Looking for ways to enjoy the upcoming long weekend? I have 28 ideas, from an art sale in Rockport and the first weekend of a summer-long music festival in Montreal to a garage sale in Perth, music in Wakefield and Manotick, and a bird count at Murphy’s Point Provincial Park. Happy long weekend!
Spot planes in Westport
Photo courtesy of the Rideau Lakes Flying Club.
The Westport/Rideau Lakes Spring Fly-In takes place from 8am until noon on Saturday, May 18, at the Rideau Lakes Flying Club near Westport. Watch planes take off and land, visit the hangars, and enjoy ham and eggs for breakfast.
Save some money in Alexandria Bay
It’s Canadian Appreciation Weekend (May 16 to 20) in Alexandria Bay, New York, with discounts galore for Canucks. Lots of places are taking the loonie at par or offering other deals.
Shop for plants in Russell or Lansdowne
I’ve found two plant sales on the morning of Saturday, May 18: in Macdougall Park in Russell and at the fairgrounds in Lansdowne (that’s in the village of Lansdowne, between Brockville and Gananoque, not Lansdowne Park in Ottawa).
Dance the night away in Montreal
Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to move! The 15th annual Montreal Salsa Convention (May 16 to 20) will draw competitors from around the world. Cheer on your favourite dancers or take a workshop to polish your own moves. (And you don’t have to be a “So You Think You Can Dance”-level dancer; beginners are welcome.)
Browse for art in Rockport
The Thousand Islands Art Spring Art Fair (May 18 and 19) features jewellery, pottery, textiles and more by local artists in Rockport, a super-photogenic village on the St. Lawrence River near Gananoque. This year, the fair also includes a lunch, a bake sale, a silent auction, live music and woodworking demonstrations.
Count the birds at Murphy’s Point
Are you usually up with the birds? Then why not count some during the Friends of Murphy’s Point Park Annual Bird Count? True early-birds will meet at the visitor centre at 6am, while those who want to sleep a little longer can catch up with the group at the Lally Homestead at 8am. New birders are welcome but this isn’t a beginners’ workshop.
Bike on car-free roads in Ottawa and Gatineau
Get your bike out of the garage—NOKIA Sunday Bikedays start on Sunday, May 19! Until September 1, 25 kilometres of roads in Ottawa and 29.5 kilometres of roads in Gatineau Park are closed to cars but open to cyclists, pedestrians, runners and inline skaters. And this Sunday, 30 cycling organizations and businesses will be participating in the Cyclofusion bike fair in the Remic Rapids parking lot, off the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.
Shop for bargains in Perth
People across Perth will be holding garage sales as part of the Perth Community Yard Sale on Saturday, May 18.
Enjoy live music in mills in Manotick and Wakefield
On Thursday, May 16, local favourites Lynn Miles and Keith Glass are in concert at Watson’s Mill in Manotick. The next night, singer-songwriter Alise Marlane will be playing jazz-infused pop and folk on finger-style guitar and mandolin at the Wakefield Mill.
Discover new books in Notre-Dame-du-Laus
Flickr/Creative Commons photo by Hervé Loth.
Keen to find some new French books? There’s a book sale this weekend (May 15 to 18) in Notre-Dame-du-Laus, Quebec. The family-oriented sale is open to kids only all day Wednesday and Thursday, and on Friday until 2pm, then opens to the general public on Friday evening and during the day on Saturday.
Catch a comedy in Cornwall
You still have two weekends to catch the Seaway Valley Theatre Company’s production of A Comedy of Tenors. The rollicking farce, set in 1930s Paris, involves one hotel suite, four tenors, two wives, three girlfriends, some die-hard soccer fans and many mistaken identities. It’s running on Friday and Saturday evenings until May 25 (there’s also an afternoon matinée on Sunday, May 19) at l’École secondaire publique L’Heritage in Cornwall.
Learn about art in Osceola
Did you know that a Canadian Impressionist artist was born in Douglas, Ontario, in 1864? You can learn more about artist Mary Alexandra Bell Eastlake at a lecture by Michael Agnew in the Old Town Hall in Osceola (just west of Cobden) on Sunday, May 19, at 2pm.
Sample wines in the Finger Lakes
It’s a five-hour drive from Ottawa to Watkins Glen, New York, but the chance to sample some of the 200 wines being showcased at Seneca Lake Wine & Food 2019 (Saturday, May 18) may just make it worth the trip. The event—which takes place at waterfront Clute Park—also features food vendors and live music. Online ticket sales end on Friday.
Delve into history in Smiths Falls, Delta or Kingston
It’s that time of year, when museums and historic sites start opening their doors for the prime spring through fall season. This Saturday, May 18, sees the re-opening of the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario in Smiths Falls, the Old Stone Mill in Delta and Fort Henry in Kingston.
Enjoy some family fun in Stittsville
This is the first year for the Stittsville Crabapple Blossom Fest, celebrating all things spring. Plans include crabapple jelly tastings, live music, food trucks, a scavenger hunt, a bike decorating contest, displays of quilts, classic cars and art, and more. It’s all happening in various locations in the Crossing Bridge neighbourhood on Sunday, May 19.
Get your music fix in Montreal or Saint-Thérèse
Piknic Électronik crowd and DJ. Photo © Susan Moss Photography.
Electronic music fans, it’s your big weekend: Piknic Électronik kicks off another season of cutting-edge shows in Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau. Shows take place on Sundays, beginning May 19 and running until September 29. Meanwhile, roughly 80 acts will be taking to the stage at the Festival Santa Teresa in Sainte-Thérèse from May 17 to 19.
Nibble on ribs in Toronto
How far would you go for ribs? All the way to Toronto? Then the Yonge and Dundas Square Rib Fest (May 16 to 19) will have your mouth watering.
Cycle through the Laurentians for a good cause
You’ll probably want to make sure your hill-climbing muscles are in good form before attempting the Vélotour des Pays-d’en-Haut (Saturday, May 18), a 100K biking event through the Laurentians. It’s a fundraising event for Child Haven International, to help children in Nepal and Morocco.
Be sheepish in Ottawa
Photo by Sam Carter on Unsplash.
Summer is coming, and it’s time for the sheep at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum to get rid of their thick winter coats. They’ll get some help in that department from staff during the Sheep Shearing Festival (May 18 and 19). As well as seeing sheep being shorn, you can meet lambs and alpacas, learn how to card wool, sample goat cheese and herb biscuits, and see sheepdogs at work, among other fun.
Dance to big-band tunes in Merrickville
As part of the Merrickville Tulip Festival (which runs until May 20), there’s a big-band dance with SRO (a 16-member ensemble) at the Merrickville United Arts Centre on Saturday, May 18.
Go ziplining at Tremblant
Ziptrek Ecotours, the zipline attraction at Mont Tremblant, opens for the season on Saturday, May 18, and tickets for any date this summer are 25% off if you book them before Friday, May 17. The video above gives you a taste of the high-level thrills.
Celebrate Queen Victoria in Morrisburg
At Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg on Sunday, May 19, enjoy Queen Victoria’s birthday just as her subjects might have celebrated it in her own time. Rousing speeches! Redcoats! 1860s-style games! And cake!
Shop locally in Ottawa or Long Sault
Keen to shop locally? At the second edition of the Vintage Streetwear & Art Fly Market at Makerspace North in Ottawa on Saturday, May 18, you can browse for designer, one-of-a-kind and vintage fashions from more than 40 vendors.
Also on Saturday, 30 Eastern Ontario vendors are participating in the Small Business Trade Show in Long Sault. You’ll have the chance to win prizes and admission is free.
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