It’s yet another week chock-a-block with road trip opportunities! You can kick back to country tunes in Beckwith Park, see antique boats in upstate New York, hear Janelle Monáe in Montreal, try your luck in a poker run on Golden Lake, see Cirque du Soleil in Gatineau or celebrate the Rideau Canal in Merrickville. And if floating tubes are your thing, you can race them in Morrisburg or watch Jaws from one in Calabogie! Wherever your travels take you, have fun.
Hie to the Glengarry Highland Games in Maxville
Pipe bands! Caber tossing! A whisky tasting! Fiddlers, dancers and hammer throwers! And men in kilts! What else could it be but the Glengarry Highland Games? This festival of all things Scottish pretty much takes over tiny Maxville, north of Cornwall, this weekend (August 2 and 3). There’s also a kids’ fun area, a kilt run, a harp workshop, a rugby tournament and more.
Shop ’til you drop in Kingston
In Kingston, the Princess Street Promenade is a street fair/sidewalk sale along the Limestone City’s main shopping street on Saturday, August 3 (10am to 5pm). Come for the sales, stay for the family fun!
Celebrate the Rideau Canal in Merrickville
Canal Fest in Merrickville (August 3 and 4) is centred on Blockhouse Park and celebrates the history of the Rideau Canal. If you drop by the free festival, you can watch for “soldiers” in 18th-century French military uniforms, see alpacas, shop for crafts, learn about blacksmithing and enjoy live music. There will be lots of amusements for kids, too.
Celebrate Carleton Place’s 200th anniversary some more
Sure, I listed a bunch of 200th anniversary events last week, but this week, Carleton Place’s 200th anniversary celebrations really kick into high gear! Highlights include a monster bingo game on Tuesday night, a parade on Thursday night, a classic car parade and street dance on Friday night, the annual Bridge Street Summer Fest on Saturday and a picnic in Riverside Park on Sunday; you can get info on all of those on the official 200th anniversary page. There’s also Summer Feast, a barbecue featuring local products and live music, at Black Tartan Kitchen on Saturday night; it’s a fundraiser for the Lanark County Food Bank. (I’ll be at Summer Feast, so look for me and say hi, if you’re going!)
Cheer on tennis champs in Montreal or Toronto
Montreal will be hosting the men’s tournament of the Rogers Cup from August 2 to August 11 at IGA Stadium, while the women’s tournament will take place in Toronto from August 3 to August 11 at the Aviva Centre at York University. Many of the top players in the world—including Simona Halep, Rafael Nadal, Ashleigh Barty and Serena Williams—will be competing.
See Cirque du Soleil in Gatineau
Cirque du Soleil brings its beloved acrobatic show Alegría to the Zibi site in the Hull sector of Gatineau from August 1 until September 1. The company’s distinctive blend of magical music, lighting and costumes will be unfolding under a huge tent.
Take the kids to Fort Wellington
You can get learn a lot about 19th-century military life at Fort Wellington National Historic Site in Prescott on a River, Rebels and Rifles guided tour. The one-hour outings, each led by a guide playing a soldier or a soldier’s wife, are offered on weekends until the end of August.
Chow down at Capital Ribfest
Bring your appetite to Festival Plaza at Ottawa City Hall this weekend, when the chefs at Capital Ribfest (August 2 to 5) will be serving up ribs of all sorts in all their messy, delicious glory, washed down with lemonade or beer. You can nibble while kicking back to a packed slate of live music. For the kids, there’s everything from bouncy castles for the under-12 set to a rib-tasting event for babies (the tot with the cutest reaction wins a free rack of ribs).
Learn about architecture in the Adirondacks
If you’re an architecture buff and you’re free to travel mid-week, here’s the outing for you: a tour of sites in Keeseville, Essex, Jay and Keene associated with 20th-century architect William Prescott. Known for his distinctive style, featuring large windows and vertical wood siding, Prescott was based in nearby Plattsburgh, New York. The tour is taking place on Wednesday, July 31, from 10am to 4pm.
Rock on to CCR tunes in Brockville
Green River Revival, a Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band, brings its show to the Brockville Arts Centre for two nights this week (July 31 and August 1). There may just be a bad moon rising over the St. Lawrence this week. ????
Catch a country music festival in Beckwith Park
Grab your tent and your cowboy boots—the three-day Goodwood Music Festival is coming to Beckwith Park this weekend (August 2 to 4). Over a dozen acts from across the Ottawa Valley will be taking to the stage, including Douglas Connection, Gail Gavan and Rhythmfoot. Passes for the whole weekend include rough camping privileges (i.e., a campsite, showers and restrooms, but no water or electrical hookups). Beckwith Park is on the southeastern edge of Carleton Place.
Take the kids to a Morrisburg festival
Morrisburg will be a magnet for families this weekend during the Tubie Festival (August 2 to 4), which features a parade, a dance and—the highlight of the weekend—an exciting tube race on the St. Lawrence River!
Try your luck in a poker run on Golden Lake or in Arnprior
You can rev up your boat and try your luck on a poker run this Saturday, August 3, on Golden Lake in Deacon. Boaters will scoot around the lake picking up cards in an effort to collect a winning poker hand. Lunch is included in the $25 registration fee, and there are prizes for the winning hand and the best decorated boat. If you’d rather test your poker skills on land, there’s also a road-based poker run in Arnprior the same day, to benefit Arnprior-Braeside-McNab Seniors at Home. Entry fee for that one is $20 and includes a barbecue and prizes. Cars, trucks and bikes are all welcome.
Enjoy theatre all over Eastern Ontario
Scottish royal intrigue and murder will be on stage at the Full Circle Theatre in Perth when Barn Door Productions presents its version of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Macbeth (or, if you’re of a superstitious bent, “the Scottish play”) on select days and evenings from August 2 to 18.
The Blue Canoe youth theatre company is staging Disney Freaky Friday: A New Musical at the Domino Theatre in Kingston from August 1 to 10. Fans of the movie will remember that it’s a comedy about a mother and daughter who magically switch bodies—but just for a day.
At the Studio Theatre in Wellington, the Festival Players of Prince Edward County are staging Every Brilliant Thing from August 2 to 17. The interactive play, which The Guardian called both “heart-wrenching” and “hilarious,” tells of one young person’s project to discover all the wonderful things about being alive. It stars comedian Gavin Crawford.
And the Bard’s Bus Tour brings its production of A (Musical) Midsummer Night’s Dream to a variety of Eastern Ontario communities in early August, including Marmora (August 3), Peterborough (August 4), Kingston (August 6), Napanee (August 7), Quinte West (August 8) and Bloomfield (August 9). Admission is by donation.
Rock on in Montreal
Janelle Monáe (see video above), Childish Gambino, the Lumineers, Interpol, and City and Colour are just a few of the many, many acts on stage at the 14th annual Osheaga Music and Arts Festival in Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau (August 2 to 4). In a city of festivals, this is one of the biggest.
See Jaws from the water in Calabogie
Forget drive-in movies—this weekend, Calabogie Peaks Resort is hosting a float-in movie! On Saturday, August 3, the resort is screening Jaws on a 40-foot outdoor screen, and to see it, you’ll need to be in an inflated tube on the lake. As well as the movie, there will be pre-movie games, music and food trucks on shore. You can rent a tube or bring your own. Also, it’s pretty certain that Calabogie Lake is shark free.
Take in a country fair in Lombardy
The Lombardy Fair (August 2 to 4) is a year older than Canada—the event is celebrating its 153rd anniversary this year. A midway, a frying pan-throwing contest, a petting zoo, livestock displays, a laser light show, raffles, live music, a lumberjack show, truck and tractor pulls, and a baby show are among the attractions.
Delight in buskers’ antics on the Sparks Street Mall
The Ottawa International Busker Fest will light up Sparks Street throughout the long weekend (August 2 to 5). Scores of jugglers, unicyclists, aerialists, fire dancers and more from around the world will amuse the crowds.
Cheer for triathletes in Kingston
Feeling fit? I mean, really fit? Then you might want to try the K-Town Triathlon on Sunday, August 4. The Kingston race includes a 750m swim in Lake Ontario, a 30km bike ride along Highway 2 and a 7.2km run along Kingston’s waterfront. Wow, I got tired just typing that. If you haven’t been training for months, well, it’s too late to start now—but you could always cheer on the competitors at the finish line!
Admire vintage boats in Clayton, New York
One of the year’s biggest events in the 1000 Islands rolls out this weekend on the American side of the St. Lawrence River. The 55th annual Antique Boat Show and Auction will draw fans of classic watercraft to Clayton, New York, to admire, dream and buy (August 2 to 4). It’s the longest-running antique boat show in North America, with lots of boats on display. Kids’ activities, sailboat rides and more are also on the schedule. The video above tells you a bit more about the museum.
Go to prison in L’Orignal
The L’Orignal Old Jail, which operated as a prison from 1825 until 1998, is offering visitors the chance to spend a day in jail on Saturday, August 3. “Inmates” will participate in an escape room challenge and other activities. Former jail guards will be on site, so it will be a good opportunity to learn more about what life was really like for prisoners.
Feast on fermented food in Picton
The Ontario Fermentation Festival returns to Picton on Saturday, August 3. Sample fermented foods such as pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso and kombucha served up by a wide range of vendors, learn more about fermentation in workshops, let your family burn off steam in the kids’ zone, enjoy live music, and sip local beer, wine and cider.
Commune with the flowers at the Mackenzie King Estate
The annual Estate in Bloom event returns to the Mackenzie King Estate in Gatineau Park this weekend (August 3 to 5). Designed to appeal to gardeners and history buffs alike, it features estate tours, yoga, a beekeeping kiosk and more.
Get your Elvis fix in Picton
Waupoos Winery in Picton is staging its 8th annual Elvis Festival on August 2 and 3. Elvis tribute artists Bruno Nesci and Gino Monopoli will be belting out famous tunes, and visitors can chow down at a fish fry (on Friday) or nosh on southern-style fried chicken and apple pie (on Saturday).
Cheer on rugby players in Saranac Lake
More than 100 rugby teams will be descending on the Adirondacks village of Saranac Lake this weekend for the huge annual Can-Am Rugby Tournament (August 2 to 4). You can cheer for players by day and enjoy lots of live music and entertainment at night.
Nibble on food truck fare and browse for bargains in Ottawa
The Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation is holding its annual fundraising Street Food Social and Flea Market at 1500 Alta Vista Drive on Sunday, August 4. Parking will be tight (the food trucks will be setting up in the parking lot), so it might be wise to take the bus to nearby Hurdman station.
Have tea on the lawn at the Mill of Kintail
On Wednesday and Saturday afternoons from July 31 to August 31, the Ramsay Women’s Institute will be serving Tea on the Lawn at the Mill of Kintail in Almonte from 2pm to 4pm. As well as tea, you can enjoy lemonade and tea breads. The fee is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 10 (it’s a family-friendly event). And, yes, I had to look up what tea breads were. They’re quick breads such as banana bread and zucchini bread, in case you were wondering. (Never say this website isn’t educational!)
Immerse yourself in Cuban culture in Montreal
This weekend in Montreal, Festival Cubaneando celebrates all things Cuban on Saturday, August 3. The fun includes dance classes, Cuban food and lots of live music.
See art in Haliburton or Vermont
Art lovers are in luck this weekend, if you don’t mind a bit of drive. The Tour de Forest (August 3 and 4) showcases 28 artists and 12 studios in and around Haliburton, Ontario. Even further away is the Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festival (August 2 to 4), but with close to 200 exhibitors, it might be worth the trip. It’s part of the larger Bennington Arts Weekend.
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