Skate through the woods in Pembroke or laugh at standup comedy in Merrickville. Catch a funny play in Cornwall or see Tanya Tagaq on stage in Kingston. Nosh on Eastern European treats in Ottawa or see all sorts of shows at Francofête Outaouais. From step dancing in Renfrew and flamenco in Ripon to art in Ogdensburg and a Slavic celebration in Ottawa, I’ve found lots of reasons to take a road trip near or far this week. Enjoy!
Check out a brand-new Indigenous festival in Kingston
Photo of Tanya Tagaq copyright Shelagh Howard.
The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts in Kingston is hosting the first-ever Ka’tarohkwi Festival of Indigenous Arts from March 6 through March 24. The first show, on Wednesday, March 6, will include Qiksaaktu, created and performed by Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq and improvisation leader Christine Duncan, and an NAC Orchestra performance of I Lost My Talk, inspired by the poetry of Mi’kmaw elder Rita Joe. Dance, film, theatre and more will also be showcased during the festival.
Laugh with standup comics in Merrickville
Comedy Night in Merrickville features a big roster of Ottawa-based standup comics—including Chelsea Fahey, Ben Hagel and Laura McLean—with popular host Tavis Maplesden. Headlining is David Brennan, a 2018 finalist in contests sponsored by Yuk Yuk’s and Absolute Comedy. It’s happening at the Merrickville United Arts Centre on Saturday, March 9.
Skate through the woods in Pembroke
With spring on its way, this might be your last week check out the new 1.5-kilometre skating trail through a forest in Pembroke. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. You can even borrow a pair of children’s skates at no cost! Check the Township of Laurentian Valley’s Facebook page before heading out to make sure the trail is open on the day you want to go, and to confirm the hours.
Immerse yourself in francophone culture in Gatineau
In Gatineau, la Francofête Outaouais (March 8 to 24) is presenting francophone artists from multiple disciplines, including music, visual art and theatre. In one of the first events, the four talented Outaouais-born Boivin brothers—known to music fans as Double Magnum—are playing Cabaret la Basoche in Aylmer on Saturday, March 9. Their influences run the gamut from Beatles and jazz to John Mayer and Billy Talent.
Enjoy a Slavic spring festival in Ottawa
Photo of Ukrainian Easter eggs (pysanky) by Mizikar on Pixabay.
OK, it might be a little early for gloriously decorated pysanky (Easter eggs) like those in the photo above, but lots of Eastern Slavic crafts, food, music and dance will be yours to enjoy at Maslenitsa, a pre-Lenten celebration of spring at the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa on Saturday, March 9. Admission is free.
Warm up with flamenco in Ripon
A dinner show in Ripon, Quebec, on Saturday, March 9, promises an intriguing blend of Spanish and Italian culture. Guests will nosh on paella and gelato as guitarist Caroline Planté, baritone Marc-Antoine d’Aragon, soprano Frédérique Drolet and dancer Aurélie Brunelle entertain them with a flamenco show.
Tap your toes to Searson in Renfrew
At the heart of Searson are Ottawa Valley sisters Colleen and Erin Searson. Expect a lively evening of step dancing, piano and fiddle music, and song when they and their band take to the stage at Batstone’s Northern Ramble in Renfrew on Friday, March 8.
Catch a funny play in Cornwall
Vagabond Theatre is presenting Dilemmas With Dinner, a farce by Robin Roberts about a junior executive who invites her boss over for dinner in the hopes of winning a promotion…with increasingly disastrous results. The show runs on Friday and Saturday nights from March 8 to March 16.
Admire model trains in Kingston
Flickr/Creative Commons photo by Phil Parker.
The Kingston Division of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association is holding Rail O Rama, a model train show and sale, at the Ambassador Hotel in Kingston on Sunday, March 10. Visitors can check out model railroad layouts, and buy model train pieces, DVDs, books and railroad memorabilia.
Learn about women’s health and wellness in Perth
The Perth Women’s Health and Wellness Event on Sunday, March 10, is a chance to meet and learn from a variety of health and wellness providers. The day will start with a meditation and movement workshop, and admission to the event is free.
Dream about golf season in Ottawa
Flickr/Creative Commons photo by Susanne Nilsson.
Can’t wait till the snow melts and you can yell Fore? Then head to the Ottawa-Gatineau Golf Expo at the EY Centre (March 8 and 9) to browse for golf gear of all sorts, learn about local courses or plan a golf vacation.
Learn to paint with watercolours in Carleton Place
Have you always wanted to try painting in watercolours but didn’t know where to start? Then an introductory lesson with artist Janet Beath at the Thirsty Moose Pub and Eatery in Carleton Place on Sunday, March 10, might be just the inspiration you need to finally pick up a brush. No experience necessary, but you need to reserve in advance.
Learn about a painting in depth in Ogdensburg
No More He Rides (AKA The Cow Puncher), Frederic Remington, 1901, Oil on canvas, 28 7/8 x 19 inches, Sid Richardson Museum, Fort Worth, TX, on loan to the Frederic Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg, NY.
The Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg picks a different work of Western art to focus on each month in its “One Hour One Work” series. Guests examine a particular painting or sculpture in detail, with guidance from a museum curator. This month, the work in question is No More He Rides, a 1901 Remington painting of a cowboy that is currently on loan to the museum from the Sid Richardson Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Guided sessions will be offered on Wednesday, March 6, at 2pm; Saturday, March 16, at 1pm; Wednesday, March 20, at 1pm; and Wednesday, March 27, at 1pm. Spaces are limited, so you need to register in advance.
Get a jump on St. Patrick’s Day in Ottawa and Kingston
Why wait until next weekend to start celebrating all things Irish?
Ottawa is getting a jump on the festivities by launching the Ottawa Irish Festival (March 7 to 17) with a kick-off party at Ottawa City Hall on Thursday, March 7, and a Children’s Irish Party at St. Patrick’s Basilica on Sunday, March 10. The festival kicks into high gear next week with the traditional parade (Saturday, March 16) and lots of other fun.
Meanwhile, in Kingston, Domino Theatre is presenting Outside Mullingar (March 7 to 23), a play by John Patrick Shanley (who also wrote Doubt) about two shy 40-something neighbours in rural Ireland who finally find love along a funny, sometimes bittersweet path.
Browse for books in Montreal
Photo by João Silas on Unsplash.
The Westmount Book Fair in Westmount—a separate municipality in the heart of Montreal—proudly proclaims itself Canada’s Smallest Book Fair. It features about a dozen booksellers selling a wide selection of books, pamphlets, maps, prints and ephemera. The fair will be held on Saturday, March 9, from 10am to 5pm, at the Centre Greene.
Hear Georgette Fry and Shout Sister in Gananoque
Kingston’s Georgette Fry and the Shout Sister Choir will be entertaining music lovers with a show of gospel, blues, pop and jazz at the 1000 Islands Playhouse in Gananoque on March 9 and 10.
Get seeds and gardening tips in Kingston and Toronto
In case you’ve missed earlier Seedy Saturday and Seedy Sunday events, here’s another chance to exchange seeds and gardening tips: Kingston’s Seedy Saturday, happening on Saturday, March 9, at Loyalist Collegiate Vocational Institute (10am to 3pm).
Photo by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash.
Then there’s the granddaddy of Canadian garden shows. At Canada Blooms (March 8 to 17), a huge consumer show at Toronto’s Enercare Centre (Exhibition Place), you can tour fantasy gardens created by landscape architects (including gardens designed for small spaces) and choose from hundreds of hours of gardening and floral seminars. The theme this year is “Families.” The show runs in the same venue on the same dates as the National Home Show (see below).
Channel your inner Mike Holmes at the National Home Show in Toronto
With exhibitors focusing on everything from kitchens and kids’ rooms to renovations and smart home technology, the National Home Show in Toronto (March 8 to 17) offers something for anyone who has ever spent a Saturday afternoon absorbed in HGTV. There are also seminars galore and the always-popular Dream Home.
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2 comments
Thanks Laura you always send me on wonderful adventures. 😊👍
We always look forward to your posts. Very much appreciated.
Thanks so much, Brenda! I’m really glad you enjoy the posts. Happy adventuring!