Sick of the chilly weather? I’ve got good news: the forecast is for sunny skies and summery temperatures all weekend in Ottawa. And the good weather comes just in time, because there’s a ton to do this weekend! From a Shaw comedy in Perth and a food festival in Syracuse to jousting in Morrisburg and Westfest in Ottawa, you’re once again spoiled for choice. Happy travels!
See cool murals in Montreal
During the Montreal Mural Festival (June 6 to 16), artists will be painting new murals over many of the enormous outdoor artworks created for last year’s festival. You can watch them at work and admire their new creations along St. Laurent Boulevard. The festival also offers everything from barbecues and yoga classes to block parties and guided tours.
Check out a rural expo and a concert in Lyndhurst
Furnace Falls Farm in Lyndhurst will be the site of a Rural Small Business and Agricultural Expo on Saturday, June 8. The organizers promise a day of fun including live entertainment, demonstrations by local businesses, samples, free draws and more. The event will raise money and collect food for the local food bank (admission is by donation). While you’re in town, you could also catch Canadian singer-songwriter Matthew Barber in concert that night at the Lyndhurst Old Town Hall.
Travel back in time in Ste-Anne-de-Prescott
It’s Antique Days and Tractor Pull Weekend in Ste-Anne-de-Prescott (June 8 and 9), with a packed slate of events for country music lovers, antique machinery fans and more. Highlights include a classic car parade, a flea market, bouncy castles and more.
Go for a ride in Ottawa
The family-friendly Navy Bike Ride takes to the streets of Ottawa on Saturday, June 8. The non-competitive cycling event leaves from the National Research Council Canada building on Sussex Drive at 9am.
Mess about in boats or get gourmet inspiration in Clayton, New York
The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, New York, is presenting 1000 Islands Family Day this Saturday, June 8. Admission is free all day, and kid-friendly activities will be offered from 10am to 3pm. Enjoy boat rides, crafts, games, exhibits and more.
Also this weekend in Clayton, the Great New York State Food & Wine Festival (June 7 to 9) gives you the chance to taste goodies—everything from popcorn to apple brandy—from more than 80 producers across New York state, including some 30 wineries.
Celebrate Italy in Ottawa
There’s so much packed into the Ottawa Italian Week Festival that the event actually lasts 11 days (June 6 to 16). There is a grand opening ceremony at Ottawa City Hall on Thursday, June 6, but many of the other events are centered on Preston Street in the heart of Little Italy. Highlights this week include an Amalfi Coast-themed gala at Sala San Marco (June 8), and standup comedy shows at Yuk Yuk’s on Elgin (June 6 to 8). The big street party on Preston happens next weekend (June 14 to 16).
Nosh on great food in Montreal or Syracuse
On the first Friday of every month from June through October, 50-odd food trucks gather at Montreal’s Parc Olympique for First Fridays, a celebration of food truck fare. It runs from 4pm to 11pm each night, and the first event of the season is on Friday, June 7. This is usually really popular, so I’d take transit to the site, if I were you. It’s a five-minute walk from the Viau metro station.
This weekend, you could also check out Taste of Syracuse (June 7 and 8), a huge all-day event in downtown Clinton Square featuring food and beverage makers from across Central New York. Three stages will offer lots of live entertainment, including headliner Sugar Ray.
Sip, nosh and groove for a good cause in Richmond
On Saturday, June 8, Jabulani Winery in Richmond is hosting a blues show with Barry and the Blasters. Guests can enjoy Jabulani wines and other beverages, along with food from Little Red Shack BBQ. Funds raised will go to the Richmond Food Bank.
Paddle for prizes in Chesterville
On Saturday, June 8, the Chesterville Kayak Club Paddle Poker Run leaves from Cass Bridge near Winchester at 10am, finishing in Chesterville about 2.5 hours later. (Scroll down to the bottom of the kayak club’s website for details.)
Go birdwatching in the Adirondacks
The Adirondack Boreal Birding Festival (June 6 to 9) features free birding hikes, walks, safaris, outings, and seminars throughout Hamilton County in the Adirondacks (in and around the communities of Long Lake, Indian Lake, Speculator, Raquette, Blue Mountain Lake, Piseco, Morehouse, Lake Pleasant and Inlet). Since the county includes over a million acres of the Adirondacks, 60 percent of which are classified as wilderness or wild forest, it’s a great place to watch for birds at the height of the breeding season. All field trips are free, but you need to register by calling Hamilton County Tourism at (800) 648-5239 or (518) 548-3076, between 9am and 4pm on weekdays.
See a play in Kingston, Merrickville or Perth
Domino Theatre is staging Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, playwright Christopher Durang’s comedy about a middle-aged movie star who disrupts her siblings’ quiet life in rural Pennsylvania when she brings her much-younger boyfriend for a visit. It’s running in Kingston from June 6 through June 22 (on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays).
On Saturday, June 8, the Merrickville United Arts Centre is presenting Theatre in the Making, featuring excerpts of five new locally written plays. The audience will vote on which one will be developed further to compete in the Eastern Ontario Drama League’s One-Act Festival in November. Appetizers and a cash bar will be available.
On Tuesdays from June 4 to August 27, the Classic Theatre Festival in Perth is staging a dinner-theatre production of George Bernard Shaw’s comedy Androcles and the Lion at Michael’s Table restaurant. As well as seeing Shaw’s play about a Christian in ancient Rome who is thrown to the lions in the Colosseum (yes, this really is a comedy), you can enjoy lunch or dinner. Advance ticket purchase required.
Nibble ribs in Winchester and Kemptville
Winchester will be rocking on Friday, June 7, as the 9th annual Winchester Ribfest comes to town. You can nosh on gooey ribs, washed down by libations from the cash bar, while listening to live music from Branded. And all weekend (June 7 to 9), ribbers will be serving up barbecue at the Kemptville Municipal Centre during Kemptville Ribfest. (If you like ribs, make sure to check out my recently updated list of 11+ ribfests within easy reach of Ottawa.)
Rock on in Hintonburg
Music fans: This weekend, Tom Brown Arena Park will host one of Ottawa’s biggest free music events, Westfest (June 7 to 9). Some 100 artists will take to the stage over the three-day festival, including Yamantaka/Sonic Titan, Charlie Major and Aspects. Food trucks and beverage companies will be on hand, and you can also be entertained by buskers, learn about Indigenous cultures at the Indigenous Pavilion and shop for crafts.
Run a marathon in Lake Placid
If you’re looking for a challenge, the Lake Placid Marathon is happening on Sunday, June 9. If you’re a serious runner (which you should be, if you’re trying a marathon!), you’ll be interested to know that this is a certified course and a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. There are full and half marathon options.
Joust and feast at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg
Hear ye, hear ye, lords and ladies! A Medieval Festival rolls into Upper Canada Village this weekend (June 8 and 9) with a full range of Middle Ages fun. Cheer on your favourite knight in the jousting tournament. Applaud jugglers, dancers and storytellers. See falcons fly. Relax to the music of wandering troubadours. Food vendors will be on hand, too.
Admire vintage cars in Gananoque
The Gananoque Lions Club is hosting a free vintage car show, the 1000 Islands Cruise-In, on Saturday, June 8, from 9am to 3pm. You can enjoy a barbecue and live music as well as the classic autos.
Get your ducks in a row in St. Isidore
The St. Isidore Duck Festival (June 7 and 8) is packed with family fun. Highlights include a rubber duck race, a music competition modelled on The Voice, a vendors market, an escape room, horse-and-buggy rides, food trucks and a barbecue. St. Isidore is just east of Casselman.
Check out a film festival in Ottawa
Looking for something other than a Hollywood action movie? The Israeli Film Festival (focusing on contemporary movies from Israel) runs from June 6 to 27 at the Ottawa Art Gallery.
Hear live music on porches in Almonte
The PorchFest de Mississippi Mills on Saturday, June 8, is a great opportunity to hear a wide range of local live music in a unique setting: residential porches across the pretty town (some businesses will be hosting shows, too). No admission fee is charged, but guests are encouraged to donate to the musicians at each location.
Get artsy in the Glebe or the Pontiac
This is the first of two weekends for the Pontiac Artists’ Studio Tour (June 8 and 9, and June 15 and 16), which features nine artists in five studios across this scenic swath of West Quebec. Here in town, the New Art Festival (June 8 and 9) will see almost 200 visual artists presenting their work for sale in Central Park in the Glebe.
Cheer on racers in Montreal
If you don’t already have a hotel room, it’s probably time to beg for space on a friend’s couch if you want to catch this weekend’s Montreal Grand Prix (June 7 to 9). The city will be hopping all weekend. Even if you have no interest in fast cars, other fun abounds, including special events at nightclubs and restaurants. And keep your binoculars handy; the event often attracts celebs of all sorts.
Try new beers in Orleans, Gatineau or Kingston
We must be deep into the heart of beer festival season, because there are three to choose from this weekend! Close to home, the Orleans Craft Beer Festival (June 6 to 8) will highlight 35 breweries, cider makers and more in Centrum Plaza, while the Festibière de Gatineau at Place des Festivals Zibi (also June 6 to 8) showcases more than 300 beers made by brewers from across Quebec. And further afield, there’s the YGK Craft Beer Fest at Fort Henry National Historic Site in Kingston (Saturday, June 8). For more details on these and other beer bashes throughout the summer, see my recently updated beer festival roundup.
Take the family to Napanee
Napanee’s Riverfront Festival (June 8) at Conservation Park features a barbecue, pony rides, a bouncy castle, a multicultural music festival and more.
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