49+ fun events in and around Ottawa, July 6 to 12

46

From leaping dogs and jumping horses to a garden tour and country fairs, this week offers all sorts of opportunities to get out and about. You could learn about Carleton Place on a historical walking tour, enjoy country music in Wendover, join the crowds at RBC Bluesfest, see a movie or play outdoors in Ottawa, meet artists in Wakefield or Merrickville, fly a kite in Cornwall, do yoga with alpacas in Brinston, and so much more.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tap your toes at a country music festival in Wendover

The Wendover Western Festival (July 8 to 11) offers four days of foot-stomping country music, and if you buy a full-festival pass, you can camp for free.

Check out art in a park in Wakefield

Art in the Park is taking place once a month throughout the summer in Wakefield. Note the new location this year: the front lawn of the Centre Wakefield La Pêche (it will move indoors if the weather is bad). Visitors can take part in free artist-led workshops and demonstrations, enjoy live music, and meet artists in their mobile studios. The next event takes place on Sunday, July 12, and runs from 11am to 3pm.

Admire beautiful gardens in Perth or Mallorytown

You can enjoy a day of historic architecture and charming town and country garden retreats at CFUW Perth and District’s Home and Garden Tour on Saturday, July 11. The self-guided tour of four homes and eight gardens raises funds for university, college and other post-secondary education for local women.

That same day, you could also see lovely flowers on the 24th annual Mallorytown Hidden Garden Tour.

Build a kite in Cornwall

On Sunday, July 12, the Cornwall Community Museum is hosting Fly a Kite Day as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations. The museum will provide all the materials and instructions you need to build a kite, or you can bring your own from home. The park just west of the museum is a great place to test your creation. Bring a picnic basket and make a day of it! The event runs from 11am to 2pm.

Catch a baseball or basketball game in Ottawa

The Ottawa Titans baseball team is playing six home games in a row this week at Ottawa Stadium on Coventry Road. They’ll be at bat against the New Jersey Jackals on July 7, 8 and 9, and they’ll be playing the Tri-City Valleycats from upstate New York on July 10, 11 and 12.

Over at the Arena at TD Place, the Ottawa BlackJacks basketball team will face the Montreal Alliance on Wednesday, July 8, and the Brampton Honey Badgers on Sunday, July 12.

See cool cars in Chénéville

At l’Exposition d’autos de Chénéville (Saturday, July 12), you can see close to 200 classic and vintage cars. The event also features a canteen, live music, kids’ entertainment and door prizes. Free admission.

Take a walking tour of Carleton Place

The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum is offering historical walking tours of downtown Carleton Place this summer, beginning with two this week on Thursday, July 9, and Sunday, July 12. If you can’t make it this week, the tours are also being offered on August 6 and 9.

Enjoy salsa dancing and volleyball on Britannia Beach

Every Saturday night throughout the summer, you can learn some new dance steps and practice your volleyball moves at Beach Volley and Salsa, a free event at Britannia Beach from 6pm to 9pm.

Cheer for leaping dogs in Renfrew

Endless Summer is a two-day dog-jumping event at Avalon Ranch near Renfrew on July 11 and 12. The concept is pretty simple: people throw things off a dock and dogs leap off the dock after them. Sometimes, the simple things in life are the most fun—especially in summer. And if you think your pooch has what it takes, you can register him or her as a competitor.

Rock on at LeBreton Flats or at Tremblant

The huge Ottawa Bluesfest on LeBreton Flats runs from July 9 to 19 with a packed lineup of acts, including Sheryl Crow, Angine de Poitrine, Shaggy, Gwen Stefani, The Sheepdogs, The Guess Who, Cody Johnson and Choir! Choir! Choir!

Meanwhile, in Tremblant, the Festival international du blues de Tremblant (July 8 to 12) offers concerts galore, featuring JJ Grey & Mofro, Jamiah Rogers, Shemekia Copeland, King King, Dawn Tyler Watson and many more.

Play pétanque in Vanier

Alliance Française Ottawa, l’Union des Français de l’Étranger and the Vanier Museopark are hosting a pétanque tournament at the Museopark on Saturday, July 11. It’s open to boules players of any level, and your registration includes one drink and a buffet.

Do yoga in surprising places

Forget the studio; this summer, you can do your sun salutations and downward dogs in some interesting places.

In Moose Creek, Braydale Lavender is offering sunset Yoga in the Fields on three Mondays in July: July 6, 13 and 20.

At Brighter With Blooms Farm in Finch, Yoga & Flowers on Saturday, July 11, includes a one-hour yoga class in the gardens followed by a one-hour floral harvest and bouquet-making workshop. (The event will be offered several more times throughout the summer.)

Also on Saturday, you can do yoga with alpacas at Heart of the Willow Farm in Brinston. Again, the activity will be repeated several times this summer.

And on Saturday mornings throughout the summer, you can do Yoga on the Hill at the Tavern on the Hill (behind Major’s Hill Park) in Ottawa, with Parliament Hill as your backdrop.

Browse at a street festival in Brockville

Brockville’s second Shop the Street event of the summer is happening on Saturday, July 11. King Street in downtown Brockville will be closed to vehicles but open to pedestrians, who can shop for items from local retailers and vendors while enjoying live music and other family-friendly entertainment. The theme this month is Summer of Love.

Revel in lavender in Athens, Yarker or Prince Edward County

In Athens, a new lavender farm called Aflori Acres is holding its grand opening on Saturday, July 11. As well as soaking up the scent of lavender, you can enjoy food and live music, and shop for products from local vendors.

Further afield, the Lavender Queen lavender farm in Yarker is hosting the second weekend of its Bloom Fest on July 11 and 12. Shop for lavender items and other local products, including clothing, accessories and food. Nibble on ice cream and other treats. Fun for kids includes face painting and a bouncy castle.

Even further afield, you can catch the last weekend of the Lavender Festival at Prince Edward County Lavender in Hillier (July 11 and 12). There will be food, live music, children’s activities and more.

If you love lavender, check out my guide to local lavender farms.

Celebrate Ghana in Ottawa

Ghana Fest (Saturday, July 11) is, as the name suggests, a celebration of all thing Ghanaian! Head to Brewer Park (across Bronson Avenue from Carleton University) for live music, food, a bouncy castle and games of all sorts, including a tug of war, sack races, soccer and musical chairs.

Drive a racetrack 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, June 12, when you can book half-hour blocks of track time. You can use your own car for $125; if you’d like to rent one of the track’s race cars, the package starts at $235. Trucks, vans, SUVs and motorcycles are not allowed.

Head to an arts festival in Merrickville or Barry’s Bay

The Merrickville Festival of the Arts (July 11 and 12) will feature live music, theatrical performances, children’s programming and more than 30 artists’ booths in Blockhouse Park, next to the Rideau Canal.

In Barry’s Bay, the Madawaska Valley Artisan Festival is showcasing works by local creators at the Railway Station arts centre on Saturday, July 11, from 10am to 3pm. You can also enjoy live music and nosh on treats from food vendors.

Marvel at a circus in many places

A show called Canada’s Circus Spectacular is touring throughout our region this week. The 90-minute production features clowns, aerial performers, motorcycle riders and live music. You can see it in Wakefield (July 6), Fort Coulonge (July 7), Pembroke (July 8), Smiths Falls (July 9), Renfrew (July 10) or Casselman (July 11), before it heads to Laval (July 12), Lachute (July 13) and Mirabel (July 14).

Hear free music in Vankleek Hill

So, I hear you wondering: What’s a porchfest? It’s an event where local musicians perform on residential porches, for free. The first one took place in Ithaca, New York, in 2007, and the concept has since spread across North America. The Vankleek Hill Porchfest on Saturday, July 11 (noon to 8pm), will feature more than 40 musicians on porches and other stages, in a town full of gingerbread-trimmed Victorian houses. A show by Shook Boys at the Windsor Tavern will wrap up the event, starting at 8:30pm.

Chat with authors in Eganville

The Bonnechere Authors Festival of weekly author readings kicks off on Monday, July 6, at The Eagle’s Nest at the Eganville Arena (178 Jane Street, Eganville). Featured authors this year are Denise Chong (July 6), Barbara Sibbald (July 13), Drew Hayden Taylor (July 20) and Steve Burrows (July 27). And there will be dessert, too! It’s a fundraiser for the Bonnechere Union Public Library.

Enjoy volleyball and music at Mooney’s Bay

The world’s largest one-day volleyball tournament rolls onto Mooney’s Bay Beach in Ottawa on Saturday, July 11. The HOPE Volleyball SummerFest features volleyball games galore (natch), concerts by The Rambles, The New Hires, k-os and USS, and lots of other fun under the sun. Proceeds will support four charities.

See the stars near Kaladar

Near the night of the new moon each month, weather permitting, the Lennox and Addington County Dark Sky Viewing Area offers a free Laser-Guided Stargazing Tour on Friday and Saturday nights. Each tour starts about an hour after dusk and lasts approximately 90 minutes. You’ll get a laser-guided tour of the night sky and perhaps peek through a telescope. The next tour nights are July 10 and 11. Even though the tour is free, you should go online to reserve a spot if you’re interested. The viewing area is in Erinsville, just south of where Highway 7 intersects with Highway 41 in Kaladar, Ontario.

Join a community celebration in Embrun, Morewood, Maxville, Morrisburg or Elgin

Throughout the summer, the Township of North Dundas is hosting a series of Meet Me on Main Street events in communities throughout the township. This week’s event is happening in Morewood on Wednesday, July 8, and will feature live music by The County Lads.

The Township of North Glengarry is also hosting Meet Me on Main Street events, and this week there will be one in Maxville on Thursday, July 9, from 5pm to 8pm in King George Park.

And Russell Township is hosting a similar event just called Meet Me. This year’s edition is coming to wonderfully named Yahoo Park in Embrun on Thursday, July 9. It will feature stands for food and beverage vendors, as well as local nonprofit organizations, and there will be live music, face painting and other activities, too.

At It’s All About the River on Saturday, July 11, you can check out a vendors’ market, see demonstrations, try arts and crafts, nosh on goodies from food vendors and more. It’s happening in Morrisburg’s Waterfront Park from 10am to 2pm, and admission is free. (P.S.: Wondering what else you can see and do in the Morrisburg area? I have a post for that.)

Meanwhile, the village of Elgin is throwing a bash called Elgin Days (July 9 to 12). It offers a little something for everyone, including bingo, bouncy castles, chainsaw carving demonstrations, karaoke, plant and book sales, a kitchen party, disco roller skating, a reptile show, clogging, sound bath meditation … honestly, the list just keeps going!

Applaud buskers in Kingston

The streets of the Limestone City will host countless outdoor performances during Kingston Buskers Rendezvous (July 9 to 12). Jugglers, dancers and all sorts of other artists will be using their talents to entertain the crowds.

Catch a play in Ottawa, Morrisburg, Perth or Gananoque

Continuing this week are a comedy called The Beaver Club at the Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg; the farce The Play That Goes Wrong at Studio Theatre Perth; and the musical Grease at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque. You can also catch Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in six Ottawa parks. For details on these and many other plays on stages around the region, see my theatre post.

Discover a historic site

Some 400 historic sites across Canada are participating in Historic Places Days (July 11 to 25). Some sites have events scheduled, while others are simply offering a special invitation to come check them out. Click on the “places” tab in the link above to find sites near you participating in the day. The Vanier Museopark, the Bytown Museum and Laurier House are among the participating sites in Ottawa. Further afield, they include the Spencerville Mill and Museum, Manoir Papineau in Montebello, and the L’Orignal Old Jail.

Watch a movie outdoors at Lansdowne Park

The City of Ottawa kicks off its free outdoor movies at Lansdowne Park this summer with a screening of Spies in Disguise on Thursday, July 9. The series of screenings continues on Thursdays throughout July and August, with the movies starting at dusk. Feel free to bring your own lawn chair.

Get a taste of the Caribbean in Montreal

A Taste of the Caribbean in the Old Port of Montreal (July 9 to 12) gives you the chance to sample dishes and drinks from many tropical islands. There will also be artisans’ stalls, kids’ activities and lots of music. Admission is free.

Head to a fair in Beachburg, Lachute or Athens

This week, you could visit Quebec’s oldest fair, which is also the second-oldest fair in Canada: the Expo Lachute Fair (July 9 to 12). It features a demolition derby, live music, kids’ activities, a midway, monster trucks, agricultural competitions and more. The video above, from the 2025 fair, gives you a taste of what you can expect.

On the Ontario side of the river, the Beachburg Fair (July 9 to 12) features everything from livestock competitions and pony rides to an ATV poker run and bubble shows. There’s lots of live music and a midway, too.

And while it isn’t called a fair, the Farmersville Exhibition in Athens (July 10 to 12) sure looks like one. The fun will include live music, a dog show, a truck pull, food vendors, a car show, chainsaw carving and—a new one on me—square dancing tractors.

If fairs are your thing, don’t miss my big list of more than 30 fairs in and around Ottawa.

Thrill to an equestrian tournament in Nepean

Continuing at Wesley Clover Parks site (401 Corkstown Road, Ottawa) are the Ottawa Summer Tournaments, a series of top-level show-jumping competitions (July 9 to 12). In some cases, rich prizes are at stake.

Groove to a free concert in Cornwall

Arts in the Park, Cornwall’s series of free outdoor concerts in Lamoureux Park, continues this week with shows by The Social Distance (Tuesday, July 7), Seaway Winds (Wednesday, July 8) and Loose Leaf Co (Thursday, July 9).

Get crafty in Dunvegan

The Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan is hosting a felting workshop on Saturday, July 11. Participants will learn to design and plan a flat felting piece, by using layering, blending colours and contouring. Materials will be supplied.

Pick up some used movie-making tech in Ottawa

The Digital Arts Resource Centre in Ottawa is holding a garage sale on Saturday, July 11, from 10am to 1pm, in the SAW Courtyard (67 Nicholas Street). Gear up for grabs includes screens, cameras, computers and speakers.

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 them and many others in upcoming posts.)

• July 15 to 19: Ottawa Lebanese Festival
• July 16 to 26: Festival Parasol, Gatineau
• July 17 to 19: Stewart Park Festival, Perth
• July 16 to August 8: St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, Prescott
• July 18: Arnprior Dragon Boat Festival
• July 18 and 19: Rideau Canal Nautical Heritage Festival, Portland
• July 23 to August 2: Ottawa Chamberfest
• July 23 to 26: Delta Fair
• July 23 to 26: Palmer Rapids Twin Music Festival
• July 25: Bridge Street Summerfest, Carleton Place
• July 30 to August 1: Les FestivILES, Gananoque
• July 30 to August 1: Baitfuel Thousand Islands Open, Kingston (fishing derby)
• July 31 to August 1: Glengarry Highland Games, Maxville
• August 1 to 16: Water and Dirt Festival, Renfrew County
• August 7 to 9: Ottawa International Busker Fest
• August 7 to 9: Twist Fibre Festival, Saint-André-Avellin
• August 7 to 9: 1000 Islands Kingston Poker Run
• August 8 and 9: Puppets Up!, Almonte
• August 13 to 23: Ottawa Greek Festival
• August 14 and 15: Ottawa Valley Buskerfest, Pembroke
• August 22 to 30: Capital Pride, Ottawa
• August 28 to 30: Upper Gatineau Whitewater Festival, Maniwaki
• August 30: Tour de Bonnechere, Eganville
• September 2 to 6: Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival

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.