Whether you want to cheer for football players or fast boats, shop for art, cycle through Montreal, or take a selfie with sunflowers, I’ve found something for you to enjoy in and around Ottawa this week. As the summer comes to a close, there are a few “this is your last chance” listings here—including your last chance to catch a free waterfront show in Pembroke or to swim on a City of Ottawa beach. Wherever your travels take you, have fun!
Meander through mazes in Munster
There’s only a few weekends left to experience Maze Days at Saunders Farm in Munster. Visitors can explore five mazes, check out the splash pad and the pirate ship, bring a picnic, enjoy a puppet show, and more. The family-friendly event is running on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm until September 5. You must buy your tickets for a specific timeslot in advance, online.
Celebrate Capital Pride
Capital Pride, Ottawa’s celebration of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, is back with a huge array of virtual events and a few in-person ones, too (August 22 to 29). The theme this year is “We Still Demand!”, marking the 50th anniversary of Canada’s first large-scale queer rights demonstration. Virtual events include a Queer Market (throughout the festival), a drag pageant (August 25), an anti-racism discussion (August 26), a Queer Acoustic Soul concert (August 27), exercise and cooking classes (August 28), and the always-popular Pride Parade (August 29). One of the major in-person events is TD Spectacular, a one-day event at Lansdowne Park on August 29 from 3pm to 10pm, where highlights include concerts, food trucks and a beer garden.
Enjoy the arts in Merrickville and Almonte
The Merrickville Artists’ Guild, the Merrickville Organization for Culture and the Arts, and Theatre Night in Merrickville are presenting the first Merrickville Festival of the Arts this weekend (August 28 and 29) in the picturesque Rideau Canal village. More than 30 artists will display and sell their paintings, pottery, printmaking, mixed media, jewellery, books and other creations at two Merrickville locations. The Lions Pavilion at Blockhouse Park will be hosting live entertainment, including concerts on Saturday night by Sons of Martha and Off the Grid, poetry readings, and afternoon performances of “Tales of the Rideau Canal” (vignettes about the people who built the Rideau Canal, presented by Theatre Night in Merrickville).
Meanwhile, in Almonte, the A.D. Redux Art Crawl on Saturday, August 28, gives you the chance to check out lots of works by local artists—in particular, a group of friends whose association with the area began with the 1970s back-to-the-land movement—in a number of Almonte galleries. The fun starts at 11am.
Catch the REDBLACKS’ home opener in Ottawa
Head to TD Place at Lansdowne Park on Saturday, August 28, to catch the Ottawa REDBLACKS‘ home opener against the B.C. Lions. This will be the first Canadian Football League game at the Glebe stadium since November 1, 2019. Wondering how to find your way? Just follow the sea of fans wearing head-to-toe red and black. Kickoff is at 7pm.
Enjoy outdoor entertainment in Pembroke
Time is running out to catch a Waterfront Live! show in Pembroke. The series has been running all summer at the Riverwalk Amphitheatre. In the next week or so, the shows include (but aren’t limited to) concerts by the Honkytonk Drifters (August 25), Country Classics (August 27) and Sierra Levesque (August 29), as well as a screening of Knives Out (August 31). All shows are free, but you should get a ticket on Eventbrite in advance, as the number of spots is limited.
See sunflowers near Shawville
The Pontiac Growers Association has planted a big field of sunflowers just north of Shawville and invites photographers to check it out for some cool selfies! Donations to support the Canadian Foodgrains Bank are encouraged. The field is at the corner of Highway 148 and Radford Road.
Groove to the blues in Kingston
The Limestone City Blues Festival (August 27 and 28) is presenting an all-Canadian lineup of blues artists—including Paul Reddick, Soulstack, and Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar—in Springer Market Square and several Kingston clubs. You can save $5 on a wristband by buying it before August 27.
Bike on car-free streets in Montreal
The Tour de l’Ile de Montréal (Sunday, August 29) features family-friendly cycling activities and entertainment on a 33-kilometre loop along car-free streets in downtown Montreal. There’s even the chance to cycle into the Olympic Stadium. Make sure to register in advance before heading out, as you’ll need to pick your starting point and start time for social distancing purposes. The ride runs from 9am until 1pm.
Hit the beach in Ottawa
You have until Sunday, August 29, to enjoy the City of Ottawa’s four public beaches. After that, the lifeguards will be gone until next summer. The City’s 50-odd wading pools closed for the season on August 24. Full-sized outdoor and indoor pools remain open, and the City’s 140+ splash pads will be open until sometime in late September. The Ottawa Citizen has more details. (P.S.: If you’re looking for information on more than 40 beaches in Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais, I have a big post on that very topic.)
Cheer for power boaters along the St. Lawrence
If you like watching sleek boats go really, really fast, then head to the St. Lawrence River this weekend for the 1000 Islands Gananoque Poker Run (August 27 and 28). Pilots are slated to race from Gananoque to Brockville to Prescott and back, collecting cards for a knockout poker hand. However, to be honest, the details I’ve been able to gather about the event are a bit scant at this point. I’ll keep trying to update this with more info as the week goes on!
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