I’ll have to admit that it’s a surreal time to be running a website with the words “road trips” in its name. For the next month or so, this weekly roundup post is going to consist almost entirely of virtual activities, due to the stay-at-home order—and that’s OK. We’re going to get through this, my friends! And with that being said, here’s how you can watch a concert, enjoy standup comedy or see an Irish movie—all while complying with the rules.
Enjoy standup comedy for free
This year, the Crackup Comedy Festival (April 9 and 10) is not only virtual—it’s free! (However, the festival will also be raising funds for Carefor’s adult day programs for people living with dementia, so please do contribute to that if you can!) The lineup includes Mary Walsh, Colin Mochrie, Jessica Holmes and Big Daddy Tazz.
Watch Irish movies at home
The Irish Film Festival Ottawa (April 9 to 13) is virtual this year, and you can catch eight feature-length movies at home for just $5 each—or $40 for the whole program! The festival is also screening a selection of shorts. Films include comedy/dramas (such as A Bump Along the Way, about a carefree 44-year-old who gets pregnant after a one-night stand), a thriller, a crime story and documentaries (a two-parter called The Hunger, narrated by Liam Neeson, illuminates the 1840s Irish famine).
Take part in a virtual whodunnit
The ITR Theatre Company in Osgoode is staging A Virtual Whodunnit this weekend (April 8 to 11) on Zoom. It’s an online murder mystery with three solutions! Tickets are free, but donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation are appreciated.
Shop local
The Ottawa Farmers’ Market at Lansdowne Park has been deemed an essential service, so you can shop for apples, sweet potatoes, leafy greens and other produce, fresh from local farms. All the usual COVID-19 protocols will be in effect, of course, so bring your mask, use the provided sanitizer and keep your distance. The market runs on Sundays from 10am to 3pm.
To support local businesses across Eastern Ontario, you have lots of other options, too. Lennox and Addington County has a shop local business guide, Tourism Kingston has just launched an online shop of K-Town-themed products, and Ottawa Tourism has a post about local businesses that give back.
Hit the road—without a car
Given the balmy temperatures expected on the weekend, the National Capital Commission has just announced that it is closing sections of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, George-Étienne Cartier Parkway and Queen Elizabeth Driveway to vehicles on both April 10 and 11, from 8am to 4pm (the Driveway will actually be closed until 5pm). That leaves those sections wide open for walkers, runners, wheelchair users, inline skaters and cyclists.
Stream an online concert
The Shenkman Arts Centre’s Encore Ottawa at-home concert series continues with two new performances on Friday, April 9, by talented fiddlers, singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists (wow, that’s a complex set of skills!). First up at 8pm is 18-year-old Jess Wedden from Sharbot Lake, Ontario, who has already been nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards, followed at 8:30pm by Rosalyn Dennett, one of the founders of acclaimed roots quartet Oh My Darling. You can watch both shows on Rogers Cable 22 or stream them here.
Speaking of folk music multi-instrumentalists, Cape Breton’s Madison Violet will be performing in a livestreamed NAC concert on Saturday, April 10. Tickets start at $15.92. And on Friday, April 9, Quebec singer-songwriter (and, yes, multi-instrumentalist!) Jipé Dalpé will be giving a free Facebook Live show as part of the NAC’s Fridays at the Fourth series.
P.S.: Ottawa Tourism and the RBC Bluesfest have postponed their Room Service Concert Series, which was due to run from April 9 to 30. But they do plan to reschedule, and when they do, I’ll post the details.
Visit Beechwood virtually (or in the real world)
Long-time readers will know that I’m a big fan of strolling through Beechwood Cemetery. I honestly don’t find it creepy or sad; it’s a gorgeous, quiet park and I actually find it very peaceful. It’s interesting reading the historical plaques, too.
Anyway, it turns out I’m not the only one. Local photographer/videographer Mary Ellen Cavett has created a soundscape of the property: a lovely winter video with music. You can see it above or on the Beechwood website.
And, of course, you can always walk through the property in the real world, too. It’s large enough that there’s always lots of room to keep your distance.
Looking for more ideas for things to see and do—virtual or not—in the Ottawa region? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter.
I also have a book coming out in May! You can pre-order Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100km Getaway Guide now at the pre-sale price of $14.95 plus shipping (the cover price will be $24.95 when it is published).