From improv and maple syrup in Ottawa and a country concert in Gananoque to “literary jousting” in Montreal, wellness consultations in Almonte and barn quilts in upstate New York, there are road trip possibilities galore this weekend. Happy travels!
Dream wedding dreams in North Gower
Photo by Orio Nguyen on Unsplash.
A Bride and Groom Show is coming to Century Weddings and Events at 1981 Century Road West in North Gower this weekend (February 29 and March 1). Vendors include photographers, caterers, venues, limo companies, wedding planners and more. Admission and parking are free, and one lucky couple will win a big grand prize.
Catch a concert in Gananoque or Pembroke
Vocalists Cliff Edwards and Michelle Kasaboski are celebrating the music of two American country music legends, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, with a show at the 1000 Islands Playhouse in Gananoque called On the Road Again: Willie Meets Dolly. There’s an evening show on Saturday and an afternoon matinée on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in Pembroke, the Pembroke Symphony Orchestra is giving a concert of Hollywood scores at the Festival Hall Centre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, February 29. The program includes music from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Jurassic Park, The King’s Speech and more.
Stay up all night in Montreal
©Nuit blanche à Montréal, Frédérique Ménard-Aubin.
Nuit Blanche returns to Montreal this weekend, beginning on Saturday, February 29, and stretching into the very wee hours of Sunday, March 1. I can’t even begin to list the huge range of very cool events and installations you can check out all over the city, ranging from an illuminated ice slide and Ferris wheel to high-diving shows, a “literary joust,” a mini-golf game in a bar, and a chance to play the Just Dance video game with a big outdoor crowd.
Enjoy a scenic workout in Ottawa
Need to shake up your exercise routine? How about a 45-minute MoveCamp bodyweight class in the gorgeous glass Scotiabank Great Hall at the National Gallery of Canada? It’s happening on Saturday, February 29, beginning at 9am. The class is free, but you need to register online.
Meet authors in Gatineau
The 30th annual Salon du livre de l’Outaouais (February 27 to March 1) at the Palais des Congrès de Gatineau celebrates authors writing in French. Featured authors include Andrée A. Michaud, Zachary Richard, Martine Delvaux and Stanley Péan.
Learn about barn quilts in Canton, New York
Barn quilt by Carol Musser Rose on display at Swing Time Mini Golf in Potsdam, New York. Photo courtesy of TAUNY.
From 1pm to 3pm on Saturday, February 29, the Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) Center in Canton, New York, is holding a public opening for its new exhibition, St. Lawrence County Barn Quilts. The show, which will be on display until October 24, explores the growing barn quilt movement in St. Lawrence County. It includes dozens of barn quilts from throughout the county; stories of the local barn quilt movement and trails; and information on special projects inspired by the movement. The opening reception will feature live music by Nicholfalls, barn quilt-inspired refreshments and door prizes.
See a play in Ottawa or Perth
At the Gladstone Theatre in Ottawa, you can catch a performance of Bare: A Pop Opera, which tells the story of two gay teens navigating life in their private Catholic high school (February 27 to March 7). Meanwhile, Studio Theatre Perth is staging Marion Bridge, a Cape Breton-set play by Nova Scotia playwright Daniel McIvor about three estranged sisters—an alcoholic actress, a struggling nun and a soap opera addict—who reunite at their mother’s deathbed (February 27 to March 8).
Delve into wellness in Almonte
The 11th annual Mid-Winter Milling event is coming to Almonte on Saturday, February 29. More than a dozen spiritual and wellness practitioners, such as psychics and reiki therapists, will be offering sessions for visitors in locations across downtown Almonte. You can get more details on the sessions (which have various fees) and sign up online on the event’s website. Note that the event will be held no matter what the weather.
Visit a sugar bush in Ottawa
A tractor-drawn wagon takes visitors into the sugar bush at The Log Farm in Ottawa.
As well as the sugar bush at the Vanier Museopark, which I mentioned last week, two more Ottawa sugar bushes will be opening their doors this weekend. At The Log Farm on Cedarview Road, you can see how maple syrup is made, make taffy on snow, nibble on BeaverTails and visit the barnyard animals. It will be open on weekends until April 13, as well as on several weekdays during Ontario March Break. And on Ottawa’s rural edge, you can enjoy wagon and sleigh rides, family activities and an all-you-can-eat brunch at the sugar bush at Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm in Edwards. It will be open weekends from Saturday, February 29, until Sunday, April 12, as well as from Tuesday through Friday during March Break (closed Good Friday and Easter Monday.)
Laugh at standup comedy in Nepean or Orleans
Some tickets are still available for The Hate Tour, the latest standup show by “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” comedian Shaun Majumder, at the Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe on Friday, February 28. That same night at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans, francophone comedian Philippe Laprise will be getting audiences laughing with his show Je m’en occupe! (Taking Care of Business!).
Discover Ontario beers in Cornwall
Photo by BENCE BOROS on Unsplash.
The Suds and Sap Festival is coming back to the Cornwall Civic Complex on Saturday, February 29. As well as trying beers from a range of Ontario breweries, you can sample wine and other drinks, maple cotton candy, and more. Proceeds go toward Rachel’s Kids, a children’s charity.
Check out “underground” art in Montreal
The free Art Souterrain exhibition—which opens on Saturday, February 29, and runs until Sunday, March 22—isn’t your typical museum show: It’s happening across several kilometres of Montreal’s Underground City, as well as in eight satellite locations. This year’s theme is “Reset,” and the exhibition features installations, sculptures, videos, photographs and performance art pieces by artists from around the world. (Warning: The show’s main website features an annoying strobe-like animation.)
Watch comic actors think on their feet in Ottawa
Anything goes—theatrically, anyway—during the three days of the Ottawa Improv Festival (February 27 to 29). Head to Arts Court to watch improvisers take suggestions from the audience and run madly off with them in all directions. And if you want to learn how to do improv yourself, there will be workshops.
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