41+ fun things to do in and around Ottawa, April 13 to 19

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I think I’ve rounded up something for just about everyone in this week’s calendar of events. You can shop for gems, antiques, art or vinyl records. To burn off some winter weight gain, you can join a 5K fundraising run in Vanier. Feeling creative? You can make perfume in Kemptville or an art journal in Carleton Place, or join a live drawing session at the NAC. If you need a few laughs, there’s live standup comedy on stage every night this week. Want to catch a Canadian movie? More than 40 screenings are happening around our region on National Canadian Film Day on Wednesday, and the Festival du film de l’Outaouais continues until April 19. This is also the weekend of the Delta Maple Syrup Festival and the Ottawa Parent & Child Expo! Wherever your travels take you, have fun.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Indulge in some retail therapy in Ottawa

Coming up at the EY Centre in Ottawa, the Originals Spring Craft Sale (April 16 to 19) is an immensely popular annual sale of handmade goods created by more than 140 artisans from across Canada. Items will include textiles, jewellery, skin care products, candles, ceramics, sculptures, home decor and gourmet foods.

In the Glebe, 613Flea is holding its huge bi-weekly flea market in the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park on Saturday, April 18. You’ll find 150 vendors, selling handmade and vintage items. And don’t hesitate to bike, as Lansdowne Park has some 600 bike-parking spaces.

And in Kanata, 35 vendors will be participating in the Kanata Seniors Council Marketplace on Saturday, April 18. Admission to the event at the Kanata Seniors Centre is free, but donations of money or non-perishable food for the Kanata Food Cupboard are welcome.

Make your own perfume in Kemptville

Ever wondered how perfumes are blended? You can sign up for the Create Your Own Signature Scent Workshop at Mama’s Cheeky Boutique in Kemptville and find out! As well as blending your own perfume that’s yours to keep, you’ll enjoy refreshments and get a 10 percent discount on the shop’s stock—which includes home decor and gift items, and new and consigned women’s clothing and accessories—that evening. The workshop takes place on Friday, April 17.

Dine well in Perth, Prince Edward County and Belleville

Looking to save money but still dine well? Perthalicious (April 8 to 22) will give you the chance to do just that. Throughout the two-week promotion, 15 Perth restaurants will be offering deals on special three-course prix fixe menus. It’s a great chance to try a new-to-you restaurant or revisit an old favourite.

Similarly, Countylicious (April 9 to 26) is a chance to get a good deal on good food in Prince Edward County. Over a dozen restaurants are offering multi-course prix fixe menus for lunch, dinner or both, starting at $20 per person, excluding gratuities.

Not to be outdone, Belleville offers Quintelicious Belleville (March 23 to April 19). Eleven restaurants are offering special menus, and prices start at just $15.

Check out a film festival in the Outaouais

A wide range of French-language movies are screening this week in Gatineau and Papineauville as part of the Festival du film de l’Outaouais (April 9 to 19). The festival features movies from Canada, France and beyond.

Run for a good cause in Vanier

The Vanier 5K on Sunday, April 19, is a fundraiser for the Vanier Museopark. Runners and walkers will follow a course through Vanier and the Beechwood Cemetery, and kids are welcome. You can add a meal at the Vanier Sugar Shack (which you can enjoy on April 17, 18 or 19) to your race registration.

Make a journal in Carleton Place

At an art journaling and altered book workshop at the Carleton Place Gallery on Saturday, April 18, artist Anne Waburton will guide participants to alter used books to create vibrant, meaningful journals. Bring any materials you’d like to incorporate, such as photos, paper items, fabric or old magazines; other supplies will be available, too. The workshop includes a light lunch.

Enjoy a play in many places

Plays galore are on stage across our region this week. The comedy Kimberly Akimbo continues at Ottawa Little Theatre, while new productions include the eco-thriller cicadas at the NAC, Pride and Prejudice at the Gladstone Theatre and the emigrant drama Behind the Moon in Montreal. Opening this week (and running this week only) are the musical comedy Something Rotten at the Glebe Community Centre and the heartwarming play Our Town at the GCTC. See my play roundup for details on these and many other shows.

Browse for art in Ottawa and Alexandria

Arteast Ottawa is holding its first-ever Fine Art Show at the Pine View Golf Club on April 18 and 19. The show will feature
original works by 41 emerging and established local artists working in a broad spectrum of artistic styles and mediums. As well as meeting local artists, you can pick up something new for your home. Free admission and free parking.

In Alexandria, the Glengarry Artists’ Collective is holding The Big Show on April 17 and 18. This two-day celebration of local art and writing runs from 6pm to 9pm on Friday (when there will be wine and cheese for adults) and from 10am to 2pm on Saturday (a more family-oriented day, with coffee and cookies). A total of 112 works by 34 creators will be on sale, including paintings, cartoons, collages, ceramics, carvings and written word pieces. It takes place at Community Living, 332 MacDonald Boulevard.

Learn about watersheds in Merrickville (and hit a market)

The Merrickville Trails Society is hosting a talk about local history and watersheds on the morning of Saturday, April 18. Calder Schweitzer of the Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust will be speaking about Glen Elbe, the farm property near Athens that is the trust’s home base. The talk is taking place at The Pews in Merrickville, and light refreshments will be served.

While you’re in Merrickville, you could check out the monthly Merrickville Country Market, taking place on Saturday, April 18, at the Merrickville Community Centre from 10am to 4pm.

Celebrate Canadian Film Day all over

Wednesday, April 15, is National Canadian Film Day. You can mark the occasion by catching one of the special screenings of Canadian movies taking place at venues across Canada. Check out my National Canadian Film Day post to find out about showings in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais and nearby areas of Quebec. And don’t think your community is too small to be involved! You’ll find listings for movies showing in Killaloe, Winchester, Ingleside and Morrisburg, among many other places.

Check out a family expo in Nepean

The Ottawa Parent & Child Expo at the Nepean Sportsplex (April 18 and 19) promises fun for the whole family, with everything from costumed characters (Zuma from PAW Patrol will be there, as well as Bluey and Bingo from Bluey) to an inflatable bouncy slide, a cycling obstacle course, animal presentations, princesses, video games and more. Plus, there will be free goody bags for the first 1,500 visitors each day.

Shop for vinyl in Kingston

If vintage music is your bag, check out the Kingston Symphony’s annual Vinyl Records Sale (April 16 to 19). Along with LPs of all descriptions, you’ll find CDs, DVDs, receivers, turntables and more.

Celebrate LGBTQ pride in Quyon

Pontiac Pride’s Spring Fling at the Shawville Arena (Saturday, April 18) will be a glittery, glamorous night of dancing and drag performances, with music from DJ Hunter Heart. Admission is free, but donations to Pontiac Pride are appreciated.

Enjoy maple treats in Delta

The Delta Maple Syrup Festival (April 18 and 19) is one of the highlights of the year in the village of Delta, about an hour and a half southwest of Ottawa. The fun this year will include a book sale, a ball hockey tournament, a magic show, a blacksmithing demonstration, a dance, a craft sale and, of course, all-you-can-eat pancakes. On Saturday only, you can also take a tour of the historic Delta Old Stone Mill.

Hear vocal music in Montreal and concerts all over

The Festival de la Voix, largely on Montreal’s West Island, continues this week with two performances showcasing vocal music: Studio de la musique ancienne de Montréal, whose show will blend European polyphonic music with Indigenous styles (Saturday, April 18); and a late-afternoon concert featuring three vocal quartets (Sunday, April 19). The festival runs until April 28.

And don’t forget to check my concerts list for links to many, many more live musical performances. This week, you can catch everyone from The Blind Boys of Alabama and Great Lakes Swimmers to Véronic DiCaire and the Pembroke Symphony Orchestra.

Laugh at one of many comedy shows

It’s a busy, busy week for comedy fans. As well as full slates of shows at Absolute Comedy and Yuk Yuk’s in Ottawa, there’s the chance to catch the Just For Laughs Roadshow at the Grand Theatre in Kingston (Friday, April 17) or the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe in Nepean (Saturday, April 18). Red-hot, clean American comic Nate Bargatze is at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata on Friday, April 17. Comedian Rob Anderson brings his multimedia show, Are You Afraid of the ’90s?, to the Bronson Theatre for shows on April 16 and 17.

In Saint-André-Avellin, there’s a comedy night at the Arena Stéphane Richer featuring four francophone comedians on Saturday, April 18. Further afield, the Great Canadian Comedy Caravan Tour rolls into the Bancroft Village Playouse (Friday, April 17) and the Marble Arts Centre in Tweed (Saturday, April 18); if you don’t want to drive that far, it will be at the National Arts Centre next week (Friday, April 24).

Shop for gems in Ottawa

The Ottawa Rock N’ Gem Show will draw rockhounds, crystal mavens and crafters to the EY Centre from April 16 to 19. Browse for minerals, beads, jewellery and more.

Learn about local history in Richmond

On Saturday, April 18, author Allan McCarville will be giving a presentation on local history called Stories of Goulbourn: Lies, Rumours, and Other Tales. He promises that from the depths of the prehistoric Champlain Sea to the bright lights of Hollywood, the history of Goulbourn Township is full of surprises—including ghosts, murder, robbery, and strange disappearances. The talk will take place at the St. John the Baptist Anglican Church Hall in Richmond, starting at 1:30pm.

Browse for antiques in Nepean

The Bytown Antique and Bottle Club is hosting its annual Antique and Vintage Show and Sale at the Nepean Sportsplex on Saturday, April 18.

Swap, sell or buy outdoor gear in Arnprior

Do you have camping gear, skis, bikes or any other sort of outdoor gear gathering dust in your garage? Or are you looking for deals on sports equipment? Then you might be interested in the Gear Swap happening at Cold Bear Brewing Company in Arnprior on Saturday, April 18. The organizers invite you to register in advance on their site if you’re buying items to sell or swap.

Catch a hockey game at TD Place

The PWHL’s Ottawa Charge take on the New York Sirens at the Arena at TD Place on Saturday, April 18.

The Ottawa 67s are currently playing the Barrie Colts in the playoffs, and the two teams will face off against each other at the Arena at TD Place three times this week, on April 14, April 16 and April 19.

See a nature documentary in Papineauville

Cinémaboule, a movie club in Petite-Nation, is showing the nature documentary Dans la fôret on Thursday, April 16. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion organized by l’Institute des Sciences de la Fôret tempérée at l’Université du Québec en Outaouais.

Get creative at the NAC or in Newboro

In the “this sounds cool” category: You can enjoy a free, two-hour life-drawing session at the National Arts Centre on the evening of Tuesday, April 14. Aimed at intermediate and advanced artists, the session will give you the chance to draw Indigenous pow-wow dancers dressed in full regalia. Facilitators will be on hand to provide tips. You’re encouraged to bring your own materials, but some will be available on site, too.

In the Rideau Lakes community of Newboro, you can sign up for a paint night at the Newboro Hall on Saturday, April 18. No painting experience necessary, as the canvases will already have outlines that you can fill with paint as you like. Beer, wine and snacks will be available for purchase.

If you like art workshops, don’t miss my post listing all sorts of art classes across our region.

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.