti, and Burundi.
You can also check out the ART+ Fall Exhibition: Threads of Belonging, featuring paintings, photography, mixed-media and other works by artists exploring themes of identity, diaspora, spirituality and transformation. The free two-day show begins with a vernissage on Friday, October 3, and continues on Saturday, October 4.
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.)
- October 15 to 18: ArohaFest, National Arts Centre, 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 23 to 26: Signatures Handmade Market, Ottawa
- October 23 to November 16: Countylicious, Prince Edward County
- October 25: Vankleek Hill Fibre Frolic
- November 7 and 8: Orleans Cork and Fork Festival
- November 14 to 29: European Union Film Festival, 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.