10 virtual and real road trips: Campfires, cooking and Cannes

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Yes, you read that headline right. Many Ottawa-area road trips are rightly off limits for the next little while, due to COVID-19, but I have one suggestion for a socially distanced outing you can enjoy in the “real” world! Whether you’d like to get in your car or just rev up your computer mouse for a virtual getaway, here are 10 ideas for ways to entertain yourself this week.

Gather around a campfire at Saunders Farm

When I first heard about this idea, I thought it was genius. Clearly, others do as well, because tickets to sit around a campfire at Saunders Farm in Munster are selling like hotcakes.

“People are saying, ‘I haven’t sat around a campfire with my family for years,'” says farm owner Mark Saunders. “It reminds you of simpler times.”

The concept is simple: Small groups—a family of up to six who all live in the same house, one couple, or a pair of couples—can book a space around an outdoor campfire. They bring their own chairs and blankets. Farm staff build and feed the campfire, and safely leave food and drinks for the guests. Families get hot dogs, chips, water and pop, while couples get charcuterie, cheese, and wine or cider. And, of course, everyone gets s’mores!

Each campfire is widely separated from the next and comes with its own wash station, hand sanitizer, portable toilet and more. The nights have been selling out, but the farm is now offering some new dates to meet demand. And this morning, they launched another option: lunchtime picnics on Saturdays and Sundays.

The picnic concept is similar to the campfire idea: Family groups get a picnic and eat it in well-separated spaces at the farm.

The meal is “our version of a ploughman’s lunch,” says Saunders. Guest receive meats, cheeses, bread, veggies and dip, non-alcoholic beverages, watermelon, and fresh cookies.

Prices per group range from $90 to $120, depending on the package. Tickets are sold for 90-minute blocks, so that farm staff can keep track of how many people are on the site at any one time (for social distancing purposes). Campfires are available on various nights throughout the week through July; the picnics will be available on June weekends to start, with the possibility of other dates if demand warrants. Saunders Farm is in Munster, a 10-minute drive south of Stittsville. See the farm’s website for tickets.

Hear John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett

If you had tickets for the Ottawa show John Hiatt (above) and Lyle Lovett were scheduled to give in April, you’re in luck: the two American music icons are doing an acoustic livestream on multiple platforms—including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and their own websites—on Friday, May 29, starting at 9pm Eastern.

See a play about the assassination of D’Arcy McGee

In April 1868, Father of Confederation Thomas D’Arcy McGee was walking back to his home on Sparks Street when shots echoed through the night. McGee soon lay dead, and Patrick Whelan was charged with the crime and later hanged. But…did he do it?

Blood on the Moon is Ottawa actor Pierre Brault’s one-man show about the infamous murder and trial. On Friday, May 29, at 8pm, he’ll be performing it live on stage at The Gladstone and broadcasting it via livestream. The performance is offered for free, but contributions from the audience are welcome.

Go to a world-class virtual film festival

Always dreamed of going to Cannes but couldn’t find the right ballgown? Fantasized about rubbing shoulders with Robert Redford at Sundance? Or perhaps you’ve just never managed to make it down the 401 to hit the Toronto International Film Festival? Well, I have good news. This year, these film festivals and many others are coming to you, all at the same time.

We Are One: A Global Film Festival (May 29 to June 7) is a collaboration between a group of the world’s top film festivals—including those mentioned above, as well as the Venice Film Festival, the Mumbai Film Festival and more. Over those dates, they’ll be screening 100 movies on YouTube, including 13 world premieres. You can watch for free, but the organizers are encouraging donations to a fund to support front-line health workers around the world.

Wondering what films to watch? IndieWire has a few recommendations—many of them talks by big-name actors and directors.

Take a cooking class from a ByWard Market school

C’Est Bon Cooking in Ottawa’s ByWard Market is now hosting one-hour video “cook-alongs” focusing on all sorts of culinary skills and food themes. In the next week alone, you can learn how to cook with garlic confit, debone a whole chicken, or make scallop ceviche or sweet potato tandoori. Both private and group classes are available, at various prices.

Enjoy free Canadian Geographic online events

In its ongoing Can Geo Talks Virtual Series on its YouTube channel, Canadian Geographic magazine is livestreaming a talk by photographer Michelle Valberg at 7pm on Thursday, May 28. And at 2pm on Sunday, May 31, you can cheer for high school students from across Canada as they compete virtually in the 25th annual Can Geo Challenge, a fun geography-themed trivia competition (if you remember the old days of Reach for the Top fondly, as I do, I think you’ll enjoy it).

Catch a virtual performance at the NAC

The National Arts Centre’s Canada Performs series of free online shows has another packed schedule this week. Highlights include Night of the Dogs, a rock-and-roll musical by former Rheostatics frontman Dave Bidini (Thursday, May 28, 8pm); a performance of Hey Little Rockabye: A Lullaby for Pet Adoption by Buffy Sainte-Marie (Friday, May 29, 7pm); and a reading by Emma Donoghue from her soon-to-be-published novel The Pull of the Stars (Sunday, May 31, 3pm).

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