Whether you’re in the mood for ballet, dog tricks, a Haitian parade, bubble tea, ghosts, classical music, Victorian mansions or a play about women’s hockey, I’ve found something for you to enjoy this week. Happy travels!
Take your dog to Gananoque
What dog doesn’t love a road trip? Here’s an outing that’s perfect for pooches: the Thousand Islands Bark Bash (Saturday, July 27), which brings canines and their human companions together to browse for doggie goodies from a range of vendors, see demonstrations and meet rescue dogs looking for new homes.
Catch a 10-hour concert in Carleton Place
Carleton Place is celebrating its 200th birthday in a suitably big way with a 10-hour concert featuring country star Jason Blaine, local favourite Brea Lawrenson and many others. It’s happening in Riverside Park on Saturday, July 27, and the gates open at 12:30pm. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the gate.
Enjoy a night out for a good cause in Kemptville
Diesel’s Stampede is a packed fundraising night at the North Grenville Municipal Centre in Kemptville on Friday, July 26. The evening will include dancing, games, food and a silent auction, and funds raised will go to help Ryan Forbes, a local man battling cancer. Tickets are $10.
Learn about Haiti in Montreal
This weekend, Montreal is celebrating all things Haitian at Haiti en folie (July 22 to 28), which has been expanded to a full week this year. Highlights include a food fair, a craft fair, theatre, a parade, comedy shows and lots of live music. (Note: Ignore the dates at the beginning of the video above; it was made a few years ago!)
See beautiful homes and gardens in Almonte
The Almonte House & Garden Tour on Saturday, July 27, is a fundraiser for the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum. Ticket holders will have the chance to tour seven homes—including several large mansions built by the village’s 19th-century mill owners—and three gorgeous gardens. It’s a self-driving tour, and tickets are available online.
Look for ghosts of the Lost Villages in Long Sault
The Lost Villages Museum in Long Sault chronicles the history of communities that were intentionally flooded during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project in the 1950s. On Saturday, July 27, the museum is hosting a ghost-hunting evening with Bytown Paranormal. Advance reservations required.
Catch a music festival in Palmer Rapids
The Palmer Rapids Twin Music Festival (July 25 to 28) bills itself as two festivals—country and bluegrass—in one, on the banks of the Madawaska River south of Barry’s Bay.
Drive through the mud in upstate New York
Wranglers Promo from Horizon Aerial Media Services on Vimeo.
Own a Jeep? Want to show off what it can do? Then Wranglers on the River in Clayton, New York (July 26 to 28) is the weekend for you, with a show and shine, a mud rally (there goes the shine), a scavenger hunt and other motorsports fun.
See a play about women’s hockey in Gananoque
Glory brings the based-on-a true-story tale of the Preston Rivulettes—a Canadian women’s hockey team that rose to fame during the Great Depression—to the stage of the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque (July 24 to August 17).
Head to a fair in Beachburg or Delta
The Beachburg Fair (July 26 to 28) features everything from livestock competitions to pony rides, a demolition derby and a midway. Also this weekend, the fun at the Delta Fair (July 25 to 28) includes monster trucks, magic shows, live music and lawn mower races.
Get cultured in Saint-Sauveur
Complexions Contemporary Ballet from FASS on Vimeo.
The Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur (July 25 to August 5) is a multidisciplinary arts festival in the Laurentians featuring a diverse selection of dance and musical performances. Highlights include a program of Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Grieg by the Orchestre Métropolitain, and a show by Complexions Contemporary Ballet to music by J.S. Bach and David Bowie.
Hear about sailing the North Atlantic at a reading in Almonte
Author Sue Williams just saw her memoir, Ready to Come About, listed as one of the Globe & Mail‘s recommended reads for the summer. In it, she describes how she ended up accompanying her husband on a life-changing sailing trip across the North Atlantic, even though she had no interest in the sea. You can hear her read from the book at the Almonte Public Library on Thursday, July 25, at 7pm.
Enjoy classical music in Ottawa or Prince Edward County
Chamberfest, the world’s largest chamber music festival, brings ensembles to theatres, churches, galleries and other venues around the city from July 25 to August 8. Artists include Angela Hewitt, the Canadian Brass and Janina Fialkowska. Performances range from concerts for families and for people on the autism spectrum, to new arrangements of the songs on the Beatles’ Abbey Road and a concert by Kuné, a multicultural group that bills itself as “Canada’s National Orchestra.”
If you’re looking for an out-of-town musical weekend, you could check out the Classical Unbound Festival in and around Prince Edward County (July 26 to 28). It features two performances in wineries and one in a converted church. Also in PEC is Music at Port Milford (July 27 to August 18). This combined festival and youth summer school presents chamber music concerts by both faculty and students.
Learn about herbs in White Lake
The Ottawa Valley Midsummer Herbfest comes to the Waba Cottage Museum in White Lake on Sunday, July 28. Billing itself as “a celebration of healthy living,” it offers everything from a chef cook-off and kids’ activities to pontoon boat rides and yoga. You can join an herb walk, make a bird feeder and tour the gardens. There will be a beer and wine tent, too.
Chow down on barbecue in Cornwall or Perth
Sharpen those teeth and get ready for a jaw workout: Two ribfests are vying for your attention (and appetite) this weekend. At the Cornwall Ribfest (July 25 to 28), six different ribbers are expected to be on hand, tempting visitors with juicy barbecue. There will also be a midway and live entertainment, including tribute bands dedicated to Journey, George Thorogood, ABBA, Foo Fighters and many other acts. Meanwhile, the fifth annual edition of the Perth Ribfest (July 26 to 28) will feature food vendors, kids’ activities, a car show, music and more. It all takes place at Last Duel Park.
Looking for more ribfests to check out this summer and fall? Check out my list of barbecue events around the region.
See a military tattoo in Kingston
In Kingston, the Fort Henry Annual Tattoo (Saturday, July 27) usually attracts a large and enthusiastic audience. You need tickets for this one, and the organizers advise buying them in advance to avoid disappointment. This event also features massed military bands (fife, brass, pipes and drums) and adds a fireworks show to the mix. The Regimental Band of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, the HMCS Ontario Band, and the Rob Roy Pipe Band and Highland Dancers will be among those joining the Fort Henry Guard Drums.
Rock on in Mattawa
Mattawa Voyageur Days (July 26 to 28) will serve up a little something for everyone, whether you want to take a helicopter ride, see a lumberjack show, catch a Honeymoon Suite/Platinum Blonde concert or take the little ones to the kids’ zone. Mattawa is on the Ottawa River, about 3.5 hours northwest of Ottawa.
Nibble goodies at a downtown park in Kingston
The 21st annual Taste of Kingston event comes to Confederation Park in downtown Kingston on Sunday, July 28, from 10:30am to 3pm. Local restaurants will be providing samples of some of their favourite dishes at reasonable prices and proceeds will go to the Canadian Diabetes Association (so, yes, there will be diabetes-friendly food choices).
Catch a concert in Manotick, Alexandria or Renfrew
On Thursday, July 25, country group Ball & Chain and the Wreckers will be giving a show at Watson’s Mill in Manotick. The next night, local alt-Celt band the Glengarry Bhoys are bringing their blend of Irish and French-Canadian music to the Bonnie Glen Pavilion in Alexandria. A Celtic pub menu will be available. Also on Friday, July 26, Toronto singer/songwriter Mattie Leon will be playing a mix of folk, R&B and pop at Batstone’s Northern Ramble in Renfrew, with special guest JJ Staley.
Browse for art in Cornwall, Picton or the Laurentians
During the Cornwall Art Walk (Friday, July 26), local artists will be setting up their easels in the windows of downtown businesses from 4pm to 9pm. You can watch artists at work and ask questions, then enjoy dinner in a nearby restaurant. If you miss this art walk, it takes place on the fourth Friday of every month in summer; another is coming up on August 23.
The Picton Art Crawl is a similar event that rolls out on the fourth Thursday of every month from June to September. In this one, you’ll stroll from gallery to gallery. The next one is happening on Thursday, July 25, from 5pm to 8pm.
Meanwhile, in the Laurentians, you can explore the Route des Arts (July 27 to August 4), a studio tour throughout the southwestern Laurentians featuring 29 artists and artisans. On the same dates, the summer show by members of Arts Morin-Heights runs daily from 11am to 5pm.
Eat and drink your way around Asia…in Ottawa
At the Ottawa Asian Night Market (July 26 to 28) in Chinatown, you can sip on bubble tea, enjoy live music, and try just about every kind of Asian food imaginable. The action happens on Somerset Street West, between Bronson Avenue and Arthur Street. The event is free and family friendly.
Enjoy art in and around two provincial parks in Ontario
The Friends of Bon Echo Provincial Park are running their 24th annual exhibition and sale of original Canadian art this weekend (July 26 to 28). Participating artists work in a wide range of media. Visitors can also enjoy confectionery tents, a barbecue and more.
Quite a bit further afield, the Friends of Killarney Park are holding their annual art show and sale in the town of Killarney on July 27 and 28. Many of the featured artists have hiked and paddled through the park’s landscapes and captured them in their artworks.
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