For kids, there’s The Lion King Jr. in Carleton Place, and winter carnivals in Horton and White Lake. For adults, there’s a gardening event in Picton and a boat show in Ottawa. From a funny play in Perth to an Indigenous sports festival in northern New York state, there’s something for just about every road tripper in the next seven days. Enjoy!
Sample maple syrup from Pakenham to l’Ange Gardien
Maple sugar bush photo courtesy of Wheeler’s Maple and Lanark County Tourism.
Spring must be coming, because the sugar bush season is underway at several local maple farms, including the Muséo Parc Vanier (open now), Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm in Edwards (opening February 23), Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush in Pakenham (open now), Wheeler’s Maple in McDonald’s Corners (open now), Gibbons Maple Sugar House in Frankville (open now) and le Domaine de l’Ange Gardien in l’Ange Gardien (opening soon). Bring on the pancakes and taffy!
Get a dining deal in Syracuse
Heading to Syracuse in the next two weeks? Then you can take advantage of Downtown Dining Weeks (February 18 to March 3), when some three dozen restaurants will be offering lunch deals for $10 or less, as well as three-course dinner menus for $30 or less.
Learn about chocolate at the Central Experimental Farm
Have you ever wondered how cacao beans become chocolate bars? Then check out a talk by Erica Gilmour, co-founder of Almonte’s Hummingbird Chocolate, at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa on Thursday, February 21. The talk is part of the museum’s monthly Food for Thought series.
See Paul Brandt in Kingston
Photo courtesy of Paul Brandt.
Did you miss Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame superstar Paul Brandt when he played Ottawa’s TD Place last weekend? No worries: He’s also playing the Leon’s Centre in Kingston on Thursday, February 21, with two-time CCMA award winners High Valley, JUNO winner Jess Mostlaluke, and CCMA-nominated group the Hunter Brothers.
See a comedy in Perth
In the mood for a clever-but-wise Broadway comedy? Check out Alone Together Again at Studio Theatre Perth (February 21 to March 3). Here’s the gist: A husband and wife have spent the last 30 years raising three sons. They’ve been looking forward to the peace and quiet of an empty nest, but the nest soon fills up again—when their parents arrive.
Celebrate National Aviation Day in Ottawa
The Silver Dart was Canada’s first successful airplane.
The Silver Dart made Canada’s first successful flight on February 23, 1909. The Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa is marking that anniversary on Saturday, National Aviation Day, with all sorts of special activities for families. Kids can dress up in period clothes (supplied on site), take a spin in a toddler-sized model of the Silver Dart, make prints with ink and rollers, and learn about other moments in aviation and aerospace history (such as Canada’s role in the International Space Station).
Ski until midnight at Mont Cascades
On Fridays until March 8 (including this Friday, February 22), Mont Cascades in Cantley, Quebec, is hosting White Hot Fridays. You can ski until midnight, kick back to music by great DJs and hang out in the Amigo Pub.
Chase away the winter blues in Montreal
Flickr/Creative Commons photo of Nuit Blanche at Montréal en Lumière by
Matias Garabedian.
The Montréal en Lumière festival will soon be lighting up Quebec’s largest metropolis for 11 days (February 21 to March 3). It encompasses hundreds of events and attractions, including concerts, special restaurant menus, an ice slide, a zipline and much, much more. (New this year: You can book tickets for the ice slide, zipline and ferris wheel in advance, beginning at 5pm the day before.) And on Saturday, March 2, the fun will go all night long (into Sunday morning, that is) during Nuit Blanche.
See The Lion King Jr. in Carleton Place
The Mississippi Mudds Junior—the youth troupe of the Mississippi Mudds theatre company—is presenting its stage version of The Lion King Jr. (February 22 to March 3). The musical involves performers aged nine to 18, and performances take to the stage at the Carleton Place Town Hall. Tickets are available online.
Sample wine in upstate New York
Photo by Matthieu Joannon on Unsplash.
The Seneca Lake Wine Trail in the Finger Lakes is hosting a Preferred Pairings day on Saturday, February 23, where 10 participating wineries’ vintages will be paired with Finger Lakes cheeses. Advance tickets are on sale until noon on Wednesday, February 20.
Skate in a kilt in Maxville
Want to try one of the most Scottish-Canadian things imaginable? Grab your tartan, grab your skates, and head to the Maxville and District Sports Complex for the Glengarry Kilt Skate on Saturday, February 23.
Play in the snow in White Lake or Horton
Two communities west of Ottawa are holding winter carnivals on Saturday, February 23. The White Lake Winter Carnival will feature tobogganing, face painting, a pie sale, a polar plunge and other fun. The Horton Township Winter Carnival, near Renfrew, includes sleigh rides, a chainsaw carving demonstration, lumberjack competitions, a family skate and more.
Shop for boats and other outdoor gear in Ottawa
Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Boat Show.
The Ottawa Boat Show aims to draw outdoorsy types to the EY Centre in Ottawa this weekend (February 21 to 24). Hundreds of exhibitors will be showcasing the latest watercraft, paddleboards, fishing gear and more.
Get gardening inspiration in Picton
Seedy Saturday in Picton on February 23 gives you a chance to swap seeds and tips with fellow gardeners. (Scroll down the linked page a bit to see the details.)
Go for a guided hike in the Adirondacks
On most Saturdays between now and the end of March, including Saturday, February 23, a naturalist at the Paul Smith’s College VIC (visitor info centre) in Paul Smith’s, New York, will be leading a one-hour guided snowshoe hike. Tickets are US$10 per person.
Browse for books in Ottawa
Flickr/Creative Commons photo by Hervé Loth.
As someone who has boxes and boxes of books in her basement, and yet often finds herself with “nothing to read,” I’m a sucker for used book sales. And a big one is coming to town this weekend: The Elmdale BookFest (February 22 and 23) is a major fundraiser for Elmdale Public School in the Wellington West neighbourhood.
Discover Indigenous traditions in Victor, New York
On Saturday, February 23, the 16th annual Native American Winter Games in Victor, New York (about four hours from Ottawa) will give visitors the chance to sample (and buy) traditional Indigenous foods, race a “snow boat,” cheer on dogsled teams and more.
Feast on wild game in Kemptville
The Kemptville Masonic Lodge is holding an all-ages wild game dinner at the North Grenville Municipal Centre on Saturday, February 23, to raise money for its hall and its charitable donations. For $20 a ticket, you’ll chow down on moose and venison, as well as non-game meats such as roast beef and pork—plus lots of side dishes.
Enjoy Cuban music and dance in Nepean
Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba-Centrepointe-Lumières sur Cuba from Agence Station bleue on Vimeo.
Made in Cuba is an energetic music-and-dance show that immerses the audience in scenes and sounds of Cuba, brought to life by 17 dancers, and eight musicians and singers, of the Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba company. It’s coming to the stage of the Meridian Centrepointe Theatre in Nepean on Friday, February 22.
Walk for a good cause in Ottawa, Pembroke, Smiths Falls or Kingston
Lace up those cozy, sturdy boots and join the Coldest Night of the Year, a family-friendly walk that raises money for charities serving those in need, particularly hungry or homeless people. Walks are scheduled in more than 130 communities across Canada, including Pembroke, Smiths Falls and Kingston, as well as separate walks in Centretown and Lowertown in Ottawa. All the walks are taking place on Saturday, February 23.
Learn about the Hubble Space Telescope in Syracuse
You have until the end of February to catch Hubble Space Telescope: New Views of the Universe at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse. The 2,200-square-foot travelling NASA show features images of the cosmos that the telescope has captured and explains how astronauts repair it in space. (While you’re there, you can also see the museum’s newest permanent exhibit, Amazon Adventure.)
Enjoy country tunes in Kanata or Arnprior
At its monthly country music night on Friday, February 22, the Marshes Golf Club in Kanata is presenting Ottawa Valley singer-songwriter Brea Lawrenson. The next night, she’ll be at the Lumbertown Ale House in Arnprior.
Dress up your tots to help CHEO
Here’s a cool chance for your little ones to dress up in their finest: the Ottawa Children’s Gala at the Infinity Convention Centre in Hunt Club (Saturday, February 23). The formal event for the pint-sized set includes a red-carpet photographer and a fancy dinner-dance, and proceeds go to CHEO’s concussion clinic.
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