Ask anyone what October road trips in the Ottawa region means to them, and you’ll probably get a different answer. For some, it’s the chance to enjoy the fall colours on a scenic drive. For others, it’s harvest and food festivals. Studio tours draw the art-loving crowd. Then there are the folks who delight in a good scare, who have all sorts of Halloween events to choose from. And, of course, theatres, music venues and other arts centres are deep into their fall seasons.
This post will point you to all of this fun and more, whether you’re heading to Montreal, Perth, Kingston, Pembroke, Wakefield or points beyond, or staying here in Ottawa. Marathons, craft fairs, writers’ festivals, a butterfly show…they’re all here.
I’ll keep adding to this post as the month goes on, as I find out about more events, so please check back often for the latest news. And happy travels!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Week of September 26 to October 2
- Week of October 3 to 9
- Week of October 10 to 16
- Week of October 17 to 23
- Week of October 24 to 30
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 26 TO OCTOBER 2
Enjoy a Indigenous fall festival in Ottawa
The Tagwàgi (Autumn) Festival (September 30 to October 2) will give you the chance to reconnect with the land while learning about Indigenous traditions. There will be a Reconciliation Dinner on Friday night (6:30pm to 9:30pm), and the main family festival will run on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. On the two weekend days, you can take an interactive creative workshop, browse at the Indigenous Makers and Farmers Market, meet the rare Ojibwe Spirit Ponies, and sample Indigenous cuisine. You must register online in advance for a timed ticket. Admission is pay what you can, and there’s a charge of $5 per vehicle for onsite parking. It’s all happening at Mādahòkì Farm (4420 West Hunt Club Road).
Hobnob with authors in Kingston and Montreal
Book lovers will be heading to the Limestone City for Kingston WritersFest (September 28 to October 2). Writing workshops, authors’ talks, book signings, writing workshops and lots of other literary events are on the agenda. Participating authors include Heather O’Neill, Joshua Whitehead, Jessamine Chan and Guy Gavriel Kay. Tickets to individual events, festival passes and writing retreat passes are available; prices vary.
This is also the last weekend of the Festival International de la Littérature in Montreal (until October 2).
See elaborate pumpkin displays in Morrisburg and Kingston
This event is one of the coolest things in Eastern Ontario, in my humble opinion. Pumpkinferno, which began and still runs at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg (September 30 to October 30; check website for exact dates and times), is a nighttime…well, I’m not quite sure what to call it. Sound-and-light show? Halloween on steroids? Really, you’ve just got to see it to believe it. Thousands of glowing, hand-carved, artificial pumpkins are arranged in theatrical displays throughout the living history village, with eerie music wafting about. Tickets are $20.
The event is so popular that it has a second location at Fort Henry in Kingston (September 30 to October 31; again, check the website for exact dates and times). General admission tickets are $20 (military members with ID pay $10).
Check out the new main street in Smiths Falls
The long construction project to upgrade Beckwith Street in downtown Smiths Falls is done, and the town is celebrating with a BIG street party on Saturday, October 1. Back on Beckwith will feature live music, buskers, street eats, guided tours, a fashion show, an outdoor cocktail bar and much more, along with a shuttle bus to ferry you from point to point for free. The fun starts at 11am and goes late into the night.
Catch a free fall festival in Wakefield
The Fairbairn House Heritage Centre in Wakefield is hosting a free Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 2, from 11am to 4pm. Taste honey, learn to make cider, enjoy a live folk music show (at 2pm), paint a pumpkin and check out the historical exhibits. The museum is slated to close for the season on October 16, so this is one of your last chances to see its exhibition about the history of hippie music in West Quebec.
See a play in downtown Ottawa, Kanata, Kemptville or Gananoque
Speaking of last chances: This is your last weekend to catch Kanata Theatre’s production of The Marvelous Wonderettes at the Ron Maslin Playhouse in Kanata (running until Saturday, October 1). Act 1 is set at a 1958 high school prom, where four teenage girls provide the song-and-dance entertainment and endure the usual teenage crises. Act 2 takes place at a school reunion 10 years later, when the three girls who stayed in town catch up with one who moved to Hollywood. Expect lots of classic rock-and-roll, laughs and nostalgia, and maybe even a few tears.
Ottawa Little Theatre is presenting the Norm Foster comedy On a First-Name Basis, which tells the story of a successful novelist who realizes he knows almost zip about his housekeeper of 28 years…even though she knows almost all of his secrets. It runs until October 8 at the OLT’s theatre at the corner of Rideau and King Edward downtown.
Jersey Boys, the super-popular musical about the career of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, opens at the Springer Theatre (690 Charles Street South, Gananoque) of the 1000 Islands Playhouse on September 27 and runs until October 30.
North Grenville Community Theatre, meanwhile, is offering its production of Shirley Valentine at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall (100 Reuben Crescent, Kemptville) on two weekends: September 30 to October 2, and October 14 to 16. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know the funny, charming story of adventurous Shirley, a middle-aged Liverpudlian who learns a lot about herself and the world on a trip to Greece.
Catch a music festival in Montreal
I swear that Montreal has a cool-sounding music festival every week. This week’s event is the POP Montreal International Music Festival (September 28 to October 2), showcasing more than 200 musical artists (yes, you read that right) from around the world on multiple stages, including Alison Russell, Tortoise and Martha Wainright. You can also check out art exhibitions, kids’ programming and more. Tickets and full-festival passes are available at a range of prices.
Celebrate the arts across Ontario
Ontario Culture Days (September 23 to October 16) sees theatres, galleries, arts organizations, museums and many other organizations offering all sorts of intriguing arts and cultural activities. It’s a great way to get a taste of what these places do, and one of these events might just inspire you to take a road trip to a new-to-you community. This week, for instance, you could check out a belly-dancing workshop in Cornwall (October 1), a sock puppet party in Vankleek Hill (October 2) or an exhibition called Migration in Print at Carleton University (ongoing).
Toast Oktoberfest in Ladysmith or Lake Placid
Over in the Pontiac region of the Outaouais, Oktoberfest Ladysmith (September 30 and October 1) features craft vendors, German food, live music, Bavarian dancers, a parade and beer (of course!).
South of the border, Oktoberfest at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid (October 1 and 2) has been ranked among the top five Oktoberfests in the U.S. Tickets range from US$10 to US$25, and beer coupons are extra.
Meet artists on one of five studio tours
Eager to meet artists in their studios and buy their works? You can catch the second weekend of the Chelsea and Wakefield Studio Tour (October 1 and 2) or this weekend’s Tournée des artistes et artisans in and around Cantley (October 1 and 2), or head south for the Prince Edward County Studio Tour (September 30 to October 2). In the Ottawa Valley, artists are inviting you into studios in spots from Eganville to Barry’s Bay during the Madawaska Valley Studio Tour (September 30 to October 2). And further west, you can catch the first weekend of the Haliburton Highlands Studio Tour (October 1 and 2; it also runs October 8 and 9).
Shop for unique gifts in Pembroke
The Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice fall craft and vendor show on Sunday, October 2, will feature more than 75 crafters and vendors. There will be live entertainment, too…as well as the chance to cuddle a goat! It’s happening at the Germania Club Hall (15 Bennett Street, Pembroke) from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free, but donations to the St. Joseph’s Fall Food Drive are welcomed.
Tiptoe through the butterflies in Ottawa
You can see hundreds of free-flying butterflies from many species during the annual Biology Butterfly Show in the Nesbitt Biology Building greenhouses at Carleton University (public entry on October 1, 2, 8 and 9). Admission is free, but donations are most welcome.
This year, for the first time, the organizers will be issuing timed tickets at the door; note that tickets are not available online. Once you have your tickets, you can leave the line and come back five minutes before your admission time. Once you’re in the doors, you’ll have 15 minutes to visit the butterflies. The hope is that this new system will decrease the massive lines of past years, which sometimes saw butterfly lovers waiting several hours for admission.
If you’d like to increase the chances that a butterfly will land on you, wear bright clothing and bring some pineapple or orange slices (keep ’em sealed until you’re ready for a landing). Note that while masks are not required, the high humidity and limited ventilation in the greenhouses make them a high-risk environment for COVID-19 transmission, so masks are strongly encouraged.
Shop for crafts in Manotick or Old Ottawa South
If you’ve been visiting this website for a while, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of the One World Bazaar in Manotick. The sale—which opens for the season this year on September 29 and runs through November 20—features goods gathered from artisans in countries around the world, such as Turkey, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa and Guatemala. The family behind the event adheres to fair trade practices and deals directly with artisans. The resulting sale is enormous, and it’s a great chance to get a jump on your Christmas shopping (assuming you’re the type who plans way in advance—if so, I salute you). The bazaar’s core days are Friday through Sunday, but it’s also open some Thursdays, as well as Thanksgiving Monday; see the website for details.
On a smaller scale, Trinity Anglican Church in Old Ottawa South is holding its Fall Fair on Saturday, October 1, from 10am to 2pm. Shop for baked goods, frozen meals, knitting, hand-sewn items and jigsaw puzzles.
Get a scare in Syracuse
Fright Nights in Syracuse (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, September 30 to October 30) is like a haunted house that just kept growing. In fact, the 82,000-square-foot site is host to multiple separate spooky spaces animated by actors. Check out the Jurassic Dark dino-themed attraction (the largest such site in the U.S.) or test your mettle against the Devil’s Dungeon Slide to Hell—whatever floats your scary boat.
Enjoy a country fair in Metcalfe
The Metcalfe Fair (September 29 to October 2) is marking its 166th birthday this year with an array of amusements, including a midway, a demolition derby, a classic car show, fiddling and step dancing, clowns, concerts and more.
Have some outdoor family fun in Bells Corners, Munster or Pembroke
For many people, fall isn’t fall until they’ve been lost in a farmer’s field. If that’s you, you can check out a corn maze on weekends at Maple Hill Urban Farm on Moodie Drive in Bells Corners on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until early November, weather permitting. (The maze is also open other days by appointment.) You can buy tickets at the gate with cash or by e-transfer.
Over at Saunders Farm in Munster, a range of mazes is just one aspect of the big family-friendly Pumpkin Season event (Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 5pm, September 25 to October 31). You can also bounce on big trampolines, wander a spooky hiking trail, take a gently scary haunted hayride, ride a zipline, sip cider on a patio and more.
On Fridays, Saturdays and select Sundays, Saunders also hosts the wildly popular FrightFest (September 26 to October 31, 6:30pm to 10:30pm), an enormous Halloween attraction featuring the Barn of Terror, the Cemetery Crypt and other sites that aim to scare the #*%&# out of visitors. (This one isn’t for little ones.) The event is open on additional nights during the week leading up to Halloween.
Advance ticket purchase is required for both Saunders Farm events.
In Pembroke, Hugli’s Blueberry Farm is offering all sorts of daytime family fun every day from September 17 until October 31 (hours vary), including a corn maze, pedal carts, a straw jump and the chance to visit farm animals. On weekends, the roster of activities expands to also include pig races, a pumpkin cannon and wagon rides.
Catch a cutting-edge show in Montreal
It’s hard to know quite how to classify Phénomena (October 2 to 21), an eclectic arts festival in Montreal. This year, it starts with a one-of-a-kind parade that features an urban fairy and rollerskating brides (October 2). Later in the festival, productions include Beats (which fuses dance, sound creation and visual projections); Musings of the Milky Way (a bilingual shadow play about interstellar exploration, for kids and adults); and the Not-So-Nice Feminist Cabaret (which promises an evening of impertinent women being as loud, angry, sarcastic and provocative as they want—hooray!).
Run a marathon in Picton
In Picton, the County Marathon (Sunday, October 2) features a Boston Marathon-qualifying marathon, as well as a half-marathon and a 50km ultra marathon.
Enjoy a harvest festival in Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga is hosting the Heritage, Harvest, and Horse Festival on Saturday, October 1. Amusements will include a six-acre corn maze, kids’ games, apple picking, horse-drawn wagon rides and lots of other equestrian fun, and a farmers’ market. The fort is located in Ticonderoga, New York, about a four-hour drive from Ottawa.
Discover cutting-edge art in Toronto
Nuit Blanche returns to Toronto with another all-night cultural festival on Saturday, October 1 (though to the wee hours of Sunday, October 2). Artworks, installations and exhibitions run the gamut, from a dinner table stretching the length of a city block (which visitors will be invited to shower with coloured dust, to symbolize all the celebrations we missed during the pandemic) to a project that will turn busy Yonge-Dundas Square into an Indigenous-inspired skate park dotted with fish sculptures. It’s the perfect festival for nighthawks and insomniacs.
WEEK OF OCTOBER 3 TO OCTOBER 9
Celebrate the harvest in Manotick
There’s lots happening at the Harvest Festival at Watson’s Mill in Manotick on Saturday, October 8, including free wagon rides, kids’ craft activities, a scavenger hunt, lawn games, a farmers’ market and a used book sale. It’s also your last chance this season to see the mill in wheat-grinding action.
Browse for fashion deals in Gatineau
La Grande Braderie de Mode Québécoise, a fashion sale featuring 60 Quebec designers, will be drawing fashionistas to the Hilton Lac-Leamy in Gatineau (October 7 and 8). Designers are offering discounts of up to 80%.
Catch a mid-week fundraising concert in Wellington Village
Wednesday, October 5, is the City of Ottawa’s first-ever Right to Food Day, which aims to focus attention on food security and hunger in our community. The Parkdale Food Centre is marking the occasion with a fundraising concert in Parkdale Park from 5pm to 9pm. Juno-winning singer-songwriter Lynn Miles will headline the show, and the concert will also feature performances by DJ Bagowji, John Ian, and the Dusty Drifters. There will be speakers, contests, prizes and food, too. Admission is by donation, with funds raised going to the food centre. (P.S.: While you’re there, you can also check out the Parkdale Market’s Harvest Night Market from 4pm to 8pm, featuring some 60 local vendors.)
Make up for your holiday feast in Cumberland or Rivière-Rouge
Worried about packing on some post-turkey weight? Rev up your metabolism before the big feast with anything from a walk to or a full-blown marathon run on Sunday, October 9.
In Cumberland, the Ottawa Fall Colours Run offers 3K, 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon runs, as well as a 1K Turkey Trot for kids and a 1K Wedding Dress Dash. The longer runs are qualifiers for the New York and Boston marathons. Runners set off from the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum.
That same day in Rivière-Rouge (north of the town of Mont-Tremblant), the Marathon Desjardins de la Vallée de la Rouge includes 2.5K, 5K, 10K, 15K, half-marathon, 30K and marathon events.
Enjoy great concerts in small places
The Ontario Festival of Small Halls is back, offering three packed weekends of concerts in intimate venues across Eastern Ontario (October 6 to 8, 14 to 16, and 21 to 23). Honestly, there are WAY too many concerts and locations to list here. Just to give you a taste of what’s happening on the first weekend, you can catch Charlie A’Court in Elgin or Morrisburg, or Inn Echo in Dunvegan or Brockville. (At some of those shows, the musicians I’ve named will be sharing the bill with another act, for even more music!)
Celebrate fall in Merrickville
On Saturday, October 8, you can head to Heritage Stables on the outskirts of Merrickville for Fall for Merrickville, a celebration of the season that runs from 10am to 4pm. The attractions will include a vendors’ market, seven food trucks, a charity auction, live music, a petting zoo, wagon rides and more. You can even try your luck at riding a mechanical bull! Tickets are $10 and are available here.
Check out a film festival in Montreal
I doubt many of the films showcased at Montreal’s Festival du nouveau cinéma (October 5 to 16) will be showing up on Netflix anytime soon, so catch them while you can. From Japan, Iran, Brazil and many other places, filmmakers have submitted everything from experimental animated films to documentaries. Over its 51-year history, the festival has presented films by all sorts of innovative directors, including Guy Maddin, Jane Campion, Atom Egoyan and Wim Wenders.
See a musical in Orleans about Casselman cows
OK, this is the sort of announcement that doesn’t cross my desk every day: The Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans is presenting Vaches, a musical comedy in French based on a true story about a Casselman farmer trying to save some cows despite an ice storm, some soldiers, the mayor and his daughter. See, I told you this was an unusual one. It runs from October 5 to 8.
Browse for art in Carp, Perth, Mississippi Mills and Haliburton
Art lovers can head to Lanark County to check out the Mississippi Mills Art Romp on October 8 and 9 from 10am to 4pm. The romp is actually two former tours in one: the Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour in Almonte and Clayton, and the Maple Run Tour in Pakenham. More than 50 artists and artisans will be offering an extensive range of art, craft, design, food and beverages at 13 stops. A tip from the organizers: Bring cash or cheques, as cell phone and internet access can be tricky at the rural stops. (I’d pack a paper map, too, if I were you.)
Further to the west, you can catch the final weekend of the Haliburton Highlands Studio Tour (October 8 and 9).
Prefer your art all in one place? The West Carleton Arts Society’s fall show and sale, Expressions of Art (October 7 to 9), is happening at the Carp Fairgrounds and features the work of more than 30 local artists.
Celebrate fall in Rigaud
From October 8 to 10, the Festival des Couleurs in Rigaud features a wide range of amusements, including live shows, a kids’ zone, a farmers’ market, food trucks and much more.
Enjoy an escape-room style adventure at Pinhey’s Point
Pinhey’s Point is a 19th-century manor house in Dunrobin, and this weekend it’s hosting an interactive living history experience called A Knock at the Door that’s part escape room, part choose-your-own-adventure. When the “host” of your gathering goes missing, you and the other guests will work together to complete puzzles, crack clues and solve the mystery before time runs out. Every choice might change the outcome, so you’ll need to choose carefully. And you’ll be rewarded with light refreshments after the experience. You can join the fun on October 7 and 8. There are two 90-minute “shows” each evening, at 6:30pm and 9pm, and advance registration is required. Tickets are $28.25 per person, and you must be at least 18 years old.
WEEK OF OCTOBER 10 TO OCTOBER 16
Celebrate trees in McDonald’s Corners
Retired CBC gardens expert and former Rideau Hall horticulturalist Ed Lawrence will be one of the guest speakers at the Trees 4 Life Festival on Saturday, October 15, at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners (a tiny community northwest of Perth). The free festival will also feature an indoor art show, a pottery display, other tree-related talks and vendors’ tables, and a vegetarian chili lunch.
Shop for art in Aylmer
Gatineau en Couleurs (October 14 to 16) is a multidisciplinary art show and sale where you can see artists at work and buy their creations. Painters and sculptors from across the Outaouais and beyond will be participating in the event, which is taking place at the Hotel Doubletree by Hilton in Aylmer.
Have some laughs in Cornwall
CBC Radio comedy fave Derek Séguin is headlining a night of standup comedy presented by the Cornwall Comedy Festival at the Aultsville Theatre on Saturday, October 15. Sharing the bill will be comics Jen Grant, Nick Reynoldson and Viveth K, and Rob Bebenek will host.
Check out an Indigenous arts sale at St. Laurent Shopping Centre
The Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada and St. Laurent Shopping Centre are presenting an Indigenous Arts Marketplace on October 15 and 16 at the mall (1200 St. Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa). As well as browsing for unique items handmade by some 75 vendors, you can enjoy performances by jingle dress dancers, throat singers, hoop dancers and a Métis jigging dance troupe.
Enjoy a fall festival in Petawawa
The Petawawa Ramble (October 14 and 16) is a weekend event featuring everything from “pumpkin people” posed in cute scenes (hello, Instagram!) to a werewolf-themed interactive theatre game at a living history park (note that you must buy tickets for that one by October 11), bouncy castles at the Petawawa Container Market and a scavenger hunt. And are you looking for a new family photo? On Saturday, October 15, three local pro photographers will be taking outdoor portraits in exchange for a donation to the Kid Sport charity.
Enjoy Welsh music and treats in Kanata
First Catch Your Peacock is billed as an afternoon of “Welsh culinary delights and bardic music.” This Kanata North Community Concert will take place at St. John’s Anglican Church (325 Sandhill Road, Kanata North) on Sunday, October 16, starting at 2:30pm, and will feature vocal, harp, harpsichord and other music. Admission is by donation, and masks are required.
Cheer for the Redblacks or the Ottawa 67s at TD Place
Head to TD Place at Lansdowne Park on Friday, October 14, to cheer on the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks as they take on the Montreal Alouettes. Kickoff is at 7pm.
On Sunday, October 16, the OHL’s Ottawa 67s face off against the Guelph Storm at TD Place. The puck drops at 2pm.
Pop into a market in Metcalfe
Don’t miss the last regular Metcalfe Farmers’ Market of the season. It’s happening at the Metcalfe Fairgrounds (2821 8th Line Road, Metcalfe) from 9am to 1pm on Saturday, October 15. Or check out my big list of farmers’ markets all over our region to find another market that’s still open.
Catch a concert in Morrisburg or Orleans
For its first concert of the season, the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage in Morrisburg is presenting Juno-winning singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman on Saturday, October 15. A little bit folk, a little bit pop and a little bit cabaret, Workman has collected a devoted fan following since releasing his indie debut in 1999. The show will also feature singer-songwriter Mikhail Laxton, who now lives in Ottawa but hails from Australia, where he competed on that country’s version of The Voice.
That same evening, you can see Isn’t He Lovely, a tribute to the music of Stevie Wonder, at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans.
Learn calligraphy in Kingston
Have you ever wanted to learn the art of fine lettering? This weekend could be your chance, as Cody Calligraphy is holding a modern calligraphy workshop at the Refinery Spa and Social House (327 King Street East, Kingston). The two-hour session, aimed at beginners, includes supplies, snacks and a glass of sparkling wine—plus, you’ll receive a kit of supplies and calligraphy instruments to take home.
See a play in Perth or Brockville
The Studio Theatre in Perth is presenting an evening called Muses and Mysteries featuring two one-act plays: a comedy called Whistler’s Mother (about the possible origins of the famous painting) and a thriller called The Attic about secrets hidden in, well, an attic! It runs over two weekends: October 13 to 16, and October 20 to 23.
Meanwhile, the Brockville Arts Centre is presenting a live performance of the popular musical Little Shop of Horrors on October 13, 14 and 15 (shows at 7:30pm nightly, plus a 2pm matinée on Saturday). Come enjoy the antics of a shy florist and the blood-thirsty plant that may help him finally find true love.
Eat poutine on Sparks Street
I’m not a big poutine fan (yeah, I know, I’m a terrible Canadian). But I also know that I’m in the minority, and this website is for you, not me! If cheese curds, gravy and fries are your jam, then check out Sparks Street Poutinefest (October 13 to 16). A dozen local mobile purveyors of carby comestibles will be dishing up their treats between Elgin and Bank Streets, and six Sparks Street restaurants are joining in the fun. There will be live entertainment, too.
See a demolition derby in Lombardy
Want to see cars get smashed up? Then head to the Lombardy Fairgrounds for the Fall Classic Demolition Derby on Saturday, October 15. The gates open at noon, admission is $10 (free for kids five and under), and there will be a food and beer garden.
Raise a glass at an Oktoberfest or ale festival
It’s not too late to enjoy an Oktoberfest! This weekend, you can celebrate German food and all things beer at Oktoberfests at the Lowertown Brewery in Ottawa, the Memorial Farmers’ Market in Kingston and Bear Mountain in upstate New York. It’s also the last weekend to catch the granddaddy of Ontario’s Oktoberfests, the huge event in Kitchener-Waterloo. Check my big roundup of Oktoberfests for links and dates.
The New York State Cask Ale Festival (Saturday, October 15) at Woodland Farm Brewery in Utica, New York, will showcase at least a dozen participating breweries from across the state. Utica is about a four-hour drive from Ottawa.
WEEK OF OCTOBER 17 TO OCTOBER 23
Browse for prize antiques and vintage clothes in Ottawa
If nothing thrills you like the chance to complete your set of antique china or to score a working 1930s radio, then head to the Carleton University Fieldhouse this weekend for the Ottawa Antique and Vintage Market (October 22 and 23). Over the same two days, the same venue will also host the Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show. Channel your inner Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe or Cher as you peruse clothing, handbags, jewellery and more, from the 1920s through the 1980s. (Retro menswear is available, too!)
Rock to AC/DC tunes in Perth
Hell’s Bells! Who Made Who, an AC/DC tribute band, will be on stage at Farrell Hall in Perth on Saturday, October 22. Tickets to this 19-and-older event are $32 plus fees in advance, or $37 at the door. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm.
See a play in Old Ottawa South or Kingston
Did you discover local “free stuff” networks during the pandemic—online sites where people are giving away their unwanted goods? Then you might enjoy the brand-new comedy Buy Nothing: The Play, inspired by one Ottawa neighbourhood’s Buy Nothing page on Facebook. It’s running at the Ottawa Tennis and Lawn Bowling Club in Old Ottawa South (176 Cameron Avenue) from October 21 to 23, with shows each evening at 7pm, and matinées at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Domino Theatre in Kingston is staging a production of the Agatha Christie classic Murder on the Orient Express on select nights from October 20 until November 4, with an afternoon matinée on November 5. Can superstar detective Hercule Poirot figure out which of the exotic passengers on this luxury train brought one of their fellow travellers to an untimely end?
Make your Halloween plans
Yeah, I know Halloween isn’t until the end of the month, but if you want to visit a haunted house, a drive-through Halloween attraction or a big site like Pumpkinferno, you should be making your plans now, as tickets to these sorts of events often sell out. And even if you’re a last-minute type, you might want to consider all the possibilities now, so you can pick the best one(s) at the end of October. Fortunately, I’ve just updated my huge list of Halloween attractions in and around Ottawa, so all the info you need is all in one place. As I say in that post, happy haunting.
Eat, drink and be merry in Montreal
At the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal, La Grande Dégustation de Montréal (October 20 to 22) gives you the chance to sample beverages from more than 280 winemakers, distillers and brewers. The themes this year are world tour and cocktails, but there will be something for just about every taste.
Catch a music festival in Johnstown
King’s Lock Distillery in Johnstown is hosting a Harvest Music Festival over two fall Saturdays. The first iteration, on Saturday, October 22, will feature music by five artists, include Jake Epstein (who rose to fame as Craig Manning on Degrassi: The Next Generation). If you miss this show, the festival continues on November 5 with some of the same artists and some different ones. And if you get thirsty while you’re listening, the distillery makes a wide range of spirits, including gin, rye, vodka and even moonshine. Johnstown is just east of Prescott, at the Ontario end of the bridge to Ogdensburg, New York.
Shop (and meet me!) at Lansdowne Park
Two big events for fans of hand-created items are coming to Lansdowne Park in Ottawa’s Glebe neighbourhood this weekend. First, the Signatures Handmade Market in the Aberdeen Pavilion (October 20 to 23) gives you the chance to browse for items made by 150 artists, artisans, culinary businesses and other creators from across Canada. And if you drop by on Saturday, October 22, between 2pm and 4pm, you can meet me and buy signed copies of my day trips and weekend getaways guidebooks! (I’ll be at the Ottawa Press and Publishing booth.) The show opens at 10am daily and runs until 9pm on Thursday and Friday, until 6pm on Saturday, and until 5pm on Sunday.
If you’re at Lansdowne on Saturday, you can also check out Wall Candy NOIR in the Horticulture Building. The fine-art show and sale features works by some 50 Canadian artists. It runs from 10am to 4pm.
Take a guided bus trip to Merrickville
OK, here’s the second plug in a row for…me! I’ll be leading a guided food and shopping bus tour to Merrickville with the wonderful La Vida Local tours on Sunday, October 23. You can board the bus at either St. Laurent Shopping Centre or Carlingwood Shopping Centre for the seven-hour tour. The day’s fun will include a guided mustard tasting at Mrs. McGarrigle’s and a glass-blowing demonstration (with a glass of wine) at Gray Art Glass. You’ll also have free time for lunch and shopping, and you can ask me all the questions you like—about Merrickville or any of the other places I cover—during the day. Plus, you’ll travel with a congenial group, and you won’t have to worry about driving, parking or the price of gas! If you’re keen, please sign up ASAP, as only 16 seats are available.
Have a laugh in Brockville
Laughs4ACure is a fundraising event for the Huntington Society of Canada at the Aquatarium in Brockville on Friday, October 21. Headliner Pete Zedlacher and opening act Rick Lemieux will be dishing up the standup comedy, and the organizers will be dishing up pizza (your ticket includes two slices).
Hear authors in Ottawa
The fall edition of the Ottawa International Writers Festival (October 19 to 26) features a widely varied slate of authors, including Elamin Abdelmahmoud, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Sarah Kendzior, El Jones and Cory Doctorow. Most events take place at Christ Church Cathedral on Sparks Street.
Visit a farm near Smiths Falls
The Milkhouse Farm and Dairy near Smiths Falls is offering free farm tours on Saturday, October 22, from 10am to 3pm. Meet the sheep and llamas, learn a bit about farming, and shop for cheese, meat, art, veggies and other items from local producers. You can also drop into a nearby pottery studio and a farm museum. No dogs allowed. Wear clear/washed shoes if you’ve been visiting another farm.
Sample gluten-free food in Stittsville
If you’re avoiding gluten, this specialized tour might be just your thing. The Stittsville Gluten Free Food Truck Tour (Thursday, October 20, 4pm to 7pm) will feature stops at five food trucks where you can nosh on gluten-free goodies, including waffles, ribs and ice cream. Tickets are $45.
Visit artists’ studios in Ottawa
The Enriched Bread Artists co-op in Ottawa is launching its annual Open Studio with a vernissage on Thursday, October 20. During this year’s edition, you can visit studios and see works by 21 artists, on Saturdays and Sundays (11am to 5pm) from October 22 until October 30. There will be performances and artists’ talks, too.
You can also meet 22 local artists in 12 studios during the self-driving Red Trillium Studio Tour in and around Carp, Dunrobin and Kinburn areas on October 22 and 23 (10am to 4pm). Browse for paintings, photography, pottery, glasswork, weaving, basketry, wood-turned items, clothing and more. Several local restaurants will be open (and probably doing a roaring business) if you get hungry along the way; the tour website has all the details.
Connect with nature in Elizabethtown-Kitley
Work of Our Time: Exploring Nature-Based Stewardship is a one-day event at the Lamb’s Pond Nature Sanctuary in Elizabethtown-Kitley (north of Brockville) on Saturday, October 22. In the morning, participants will enjoy a guided forest-bathing experience. After a healthy lunch, there will be a presentation about eco feminism. The whole day is designed to help people renew their connection to nature.
Get a scare in Manotick or Smiths Falls
Watson’s Mill in Manotick will be a spooky house of horrors during Haunt Nights from October 20 to 22. Meanwhile, the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum will become a Haunted House over two weekends—October 21 and 22, and October 28 and 29.
Enjoy a free arts festival in Orleans
On Sunday, October 23, the No Borders Art Festival is coming to the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans. Starting at 2pm, the free, family-friendly festival will feature drummer, choirs, discussion groups and more, including performances of several pieces by Indigenous composer Beverley Mckiver. The emphasis is on inclusivity and accessibility.
Go for a run at Tremblant
La Classique Solomon is a series of races ranging from 1K to 30K taking place on Saturday, October 22, at Tremblant. The shorter ones are open to kids as young as four. You must register online, and advance registrations (i.e., before race day) are strongly encouraged.
See movies in Toronto or Lake Placid
The Lake Placid Film Festival (October 20 to 23) will be screening more than 20 movies this year, including films focused on everything from racism in the Adirondacks to a Korean adoptee’s return to Seoul. For nostalgia buffs, there will be big-screen showings of the Paul Newman hockey movie Slap Shot and the 1982 classic E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.
If you like your movies on the intense side, the Toronto After Dark Film Festival (October 19 to 23) screens sci-fi, horror, action and cult movies.
WEEK OF OCTOBER 24 TO OCTOBER 30
Enjoy a concert in Almonte
VC2, a duo comprising cellists Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt, takes to the stage at the Almonte Old Town Hall for a concert on Saturday, October 29, as part of the Almonte in Concert series. As I just learned from reading the concert info, Beethoven liked writing for cello and thus shares some of the credit for the enduring popularity of the instrument. The concert program includes Beethoven cello sonatas, as well as works by Beethoven’s friends and admirers, and pieces that VC2 has commissioned.
The next afternoon, Almonte-based musicians Jen Noxon and the Brindled Cats will be giving a matinée concert of jazzy tunes at the Union Hall, just west of Almonte. The show starts at 4pm.
Browse an art sale in Manotick
The Manotick Art Association is holding its annual Inspirations Small Treasures Art Show and Sale on October 29 and 30 at Manotick United Church (5567 Manotick Main Street). All items are under $200. The show runs from 10am to 4:30pm on Saturday, and 11:30am to 4:30pm on Sunday, and admission is free.
Hang out with goats near Seeley’s Bay
Goat Ridge Farm near Seeley’s Bay regularly offers goat walks with its floppy-eared Nubian goats. It’s running two more on Saturday, October 29: one starting at 10am and another at 1pm. The 1.5km walk takes about an hour, and tickets are $22 plus tax. The farm also has llamas, and you can shop for pottery and produce.
See a play in Ottawa, Perth or Kingston
In Ottawa, Bear and Co.’s production of Mixed Doubles—a farce by Ottawa playwright Kate Jaimet involving rival teams of Baby Boomer and Gen Z tennis players, as well as the Greek playwright Aristophanes and a commedia dell’arte character—runs at the Gladstone Theatre until November 5.
If you missed Studio Theatre Perth’s production of Whistler’s Mother earlier in October, you’re in luck: that one-act play will be presented again on Thursday, October 27, along with a one-act play called The Black Chair, produced by Theatre Night in Merrickville. In this Duel of the One Acts, both plays will be competing for the right to head to the Eastern Ontario Drama Festival in Lindsay in early November.
And in Kingston, you can see a French-language performance of Le Dernier Sacrament by Quebec writer, actor and director Denis Bouchard. It’s a dramatic comedy about a doubting atheist confronted on his deathbed by a religious nurse and her daughter. There’s just one performance, on Friday, October 28, at the Centre culturel Frontenac (711 Dalton Street).
Get wedding inspiration in Ottawa
Tying the knot soon? Then you might be interested in checking out the Ottawa Wedding Show (October 29 and 30) at the EY Centre, where you can browse for bridal dresses, caterers, photographers, wedding planners and more.
Catch a game in Ottawa
Sports fans have a buffet of games to choose from this week. On Thursday, October 27, the Ottawa Senators face off against the Minnesota Wild at the Canadian Tire Centre; the game starts at 7pm. The Ottawa 67s play two hometown hockey games at TD Place this week, taking on the Peterborough Petes (Friday, October 28, 7pm) and the Soo Greyhounds (Sunday, October 30, 1pm). In between those two games, the Ottawa Redblacks will battle the Hamilton Ti-Cats at TD Place on Saturday, October 29; kickoff is at 5pm. And the Canadian Premier League soccer final rounds out a busy weekend at TD Place, pitting Atlético Ottawa against Hamilton’s Forge FC at 6pm on Sunday.
Celebrate Halloween
We’re coming into the home stretch toward Halloween next Monday, and there are dozens of haunted houses, spooky mazes, ghost tours, trick-or-treat afternoons and similar attractions competing for your attention. Check out my huge list of Halloween activities for details on scary fun all over Eastern Ontario and beyond.
Drop into a trunk sale in Cornwall
Marlin Orchards on the eastern edge of Cornwall is hosting its 13th annual Trunk Sale on October 29 and 30, from 10am to 4pm. Browse for goodies from more than 100 vendors. You can get a day pass for $8 or a weekend pass for $15, and funds raised support Beyond 21’s program for adults with developmental disabilities.
Party like 007 in Pembroke
On Saturday, October 29, the Wine, Beer and Food Tasting Gala at the Germania Club in Pembroke is a fundraiser for Columbus House, a centre for youth at risk. This year’s theme is James Bond, and a wide range of local restaurateurs, caterers, and food and beverage producers will be on hand.
See two classic Canadian bands in Orleans
The Northern Happiness Tour brings together two of the biggest Canadian bands of the ’80s and ’90s, The Pursuit of Happiness and The Northern Pikes. The tour rolls into the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans on Friday, October 28. And just in case you’ve forgotten the very catchy breakout single by TPOH, I’ve included the video above. Now “I’m an Adult Now” will be in your head all day. You’re welcome.
I’ll have more ideas for this first weekend in November in my November road trip roundup post, which should be ready by late October. Stay tuned!
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais, northern New York state and beyond? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your Weekend Getaway Guide.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.
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