Fun day trips and weekend getaways from Ottawa for every day of April 2019!

Sure, April arrived with a bit of a windchill, but spring really is in the air in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais, Montreal and upstate New York. Whether you’d like to stretch your cycling legs, sip Ontario wine, buy some new books or cheer on snowmobilers, read on for day trip and weekend getaway suggestions for April 2019! (And for even more ideas, don’t forget to check out my events calendar, sign up for my free weekly e-newsletter or follow me on Facebook.)

• April 1: Go to the vernissage of a new show by Ottawa collage artist Ming Wu, with music by KAR33M, at Irene’s Pub in the Glebe (the art will be on display for most of April).
• April 2: Be among the first to hear a rising talent by dropping into the weekly Songwriters’ Night at Meow! That’s Hot (coolest name for a restaurant ever) in Centretown.
• April 3: Learn how to make your own body butters and bars at Earthly Essentials in Embrun.
• April 4: Sample Prince Edward County wines, beers, cheeses and more at County in the Capital at Lansdowne Park.
• April 5: Catch the first Friday night performance of Hamish, a comedy about a family dealing with a ghost haunting their Scottish homestead, at the Studio Theatre in Perth.
• April 6: Cheer for top snowmobile racers at the Calabogie 500 at Calabogie Peaks Resort.

This five-arched stone bridge is a major landmark in Pakenham.

• April 7: Shop for art, crafts, local foods and more from 32 vendors at 10 stops on the self-guided Pakenham Maple Run Tour (April 6 and 7).
• April 8: Hear a free presentation about hiking the Maritimes section of the Great Trail (Canada’s coast-to-coast hiking route) at Bushtukah in Ottawa (online RSVP required).
• April 9: Speaking of hiking: Take an urban evening hike from Lincoln Fields to Queensway Terrace with the Rideau Trail Association.
• April 10: Grab your binoculars and head out on an all-day birding outing in Renfrew County with Ottawa birder Jon Ruddy.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.

• April 11: Scoop up the best bargains by hitting the first day of the big Mutchmor Book Sale in Ottawa (April 11 to 14).
• April 12: Raise a glass at Tap into the MOST, a big food-and-drink fundraiser for the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse.
• April 13: Get nostalgic at Gord, Ian and Neil, a tribute concert celebrating the music of Gordon Lightfoot, Ian Tyson and Neil Young, at the Firehall Theatre in Gananoque (there’s also an afternoon matinée on April 14).
• April 14: Catch the last performance of Newsies: The Musical by an enthusiastic cast of young performers in Kemptville (March 30 to April 14).
• April 15: Everyone (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) is welcome at the monthly Indigenous drumming circle at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans. No experience necessary!
• April 16: Don’t miss your chance to wander through rooms of free-flying butterflies at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa or at the Montreal Botanical Garden; both shows close on April 28.

East & Main Bistro in Wellington is one of the restaurants participating in the spring edition of Countylicious. Photo copyright Laura Byrne Paquet.

• April 17: Enjoy a posh three-course meal for $40 at one of the 13 Prince Edward County restaurants participating in Countylicious (April 5 to 28).
• April 18: Browse for chic bargains at the Big Fashion Sale by Quebec Designers at the Hilton Lac-Leamy in Gatineau (April 18 to 20).
• April 19: Try the dinner-and-show package at the Grange de la Gatineau in Cantley, with guitarist Michel Robichaud.
• April 20: Laugh along with standup comics Jason Allen and Marc-Anthony Sinagoga at Batstone’s Northern Ramble in Renfrew.
• April 21: Devour pancakes with maple syrup, and enjoy lots of other family fun, at the Delta Maple Syrup Festival (April 20 and 21).
• April 22: Want to stretch your legs on a holiday Monday? Try this 45km cycling loop along paved Ottawa Valley roads, starting and ending in Beachburg.

Chef Ian Carswell dishes up fresh, inventive fare at Black Tartan Kitchen in Carleton Place.

• April 23: Take a road trip to Carleton Place for steak frites or vegetarian tian at Black Tartan Kitchen.
• April 24: If you can get away on a weekday afternoon, you can catch a matinée of Glory Days, a live tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt and many more, at the Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg (April 23 to 28, various afternoon and evening shows).
• April 25: Gobble up fries, gravy and curds at Poutinefest on the Sparks Street Mall (April 25 to 28).
• April 26: Catch the Souljazz Orchestra on stage at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield (second show on April 27).
• April 27: Choose from a packed slate of readings by many authors (including Jennifer Robson, above) at the 1000 Islands Writers Festival (April 25 to 28) in Gananoque.
• April 28: Enjoy the last day of the free Ottawa Grassroots Festival (April 25 to 28) at Southminster United Church in Ottawa.
• April 29: Check out Art Threads, Kingston Fibre Artists’ annual show and sale of new works, at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning (April 8 to May 5).
• April 30: See Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience, featuring Cree artist Kent Monkman’s assumption-busting interpretations of famous moments in Canadian history, at the McCord Museum in Montreal (running all month and until May 5).

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