From an Eagles tribute in Pembroke and French-Canadian tales in Orleans to a new light show at the EY Centre in Ottawa and holiday home tours in Perth and Carleton Place, this week’s post is packed with road trip ideas—whether you want your outing to have a holiday theme or not. Happy travels!
Walk a Christmas trail in Brockville
What a great idea: an illuminated, decorated, 1.5km walking trail. You can get a dose of Christmas spirit along with some exercise and fresh air! Clow’s Christmas Trail in Brockville is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights (as well as Monday, December 23) from December 6 until December 28.
Have a green Christmas in Rockland
Tucker House in Rockland is holding a Green Christmas event on Sunday, December 8. Kids can do crafts, write letters to Santa and more.
Tour festive houses in Carleton Place or Perth
This is the weekend of both the Heritage Perth Christmas House Tour and the Christmas in Carleton Place House Tour (both running December 7 and 8). The two communities aren’t that far apart; if you were really energetic (or stayed overnight), you might even be able to do both tours!
Further afield, there’s also the Christmas in the County 2019 House Tour in Prince Edward County on Sunday, December 8.
Enjoy small-town Christmas fun in Osgoode, Almonte or Perth
In Osgoode, Christmas in the Village (December 6 to 8) features a parade of lights, a Christmas market, fireworks, a gingerbread house competition and lots of other fun.
Almonte is celebrating the holidays with a fireworks display called Light Up the Night on Friday, December 6. Live entertainment includes everyone from the Rock the Arts Christmas Puppets and country music artist Jordan McIntosh to the Cedarhill Sunday School Choir. If you can’t make it that night, there’s more fun in store on Sunday, December 8, when the Almonte Christmas Night Parade will wind through town.
Perth is also hosting fireworks on Friday, December 6, as part of the Festival of Lights at the Crystal Palace (which runs from December 6 to 8). In addition, you can enjoy a singalong, and admire Christmas trees decorated by local businesses and community groups.
Still looking for ideas? Check my big list of Santa Claus parades throughout the region.
Hear Dickens in Kemptville
A Carol for Christmas (Saturday, December 7) features a dramatic reading of the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol, a Christmas market, a Christmas tree raffle and more. This fundraiser in Kemptville is a fundraiser for the Beth Donovan Hospice.
Check out a holiday farmers’ market in Carp or Cobden
If you like to shop for great food in a festive setting, you can check out the Carp Christmas Farmers Market on December 6 and 7, or the Cobden Christmas Farmers Market on Saturday, December 7.
Indulge your love of model trains in Kingston
Is there a little one in your family obsessed with all things railroad related? Then don’t miss All Aboard for the Holidays at the Pump House Steam Museum in Kingston (December 7 and 8), where you can see model trains, visit with Santa and more. You can either pay to attend or bring a new, unwrapped toy as admission. On Sunday morning, there’s a sensory-friendly version of the event for visitors with special needs.
Hear classic tunes in Orleans, Brockville or Pembroke
At the Brockville Arts Centre, you can catch a Classic Albums Live recreation of all the songs from Abbey Road on Thursday, or A Christmas Spectacular with Elvis tribute artist Pete Paquette and guests on Friday. Those same shows will be at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans on Wednesday (for Abbey Road) and on Saturday and Sunday (for A Christmas Spectacular).
Meanwhile, in Pembroke, the Epic Eagles tribute show will bring the tunes of the laid-back ’70s rockers to the stage of the Festival Centre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, December 7.
Catch a concert in Cantley
Jean-Marc Lalonde does some funky things with an amplified, distorted accordion. You can hear his new group, Hey Wow, in concert at La Grange de la Gatineau on Saturday, December 7.
Go for a run (or walk) in Ottawa, Kemptville or Kingston
Grab your winter running shoes (or boots) and your Santa hat—The Santa Shuffle is coming to Ottawa, Kemptville and Kingston (and many other cities across Canada) on Saturday, December 7. The fundraiser for the Salvation Army is actually two events in one: a 5K fun run and a 1K Elf Walk.
Thrill to an illuminated waterfall in Fort Coulonge
The Festival of Lights opens this Saturday, December 7, at Chutes Coulonge in the Pontiac and runs every Saturday in December. Wander along a lighted trail, sip hot chocolate around a bonfire and thrill to the thunder of the water.
See Mamma Mia! in Nepean
Unless you’ve been hiding on Mars for the last few years, you’ll know that Mamma Mia! is a musical comedy about a young woman who suspects one of three men could be her father—and invites them all to her wedding. The whole thing is liberally laced with ABBA tunes, including the title track. It’s coming to the Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe from December 4 through 8.
Take the family to a live show
The holiday season is always a great time to indulge in some family-oriented live theatre. This week at the Brockville Arts Centre, you could check out the National Ballet Theatre of Odessa, Ukraine’s production of The Nutcracker. Later in the week, at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans, it’s The Flying Canoe, Rag and Bone Puppet Theatre’s homage to the song, dance and stories of early French Canada (December 4 to 7).
Head to a craft sale
The deluge of Christmas craft sales and bazaars seems to be slowing a bit this week, but there are still 18 events to choose from, including sales in Cumberland, Vankleek Hill, Woodlawn and Perth, and the Originals sale at the EY Centre. For the full list, see my craft fairs post.
Explore a Christmas village in Edwards
Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm in Edwards has been transformed into a Christmas village. On weekends from November 30 until December 22, families can visit the Elf Village, take a horse-drawn sleigh or wagon ride, sing songs, play games, write a letter to Santa and more.
Enjoy light displays in Ottawa
The ever-popular Christmas Lights Across Canada festival will be launched on Parliament Hill on Wednesday, December 4, at 5:30pm. The opening ceremonies will feature free BeaverTails and live music, and the hundreds of thousands of holiday lights festooning trees and buildings throughout the downtown cores of Ottawa and Gatineau will be switched on that night (as will festive lights in other provincial capitals). The lights will be glowing nightly until January 7, 2020, and a free, 13-minute sound-and-light show will be projected onto the Parliament Buildings nightly between 5:30pm and 11pm.
The Magic of Lights is a drive-through Christmas lights attraction at Wesley Clover Parks in Nepean, featuring animations and larger-than-life displays. A portion of the event’s proceeds goes to the CHEO Foundation. The event runs nightly until Saturday, January 4, 2019, and you can save money by buying your tickets online in advance.
And this year, there’s a new kid in town in the field of light displays: Christmas Glow is a massive indoor illumination event that’s on at the EY Centre from December 5 until January 4. There will be Instagram opportunities galore!
See Wayne Rostad in venues across Eastern Ontario
This year’s production of A Christmas in the Valley—Wayne Rostad and friends’ tribute to the song and dance of the Ottawa Valley—is coming to venues across Eastern Ontario in the next two weeks, including Pembroke (December 4), Brockville (December 7), Kingston (December 9), Ottawa (December 12) and Cornwall (December 14).
Take the kids to Robin Hood in Smiths Falls
The Smiths Falls Community Theatre is presenting a traditional British-style pantomime, Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood, at the Station Theatre in Smiths Falls (December 5 to 8). Audiences can cheer on the hero, boo the villain and enjoy some good old-fashioned slapstick.
Catch a show in Delta, Manotick or Dacre
See Celtic supergroup Còig in Delta on December 6 or Manotick on December 7, or Newfoundland singer-songwriters The Once in Dacre on December 7, as part of the Festival of Small Halls’ Deck the Halls series of shows in small venues across Eastern Ontario.
Skate at Ottawa City Hall
Can’t wait for the canal to open? Then grab your skates and head to Ottawa City Hall; the Sens Rink of Dreams has opened for the season is now open throughout the winter, weather permitting.
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