From splash pads and night kayaking to small plates and bluegrass music, this week’s Heads Up post ranges far and wide. Whether you’re planning a road trip to West Quebec, the Bay of Quinte, Kingston or Merrickville, read on for news you can use.
Events
Tickets are available now for the 2026 Bonnechere Authors Festival. Each Monday night in July, the festival will bring a different author to the Eagle’s Nest at the Eganville Arena for conversation, drinks and desserts. This year’s authors are Denise Chong, Barbara Sibbald, Drew Hayden Taylor and Steve Burroughs.
Registration is open for the RBC Race for the Kids, a fundraiser for CHEO. The event takes place on Sunday, October 4, at Wesley Clover Parks in Nepean. Open to runners of all ages and abilities, the event includes timed 5K and 10K all-terrain runs, and a fully accessible 2K family fun run.
A new festival is coming to Wolfe Island near Kingston this year. Skýlla will be a women-led festival of arts, culture, entrepreneurship and community. It will take place within walking distance of the Wolfe Island ferry dock on Saturday, July 18.
If you’d like to paddle the Rideau Canal from the Glebe’s Patterson Creek to the National Arts Centre in an LED-illuminated kayak this summer, you’d better hurry; many of the Light at Night kayaking trips offered by Ottawa Valley Air Paddle are already sold out.
The Cardinal Café in Sharbot Lake is offering special small-plate menus on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer.
Discounts and deals
You can save money on weekend passes to the Palmer Rapids Twin Music Festival (July 23 to 26) if you purchase them by Tuesday, June 30. The festival is actually two festivals, a country one and a bluegrass one, and they’re both included on the same pass.
Other news
Photo of Chutes Coulonge by Myriam Baril-Tessier for Tourisme Outaouais.
Want to tiptoe through the lavender? Don’t miss my just-updated post about local lavender farms. Many of the farms are opening for the season this weekend, including LouLou Lavender in Williamstown (opening for the season on Friday, June 26) and Lavande Braydale Lavender in Moose Creek (opening for the season on Saturday, June 27).
Writer Kathryn Dickson has a fun post on the Explore website about adventure getaways for women—think hiking, paddling and more. The post features all sorts of spots in our backyard, such as the Pontiac region (including Chutes Coulonge, pictured above), Almonte and Oka.
Speaking of the Pontiac, Tourisme Outaouais has published a new post about the Pontiac, pointing visitors to beaches, whitewater rafting, fishing spots, guided canoe trips and a bakery, among other activities and attractions.
And here’s CTV Ottawa’s guide to Merrickville, featuring cookies, caramels, puzzles and a big green alien.
Heading to the Bay of Quinte area (in and around Belleville) this summer? You can plot your stops on an interactive map and save the itinerary.
If you’re looking for a place to enjoy beer on a patio this summer, the Citizen‘s Lynn Saxberg has ranked nine of her favourites. And over at The Ottawan, they have a big map of craft breweries across Ottawa–Gatineau, Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais.
Parents heading to the Ottawa Valley with young kids this summer might find this list of local splash pads useful.
Taste of the Danforth, one of Canada’s largest Greek festivals, is returning to Toronto this year for the first edition since 2023.
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.
