As a part of the launch of Northern Scene, a handful of galleries in Ottawa and Gatineau will be hosting events, exhibition openings and performances by some of the best talent coming from the North. Billed as “the largest gathering of artists from Yukon, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut”, the festival will showcase more than 250 artists over ten days.

SWARM starts with a gallery crawl at 6pm — to get around the city you can walk, bike or take a ride on the free shuttle bus. For a full listing of galleries and exhibitions, see below.

At 9pm, the National Arts Centre is throwing a party with Hip hop artist Aaron “Godson” Hernandez, DJ Madeskimo and throat boxer Nelson Tagoona. The foyer of the NAC will also feature Boundless, complete with a runway showcasing fashion from Northern designers.

The SWARM party continues throughout the night at Club SAW – don’t miss a special performance by Joseph Tisiga and Lauren Passmore at 11:30pm.

Gallery Listing

AXENÉO7
Not Real, Only In The Mind
Work by artist-in-residence sculptor (and Mayor of Ivujivik, QC) Mattiusi Iyaituk.

Carleton University Art Gallery
Dorset Seen and Dorset Gold
The first 100 visitors to stop in will get CUAG swag bags!

City Hall Art Gallery
The Soniferous Æther of The Land Beyond The Land Beyond
Film by Charles Stankievech – recorded at CFS Alert, the northernmost human settlement on Earth. Presented in collaboration with SAW Video Media Art Centre.

Cube Gallery
edge of the ‘knife
A contemporary group show featuring Yellowknife artists Rae Braden, Landon Peters, Jennifer Walden,  Terry Pamplin, Helene Girard, Angus Beaulieu and Margaret Nazon.

DAÏMÕN
Afriques: Art Video curated by Pierre Beaudoin. 

Galerie SAW Gallery 
Northern Exposures
Curated by Candice Hopkins. Featuring work by Steve Anderson, Janet Ripley Armstrong, Goota Ashoona, Joe Ashoona, Bob Kussy, Aidan Cartwright, Marcus Jackson, Jimmy Kamimmalik, Quvavau Manumie, Ohotaw Mikkigak, Leo Mukjunik, Willie Mukjunik, Danny Osborne, Itee Pootoogook, Monique Robert, Nicotye Samayualie, Doug Smarch, Joseph Tisiga, Jutai Toonoo, Papiara Tukiki and Mary Tutsweetok.

Gallery 101
Aurora Boreawesomer
Curated by Lynn Canney, in partnership with The Open Sky Creative Society. Opening ceremony at 7pm with Dehcho Elder Gerald Antoine.

National Arts Centre
Artists’ Marketplace - Panorama Room
Boundless: Fashion from Canada’s North - Main Lobby (foyer)
Whalebone, Beads, Fur, Feathers, Fibre and Soapstone - Mezzanine
From the collection of the Canada Council Art Bank
Relish Gourmet Food Truck
Chef Paul Bergeron will lure you in with smoked Arctic char tacos and braised elk poutine.

National Gallery of Canada
New Voices from the New North
Curated by Heather Campbell. Featuring work by Davidialuk Alasua Amittu, Luke Anguhadluq, Tony Anguhalluq, Kenojuak Ashevak, Karoo Ashevak, Kiugak Ashoona, Shuvinai Ashoona, Igloolik Isuma Productions, Elisapee Ishulutaq, Mattiusi Iyaituk, Helen Kalvak, Qavavau Manumie, Michael Massie, William Noah, Jessie Oonark, Jacoposie Oopakak, Kananginak Pootoogook, Itee Pootoogook, Pudlo Pudlat, David Ruben Piqtoukun, Nick Sikkuark and Ningeokuluk Teevee.

Ottawa Art Gallery
Larger Than Life
Work by Sonja Ahlers, Rosemary Scanlon, Joseph Tisiga, Veronica Verkley.
Whitehorse artist Sonja Ahlers will be hosting a drop-in workshop where party-goers can make their own art inspired by her installation of found objects.
ᑕᑯᓱᕐᓀᑐᖅ (Ta•ku•shur•nai•tuk) n. 1. Things Never Seen Before 2. Aisa Qumaaluk Sivuaraapik and Others
On display in the Firestone Gallery, with work from Bobby Najummialu Novalinga, Levi Alaasuaq Pirti (Smith), Mattiusi Manukuluk Qilurqi, Mattiusi Ilimasaut Amarualik, Aisa Qumaaluk Sivuaraapik and Aliva Tuktu Tulugak. Curated by Catherine Sinclair.

For more information on events, performances, workshops and happenings occurring throughout the Northern Scene festival (April 25-May 4), check the NAC website.

Sonja Ahlers, Untitled (detail) 2013. Toe shoes, fur, glass, ephemera, porcelain leg by Shary Boyle. Courtesy of the artist.

It’s St. Paddy’s day this weekend, folks, and we’ve got just the burlesque show to celebrate. Need something a little more traditional? Head out to your local pub, Irish or not! Guaranteed they’ll be in a festive mood.

Tonight at the NAC, you can catch the hip-hop/rock/soul music of Sound of Lions, while Algoma releases her new album down at the Mercury Lounge. Three local bands will take to the stage at the Lunenburg Pub for their weekly battle of the bands – this week, Go Long (!), Leadfoot Pretty, and The Way compete for your affection (and votes). Friday night, Glorious MoonRockets play at Burgers on Main (on Somerset), while those of you needing to dance should head to Mercury Lounge or Timekode. Also on Friday, the Cafe Alt concert series continues, with cheap local beer and great music – John McKiel and Scattered Clouds are up this time. Saturday? Inlet Sound and Amos the Transparent stop by Zaphod’s for the early show.

We’ve also got a new record label in town – head to Spins and Needles Friday night to get a limited edition copy of their first album! If you need more craft in your life, get your fill at their silkscreening workshop on Sunday.

You know spring is really in the air when sugar bush spots start opening, and you start craving the epic breakfasts they serve. Planned Parenthood also has Spring Fever, their fundraiser and rock show tonight at Babylon. In other fundraisers, CHUO continues to hold their funding drive, and Saturday night will have StillNative, Hearts and Mines, and DJ Adam Saikaley at Mavericks to raise a bit o’ cash. A night of spoken word will raise money for cancer research down at Bijou Lounge on Saturday night. ICAfrica is also holding a fundraiser, this one with a few comedy greats. Need even more laughs? Grounded can hook you up!

If you can’t wait for what summer is going to bring, Arboretum Arts Festival + Party is throwing a little fundraising bash with the Hilotrons and Silkken Laumann at Babylon on Friday night.

Are you an aspiring art writer or critic? On Saturday, the Ottawa Art Gallery is hosting Articulation, a critical art writing workshop – and we have a ticket to give away! From 10am-4pm, the lucky winner spend the day learning from prominent members of the national art writing community. Email us the name of the facilitator of Articulation at apartment613[a]gmail.com and we’ll enter you into the draw. Contest closes at 6pm today.

What else are you up to this weekend, Ottawa?

Edward and Frankson’s show is intended to challenge assumptions and perceptions of Black Canadian history. As part of the Ottawa Storytellers, they will combine story-telling with singing to describe the experiences of Black Canadian men and women across the country, their hardships, their successes and everything in between.

“We are going across the country from Halifax, to Québec City, to Montréal to Toronto, to Hamilton to Calgary,” said Edward. “We’re telling the stories of individual people, their lives as Black Canadians and their difficulties, and the good things that came out of that.”

“Both Ruthanne and I, even though we are of different “races” are both human beings and both Canadians,” says Frankson. “These stories are our shared heritage and it’s important for us both to feel connected to this history.”

Edward and Frankson have quite obviously done their research on a diverse and interesting list of people. Olivier Le Jeune was the first documented slave on Canadian soil in the 1600’s. Marie-Josèph Angélique, a slave in Montréal in the 1700’s, was executed because she had been accused of starting a fire that burned down part of the city. “There was a trial and court transcripts exist,” added Edward. “Otherwise we wouldn’t have known she [Angélique] even existed because there was nothing else to mark the fact that she had ever lived…”

There is Robert Sutherland, who was the first Black university graduate and qualified as a lawyer in 1855. He saved Queen’s University in Kingston. There was also John Baker who may have been the last surviving Upper Canadian slave upon his death in 1871. John Ware was an accomplished cowboy who lived in Alberta and passed in the early 1900’s. Then there was Viola Desmond, who in 1946 refused to sit in a balcony designated for Blacks at a theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, and took her seat on the ground floor with white folks instead.

“We have chosen to tell these particular stories,” says Edward, “but there are so many others. We are also not deliberately dealing with the Underground Railroad, because part of the point is to make people aware of the history other than that.” She goes onto explain that Canada’s role in the Underground Railroad is a dominant narrative in Black Canadian history that paints our country’s past in an overly positive light. The fact that there was slavery in Canada, cannot be excluded, suppressed or forgotten.

“Not everything we say will correspond to the audience’s perceptions of what Canada has taught them our history represents,” says Frankson. “It’s a mixed bag of positive and negative, which ultimately is the truth of how this country has evolved.”

Frankson and Edward are experienced storytellers. Frankson is a history buff, a former high school teacher, as well as one of Canada’s top spoken-word poets, and a co-founder of Capital Slam. Edward has a background in theatre and has been telling stories to audiences for more than ten years. She was once a historical guide and at one time worked for the Haunted Walk Ottawa.

Frankson adds, “Ruthanne asked me to do this show with her and I was immediately interested. I like mixing art forms to come up with something new. The show is important because spoken word and storytelling, like Ruthanne and I, share a common ancestry. Both art forms involve the sharing of critical information through the use of words, expression and emotion.”

Beyond the Railroad will show at the National Art’s Centre’s 4^th STAGE (53 Elgin Street) on Thursday, February 21, 7:30 p.m., doors open at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at NAC box office or ticketmaster.ca (614-991-2787).

Apartment613: Can you explain the link between nature and happiness? Does this bode well for a city like Ottawa, with easy access to natural environments?

John Zelenski: Ottawa provides a nice opportunity to experience nature with its urban green spaces and close proximity to wild areas. Of course, people also need to choose to take advantage of these things. On average, nature tends to promote happiness. A variety of studies show that nature (and sometimes even representations of nature like pictures or videos) can improve mood in the short term. For example, we’ve found substantial mood boosts after only brief walks in urban nature (e.g., along the Rideau Canal). These temporary mood benefits are nice, but it takes a large collection of them to translate into a broader sense of happiness. However, even at this level, we observe an association between happiness and people’s subjective connection with nature. People who feel connected to nature and spend more time in nature also tell us that they are happier.

Apartment613: I think that many people in Ottawa tend to blame the long and cold winter for their seasonal blues. Do you think that Ottawans have challenges in maintaining our happiness because of our winter?

JZ: The winter can pose challenges. For example, having fewer hours of daytime light in northern locations is associated with higher rates of seasonal depression. Harsh weather can also keep people indoors and away from the benefits of nature. That said, Ottawa also has great opportunities to get outdoors during the winter, e.g., skating, skiing, snowshoeing…

Apartment613: What exactly do you do in a happiness lab? What does the lab look like?

JZ: We conduct studies on happiness, and these can take many forms. For example, we’re particularly interested in nature and people’s connection to it. Another major interest is sociability, the trait of extraversion, and how it plays out ‘in the moment’. (Contrary to many intuitions, almost everyone enjoys acting extraverted over short periods of time.)

The lab space is fairly unspectacular. We have a variety of offices and rooms that allow for some versatility in creating experiential environments. For example, we might facilitate a group discussion, show videos to induce a particular mood, stage an opportunity for someone to help another, etc. Our research also takes us out of the physical space, for example, when we take research participants out on walks in the urban nature that surrounds Carleton, or reach out to people around the globe via the internet. The physical space is much less important than the creativity my team of students and collaborators bring to it.

Apartment613: What are you hoping people take away from your event Friday with Creative Mornings? Any happiness tips you are hoping to pass on?

JZ: On Friday, I’ll be focusing on our research linking nature with happiness. We are exploring the idea that by facilitating contact with nature, we might make people both happier and more inclined to engage in environmentally sustainable behaviours — a ‘happy path to sustainability’. This work is ongoing, but it is already very clear that one thing people can do to boost their mood and restore their mental energy is to take a brief walk in nature. So, I hope people will consider the big ideas, but also that this concrete tip will be helpful in their daily lives.

Creative Mornings starts with breakfast tomorrow morning at 8am. The event takes place at Art Is In bakery at City Centre Plaza. All the details are online at the Creative Mornings eventbrite.

Local band Good2Go will be at the Atomic Rooster tomorrow night, while down at Raw Sugar there’s a fundraiser/party for the Ottawa Rock Lottery, featuring Zoo Legacy, a screening of the ORL documentary, and a DJ dance party. Also in fundraisers, the Carleton Architecture School is hosting kosmic gravity, their annual Barrymore’s extravaganza.  Herd magazine is launching their second issue, bringing in music (James and Blackburn, Wind and the Wild), DJs and VJs, food and drinks – and a small tip: if you didn’t get into their last event, come earlier. The City Above, a local rock quintet, is also celebrating the release of their latest LP at at Pressed.

Down at Irene’s, you can catch The Flats and The Standardbreds with their folky-rock sound, while over at La Temporaire (yes, across the bridge), Absolutely Free and Fet. Nat will blur genre lines. The SoulJazz Orchestra returns home to Babylon on Saturday night, after traipsing about the world, and The Dead Bees will be down at Raw Sugar. You can then wind things down with Dynamite Motel at the Hintonburg Public House Sunday evening.

SAW Video is showing off the work of their members at Resolution 2013 – they’ll have animated shorts, documentaries and everything in between. In live performances, Mrs. Dally has a Lover continues its extended run at ACT Studio – but note that it finishes on Saturday!

Book lovers have a few options this weekend, too – author Maurice Hladik will talk how your food really gets from the farm to your fork at the new de Natura series, and the Dusty Owl Reading Series continues with Luna Allison and Erin Saoirse Adair on Sunday.

We’ve got vernissages, workshops and more music happening, too – what else will you get up to this weekend? Let us know below!

Kitchen-table storyteller Ivan Coyote and country-turned-electropop musician Rae Spoon bring their show Gender Failure to Carleton University on November 22.

Apartment613 caught up with Coyote over the phone to get the scoop on the show that unwraps and unravels the gender binary and promises to make you rumble with laughter, and weep.

Apartment613: You have a seven-year artistic partnership with Rae Spoon. Was Gender Failure a long-time project, or a more spontaneous idea—how did you come to it?

Ivan Coyote: In the past, Rae and I have dealt with more mainstream subjects in our work—for me, it’s the Yukon family stories. Gender Failure is more oriented towards a queer/gender/trans audience.

We started tossing ideas around last fall. Rae came to a few of my shows in Vancouver in February of this year. We came up with a list of possible ideas and storylines—what the heart of the show would be. In late March, I went to Montreal for eight or nine days. By day, we’d practice music, songs; we’d work on the musical parts. And then I’d go back to where I was staying at night and do the writing. We performed a 45-minute preview in Manhattan in April and premiered the full show in Toronto the following night.

The show is a play on the gender binary. We’d joke that neither of us is a successful in-the-box woman, and neither of us is a successful in-the-box trans guy either. We’d both failed at both genders. So we played around with that as the theme. And more than that—with how boxes fail everybody, how they can imprison people.

Apartment613: So the show is geared towards a different audience. How is it different from your previous work, your kitchen-table stories?

Ivan Coyote: I haven’t departed from kitchen-table stories. My stories still feature intimacy and straight-forward narrative.

Rae recently published a book with Arsenal. I started playing music. We’re stepping out of our artistic boxes—Rae with text, and me with music. The show is a true blend of both of us, of music and narrative.

We’re also working with a visual artist on a series of four animations to accompany the show. The animations are of two-dimensional cut-out dolls of me and Rae, in sync with the musical elements. They’re not ready now, but they’ll be part of the show in the spring. They’re lots of fun.

Apartment613: Your stories are very accessible and they hint at larger truths. What do you see as the function of storytelling? How, through storytelling, do you craft the realities you want to see?

Ivan Coyote: Stories are about honesty. For me, storytelling is an Irish Catholic family tradition. And my stories don’t hint—they pack a one-two punch. I make you laugh, and follow up to make you emote, feel. So there’s no hinting.

What matters in storytelling is emotional honesty. Storytelling, listening to each other’s stories, is the true way to social justice, to real compassion. In my view, it’s the best tool, whether through performance, film, art or music, to teach people to honour diversity. And I have reams and reams of experience to back that up.

Apartment613: What do you want the audience to come away with?

Ivan Coyote: First of all, I want the audience to be entertained. Then, I want them to emote—to feel something, and to see part of themselves in the story. Whether they relate to it directly or not, I want them to find a path into the story that allows it to resonate with their own story.

Apartment613: Any parting words? Is there anything else we should know about you or Rae Spoon?

Ivan Coyote: I really value artistic collaboration. Rae is one of my favourite people. Their music and creative expression have expanded and changed over the years we’ve worked together. They are incredibly talented. And we’ve influenced each other’s work in positive ways. I am honoured to work with them.

Gender Failure is a fully developed show. It’s rehearsed and edited. It’s tight. But it’s still changing. We’re constantly tweaking. And that’s really exciting as an artist and creative being—to do a show that’s live.

Coyote and Spoon perform Gender Failure in the Kailash Mital Theatre in Southam Hall at Carleton University on November 22 at 7:30 pm. The public event is free.

For more details, check out the event’s Facebook page.

Doubling as a fundraiser for University of Ottawa campus radio station CHUO, the first annual Taste of CHUO brought together almost a dozen restaurants that offered everything from Ethiopian cuisine to Salvadoran dishes to Caribbean flavours.

Local brewer Kichesippi Beer also poured some of their tasty creations for those looking to wash down all of the tasty treats.

“The name ‘A Taste of CHUO’ is an invitation to the station,” explains Karen McHarg, sales and marketing director for the radio station and the event organizer. “I wanted it to be a bit eclectic because CHUO is eclectic…. It changes every hour.”

With the wide range of dishes on offer, McHarg definitely met her objective of providing a venue in which local eateries could advertise their distinct menus.

Wanting to try as many edibles as possible, I went to several tables to see what they had.

Habesha, located at 574 Rideau Street, served up an impressive set of samples. I tried two different portions: the first made with spicy lentils; the second a nice combination of cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Both servings were accompanied by injera, a flatbread with a spongy texture that is used to pick up the food.

A few tables away, El Tucan from 85 Montreal Road offered pupusas, a traditional dish from El Salvador made with maize flour that can be filled with pork, beans and/or cheese. Cabbage and hot sauce accompanied the meal. As someone who has eaten Central American food for years, I was impressed with the flavour and texture of the pupusas, which were delightful.

The Imperial Gastro Diner, meanwhile, had a wonderful plate made of double-smoked bacon, chorizo sausage and homemade manicotti. With a reasonable amount of spice this pasta plate was quite good.

All of this tasty food called out for a beer, so I ordered a dark lager, with the tongue-and-check name “Logger,” from the friendly folks at the Kichesippi Beer Co. The rich flavour was the perfect beverage for a very delicious meal.

“This is the first annual [event],” promises McHarg, who tells Apartment 613 that she would also like future food exhibits take place in the fall. “Our year always starts in the fall because of the school year.”

Among the other great venues represented at the food fair was the ever-popular TacoLot in Hintonburg, whose wonderful tacos are well known.

From across the bridge in Gatineau there was Le P’tit Grecque, located 264 Saint-Rédempteur, who served up Greek food, while back in Ottawa lovers of Caribbean cuisine could taste samples from Bananas Caribbean Grill and Take-Out in Orleans, Island Flava at 409 Dalhousie and Island Spiced, a local company that specializes in making Caribbean-flavoured hot sauces.

Completing this delightful collection of eateries was the vegetarian friendly Simply Raw Express, gourmet sandwich specialists Pressed from Centretown, and Fresco Bistro Italiano on Elgin Street.

For all of those who indulged in the food – and you can count me in this category – the friendly folks at Sage Wellness were offering up massages to relax.

Goldstein, now on tour promoting his latest book, I’ll Seize the Day Tomorrow, is most famous for his radio show WireTap, which airs on CBC Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons, for his work on the PRI radio show, This American Life and for a weekly column which he writes for the National Post. Wire Tap, if you’ve never heard it, is a prime example of post laugh-track comedy that reflects on the world while simultaneously poking fun at it. It wallows in the comedic and absurdist dilemma of existential angst: trying to make sense of a world which is essentially void of meaning and in which our destiny is death. While evident are glimpses of what one might call “seriousness,” said moments are deeply entrenched in a jovial self-mockery which might, as Goldstein reflects on his style of humour, “get at a greater truth.”

A recent episode titled “The World Upside Down” features Gregor (a reoccurring character) berating Goldstein for being one of the last to congratulate him on the birth of his son, an eloquent, existential monologue on the purity of the unborn, and a conversation with a one Laura Kraft, whose uncontrollable eye-rolling leads to her eye-balls physically flipping 180, causing her vision to appear upside-down. It’s a rollicking ride—half an hour very well spent.

Goldstein, looking just a tad squeamish at the podium, says, “Thank you. Thank you,” while the audience splashes him with a hearty round of applause. He begins reading the first of three stories which he’ll share from I’ll Seize the Day Tomorrow. A large projection in the centre of the stage shows cartoon images by Arthur Jones which brilliantly accompany the story Goldstein tells of his family coming together to celebrate the birth of his niece. The audience roars with laughter at the reading, howls at the drawings. The piece both makes fun of and celebrates the particular lunacy of his family as seen through his eyes–a theme which runs through the entirety of the book.

The audience loves the stories that he reads, and though I’ll surely be mocked for my gushy and mushy insinuations, there’s an air of warmth in the room, something almost religious about the experience that has nothing to do with the fact we’re in a house of God and everything to do with the simple fact that shared laughter is a wonderful thing.

I note, as I sit on my wooden chair among the others in the space, that the laughter, which does in fact rise in swells that accompany the cadence of the words and the patterns of the story, is also quite personal. A huge and grizzly guffaw screams out from the back. A wild, airy giggle flits through the air long after a joke has passed and the topic has changed. In short, good humour opens spaces for all kinds of perspectives and interpretations. Everyone is laughing together, yet in their own way, and at their own time. There is not one singular joke to get. No one is being instructed as to which thing is meant to be funny or ironic.  David Foster Wallace, who in a 1990 essay titled “E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction” noted the suffocating and futile irony prevalent on television, might have been pleased at the fact that a greater spectrum of comedy and irony now wanders around our media saturated world.  It takes a certain kind of humourist – not to be confused with a stand-up comedian (Goldstein makes this clear and would consider the act “terrifying”) – to pull this off.

Speckled through the self-deprecating stories are philosophical insights—sound cultural reflections. And while it’s possible to critique Goldstein for somehow exploiting his family for laughs (this question is asked), the topic illuminates a sensitive and genuine side to his character. The goal of his work is not the humiliation of others. “I’d feel terrible if that happened,” he says. He goes on to tell the audience how nervous he was that his sister might be offended at the story which he’d just previously shared with the audience. Goldstein’s humour, ultimately, is celebratory of the pain that life causes us, the conflicting tangle of emotions we feel in any given situation, and that these events which cause hurt and confusion can in fact be commemorated with a good dose of laughter. In short, it celebrates the complexity of being human, helps make the at-times unbearable, bearable.

His effort to be “live” at this event is case in point.

Like Goldstein, comedians like Louis CK, Tig Notaro, Marc Maron (to name just a few) work in a similar strain, taking comedy to places where we can laugh in a somehow more deeply cathartic way, transgressing the dangerous and banal rehashing of trite stereotypes or empty schadenfraude.

While Jonathan reflects on his hopes to continue progressing Wire Tap into new territory – the latest episode was a conscious effort to be “scary” – I, like many in the sold-out venue, will be listening along. But, for now, we’ll read, as I did last night.

Page 69 from I’ll Seize the Day Tomorrow:

I don’t think my grandfather even knew how to use a fast-food drive-through speaker,’ I say. ‘I was once with him when he tried to order at Wendy’s. He started yelling for boiled eggs in all directions. Didn’t even bother to roll down the car windows.’

Our grandfathers could have no more predicted this world than we can predict the world of our grandchildren.

For those of you with wicked awesome costumes, this Mobile Costume Party is where you should be Friday night. Missed last week’s zombie walk? Westboro will have a few of them wandering around. Zaphod’s is throwing an Indie Rock Halloween Party, and you can transform into your favourite Hollywood Horror star for IFCO’s party at the Urban Well. There’s a special slam poetry edition to mark this holiday, and a special Double Barrel anniversary party. If you want a treat and not a trick, Ottawa’s own techno-groove-rockers nero will be throwing a party at Mavericks on Saturday, the same night as the 10th Halloween Hellbender down at Irene’s.  St. Brigid’s will be turned into a haunted castle for The Great Charity Pumpkin Ball on Friday, complete with a Disco Dungeon. It’s not everyday you’ll see a zombie paddling a dragonboat, but your best chance will probably be at that festival’s annual fundraiser.

Sneaking into next week a bit.. On Halloween itself, Mavericks will have Halloween Hardcore, while you can make ghoulish creations down at Spins and Needles’ Macabre Party. Zombie Strippers return to Babylon with Rockalily’s annual show, and Bourbon & Spice take their Trick or Treat Show to the Rainbow.

If scary things aren’t up your alley, have no fear – you can safely avoid the spooks all weekend long. Tonight is the Peking Opera Soiree with William Lau – be prepared to be swept away by the gorgeous costumes and performances. The Writers Festival continues, with longtime news anchor Lloyd Robertson bringing his melodic voice to the stage and Jian Ghomeshi talking about a pretty great year. Enriched Bread Artists open their doors this weekend – definitely worth it to catch a glimpse inside their studios on Gladstone. And: celebrate shared bikes with RightBike on Saturday!

Down at the Elmdale on Friday, you’ll find Long Distance Runners and The Sweet Mack, and Departures and the Cannon Bros. are at Raw Sugar. Also that night? Rydell, Neighbours and Live the Story are at Club SAW, and Lazzy Lung gives a rare solo performance at Zaphods. SoCalled swings by the Black Sheep on Sunday, with his eclectic rapper-musician-journalist-artist-composer-singer talents, or you can catch Eclektik live at the Hintonburg Public House.

Tell us, Ottawa – what else are you up to this weekend?

Ottawa is bursting at the seams this weekend – we’re definitely not ready to let go of festival season quite yet. Today, House of Paint kicks off for four days of graffiti, hip hop and breakdancing. And Saturday is Arboretum, the newest boutique festival celebrating all things local – we’re talking food, art, music and more. Highlights? Catch hip hop legend Maestro Fresh Wes at House of Paint Sunday and see the graffiti wall created the day before, and take in Cadence Weapon while chowing down on some delicious vittles at Arboretum.

Your choices don’t end there – Rise Against and Gaslight Anthem are in town tonight to put on a great punk show, while The Bills are back launching a new folk album out at the Black Sheep. We’ve got some neo-soul music with The Split tonight, too, while Friday night will see a mix of folk, punk, jazz and blues at Luneta Cafe with Paco Dvoi and Dynamite Motel. Saturday night it’s Bahamas and The Weather Station at First Baptist for a bit of indie rock, and there’s a fundraiser at Zaphod’s featuring tons of great music to raise money for kids’ cancer research.

If you like to mix your music with a bit of extra activities, there are a few on tap: Spins and Needles DJing crafternoon will focus on silk screening on Sunday, while Saturday night it’s While You Were On Instagram down at Babylon, where Twitter and Instagram challenges will get you drinks and a few surprise music guests will keep the party rocking. Also that night, DJ Memetic teams up with the chefs at Grounded for a dance-y vernissage of Vitality by artist Amancer.

In spoken word, the Dusty Owl Reading Series is back at the Elmdale with a slam competition on Sunday, and just up the street at the Hintonburg Public House you’ll find an open stage for anyone who wants to perform poetry/short stories/comedy/spoken word. The day before, it’s Taste of Wellington West, with Wellington Street’s restaurants, bakeries and all things delicious out for you to sample.

Our miscellaneous highlights this week feature a trunk sale, super-fast powerpoint presentations, a little preview into the greatness of Festival X photography extravaganza, and a scavenger hunt bike rally that will find you in a friendly competition with other Ottawa cyclists.

There’s even more in our events section, folks. What else will you be taking in this weekend?