More than 55 fun events in and near Ottawa, June 15 to 21

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It isn’t officially summer until June 21, but the calendar is so packed with events that it feels as though summer is already in full swing. You can thrill to the RCMP Musical Ride. You can take your pooch to a dog expo. You can cheer for firefighters or compete in a canoe race. You can see fairies in a park, take a free dance lesson or choose from two rural cycling events. There are also all sorts of ways to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day and Father’s Day. You can even learn about blacksmithing or go to a “Wench Faire.” Read on for details on these and many other events. Happy summer!

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Watch firefighters compete in Pakenham

Pakenham is this year’s host of the Eastern Ontario Firefighters’ Association Games on Saturday, June 20. As well as watching firefighters compete in tests of skill, such as hose relays and ladder climbs, you can enjoy live music, a vendors’ market, food stalls and more. There will be kids’ activities, too.

See fairies in the park in Brockville

Fairies in the Park 2026 is taking place on Saturday, June 20, at St. Lawrence Park in Brockville. From 11am to 3pm, enjoy bouncy castles, a vendors’ market, face painting, dancing, storytelling and more. The organizers encourage attendees to dress like their favourite magical characters, whether that’s a wizard, a mermaid, a fairy or some other otherworldly character. Admission is free, but donations are accepted for I Am Alive Dog and Cat Rescue.

Fish for free on Father’s Day weekend

On the Father’s Day weekend (June 20 and 21), the Ontario government is allowing anyone to fish for free, without a licence. So grab those fishin’ poles and start casting.

Meet artists and buy pieces in Perth

Looking for some artwork for your garden—maybe an eye-catching metal sculpture or a ceramic planter? More than 25 artists will be selling their works at Art in the Garden at Kiwi Gardens in Perth from June 19 to 21.

Catch a music festival in Ottawa, Iroquois or Montreal

Catch down-home country and bluegrass acts at this weekend’s Galop Canal Bluegrass Festival in Iroquois (June 17 to 20). In all, nine acts will take to the stage. The fun unrolls on the banks of the Iroquois Locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

It’s a big week for jazz fans, as the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival once again rolls into town, featuring 11 days of music, indoors and out (June 18 to 28). Artists include both jazz and non-jazz acts, such as Wyclef Jean, Angelique Francis, Jeff Goldblum and St. Vincent.

In Montreal, the Festival sur le Canal (June 19 to 21) features more than a dozen musical acts. The festival takes place on the Centennial Esplanade beside the Lachine Canal.

Join a cycling event in Rideau Ferry or Long Sault

The third annual Roll Around the Rideau Bicycle Tour (Saturday, June 20) offers cyclists a variety of scenic routes through Lanark, Leeds and Grenville counties. Ranging in length from 15km to 163km (!!!), as well as a short course for kids 12 and under, they’re geared to suit everyone from families to super-keen cyclists. Signage, support stations and quiet roads are designed to ensure a pleasant ride (it’s not a race). All the routes start and end at the Rideau Ferry Yacht Club, and the event is a fundraiser for the Perth Enrichment Program for Older Adults. 

Also on Saturday, Bike and Beer for Brain Injury Services is a fundraising cycling event that starts and ends at the Lost Villages Brewery in Long Sault. You can choose from 22km and 45km routes that include the scenic Long Sault Parkway.

See cutting-edge theatre at the Ottawa Fringe Festival

You never know what you’re going to see at the Ottawa Fringe Festival (June 18 to 28), but it’s almost always guaranteed to be unusual. This year’s lineup of plays and other live performance pieces include the wonderfully titled AWOL: 2 Old Men Escape From a Care Home and Go to a Metal Festival and a “crustacean cabaret” called Crabs: The Musical.

Thrill to RCMP Musical Ride in Otter Lake and Prescott

The RCMP Musical Ride will be performing in Otter Lake, Quebec, on Saturday, June 20, and at Fort Wellington National Historic Site in Prescott on Sunday, June 21. If you can’t see them there, check the RCMP’s list of upcoming performances in other places.

Take a free dance lesson at Zibi or on Parliament Hill

Dance at Zibi is a free series of beginner-friendly lessons running once a month at Zibi in Ottawa from May through August. During this month’s class on Thursday, June 18, you can join Suzan Richards from SoulRhythms for an Afro-Caribbean dance lesson. The class runs from 7pm to 8pm on Head Street Square on the Quebec side of the Zibi site. The organizers encourage participants to get there by foot, bike or public transit, as parking is very limited.

On Saturday, June 20, you can time travel back to the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s during Swing on the Hill. Open to dancers of all ages and experience, the free event will include lessons for solo and partner dancers, as well as lots of social dancing to DJ music. If you miss this one, the event will be happening again on July 25.

Travel back in time in Dunvegan

In Dunvegan, the Glengarry Pioneer Museum is hosting its annual Smith-in Blacksmith Festival (June 20), to introduce families to the old-timey art of making horseshoes and other metal items. There will be craft vendors, food and children’s activities, too. (Don’t worry about not being able to find the museum. It’s pretty much the biggest thing in Dunvegan.)

Go to a multicultural festival in Stittsville

The free Stittsville Multicultural Festival (Saturday, June 20) is happening at Village Square Park from noon to 4pm. Lots of performers, exhibitors, food vendors and community organizations will be on hand to celebrate Stittsville’s diversity and offer activities for all ages.

Celebrate summer in Aylmer or Verona

L’Outaouais en fête (June 19 to 24) unfolds at Parc des Cèdres in the Aylmer section of Gatineau, and it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. For families, there will be magicians, a circus artist and other kid-friendly entertainment. And for music fans, there will be more than 30 concerts.

The Lakes and Trails Festival in Verona on Saturday, June 20, offers lots of fun for all ages—everything from a yoga/Pilates class and water games to a bird walk and a bouncy castle obstacle course. Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted.

Race a paddle craft in Smiths Falls

Rideau Paddlefest (Saturday, June 20) is a busy day of paddling races on the Rideau River in Smiths Falls. Traditionally, it has featured 12-person teams paddling voyageur canoes, and that’s still an option this year, but you can also sign up to paddle a kayak, a standup paddleboard, or a solo or tandem canoe. You just need to BYOB (bring your own boat/board). If you’d like to try a voyageur canoe but you can’t talk 11 friends into joining you, don’t worry; the organizers note that pickup spots in the big canoes are available.

Take your pooch to Cornwall

Dog Mania (Saturday, June 20) is billed as “Cornwall’s largest dog event.” And it does sound like there will be a lot for dog lovers and their canine companions to enjoy at Guindon Park, including a market for vendors of pet-related products, live demonstrations, giveaways, workshops, entertainment and more.

Dance to EDM on the Ottawa River

Electronic dance music (EDM) fans, here’s the cruise for you: On one Thursday a month, from June through September, the Ottawa River Queen sightseeing boat will set sail for an evening of EDM dancing and partying. The next sailing is on Thursday, June 18.

Revel in Cuban culture in Montreal

The Festival International Cubaneando (June 20 to 22) celebrates all things Cuban—and, more widely, Latin American. The full schedule isn’t available yet, but it usually includes dance and music classes and workshops, art exhibitions, Cuban food, and lots of live music. Free admission.

Tour beautiful gardens in Ottawa

The Abbotsford Seniors Centre in the Glebe is holding a garden tour fundraiser on Saturday, June 20. It will feature 12 gardens in the Glebe and Westboro. Visitors will have the chance to ask the gardeners questions and to get advice. Note that the top of the website is aimed at potential corporate sponsors, but there are links to buy tickets at the top and bottom of the page.

Take your kids fishing in Perth

Kids 16 and under are invited to cast a line in the Tay River during Perth’s KidFish event on Saturday, June 20. Registration opens at 8am beside the Perth Legion. There will be prizes, swag giveaways and a free hotdog lunch for kids. The event will take place rain or shine. 

Raise a glass in Vanier or Carleton Place

The Vanier Museopark is hosting Beer and Bites on Thursday, June 18. This event will be happening monthly, in June, July and August. Each month, it pairs beers from a local craft brewery with nibbles by a local chef—in this case, drinks from Manor Park Brewing with appetizers by private chef Phil Cameron. Tickets are $35, and the event runs from 6pm to 8pm.

The Carleton Place Beer Festival is coming to the Carleton Place Farmers’ Market (7 Beckwith Street) on Friday, June 19. Along with beer from a variety of local craft breweries, the fun will include food trucks, live music, an artisans’ market and a charity dunk tank. Not surprisingly, you have to be 19 or older to attend (bring ID). The event runs from 4pm to 10pm, and costs $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Your entry fee includes two beer tickets and a glass you can keep.

Enjoy Italian Week in Little Italy

There’s still time to enjoy Ottawa Italian Week Festival (June 11 to 21). Many of the other events are centered on Preston Street in the heart of Little Italy. This weekend’s grand finale includes an exhibition of Italian scooters. Here’s the full schedule.

Go full Renaissance at the Parkdale Market

Wench Faire is a memorably named, Renaissance-themed event happening at the Parkdale Market on Saturday, June 20. The organizers promise mead, artisans, drag and larping (live-action role-playing; I had to look it up!).

See a play in Ottawa, Smiths Falls, Morrisburg or Kingston

If comedy’s your thing, the Norm Foster play The Foursome opens at the Smiths Falls Station Theatre this weekend, and another Norm Foster comedy, Danny & Delilah, continues at the Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg. Drama more your style? You can see the D-Day play Pressure at Ottawa Little Theatre, and this is your last chance to catch Very Heaven at Kingston’s Domino Theatre. See details on these and many other plays in my theatre post.

Cheer on boaters at Mooney’s Bay

Roughly 5,000 energetic rowers will be getting spectators cheering. Food vendors will be dishing up lemonade, coffee, BeaverTails and fried halloumi. Yes, it’s time for crowds to converge on Ottawa’s Mooney’s Bay Park for the very popular Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival (June 19 to 21).

Check out a flower show in Pakenham

The Pakenham Horticultural Society is hosting its Summer Flower Show at St. Andrew’s United Church in Pakenham on Saturday, June 20. Following a 2pm talk by Breanne Gibson on growing and processing flowers to make natural dyes, the doors will open at 3pm for the competitive flower show.

Support authors in the Glebe

Looking for local reads you might not find at your local bookstore? Look no further than the spring Ottawa Small Press Book Fair on Saturday, June 20. It’s taking place at the Glebe Community Centre (note the new location this year!) from noon to 5pm, and admission is free.

Enjoy a free arts festival in Kingston

The Skeleton Park Arts Festival in Kingston (June 19 to 21) features food vendors, children’s activities, lots of live music (including a Porch Jazz Parade), more than 40 artisans selling their creations, and more.

Cheer for soccer players at Lansdowne Park

The Ottawa Rapid FC is taking on its Ontario soccer rivals AFC Toronto at the Arena at TD Place in Lansdowne Park on Sunday, June 21. Come cheer for your local women’s soccer team! (The ticket prices are a lot more reasonable than those for that other big soccer event happening across North America this week. Just sayin’.)

Pop into a night market in Gloucester or Brockville

On Tuesday, June 16, you can browse for unique products at the Twilight Tuesday Makers Market in Brockville. Taking place at the south entrance of the Brockville Railway Tunnel, the monthly event showcases artisans, bakers, crafters and other creative types. Food and beverage vendors will be on hand, and there will be live music, too.

And on Friday, June 19, the monthly Gloucester Night Market returns to the parking lot of the Earl Armstrong Arena on Ogilvie Road. Shop for products from local makers and small businesses while enjoying live music and chill summer vibes.

Go to a vehicle show in Ottawa, Smiths Falls, Spencerville or Peterborough

It seems that dads really, really like trains, cars, tractors and other wheeled things, judging by the number of vehicle-related events happening on Father’s Day (Sunday, June 21).

• The Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario in Smiths Falls has a packed day of fun in store for dads (and their families) on Sunday, June 21. Check out classic cars and Second World War military vehicles and, see the museum’s collection of vintage trains, enjoy yard games and museum exhibits, nosh on grilled hot dogs, and see a local strongman try to pull a train car. There will also be a silent auction to raise money to restore the museum’s roof.
• You can check out the Father’s Day York Street Car Show in the ByWard Market from 10am to 3pm. Family-friendly entertainment is on the agenda and admission is free.
• The Billings Estate National Historic Site in Ottawa is also hosting a Father’s Day Car Show, from 10am to 3pm, featuring pre-1999 cars—including the museum’s 1959 Cadillac Sedan de Ville. Admission is $8.93 for individuals and $23.15 per family (two adults plus kids from the same household).
• The Spencerville Fair is holding a Father’s Day Car Show and Breakfast at the fairgrounds. Admission is free for attendees; car registration is $10 per vehicle. The breakfast is $12 per adult and $6 for kids aged 5 to 12 (kids under 5 eat free).
• And in Peterborough, the Smoke and Steam Show at Lang Pioneer Village features vintage tractor rides and a tractor parade, along with a model train display, wagon rides, old-timey games and snacks, and lots more family fun. (I’m particularly intrigued by the availability of “pancakes on a stick.” I mean, how does that work? Wouldn’t the syrup drip off? Inquiring minds want to know.)

Buy books in Ottawa

The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association is holding its monthly mammoth book sale at the James Bartleman Archives and Library Materials Centre in Nepean on Saturday, June 20. Thousands of gently used books, CDs and DVDs will be available at good prices. The focus this month is on Canadian fiction and non-fiction.

Have some laughs in Nepean, Plantagenet or Perth

Dad Jokes is a stand-up comedy show celebrating fatherhood, flannel, puns and, yes, probably a few terrible dad jokes. The headliner is Pierre Brault. You might know him from his annual solo version of A Christmas Carol, but I took a standup comedy class from him a couple of years ago and confirm that he is also very funny. Other comedians on the bill are MC Chad Noonan, opener Jennifer Brigden and feature Jim McNally. The show is happening at the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe on Friday, June 19.

Also on Friday, Scottish standup comic Bruce Fummey will be at the Studio Theatre Perth. Known for his YouTube channel Scotland History Tours, he’s chosen “Scotland Made the World” as the theme of his current tour. Come prepared for some wry chuckles at Scotland’s expense—and a few lessons along the way.

And on Saturday, June 20, you can enjoy a Comedy FUNdraiser at Mariposa Farm in Plantagenet. Proceeds from the event will support the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail.

Celebrate Indigenous culture in many places

The huge Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival is taking place at Wesley Clover Parks in Nepean on June 20 and 21. Attractions will include workshops, demonstrations, family activities, a marketplace, culinary experiences, Algonquin-language bingo, a drone show and non-stop live entertainment. The weekend-long International Competition Pow Wow will see drummers and dancers from across North American competing for over $100,000 in prizes. And this year, the pow wow will include a smoke dance category for the first time. Admission to the festival (including the pow wow) is free.

Mississippi Mills is marking National Indigenous Peoples Day on Saturday, June 20, with a guided paddle, storytelling, dancing, crafts, music, family activities and a community barbecue in Almonte.

Perth’s Indigenous Culture Day Celebration is happening at Last Duel Park on Sunday, June 21. There will be traditional Indigenous songs with drumming, dancing demonstrations, teachings, crafts, a round dance, a small feast and a giveaway.

For information on other National Indigenous Peoples Day events happening across Canada, see this Government of Canada website.

Do Pilates for free on Parliament Hill

On select Tuesdays and Sundays throughout the summer, Soma Pilates Studio is offering free Pilates classes at noon on the Parliament Hill lawn. The next one is happening on Tuesday, June 16.

Enjoy live music on porches and elsewhere

During the seventh annual Stittsville Front Porch Concerts (Thursday, June 18), you can enjoy free live music played on dozens of porches scattered across Stittsville. While the music is free, donations to support Parkinson’s research are encouraged. (In its short history, the event has raised tens of thousands of dollars for health charities.) The concerts will be happening between 6pm and 9pm.

Not to be outdone, Ottawa’s Riverview Park neighbourhood is hosting a whole Porchfest Weekend (June 20 and 21). The map and times are still being finalized, but keep checking the link above as the date gets closer for full details. (Wondering where Riverview Park is? Basically, it’s south of the Trainyards big-box centre and north of CHEO, between the Rideau River and St. Laurent Boulevard, but check this map for greater clarity.)

There’s lots of other live music happening in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais this week, too. Acts giving shows include Jim Bryson at Little Red Wagon Winery in Shawville, Ian Tamblyn at the Ottawa Tennis Club and Bailey Zimmerman at the Canadian Tire Centre. You can also see different ABBA tributes in Centrepointe and Morrisburg, and a Pink Floyd tribute in Orléans. Check my concerts listing for links to these and many other shows.

Head to a street festival in Kingston

During the Princess Street Promenade in downtown Kingston (Saturday, June 20), the major downtown shopping street will be closed to vehicles. In their place will be live bands, buskers and kids’ entertainers. Browse for free samples and try your luck in store giveaways.

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.