Looking for an excuse for a road trip this week? How about ribs in Brockville, pioneers in Petawawa, country tunes in Gatineau, food trucks in Bells Corners, Tiffany glass in Utica, ghosts at Bonnechere Provincial Park, music on Wolfe Island, poutine in Cornwall, classic cars in Aylmer or pirates in Alexandria Bay? Read on for details!
Thrill to fireworks in Gatineau
A bit confusingly, the Casino du Lac-Leamy Sound of Light fireworks event (August 10 to 24) doesn’t happen at the casino at all. Instead, spectators gather on the grounds of the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau to watch the pyrotechnics explode over the Ottawa River and the Ottawa skyline. This year, competitors from Chile (August 10), Italy (August 14), Greece (August 17) and France (August 21) will synchronize their fireworks to a wide range of musical scores. The grand finale is on Saturday, August 24.
Enjoy music on an island near Kingston
Two islands near Kingston are hosting music festivals this weekend! Wolfe Island is a short, free ferry ride from downtown Kingston, and the Wolfe Island Music Festival (August 9 and 10) features shows by Jim Bryson, Emilie Steele and many others. The Emerald Music Festival (August 9 to 11) entices music lovers to hop the ferry to Amherst Island, between Kingston and Napanee. Little Caesar and the Consuls, Nighthawk, and the Blue River Band are among the performers at this family- and pet-friendly event, which features concerts in a wide range of genres.
Learn about archeology in Carp
Starting on Wednesday, August 7, the Diefenbunker museum in Carp will be celebrating Archeology Month with special behind-the-scenes tours of some of the Cold War bunker’s industrial features. The tours will take place on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, beginning at 10:30am. They are included with your admission, but the museum advises people to reserve in advance, as spaces are limited. Participants must be 15 or older. Unfortunately, some of the sites on this tour are not accessible to visitors in wheelchairs.
Paddle the Ottawa River in Petawawa, Pembroke and Deep River
Grab your canoe, kayak or stand-up paddleboard and head to Deep River, Pembroke and Petawawa this weekend for the Upper Ottawa River Race and Paddle Festival (August 9 to 11), which celebrates watery fun with kayak and SUP clinics, a kayak fishing derby, a Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser, races, and all sorts of other activities.
Enjoy Indigenous culture in Montreal
The 29th annual Montreal First Peoples Festival (August 6 to 14) features a big slate of performances and presentations by Indigenous filmmakers, musicians, visual artists, storytellers, street performers and many others. You can also enjoy inventive street food, such as pulled bison tacos and sweetgrass ice cream.
Walk with ghosts at the Mackenzie King Estate or Bonnechere
On Saturday nights until October 19, ghost lovers can thrill to the Haunted Walk Experience, a ghoulish 90-minute tour through the Mackenzie King Estate in Gatineau Park. Learn about the wartime prime minister’s fascination with all things supernatural.
On Saturday, August 10, at Bonnechere Provincial Park, you can take a Spirits Night Hike, where you can hear ghost stories of the voyageurs, lumberjacks, pioneers and surveyors who once lived in the Ottawa Valley.
Talk like a pirate in Alexandria Bay
Arrgh, mateys! It’s time once again for Bill Johnston’s Pirate Days in Alexandria Bay, New York (August 9 to 18). Bill Johnston was a St. Lawrence River pirate in the 1830s, and the festivities in Alexandria Bay include pirate skits, children’s crafts, a parade, a block dance and more.
Enjoy theatre in Gananoque
In Gananoque, The Boy in the Moon is based on the memoir of the same name by Globe and Mail journalist Ian Brown, about raising a child with disabilities. It’s on at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque from August 7 to September 1.
Learn about Indian culture in Ottawa
At the Great India Festival on Marion Dewar Plaza at Ottawa City Hall this weekend (August 9 to 11), you can enjoy Indian music, dance and food, or take a yoga, cooking or meditation workshop. Admission is free.
Browse for bargains at garage sale at Jessup’s Falls
Looking for deals? Then check out the community garage sale at Jessup’s Falls on Saturday, August 10. Proceeds go to support environmental education in schools.
Go to the dogs (and sheep) in Kingston
I’ve always thought it cool that dogs can be trained to herd sheep. If you have, too, why not check out the Kingston Sheep Dog Trials Festival at Grass Creek Park this weekend (August 9 to 11)? As well as bringing your own dog to enjoy the canine lure course and play zone, you can also see K9 police dogs, shop for crafts and pet supplies, and—of course—see sheep dogs at work. For a first-person account of the event, check out this fun post by Sherri Telenko at dogtrotting.net.
Go for a hike in an Ontario park
On Saturday, August 10, provincial parks across Ontario will be running guided interpretive hikes at 10am. The hikes celebrate the first-ever such hike in an Ontario park, which was offered in Algonquin Park in 1944. This year, the hikes will take place at Charleston Lake, Rideau River, Murphys Point and Bon Echo, among many others.
Get your country fix in Gatineau
The 27th annual Festival Country Gatineau swings onto the Casino Lac-Leamy property this weekend for 10 days of boot-stomping music with Québécois flair (August 7 to 11). A dozen acts will be taking to the stage, including Irvin Blais, Stéphanie St-Jean and Rene Turgeon.
Shop for garlic goodies in Carp or Perth
Vampires, beware: Not one, but two, garlic festivals are on the local agenda this weekend. At the Carp Farmers’ Market’s annual Garlic Festival (August 10 and 11), all kinds of garlic products will be on sale, including bulbs, spreads, dressings and more. Chefs will be whipping up garlic-accented dishes, and there will be garlic tastings and a garlic contest. And once you’ve exhausted all the garlic options, you can check out the rest of the farmers’ market.
Meanwhile, the Perth Lions Garlic Festival (August 10 and 11) will offer cooking demonstrations, beer tastings and more. You can even sample some garlic ice cream…if you dare. Hey—anything to keep away those vampires.
Head to the fair in Navan, Arnprior, Merrickville or Williamstown
There will be lots to see and do at the Navan Fair (August 8 to 11), including a midway, a softball tournament, a demolition derby, a truck and tractor pull, a baby show, and lots of live music (including shows by Meghan Patrick and 54-40). Heck, you can even learn about 18th-century musketry from the 78th Fraser Highlanders.
The Arnprior Fair (August 9 to 11) features horse shows, 4H demonstrations, bingo, pony rides, a midway and lots of other fair-like fun. Note that the fair is in a new location this year, at 74 Van Dusen Drive in Arnprior.
The Merrickville Agricultural Fair (August 9 to 11) offers truck and tractor pulls, motorcycle and car shows, a kids’ zone, a beer tent, and more. On Friday night, a Save the Fair concert—sponsored by the Merrickville United Arts Centre—features Eddy and the Stingrays and Stacy’s Mom.
The Williamstown Fair (August 9 to 11) has staked a claim as Canada’s oldest fair. It celebrates its 208th anniversary with a talent show, a free corn roast, sheep shearing, a midway, live music, a hamster show, a kids’ tractor pull and much more.
See cool cars in Gatineau, Round Lake Centre or Ameliasburgh
The AutoShow Gatineau revs up in Parc des Cèdres in Aylmer this weekend (August 9 to 11). Owners of classic cars will be competing for prizes, but even non-gearheads can enjoy the festival’s live music, disco, outdoor movies and other free amusements (yep, that’s right—there’s no admission fee). Food vendors will be on site to keep you fuelled up, and there will be lots of fun for kids, too.
On Sunday, August 11, the Round Lake Recreation Park in Round Lake Centre (north of Killaloe and Barry’s Bay) is hosting the Party in the Park from 10am to 2pm, featuring a classic car show, a flea market, kids’ activities, live music and more.
In Ameliasburgh, the Prince Edward Auto Club Street Meet (August 8 to 11) will feature some 200 classic cars from across Ontario and Quebec.
Get artsy in the Haliburton Highlands or Utica
Art lovers: If you’re looking for a weekend-long road trip, check out the Highlands East Art Tour, a studio tour that runs this weekend and next (August 10 to 11, and August 17 to 18) in the Haliburton Highlands, between Bancroft and Haliburton. You could also head to Utica, New York, to see Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection, an exhibition of 60 of the stained-glass master’s works. It’s running at the Munson Willams Proctor Arts Institute until September 8.
Nosh on food truck fare in Bells Corners
The 5th annual West End Food Truck Rally is coming to the parking lot of Christ Church Anglican on Old Richmond Road in Bells Corners on Saturday, August 10, from 11am to 7pm. A dozen food trucks will be serving up goodies, and funds raised go to the FAMSAC Food Cupboard.
See the world in Sherbrooke
The Festival des Traditions du Monde de Sherbrooke (August 7 to 11) celebrates the cultures of the world with more than 150 shows, workshops and demonstrations on multiple stages—everything from Brazilian music and Moroccan tea tastings to Indigenous storytelling, Japanese drumming and an African dance workshop. And there’s food, too! This event is so big that the website allows you to build your own schedule, so that you don’t miss anything.
Watch dragon boat racers and eat poutine in Cornwall
The Cornwall Waterfest (Saturday, August 10) is centred on the historic Old Cornwall Canal. Dragon boat races are the highlight, but you can also enjoy an artisans’ market and live music. The event raises money for the Cornwall Hospice. While you’re in town, you can also head to Lamoureux Park for Cornwall Poutine Feast (August 8 to 11), where you can nosh on everyone’s favourite curds-and-fries treat (including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free variations), and enjoy family games and live music.
Learn about pioneer life in Petawawa or Morrisburg
With wool-spinning and carpentry demonstrations, covered wagon and land surveying displays, and costumed re-enactors, the world of 19th-century Ontario will come to life this weekend at the Petawawa Heritage Village during Settler’s Fest (August 10 and 11).
Ever wondered what kind of music Canadian pioneers enjoyed? Wonder no longer: Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg is hosting a Celebration of Canadian Music on Saturday, August 10. As well as hearing live performances of 19th-century music that was popular in Upper Canada, you can learn some Victorian dance steps.
Browse for antiques in Odessa
Billing itself as Eastern Ontario’s largest such event held outdoors, the 31st annual Odessa Antique Show is happening this weekend (August 10 and 11). More than 100 dealers, some from as far away as the Maritimes, try to tempt browsers with vintage housewares, textiles, china, glass and other goodies. The show will go on rain or shine.
Revel in ribs and reprobates in Brockville
In Brockville this weekend, you can check out live music, pony rides, a petting zoo, a volleyball tournament, a fishing derby and, of course, lots of tasty barbecue at the Brockville Ribfest (August 8 to 11).
While you’re in town, why not take a walking tour with the Brockville Museum? You could learn about a bank heist and other dark deeds during the Brockville’s Criminal Past walking tour, or more upright stories of the city’s history during the Historic Waterfront walking tour. The two tours are available on Thursdays and Fridays until August 23, at 3pm and 7pm (the times of the tours alternate, so check the website). Reservations recommended.
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2 comments
Thanks again for your weekly suggestions,very much appriciated.
You’re very welcome–I’m glad you enjoy them!