I suspect many of you are looking forward to a weekend of chocolate, Easter eggs and feasting, and I have tips for that. However, you can also shop for used books, compete in a car rally, enjoy some standup comedy, catch the season opening of the Brockville Railway Tunnel and lots more. Have a great time, wherever the road takes you!
Browse for books in Kemptville and Spencerville
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.
This sale in Kemptville features two of my favourite things: reading material and snacks! The Book and Bake Sale on Saturday, March 31, is raising money to fight childhood cancers. If you gain a few pounds due to excessive consumption of cookies and too much time in a cozy chair enjoying your books, you can blame me. 🙂
Book lovers can also check out the Buck-a-Bag Used Book Sale at the Spencerville Public Library on Saturday, March 31. Money raised goes to support the library. And did I mention that you get a whole bag of books for a dollar?
Get your maple fix in Cumberland
Craving a taste of something sweet? Maple Fest is in high gear at Proulx Farm in Cumberland. Normally, they don’t take reservations for their popular maple brunch, but due to demand, you’ll need to reserve over Easter weekend. Other fun at the fest includes a petting zoo, outdoor play areas, a hay ride through the forest, and the chance to check out a century-old sugar shack and see how syrup is made. (If you can’t make it this weekend, the festival runs until April 15.)
Kick off the farmers’ market season in Carp
The ever-popular Carp Farmers’ Market launches its season with an Easter Market on Saturday, March 31, featuring more than 60 vendors, a food court, a 50/50 draw and a gift-basket draw.
Compete in a car rally in Chesterville
On Saturday, March 31, the Chesterville and District Lions Club is holding its 29th annual Car Rally and Chicken BBQ. Registration starts at the Legion at 11am and the event starts at noon.
Catch some standup comedy in Wakefield
The Blacksheep Inn in Wakefield has two comics at the mic on Friday, March 30, for StandUP in the Hills. Host Julien Dionne hosts a comedy podcast and has settled down in Wakefield after two years in New York City. Headliner Jim McNally has appeared at many comedy festivals and on CBC Radio’s “Laugh Out Loud.”
Spruce up your spring wardrobe in Gatineau
Photo by Lauren Roberts on Unsplash.
Does the hint of warmth in the air have you itching to buy something new? Then the Big Fashion Sale by Quebec Designers, coming to the Hilton Lac-Leamy in Gatineau (March 29 to 31), may be just what you’re looking for. (If you can’t make it this weekend, the show will also be in Montreal from April 12 to 15.)
Shop for caramels and more in Merrickville
Mrs. McGarrigle’s Fine Food Shop in Merrickville is welcoming a new pop-up shop for the summer: Pickle & Myrrh, a local maker of sea salt caramels, other tasty treats and eye-catching crafts. On Thursday, March 29, the store is hosting a sneak peek event from 6pm to 8pm to give shoppers an advance look at the new goodies. There will be swag, drinks and door prizes, too! The pop-up shop will open officially the next day.
See art and a museum for free in Almonte
A group of local artists called The Ten Collective is mounting a two-day show of paintings—including works in oil, acrylic and mixed media—at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte this weekend (March 31 and April 1). Admission to the show is free, and museum admission will also be free on those two days only.
See the Brockville Railway Tunnel on opening weekend
Photo by Laura Byrne Paquet.
A few weeks ago, when I was in Brockville, I posted a quick photo of the Brockville Railway Tunnel on social media….and you guys loved it! So I’m assuming you’ll be keen to know that the tunnel is opening for its first full season with great fanfare on Saturday, March 31, starting at 10:30am with live music (the official opening will be at 11am). There will be food trucks, an Easter egg hunt and, of course, the opportunity to walk through Canada’s oldest railway tunnel, with its cool multimedia light show.
Enjoy Easter fun from Chelsea to Chesterville…and beyond
At Maple Ridge Centre in Chesterville, the Good Friday Family Fun Day on March 30 features a pancake breakfast, giant inflatables, an Easter egg hunt, a petting zoo and more.
In Ottawa, Easter at the Farm lets kids pet lambs and bunnies, make chocolate or lemon cake, and watch rabbits race through an obstacle course (the bunny race is on Saturday only). It’s happening at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum at the Central Experimental Farm (March 30 to April 2). Over the same dates at Mont Tremblant, families can enjoy an egg hunt, a petting zoo, face painting and live music.
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash.
Lots of Easter events are happening on Saturday, March 31:
- At the Billings Estate National Historic Site, kids can dye eggs, go on an Easter egg hunt and meet the Easter Bunny.
- At the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, kids can compete in an Easter egg-rolling contest and an Easter egg basket race, decorate eggs, solve a puzzle and more.
- In Perth, the Easter egg hunt in Stewart Park (11am to 1pm) is open to children aged 8 and under. Every child gets a treat and has the chance to pose with the Easter Bunny. All kids must be accompanied by an adult. Don’t forget to bring a basket!
- The 11th annual Carleton Place Bunny Run (11am to 2:30pm) is a free hunt for Easter treats throughout the streets of downtown. Again, bring your own bag or basket.
- In Clayton, New York, the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel is hosting Breakfast With the Easter Bunny (seatings at 9am and 10:30am).
The Ecomuseum Zoo in the Montreal suburb of Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue has lots of kid-friendly activities planned for March 31 and April 1, including an egg hunt, face painting, animal encounters and visits from a chocolate-distributing Easter Bunny. Advance ticket purchase is recommended.
The Camp Fortune ski hill in Chelsea is hosting an Easter egg hunt on Sunday, April 1, from 10am to noon. Note that participants need to be on skis or snowboards.
Want more tips on road trips from Ottawa—including info on hotel discounts, contests, festivals and other cool news? Subscribe to my free weekly e-newsletter! I will never spam you—promise.
Are you promoting an upcoming event you’d like to see in a future weekly road trip roundup? Please email me the details at least two weeks in advance of the event, and I’ll add them to my files. If you have a horizontal photo or two I could use, even better. Thanks!