Whether you’d rather check out murals in Montreal, laugh at a play in Gananoque, listen to bluegrass music in Iroquois or try blacklight yoga in Ottawa, I’ve got something for you this week. Happy travels!
Learn about lambs in Carleton Place
Photo courtesy of the Lambs Down Park Festival.
The Lambs Down Park Festival (yes, I spelled that right) is a celebration of all things sheep related. It is taking place at the Canadian Co-operative Wool Growers facility in Carleton Place on Saturday, June 16. Come see sheep shearers at work! You can also try goat yoga, indulge in a pancake breakfast (with bacon and sausage), take the kids to a play zone, sip craft beers, shop for goodies from 23 vendors and enjoy some live country music.
Revel in francophone music in Ottawa or Montreal
Les FrancoFolies de Montréal (June 8 to 17) is one of the largest celebrations of francophone music in the world. With hundreds of indoor and outdoor concerts scattered across downtown Montreal, it’s like a huge buffet of French music—you’re almost certain to find something to your taste. Genres run the gamut from hip-hop and electro-pop to Acadian rock and world music.
Closer to home, the Festival Franco-Ontarien in Ottawa’s Major’s Hill Park (June 14 to 16) features a similarly eclectic program of acts from across Canada and overseas. The festival’s family day is Saturday, June 16.
Rock on in Montebello
One of Canada’s biggest music festivals is rocking Montebello this weekend. Headliners at this year’s edition of Montebello Rockfest (June 14 to 16) include Weezer, Tenacious D, Stone Temple Pilots, Sum 41. In all, more than 70 rock, metal, hardcore, hip hop and punk acts will entertain what are likely to be enormous crowds of music fans.
Let your kids revel in fantasy at Boldt Castle or in Brockville
Photo courtesy of Boldt Castle.
Boldt Castle is holding a Family Fun Day on Saturday, June 16, where kids can meet beloved PBS characters such as Curious George, Katerina Kittycat and Clifford the Big Red Dog. Costumes are encouraged! You can catch a ride to the historic mansion on Heart Island with 1000 Islands Cruises Rockport or Gananoque Boat Lines on the Ontario side, but don’t forget your passports, as the castle is on the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence River.
Fairies in the Park (Saturday, June 16) is a free event for kids at St. Lawrence Park in Brockville, sponsored by New Leaf Wellness. Dressed up as their favourite mystical character—perhaps a unicorn, mermaid, fairy or the ever-popular pirate—children can enjoy face painting, crafts, storytelling and more.
Relive life on the World War II homefront in Ottawa
Laurier House National Historic Site, the one-time home of prime ministers Wilfrid Laurier and Mackenzie King, is hosting a Homefront Kitchen Party on Saturday, June 16, from 11am to 4pm—and admission that day is free. Come enjoy dance demonstrations by the Ottawa Swing Society, jazz on the veranda, a photo booth and light refreshments. Check out the kitchen for a glimpse into what home cooking was like for families during the war (costumed staff will be on hand to answer your questions).
See cool buildings in Kingston
The Kingston Yacht Club, the Queen’s Solar Education Centre and Kingston Police Headquarters are among the sites you can visit during Kingston Doors Open on Saturday, June 16.
See murals in Montreal
Here I am checking out one of the permanent murals (in a theatre’s loading bay) along St. Laurent Boulevard.
This is your last weekend to catch the Mural Festival along St. Laurent Boulevard in Montreal (until June 17). Every year, many of these giant artworks are painted over with equally eye-catching pieces, and this is a great chance to see the artists at work. I saw a few of the existing murals a few weeks ago, and they were fabulous.
Go fishing in Perth or Bonnechere Provincial Park
Casting a line, trolling for a bite, reeling in a fish…if these all sound like great alternatives to sitting on a couch looking at a screen, then Kidfish in Perth (Saturday, June 16) will be just your bucket of worms. The event is aimed at kids aged 2 to 15, and registration starts at 8am beside the Perth Legion. Kids need to be registered to get lunch and be eligible for prizes, and must be accompanied by an adult. Bring your own fishing gear and life jackets.
The Fishing With Dad event at Bonnechere Provincial Park (Saturday, June 16) supplies gear and bait for dads and kids, and you even get free admission to the park for the morning. Try your luck in the Little Bonnechere River!
Enjoy roots music in Iroquois, Montreal or Picton
Catch down-home country and bluegrass acts at this weekend’s Galop Canal Bluegrass Festival in Iroquois (June 14 to 16). The headliners are Dreamcatchers (from Tennessee) and Beartracks (from New York state; see video above). In all, 12 acts will take to the stage. The fun unrolls on the banks of the Iroquois Locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
In Montreal, the Folk Fest sur le Canal (June 14 to 17) features more than two dozen acts, including Josh Ritter, Mandolin Orange, and Plants and Animals. The festival takes place behind the McAuslan Brewery on the Lachine Canal.
Also this weekend, the Good Brothers and Whiskey Jack are playing a combined concert for lovers of country, bluegrass and roots music at the Regent Theatre in Picton on Friday, June 15.
Try some new beers in Ottawa
The Ottawa Beer Fest at Lansdowne Park (June 15 and 16) will be a great chance to sample beverages from more than 30 breweries, cider makers and cooler makers from Canada and beyond.
Shop for art outdoors in Merrickville, Newburgh, Perth and more
You can admire blooming flowers and shop for art, while listening to live music, at Art, Jazz and the Garden at Rideau Woodland Ramble (near Merrickville) on Saturday, June 16. Enjoy music by Red Jazz and Nicolas Stackhouse while perusing works by members of the Merrickville Artists Guild.
Art Among the Ruins is a day-long art show and sale on Saturday, June 16, on the grounds of the ruined 19th-century Thomson Paper Mill in Newburgh (just northeast of Napanee). More than 60 artists from across Eastern Ontario—including weavers, painters, potters and more—will be participating at the riverfront site. You can enjoy live music and fuel up for shopping with a barbecue lunch.
Photo courtesy of Kiwi Gardens (Art in the Garden).
And if you like the combination of art and nature, check out a new guest post on Ottawa Road Trips by Katharine Fletcher. It focuses on four great art-and-garden destinations near Ottawa, including the Art in the Garden festival in Perth this weekend.
Catch a play in Ottawa or Gananoque
You never know what you’re going to see at the Ottawa Fringe Festival (June 14 to 24), but it’s almost always guaranteed to be unusual. This year’s lineup of plays and other live performance pieces includes everything from a circus performance set in a toy shop to the memorably titled Interstellar Elder: Badass Grandma in Space.
A man and a woman, both married to each other, get together once a year in an odd, long-lasting affair. That’s the premise of the ever-popular comedy Same Time, Next Year, which the Royal Theatre in Gananoque is staging from June 13 to 16.
Learn about Emily Carr in Merrickville
Laurie Carter, the Merrickville-based author of Emily Carr’s BC—a three-volume guide to the life, times and locations that inspired the beloved artist/author—will give a one-hour talk at the Merrickville Legion on Sunday, June 17. She will be talking about Emily Carr’s relationship with and attitude toward Indigenous Peoples, as illustrated in her first book, Klee Wyck. The talk will be presented by the Merrickville and District Historical Society as part of a summer-long series celebrating Merrickville’s 225th anniversary. All of the events this month have an First Nations theme, in keeping with National Indigenous History Month. (The Legion is at 223 Main Street West in Merrickville, and the talk starts at 2pm. Admission is free.)Watch firefighters compete in Beckwith
OK, I’ll admit that until this afternoon, I didn’t know there was such a thing as the Eastern Ontario Firefighters’ Association Games. Now that I do, of course, I feel compelled to share the news with you! The public is welcome to watch competitions such as a bucket brigade race, and in the evening there’s a dinner dance featuring the Riq Turner Band at the Beckwith Recreation Centre. It’s all happening on Saturday, June 16.
Rev up your engines in Renfrew County
Speaking of things I don’t know much about: What I know about ATVs would fit on the head of a very small pin. But if off-road vehicles get your motor running, then the three-day B101A or Bust event in Renfrew County (June 15 to 17) looks like a packed weekend that might be right up your forest trail.
Check out vintage cars in Braeside
Does Dad like old cars? Then he might enjoy the Father’s Day Car Show in McNab/Braeside on Saturday, June 16. The event will include door prizes, a 50/50 draw and live entertainment.
Try blacklight yoga and go roller skating in Ottawa
Blacklight yoga! A silent disco! Giant swings! Yes, the free Glowfair Festival is back, and it will take over 10 downtown blocks of Bank Street from June 14 to 16. With two stages and roughly 20 acts (bands and DJs), there will be lots of music to enjoy, but that’s just the start. You’ll also find a section devoted to Indigenous artists and performers, a kids’ zone, a roller rink, an enchanted forest, a vaudeville show and something called Art Chaos.
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!