Looking for a festival, gala or race in Ottawa and environs in February 2023? Look no further! Go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, take an art class, learn about Black history, eat poutine, skate in a kilt, sample whisky at a new festival, or attend a posh gala. Heck, I’ve even found a theremin concert for you! Read on for details.
If you’re seeking Valentine’s Day inspiration, I have a post featuring all sorts of romantic Valentine’s ideas.
And don’t forget to check my big list of winter festivals across Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais and beyond, for the dates for everything from small community celebrations to Winterlude and Quebec’s Carnaval. Note that Winterlude runs from February 3 to 20, mainly on weekends.
I’ll keep updating this post as the month goes on, so keep checking back.
Wherever the road takes you, enjoy!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Week of January 30 to February 5
- Week of February 6 to February 12
- Week of February 13 to February 19
- Week of February 20 to February 26
WEEK OF JANUARY 30 TO FEBRUARY 5
Get wedding ideas in Kingston
Engaged couples might want to check out the Timeless Memories Bridal Show at the Kingston campus of St. Lawrence College on Sunday, February 5. Admission is free, and there are door prizes.
See adventure movies in Gatineau
The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival showcases award-winning movies from the Alberta festival, which focuses on mountain sports, adventure and the environment. It rolls into Gatineau on Sunday, February 5.
Cheer for snowmobile racers in Eganville
Since 1974, snowmobilers have been coming to Eganville each winter to test their machines and their skills against each other in the Bonnechere Cup. This year, the action returns to Eganville’s ice oval on February 4 and 5.
See a play in Kanata
Kanata Theatre is staging Almost, Maine, a whimsical play about people in a small town falling in and out of love, from January 31 to February 11.
Enjoy an outdoor festival in downtown Gatineau
Aurora (February 4 to 12) features lots of free outdoor fun on Brewery Creek in downtown Gatineau from 5pm to 9pm nightly. Skate on the frozen creek, check out illuminated art installations, warm up at a coffee bar and just chill to the music (there will be a DJ on weekends and recorded tunes the rest of the time). Speaking of chilling: The festival was originally scheduled to start on February 3, but as I type this, the opening has been postponed to February 4 due to the extreme windchill. Check the festival’s website for the latest updates.
Go cross-country skiing in Brudenell
The Opeongo Classic Loppet is a series of cross-country ski races along trails in Brudenell, near Killaloe in Renfrew County. There’s everything from a 2.5km loop for kids under 10 to 20km loops for adults. The loppet takes place this year on Sunday, February 5, and online registration closes at 1pm on Saturday, February 4. To participate, you must register online in advance; there will be no onsite registration.
Browse for antiques in Kingston
The Kingston Winter Antique Show (AKA the Cabin Fever Show) is taking place on February 4 and 5 at the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour Centre. Dealers from across Ontario and Quebec will be selling jewellery, vintage advertising materials, mid-century modern furniture, folk art and much more. Many dealers come back every year to this hit show, which has been running for 40 years.
Take an art class in Chelsea
Feeling creative? At La Fab sur Mill in Chelsea, you can take a bilingual beginner’s class in comic strip drawing on Saturday, February 4 (open to those 13 and up) or learn to make a mosaic tabletop on Sunday, February 5 (open to all ages).
Sample special restaurant menus in Kingston
Wow, there’s a lot happening in the Limestone City this month! As part of Kingstonlicious, a winter-long dining promotion, restaurants are offering special prix-fixe menus. There are gala chef’s dinners throughout the winter, too. You can also get $100 if you book a Kingstonlicious hotel stay.
Cheer for athletes in the Adirondacks
The Empire State Winter Games (February 2 to 5) bring together athletes from across New York state to compete in more than 20 winter sports in venues across the Adirondacks, including Olympic training sites. You can cheer on the competitors in multiple communities, including Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake.
Dig into poutine across Canada
It’s winter. It’s cold. It’s dark. What better time to console yourself with cheesy carbs, right? That must be the thinking behind La Poutine Week, which actually stretches across two weeks (February 1 to 14) and showcases poutine makers across Canada. Check out the La Poutine Week website to find a purveyor of poutine goodness near you. The list includes shops in Ottawa, Gatineau, Montreal and many other places—even France!
Catch a concert in Ottawa, the Outaouais or White Lake
The TD Ottawa Winter Jazz Fest comes to Arts Court, Club SAW and the Alma Duncan Salon at the Ottawa Art Gallery on February 3 and 4. Acts on the busy schedule include Right in the Eye, Felicity Williams and Kenny Barron.
Meanwhile, you can get a sneak peek into the Hills Winter Music Festival on Saturday, February 4. From 4pm to 6pm, the artists behind the festival are holding an open house at La Fab sur Mill in Chelsea. The main event runs in Chelsea and Wakefield from February 10 through 12.
In White Lake, Mountain Head plays the Neat Coffee Shop on Saturday, February 4. According to the promotional page, “Their sound blends psych-rock, alt-rock, and elements of electro-pop and jangle pop into unique and potent sonic concoctions.” Well, that sounds cool.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6 TO FEBRUARY 12
Dance to Latin tunes at a Gatineau festival
Chase away the winter chill by spending four days watching top competitors dance to bachata and other Latin music—or by taking a turn on the dance floor yourself! The Capital Bachata Festival (February 9 to 12) at the Palais des Congrès in Gatineau focuses on bachata but also includes salsa and other styles. There’s a packed schedule of competitions, while beginners and intermediate dancers can choose from lots of workshops. And the social dancing sessions will likely go long into the night.
Delve into the history of Black music in Centrepointe
Freedom! The Spirit and Legacy of Black Music features 10 Black singers and musicians performing everything from gospel to rap. It was a huge hit at the Stratford Festival last summer, and it’s coming to the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe on Thursday, February 9.
Ski from Mont Tremblant to Gatineau
The Canadian Ski Marathon is North America’s oldest cross-country skiing event; it began in 1966. This year, you can challenge yourself to complete one or more segments or the whole 160-kilometre route on February 11 and 12. This isn’t a race. It’s open to skiers of all levels and abilities! The shortest segment is 12km, and the event takes place on groomed trails. The first day takes place between Mont Tremblant to Montebello, while the second day’s action takes place between Montebello and Gatineau. And if you can’t get to the Outaouais, you can sign up for the virtual version of the challenge. In that, you go for as many 15km ski trips as you can, anywhere you like, between now and March 19.
Celebrate mountaineering in the Adirondacks
The Adirondack International Mountainfest in Keene Valley, New York, features presentations, outdoor adventure clinics and tours, and more. It runs from February 10 to 13.
Hum along to 1950s tunes or enjoy a free festival in Orleans
If you know every word to “Walk Like a Man,” “Sherry” and other big hits from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, you just might want to catch the tribute show Jersey Nights, coming to the Shenkman Arts Center in Orleans on Friday, February 10.
The next day, the Shenkman and the Heart of Orleans are presenting a free, all-day festival called Fête Frissons. The February 11 event is in partnership with Winterlude and features dancing, storytelling, workshops, outdoor fun and more.
Learn about embroidery in Carleton Place
Curious about the traditional needlecraft of embroidery? Local expert Barbara Drake will be giving a talk about the art of embroidery at the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum on Sunday, February 12, starting at 2pm. Admission is by donation.
Raise a glass and dance in Montreal
In Montreal, you can rock on to dozens of bands and DJs during the annual Taverne Tour in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood (February 9 to 11). Bars along Mont-Royal, Saint-Denis and St-Laurent have booked live music to entertain you as you drink.
Take the kids to a Paddington show in Nepean
Paddington Gets In a Jam 30 Secs from Rockefeller Productions on Vimeo.
Paddington Gets in a Jam is a one-hour slapstick show for the whole family. In it, the namesake gentle British bear tries to help his neighbour prepare for a visiting great aunt…but, of course, everything goes wrong. It’s at the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe on February 10 and 11.
Enjoy music in Chelsea and Wakefield
As I mentioned in the previous week’s section, the Hills Winter Music Festival (February 10 to 12) features concerts in the Gatineau Hills. On Friday, February 10, the Trio des Collines—pianist Carson Becke (see video above), cellist Cameron Crozman and clarinettist Juan Gabriel Olivares—will be playing chamber music at La Fab sur Mill in Chelsea. On Saturday, February 11, Carson Becke returns to La Fab sur Mill with soprano Meghan Lindsay for an evening of art song. And on Sunday, February 12, you can enjoy dinner and a concert at Cafe Earle in Wakefield.
Sip wine and bid on wine goodies in the Finger Lakes
If you’ve ever been curious about the wineries of the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, the Seneca Lake Wine and Experience Auction (February 10 and 11) might be a great way to discover them. At the two-day event in Watkins Glen, you can sample wines and enjoy fancy food and live entertainment. In addition, in the live and silent auctions, you can also bid on a wide range of “wine experiences”—VIP winery visits, overnight winery stays and more.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 13 TO FEBRUARY 19
Cheer on speed skaters in Portland
Skate the Lake Portland takes to Big Rideau Lake on February 18 and 19 with a series of speed skating events, but that’s just the beginning of the fun. Even if you don’t lace up a skate, you can enjoy fireworks and more. (Note: This event was originally scheduled in January.)
Learn about Black history at Algonquin College
On Monday, February 13, Algonquin College is presenting an afternoon conversation called Black to the Past. Spencer Alexander—the retired assistant curator of the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum—will be discussing themes in Canadian Black history. The Black History Month event will take place in person at the college and will also be streamed on YouTube.
Take the family for snowshoeing, tobogganing and cheese in Mississippi Station
Back Forty Winterland is a one-day winter open house at Back Forty Artisan Cheese in Mississippi Station on Saturday, February 18. At the Family Day weekend event, you can take a self-guided walk through fields and forest, explore 5.5km of groomed snowshoeing trails, let the kids loose on multiple toboggan runs (bring your own sleds), hike to an off-grid cabin to enjoy Dairy Distillery drinks by the fire, or dig into homemade mac and cheese, grilled sausages, and other foods from local producers. Feeling competitive? Sign up for the inaugural River to Sky 5K Snowshoe Race, organized in conjunction with Kick and Push Brewery.
Help tap maple trees in Vanier
Grab your cordless drill and head to the Richelieu Forest in Vanier to help tap maple trees for the Vanier Sugar Shack on the morning of Saturday, February 18. Snowshoes will come in handy, too.
Chase away the winter blues in Montreal
Montréal en Lumière (February 16 to March 5) is a wide-ranging event designed to get people out and about in the middle of winter. With everything from outdoor light installations and ice-sculpting workshops to wine-tasting events, concerts, chef’s dinners and a Ferris wheel, there’s something for just about everyone. And some activities are free!
Go snowshoeing in Deep River or the Pontiac
On Sunday, February 19, you have two snowshoeing events to choose from (the first also includes cross-country skiing).
The Silver Spoon Ski Fest is a fun day of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing races on the Silver Spoon Trails in Deep River. There are 5km, 10km and 20km circuits, and your registration includes hot drinks and a chili lunch after the races.
That same day in Mayo, Quebec, the Ottawa Valley chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is inviting snowshoers to come out for a 4km snowshoe hike through a family farm. Along the way, enjoy hot chocolate and snacks, and learn more about CPAWS. The organizers note that this trail has some elevation gains, so it is best suited to intermediate to advanced snowshoers. Admission is free but donations to CPAWS are appreciated.
Sip whisky in Hammond
A brand-new event is coming to the Hammond Golf and Country Club, just east of Ottawa, from February 17 to 19. As well as whisky tastings, masterclasses and food-and-whisky pairings, Whisky Wonderland will feature live music, sleigh rides, ice sculptures, an outdoor cigar lounge and much more. Some 30 whisky vendors will be on hand. Slainte!
Skate with Scots at Lansdowne Park
Speaking of things Scottish: The Great Canadian Kilt Skate comes to the skating oval at Lansdowne Park on Sunday, February 19. The organizers note that you don’t have to be Scottish and you don’t have to wear a kilt. But it would be great to sport some sort of tartan—a coat, a scarf or even socks—for this free afternoon event.
Catch a concert in Nepean or Orleans
On Thursday, February 16, singer Rebecca Noelle is bringing her three-octave range and her flexibility with just about every musical style (but especially jazz) to the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe.
Later in the week in Orleans, you can check out Abbamania, which claims to be “the world’s number one production of ABBA.” Time travel back to the era of sequins, palazzo pants and platform shoes when the show comes to the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans for an evening performance on Saturday, February 18, and an afternoon matinée on Sunday, February 19. In case “S.O.S.” and “Dancing Queen” aren’t enough for you, special guests will be on hand to sing the hits of, weirdly, the Bee Gees, Shania Twain and Adele. But I guarantee you that the song you’ll have in your head for a week will be “Waterloo.” Like the history book on the shelf, it’s always repeating itself.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 20 TO FEBRUARY 26
Nosh or walk for a good cause in Ottawa
On Thursday, February 23, the Snowsuit Fund is holding its SnowBall fundraiser at 50 Sussex, the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. With fancy food stations, live music, a silent auction, a beauty bar, valet parking and more, it looks like a very glam way to spend a Thursday evening—and the money raised goes to provide snowsuits for kids in need.
Later in the week, The Coldest Night of the Year (Saturday, February 25) is a fundraising walk for the Ottawa Mission. Come with your family or pull together a work team, and get pledges for your 2km or 5km walk. The money raised will help fund the Ottawa Mission’s work with vulnerable and homeless people. The event runs from 4pm to 7pm and includes a light meal.
Ski and snowboard in downtown Montreal
Thrill seekers, here’s one for you. APIK is a new, free, outdoor sports festival in downtown Montreal. Between February 24 and March 5, there will be opportunities to ski, snowboard, go bouldering and enjoy lots of other adrenaline-pumping fun in the heart of the city.
Enjoy music in Orleans or Centretown
The members of the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio—pianist Jeremy Ledbetter, drummer Larnell Lewis and electric bassist Rich Brown—blends the best of world music and jazz to offer audiences a one-of-a-kind show. You can catch them at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans on Thursday, February 23.
And when was the last time you went to a theremin concert? Yeah, I thought so. A theremin isn’t some vitamin you’ve never heard of; it’s that spooky-sounding instrument you’ll often hear in the soundtracks of horror movies and sci-fi flicks. But in a Thirteen Strings concert on Tuesday, February 21, theremin artist Thorwald Jørgensen will be playing works by Henry Purcell, Simon Bertrand and Anton Dvořák. The concert will take place at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre on Cooper Street in Centretown.
Learn to manage stress in Wakefield
Reset and Connect is a one-day workshop at La Grange Country Inn in Wakefield on Saturday, February 25. With guidance from registered social workers, you’ll learn techniques from yoga, meditation and other disciplines to help you manage stress and be more open to connections with others.
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.
Explore Montreal by night
Nuit Blanche (Saturday, February 25) is an all-night, largely free, eclectic arts spectacle that spreads across much of Montreal. Part of the Montréal en Lumière festival, it’s also a destination in its own right, with some 200 artsy events—concerts, poetry slams, dance parties, you name it. The schedule hasn’t been released yet as I write this in early February, but keep checking the Nuit Blanche website for details. And if you’d like to know more, check out my post about my somewhat surreal experience of a previous Nuit Blanche.
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.