I think this might be my longest-ever weekly road trip roundup post! I’ve found 43 ideas for road trips in and around Ottawa this week, including new music festivals in Smiths Falls and Morrisburg, a pop-up art show and a food fest in Manotick, a classic thriller in Perth, Doors Open in Cornwall, a weekend-long geocaching event in Napanee, a ghost hunt in Long Sault, and an Irish festival in Killaloe. And that’s without even mentioning the Capital Fair, Greek Fest and Westboro Fuse right here in Ottawa! Whether your road trip takes you near or far this weekend, have a great time.
Enjoy a music festival in Smiths Falls, Spencerville, Westport or Picton
Live at the Falls (August 16 and 17) is a brand-new event in Smiths Falls, run by the same folks who created the Kemptville Live event. This year’s lineup includes Colin James, Tom Lavin & The Legendary Powder Blues, Monkeyjunk and Angel Forest. For more details on how the festival came to be, see my interview with festival organizer Karen Bedard.
The South Grenville Bluegrass Festival brings bluegrass bands galore—including acts from Virginia and Tennessee—to the Spencerville Fairgrounds from August 15 to 18. As well as shows throughout the day and evening, there will be workshops. Local vendors will be selling chips, bacon and eggs, chili, corn and more onsite. Tickets are available online.
Music Westport is a free one-day open air festival in the Rideau Lakes village on Saturday, August 17. Featuring folk, soul, country, jazz and bluegrass music by eight artists on two stages (including a new venue, Lockwood Park), the festival also includes an art and crafts market, food vendors, and a kids’ zone. Acts include Miss Emily and Scotty James. There’s also a pre-festival kickoff party with The Steadies on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Prince Edward County Jazz Festival (August 13 to 18) is taking place at the Regent Theatre in Picton and other venues across the County. Performers include Jane Bunnett & Maqueque, and the Commodores Orchestra.
Be Greek for a day in Ottawa
Watch Greek dancers and enjoy live Greek music. Nibble on souvlaki, moussaka and more. Family-friendly Ottawa Greek Fest (August 15 to 25) is about as close as you can get to the Parthenon or Santorini without jumping on a plane! It takes place at 1315 Prince of Wales Drive, between Baseline Road and Meadowlands Drive; check the website for details on shuttles and offsite parking.
Have fun at a fair in Ottawa, Pakenham, South Mountain or Vankleek Hill
Four fairs are on the calendar this weekend. The Pakenham Fair (Saturday, August 17) features a craft show, frog jumping, a petting zoo and more; the South Mountain Fair (August 15 to 18) offers truck and tractor pulls, a Wayne Rostad concert, a midway, a children’s pet show and an opportunity on Thursday for visitors with special needs to visit the fair before the gates open to the general public; the Vankleek Hill Fair (August 15 to 18) has livestock competitions, a demolition derby and a midway; and the Capital Fair (August 16 to 25) at the Rideau-Carleton Raceway boasts a big midway, stunt dogs, highland games, birds of prey, monster trucks and live music.
Celebrate cheese in St. Albert
Get your fill of cheese and cheese curds at the Festival de la Curd in St. Albert (August 14 to 18). I suspect that there will be more than a few servings of poutine consumed, but that’s just the beginning of the family-friendly fun. There will also be live music by Les Cowboys Frigants, Damien Robitaille, Ariko and more. Other amusements include wine and cheese tastings, BMX stunt shows, and a kids’ area with inflatables.
See heritage buildings in Cornwall and in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry
The popular Doors Open event comes to Cornwall and the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry on August 17 and 18. Nineteen historically interesting buildings across the region—including sites in Cornwall, Martintown and Long Sault—will be welcoming visitors and hosting special activities.
See the Parliament Hill Ceremonial Guard perform at Fort Henry
The Band of the Ceremonial Guard, which normally performs on Parliament Hill for the Changing of the Guard ceremony, will be at Fort Henry in Kingston on Saturday, August 17, for a special show called Cadence—A Musical March Through Time that includes a fireworks display.
Discover fabulous fibres in Saint-André-Avellin
Knitters and other crafters, take note: the huge Twist Fibre Festival (August 14 to 18) is coming to Saint-André-Avellin, Quebec, this weekend. With more than 100 vendors, a food fair, and activities focusing on felting, weaving, knitting, sheep shearing and more, this is like Disneyland for textile fans. Note that August 14 and 15 are devoted to workshops that require pre-registration.
Get a taste of Manotick
The shops and restaurants of Manotick will be offering samples, demonstrations, tastings and other enticements to visitors during A Taste of Manotick on Saturday, August 17. Live music is also on the menu during this four-hour street celebration (4pm to 8pm).
Go geocaching in Napanee
If you like geocaching—or know someone who does—then you will be impressed by the fact that there are dozens of caches hidden in and around Napanee for the seventh annual Discover Lennox & Addington County MEGA Geocaching Event (August 16 to 18). If you don’t know what geocaching is, this might be a great chance to try the popular hobby, which involves using maps and compasses on your smartphone to locate hidden treasures (small containers filled with trackable items, which geocachers can collect and re-hide elsewhere). The main action takes place on Saturday, but there’s a canoe geocaching hunt on Friday and a clean-up event on Sunday.
Listen to Bach, jazz and bossa nova at a gorgeous ruin in Williamstown
The Classiqu-Arts SD&G festival is presenting concerts at the Cocathédrale de La Nativité in Cornwall (Saturday, August 17) and at St. Raphael’s Ruins in Williamstown, between Alexandria and Lancaster (Sunday, August 18). The participating performers come from far and wide. Many have roots in Eastern Ontario, but others hail from Moldova, Romania, Ukraine and elsewhere. The musical program includes original works by Aboriginal flautist and composer Barbara Croall, pieces by Brahms and Vivaldi, and music from Phantom of the Opera and Game of Thrones.
Dance in the street in Westboro
Westboro is holding a free street party this weekend, and everyone’s invited! Westboro Fuse (August 17 and 18) will shut down Richmond Road from Roosevelt to McRae, so pedestrians can kick back and enjoy food trucks, music, sidewalk sales, a maze, an outdoor screening of The Princess Bride, a roller disco, drumming workshops and lots more (for full details, see the event’s Facebook page).
Enjoy food, wine and music in Morrisburg
If you like bacon, ham, sausages, ribs and chops, head to the Morrisburg Village Plaza on Saturday, August 17, for the fifth annual Porkfest celebration. Community groups and local restaurants will be serving up pork dishes from noon to 6pm, and visitors can enjoy live music by local performers.
Also in Morrisburg on Saturday, the inaugural Seaway Valley Folk Festival is coming to Stone Crop Acres vineyard. The festival starts at noon and features a wide range of local talent, including the Glengarry Ramblers, Marleen Fawcett and Sons of Gord. Simply Catering will be providing meals and snacks, and there will be activities for kids in the afternoon.
Have fun at a regatta in Rideau Ferry
If you like messing about in boats—any kind of boat—then you’ll probably be interested in the Rideau Ferry Regatta (August 17 and 18), a venerable event that traces its roots all the way back to 1897. Hosted by the Rideau Ferry Yacht Club, the regatta offers a cardboard boat race, a canoe-building competition, races of vintage boats and all sorts of other marine fun on Big Rideau Lake. Rideau Ferry is a small community on the Rideau River, between Smiths Falls and Perth.
Browse for art in Ottawa, Manotick or Kingston
On Thursday, August 15, Watson’s Mill in Manotick is hosting a Pop-Up Art Show from 5pm to 9pm. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, live jazz and a cash bar while viewing works by Sandy Sharkey, Ross Rheaume and other local artists. Admission is free.
Art on the Farm on Saturday, August 17 (rain date August 18) will feature artists selling their works under the trees at the Arboretum at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa.
On Sunday, August 18, the Kingston Women’s Art Festival rolls into City Park in K’town with more than 200 visual artists, performances by female musicians and more. Net proceeds support women’s organizations around Kingston.
Check out a corn festival in Athens
The small town of Athens will be hopping during Athens Cornfest on Saturday, August 17, with live music, free kids’ activities (including a children’s parade), a boat show, bingo, a book sale, food vendors, and, of course, lots of fresh buttered corn.
Enjoy Shakespeare in the park in Ottawa or Oxford Mills
This week is your last chance to catch Romeo and Juliet, presented by A Company of Fools in parks across the region. It’s an updated version of Shakespeare’s tragedy about doomed lovers, set at a carnival and featuring water pistols as well as swords. The remaining shows take place at Maplewood Park in Oxford Mills (Tuesday), Nault Park in Vanier (Wednesday), Raven Park in Carlington (Thursday), Lynwood Park in Bells Corners (Friday) and Windsor Park in Old Ottawa South (Saturday, the only date this week with both a matinee and an evening show).
Race in a kilt in Perth
The Perth’s World Record Kilt Run on Saturday, August 17, is one of the biggest kilted marathons in the world—and something to see even if you don’t fancy running in wool clothing in August!
Cultivate inner peace in Ladysmith
Bhakti in the Woods (August 16 to 18) will draw seekers of all sorts to Ladysmith, Quebec, with yoga and meditation workshops, devotional chanting, world music, craft and food vendors, and more. (Here’s a post about last year’s Bhakti in the Woods by guest author Katharine Fletcher, to give you a taste of what to expect.)
Catch a comedy-thriller in Perth
The Classic Theatre Festival’s production of Deathtrap (the longest-running comedy-thriller ever to play on Broadway), opens on Friday, August 16, and runs until September 8. Written by the author of Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives, it’s the tale of a floundering playwright who will do anything to steal a “killer script.”
Watch a boating poker run in Kingston
The 1000 Islands Poker Run (August 16 and 17) will see more than 50 power boats set off from Kingston to collect the best poker hand as they travel a route through the 1000 Islands. Back on shore at Kingston’s Confederation Park, there will be live musical entertainment on Friday and Saturday.
Join the Irish in Killaloe
The village of Killaloe (named for a community in Ireland) is hosting three days of Celtic fun this week. Killaloe: An Irish Gathering (August 15 to 17) features everything from a tea party to a trivia night. Live music and dancing abound, including concerts by Fridge Full of Empties and Kindred 7. Here’s the full schedule.
Eat your way around the world in Cornwall
If you can never quite decide what to eat, head to the Cornwall Food Fest on Saturday, August 17, and you can sample everything from poutine and pad Thai to Jamaican jerk chicken and churros. There will also be live music, a family fun zone and more. Want more details? Cornwall Tourism has posted a detailed guide to the festival.
Cheer on lumberjacks (and lumberjills) in upstate New York
Are you a lumberjack? Are you okay? (And are you old enough to get my ancient Monty Python references?) Then you might get a kick out of the New York State Woodsmen’s Field Days in Boonville, New York (August 16 to 18). Watch people carve ice with chainsaws. Take in a parade, watch blacksmiths at work or treat yourself to an all-you-can-eat breakfast. A bit surprisingly, perhaps, check out a wine tasting, cheer on canoe and kayak racers, see a musical, or visit a craft fair. And, of course, see people demonstrating woodsy skills of all descriptions. Boonville is about three hours south of Ottawa. Timber!
Indulge your sweet tooth in Ottawa
Have you ever wanted to learn how to attract honeybees to your garden? Well, you’re in luck: That’s one of many things you can do at Honeybee Day at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum on Saturday, August 17. Even if planting a pollinator garden isn’t on your bucket list, the family festival may still entice you with hand-made honey ice cream, a “Honey Run” through the Experimental Farm, a bee costume contest and other bee-themed fun.
Shop for local foods in Barry’s Bay or Petawawa
Love local food? Then check out Taste of the Valley at the Railway Station visitor centre in Barry’s Bay on the afternoon of Friday, August 16, where you can shop for farm products and packaged foods from the Ottawa Valley. That night, the Ottawa Valley Outdoor Supper Market in Petawawa gives you the chance to sample local dishes and drinks, and shop for foods from local vendors, at the Petawawa Civic Centre from 5pm to 10pm.
Learn about the Lost Villages in Long Sault
The Lost Villages Museum in Long Sault chronicles the history of communities that were intentionally flooded during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project in the 1950s. On Saturday, August 17, Bytown Paranormal will be leading a ghost hunt to determine whether any departed residents have moved into their former homes on the museum grounds. On Sunday, the museum is offering a bus tour illuminating the history of the Lost Villages, followed by a barbecue. Reservations are required for the ghost night and the bus tour.
Enjoy a street party in Brockville
With shopping discounts, bouncy castles, live music, buskers, electric car rides and more, there’s something for the whole family at Brockville Downtown Fun Fest on Saturday, August 17.
Get in a Caribbean groove in Ottawa
TrinbaGo Day celebrates the foods, music, arts and culture of Trinidad and Tobago. Rotis, calypso, steelpan bands and more! It’s happening at Ottawa City Hall on Sunday, August 18, from noon to 7pm.
Join the BioBlitz at Murphys Point Provincial Park
What is a BioBlitz, you ask? It’s a concentrated effort to track and record the species of plants and animals found in a particular area. At this year’s third annual BioBlitz at Murphys Point Provincial Park near Perth, visitors can help catalogue birds, butterflies, bats, flowers, fish, fungi, reptiles, amphibians and more, on the evening of Friday, August 16, and during the day on Saturday, August 17.
Take the kids to St. Andrews West
The small community of St. Andrews West, just north of Cornwall, is holding its second annual Community Festival on Sunday, August 18, with live entertainment, kids’ activities and more.
See artists at work outdoors in the Adirondacks
“Plein air art” is the practice of creating art outdoors. The Adirondack Plein Air Festival (August 12 to 17) invites 50 artists from across the U.S. to ply their talents in scenic locations in and around Saranac Lake, New York. Spectators are welcome to watch the creators in action. There’s also an art walk on Thursday night, a preview party of the artworks on Friday night, and a show and sale on Saturday afternoon.
Kick back with beers and tunes in Bath, Quebec City or Rochester
In Bath, just west of Kingston, Back to the Farm: MacKinnon Brothers Beer & Music Festival will welcome music fans, foodies and families on Sunday, August 18. Food trucks, breweries and wineries will be serving up treats from Prince Edward County and beyond. Kids (and grown-ups) can enjoy a giant Jenga game, badminton, Frisbees and more. Live music includes The Beaches, Fast Romantics and Megan Hamilton.
In Quebec City, the Festibière de Québec (August 15 to 18) in the Old Port is slated to host some 100 beverage makers and food vendors, along with beer tastings and workshops, a silent disco, kids’ games (more giant Jenga!), and lots of live musical entertainment.
You can sample wine, beer, spirits and cider from more than 70 companies—while noshing on food truck grub and listening to live music—at the Flour City Brewers Fest in Rochester, New York (Friday, August 16).
Want more tips on road trips from Ottawa—including info on hotel discounts, contests, festivals and other cool news? Subscribe to my free weekly e-newsletter! I will never spam you—promise.
Are you promoting an upcoming event you’d like to see in a future weekly road trip roundup? Please email me the details at least two weeks in advance of the event, and I’ll add them to my files. If you have a horizontal photo or two I could use, even better. Thanks!
4 comments
Wow, such a BIG line up of things to do for this weekend of 16-17 August
I know–there’s SO much going on!
Greek Fest we are in.
Great to hear of these events.
Have fun at Greek Fest! Glad you liked the list.