As the weather cools down, the social calendar in Eastern Ontario and West Quebec just seems to heat up! I have more than a dozen suggestions for you this week, including a fashion show in Perth’s Stewart Park, a concert in the Pontiac region of the Outaouais, plays in Morrisburg and Gananoque, the Sens’ home opener, and an online butterfly show. Whether your road trip is real or virtual this week, have fun.
Note: Proof-of-vaccination requirements are now in effect in both Ontario and Quebec. Before heading out, please check the website of any event you’re planning to visit to ensure you’re aware of its COVID-19 protocols.
Celebrate the harvest in Wakefield
The Fairbairn Harvest Festival at Fairbairn House Heritage Centre in Wakefield (Sunday, October 3, 11am to 4pm) features fun for the whole family, including honey tasting, live music, apple cider making, pumpkin painting and more. Admission is free, but visitors are asked to reserve their spot online using the link above.
Enjoy a fall fair in Metcalfe
If you want to enjoy a fall fair, this is your last local chance of the season! Amusements at the Metcalfe Fair (September 30 to October 3) include a midway, live music, a pony show, antique tractor displays and more.
Unwind at a farm in Pakenham
Sure, it’s only September, but it’s not too early to hang out at a Christmas tree farm! Cedar Hill Christmas Tree Farm in Pakenham is open on weekends this fall and offers all sorts of socially distanced fun for families. Take a wagon ride, whizz along a zipline, let the kids loose in a straw-bale fort, and fuel up with treats such as chili, grilled cheese sandwiches and butternut squash soup from the takeout Candycane Kitchen. In the shop, you can browse for home décor, local food products and gifts (alternatively, you can shop online in advance and then pick up your purchases when you get there). And you can bring your dog! (Read the farm’s dog policy for details.)
See a concert at a winery in the Pontiac
Chelsea-based folk icon Ian Tamblyn will be playing a gig at the Little Red Wagon Winery in Clarendon, Quebec (not far from Shawville) on Saturday, October 2. Patrons will be seated at tables of between four and 10 people. You can come for the show only or buy a dinner-and-show package, but either way, you need to reserve in advance.
Go for a hike
This is my favourite kind of weather for hiking: drier than spring, less buggy than summer and less arduous than winter. Looking for inspiration? Check out these posts:
- A morning of gentle hiking at Morris Island Conservation Area
- Hiking and walking in and around Ottawa
- Great resources for planning your next hike
Also, if you’re in the Kingston area, you can aim to hike multiple trails during the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority’s fifth annual Hike CRCA Challenge, which runs until October 31.
Go to an outdoor church bazaar in Ottawa
This year, Trinity Anglican Church in Old Ottawa South is holding its annual Frosty’s Fall Fair sale outdoors on the church lawn, on Saturday, October 2, from 10am to 1pm. Crafts, preserves, baked goodies and frozen meals will all be available.
Celebrate Oktoberfest in Hudson
Cardinal Brewing is hosting its first-ever Hudson Oktoberfest from October 1 to 3. Along with beer (of course), you can enjoy a packed schedule of concerts and nosh on goodies like soft pretzels, schnitzel sandwiches and gingerbread. Hudson, Quebec, is about 90 minutes east of Ottawa.
Paint a picture of pumpkins in Rockland
G.A.B.’s in Rockland is hosting a paint night organized by Paint With Judith on Wednesday, September 29, starting at 7pm. Participants will learn to paint a picture of pumpkins. No experience or materials necessary—just bring your enthusiasm and some friends! If you can’t make it this week, there are also upcoming paint nights (same location, different projects) on October 6 and October 13.
Enjoy virtual and in-person creative events during Culture Days
For a month each fall, Culture Days usually sees arts organizations across Canada offering all sorts of live events and tours. This year, participants in the festival (September 24 to October 24) is hosting a diverse mix of in-person and virtual events—everything from concerts to art classes. Because many are offered digitally, you have an even richer choice than in “normal” years. For instance, this weekend you could attend an in-person exhibition opening at the School of Photographic Arts Ottawa, take a photography and storytelling workshop at the SAW Gallery, take a virtual walking tour of Ottawa, or paint a tile at home as part of a collaborative art project coordinated by Kingston’s Union Gallery.
Cheer on the Sens in Ottawa
They’re back! As Sens fans are probably already very aware, the Ottawa Senators are slated to play their first home game of the season (well, technically, the pre-season) at the Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday, September 29. The opponents? None other than those cross-province rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Catch a play in Morrisburg or Gananoque
The Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg has reopened with a production of Old Love, a comedy by perpetual Canadian favourite Norm Foster. In this one, a widow and a recent divorcée rekindle their relationship. It runs until Saturday, October 30.
This is your last week to catch Back in ’59, a musical about four friends who meet again at a high school reunion and take a trip down memory lane via lots of songs from the 1950s and 1960s. It’s on at the 1000 Islands Playhouse in Gananoque until Saturday, October 2.
See an outdoor fashion show in Perth
On Saturday, October 2, Strévé Design Gallery, Queen Bee Millinery and Fashion Envy in Perth are presenting an outdoor fashion show in Stewart Park. Along with original Strévé artwear coats from the last 34 years, the event will showcase Strévé’s and Fashion Envy’s latest items, along with elegant Queen Bee hats. Tickets are $20 each, with proceeds going to support Interval House in Perth. Rain date is October 3.
Take a studio tour in the Madawaska Valley
The Madawaska Valley Studio Tour (October 1 to 3) gives you the chance to visit artists and buy their work across a wide swath of the Madawaska Valley. Stops include studios in Killaloe, Combermere, Pikwakanagan, Eganville, Barry’s Bay, Quadeville and Wilno. The video above features Killaloe glass artist Tanya Lyons.
Shop for global products in Manotick Station
For decades, the One World Bazaar (previously called the Third World Bazaar) has been a highlight of the fall calendar for people who love browsing for furniture, jewellery, art and more from around the world. And while the big barn in Manotick Station will still be welcoming shoppers to browse in person for goods from Indonesia, Mexico, Peru and beyond, you can now also purchase items online. I did so a few weeks ago and it was a great experience—nice selection, good prices and quick delivery. The event runs on selected dates (mainly weekends, but also some Thursdays and Mondays) from September 30 until November 14. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the hour from 9am to 10pm is reserved for immunocompromised and other vulnerable shoppers.
Learn about butterflies online
The annual Biology Butterfly Show at Carleton University is virtual again this year. From October 2 to 10, educational videos will feature hands-on learning activities kids can do at home. You can also sign up for a live, free, virtual guided tour in English or French.
Walk for a good cause in Ottawa
The Centretown Churches Social Action Committee is running a virtual version of its Walk for the Centre on Sunday, October 3. Register to raise funds for the Centretown Emergency Food Centre, lace up those running shoes, then walk or stroll a route of your choosing on Sunday afternoon. You can even do it on a treadmill, so no excuses if the weather turns wet!
Head to a pumpkin patch
Nothing says fall like a few big orange gourds on your porch steps—am I right? Check out my updated list of area pumpkin stands and patches to find your next jack o’ lantern.
Looking for more ideas for fun in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and beyond? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or buy my new guidebook, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100km Getaway Guide.