40 events you won’t want to miss this weekend in Ottawa

A great number of events will keep you busy this weekend in Ottawa! Markets, music and theatre festivals, sports events and much more! Have a look at this list, share it with your friends, and feel free to let us know about other events not listed here!

1. Festival Franco-Ontarien

A big celebration of Franco-Ontarian culture. There will be concerts and entertainment for the whole family. General admission $40, children under 10 enter for free with their parents. On Sunday 18, admission is free for the public from 10am. 
When: June 16-18
Where: Major`s Hill Park
Details: ffo.ca

2. Italian Week

Celebrate Italian culture and heritage: masterclasses (paid), Italian picnic (paid), workshops for kids, an open-air market, free movie screenings and a free bike race for all ages and levels. 
When: Mon Jun 12 to Sunday Jun 18
Where: Little Italy, Preston St.
Details: italianweek.ca

3. Ottawa Fringe Festival

This 26-year-old festival promotes independent theatre and artists. From hilarious comedies to thought-provoking dramas, from dance performances to experimental shows, there’s a show for every taste! Tickets from $14.
When: June 15-25
Where: Arts Court Theatre (2 Daly Ave) and other venues.
Details: ottawafringe.com

4. Swing on the Hill

The Ottawa Swing Dance Society invites the public to an afternoon of dancing to swing music and jamming on Parliament Hill. Social dance and lessons! FREE.
Where: Saturday Jun 17 from 11am to 4pm.
Where: Parliament Hill grounds
Details: On Facebook.

5. Ottawa Redblacks vs Calgary Stampeders

Cheer on the Redblacks in the home opener game against the Calgary Stampeders. 
When: Jun 15 at 7:30pm
Where: TD Place, 1015 Bank St.
Details: ottawaredblacks.com

6. 613 Flea

150 vendors featuring eclectic goods, handmade, antiques, vintage clothing, great food and more. FREE.
When: Saturday Jun 17 from 10am to 4pm.
Where: Aberdeen Pavilion, Lansdowne Park, 1000 Exhibition Way.
Details: @613flea

7. Ottawa Indian Film Festival Awards

This is Ottawa’s and Eastern Canada’s preeminent festival dedicated to Indian cinema. It’s also a vehicle for networking and promoting local talent, filmmakers, distributors, and producers. Tickets from $18.
When: June 13-17
Where: Landmark Cinemas, 801 Kanata Ave; and VIP Cineplex Cinemas Lansdowne, 325 Marche Way.
Details: oiffa.com

8. Summer Indigenous Art Market

Featuring the diverse and amazing work of Métis, Inuit and First Nations makers: jewelry, beadwork, paintings, sculptures, mittens, moccasins, coffee, crafts, and much more. FREE.
When: Saturday Jun 17, 10am.
Where: Atrium O’Brien at National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St.

9. Vegans Who Snack, Food + Art Festival

This popular market is back for this season with special snacks and menus. There will be DJ’s music. FREE. Friday Jun 16 from 5pm to 9pm at Parkdale Market, 366 Parkdale Ave. Details: @veganswhosnack

10. Atletico Ottawa vs Vancouver FC

Cheer on Ottawa’s professional soccer team against Vancouver FC on Saturday Jun 17 at 6:00pm. At TD Place, 1015 Bank St.

11. Latin American Film Festival

An extraordinary selection of film productions from 17 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Subtitles in English. FREE admission but booking is required. 
May 30 to Jun 24 at Saint Paul University, 110 Hazel St. Details: ottawafestivals

12. Ottawa BlackJacks vs Niagara River Lions

Cheer on Ottawa’s basketball team against Niagara River Lions on Saturday June 17 at 7:30pm. At TD Place, 1015 Bank St.

13. YONEX Canadian Para-Badminton International

Watch the best Para Badminton athletes from around the world compete in Ottawa in a Paris Paralympic 2024 and Santiago Parapan Am qualifying event. FREE. June 14-18 at University of Ottawa’s Montpetit Hall, 125 University Private.

14. Sttitsville Multicultural Festival

Allow yourself to be transported to different cultures that make Stittsville so unique. Live music, info booths, kids’ activities, entertainment. FREE. Saturday, June 17 from 12pm to 4pm at Village Square Park, 6000 Abbott St E. Stittsville.

15. Canadian Multiculturalism Day

Celebrate Canada’s diversity, inclusion, belonging and equality. Dances, fashion show and vendors. FREE. Saturday Jun 17 at 4pm. At Sir John A. Macdonald Building, 144 Wellington St.

16. Flymarket

Visit this vintage market with over 20 vendors from Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto. DJ. Saturday June 17 from 11am to 5pm at 581 Bank Street.

17. Arts Park

A celebration of the arts with over 30 local vendors and artisans. There will be musical acts, drag show, improv, as well as games and activities for the kids. FREE. June 17 from 10am to 6pm at Parkdale Park, 366 Parkdale Avenue.

18. Music in the Park

Bring your favourite fold-up chair or picnic blanket and join your neighbours for a free show, Fridays 6:30pm to 8pm featuring a roster of rotating local talent. Snacks and drinks from Art House available for purchase. May 19 until August 25. At Dundonald Park, 516 Somerset St. Details on Facebook.

19. Musical Evenings at Casino Lac Leamy

Bar 7 offers musical evenings with a multimedia screen, and live performances from Thursdays to Saturdays at 9:30pm. FREE.
Thursday Jun 8: Latin Fiesta with Son Candela. Friday and Saturday: At Last.
Where: 1, Boulevard du Casino, Gatineau, QC J8Y 6W3.

20. Arboretum Hill Club Workout

Join the AHC for a workout at the Arboretum. All ages, all levels. Fridays at 6:29 am. FREE. Dogs welcome. Lots of free parking. Meet them at the Arboretum hill summit.

21. Under the Canopy: Animals of the Rainforest 

This exhibition features live lizards, snakes, a sloth and more. It opened on May 19 and will be on view until January 7, 2024. Visitors will see a two-toed sloth, reticulated python, New Caledonian giant gecko, and eight other intriguing species in this immersive exhibition. At the Canadian Museum of Nature, 240 McLeod St.

22. NCC Weekend Bike days

Nearly 50 kilometres of parkways on both sides of the Ottawa river are reserved for active use (walking, rolling, biking) on weekends and holiday Mondays. From May 13 to Oct 9
Where: Sir John A Macdonald Parkway from 8am to noon: George-Etienne Cartier Parkway from 8am to 4pm and Queen Elizabeth Driveway from 8am to 8pm.

23. Lansdowne Farmers’ Market

Sundays from May 7 until October 29. At Aberdeen Square, Lansdowne Park. From 9am to 3pm.

24. Carp Market

The largest producer-based Farmers’ Market in Eastern Ontario runs every Saturday from 8am to 1pm until the end of October.

25. Nepean Night Market

Good food, different musicians playing every week, and local amazing vendors! Sundays May 14 to Oct 15 from 5pm to 9pm at Mr. Lube Baseline, 1442 Baseline Road, Nepean.

26. Wolves: Shapeshifters in a changing world

Learn about the evolution of these fascinating animals through videos, museum specimens, cultural stories, and vivid photographs by Canadian photographer Michelle Valberg, a recent recipient of the Order of Canada. Activities for kids. March 3 to March 2024. At the Canadian Museum of Nature.

27. Owl Rendez-Vous

Watch live owls in a special outdoor exhibition. At the Canadian Museum of Nature, 240 McLeod St, from Dec 14 to April 3, 2024.

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