Long-time readers will know that I usually post a long roundup each week of upcoming festivals and events in and around Ottawa. Since large gatherings are banned for the next while, I’ve decided to do a regular list of “virtual road trips”—ways you can enjoy music, food, theatre, pretty scenery and lots more…without leaving home. And so (drum roll, please), I give you the first-ever Ottawa Road Trips virtual road trip roundup.
Open your browser, turn up your speakers and prepare to enjoy everything from Stratford Festival performances to a virtual tour of the Rideau Canal and an online auction. And here’s the best news: Most of these goodies are free. Happy, safe and socially distant road tripping!
See Shakespeare in Ontario or England
Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in London (the English London, not the Ontario one) is streaming a different theatrical video every two weeks. The current show (“running” until May 3) is Romeo and Juliet.
Not to be outdone, the Stratford Festival in Stratford (the Ontario one, not the English one) is streaming a huge slate of performances. Each play will be available for three weeks, and the “run” will start with a 7pm viewing party on the night of the premiere. First up is King Lear with Colm Feore in the title role, which starts on Thursday, April 23. You can find details on other upcoming performances on the festival’s Stratfest@Home page.
Take a four-hour trip down the Rideau Canal
To promote Tripping, its real-time-speed documentary of a 27-kilometre trip along the Rideau Canal from Manotick to downtown Ottawa, TV Ontario has released a series of 360-degree virtual-reality trips along the canal; one of them is shown above. You can stream the whole four-hour documentary on the TV Ontario website.
Catch a performance presented by the NAC
Through its Canada Performs initiative, the National Arts Centre is streaming a dizzying array of music, dance and theatre performances daily. This week alone, you can catch NAC musical director Alexander Shelley in conversation and performance with violinist James Ehnes on Thursday, April 23, at noon; hear Ontario jazz/R&B/rock singer Miss Emily (see video above) on Saturday, April 25, at 3pm; or enjoy a reading of Alyssa Pothier’s play In Your Own Backyard on Sunday, April 26, at 7pm.
Make meatballs, cookies, funnel cakes or sourdough bread
Getting tired of your go-to dishes? Yeah, I’m pretty much sick of my own culinary repertoire, too. Fortunately, big companies are coming to our rescue by sharing their long-guarded secret recipes. Ikea has released instructions for making its Swedish meatballs, for instance, and Canada’s Wonderland—the amusement park just north of Toronto—has the recipe for its ever-popular funnel cakes. And if you’ve ever stayed in a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, you may be interested in the recipe for the chocolate chip cookies that the chain gives out to guests at check in.
Smaller companies are being generous with their advice, too. Little Stream Bakery in Perth recently posted an extensive list of tips for nurturing your sourdough bread culture.
Bid in a virtual auction for CHEO
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the 2020 CHEO For the Kids Gala scheduled for earlier this month was cancelled. But here’s good news: You can still bid on a range of cool items—including artworks, fitness memberships, spa packages, travel and more—in the gala’s online fundraising auction. Bidding is open until Thursday, April 30.
Join the Canadian Museum of Nature’s 28-Day Nature Challenge
Sorry, I’m a bit late with this: It launched on Earth Day (April 22). But you can still catch up! Follow the Canadian Museum of Nature on Facebook for a new nature-themed challenge each day for the next 28 days. It sounds like great fun for families!
Looking for new ideas for things to see and do (virtually, for now) in Ottawa, the Outaouais, Eastern Ontario, West Quebec and beyond? Subscribe to my free weekly e-newsletter!