As we creep closer to cold weather, we find ourselves right in the middle of the annual sleepy post-Halloween/pre-holidays time of year. This is a bit of a recharging weekend, so dig out your cold weather gear, check out some chill cultural events this weekend, start working on your holiday shopping plan, and don’t forget that the clocks fall back this Saturday night!
All Weekend
The Rockcliffe Park Book Fair is back in all its glory this weekend at Rockcliffe Park Public School. Check out the gymnasium full of used books in all genres for your cozy weather reading, and then hit up the bake sale for good old-fashioned treats.
The Ottawa Canadian Film Festival is back in person for their sixth annual festival taking place November 3-5 at the ByTowne Cinema. This year’s film festival program consists of two feature-length films and 10 short films from directors across the country, including a few by Ottawa-based filmmakers. Non-members of the ByTowne can get tickets for the events for $11.95 online.
Holiday Markets
’tis the season! This weekend marks the beginning of Holiday Markets across the valley. Check out the full month’s roundup here. Some of our favourites this weekend: Pride, Not Prejudice Fair online from Thursday to Sunday, with a $20 flat rate Canadian/U.S. shipping or free local pickup (at nine locations), and free workshops for all. The Winter Craft Market at Orleans Brewing is on Sunday from 12–4pm, and admission is free. There will be 20 vendors there, and also, you know—beer! The coziness factor will be dialled way up at the Ottawa Valley Weavers’ and Spinners’ Guild annual sale and exhibition Saturday and Sunday at the Glebe Community Centre.
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Thursday
Catch award-winning New Brunswick singer David Myles’ Ottawa show at St. Alban’s Church on Thursday. This stop is part of his Canadian tour in support of his brand new album It’s Only A Little Loneliness. If you’re looking to get stuck into some feelings, Myles describes the album title like this: “It’s the kind of thing you say to yourself when you’re feeling a bit down: ‘It’s only a little loneliness,’ but then at the same time, you know—it’s actually quite a big thing. It’s overwhelming. You try to tell yourself it’s not a big deal but it feels quite fundamental.” Oof. Tickets are available for the all-ages show online here.
Alliance Française Ottawa is hosting jazz Trio Lorenzo Naccarato on their Canadian tour, stopping in Ottawa Thursday night at 7pm. Founded in 2012 at Franco-Italian pianist Lorenzo Naccarato’s initiative, the trio presents a “cinematic music inspired from the impressionist and minimalist repertoire and current jazz artists.” Tickets are only available online for this show happening at Club SAW.
Friday
Tickets are still available for Outstanding In Their Fields, happening at City Hall from 7-9pm on Friday. The event offers the opportunity to chat with wine and cider makers while enjoying their creations. Considered a “taste & buy event,” you can sample a wide assortment of Ontario wines and ciders created exclusively for the special event. The lineup is impressive, and all samples are included in the $89 ticket price.
Recapture some childhood nostalgia at Anne of Green Gables, The Ballet, at Centrepointe Theatre. For the first time ever, Anne of Green Gables has been created as a full-length ballet, with musical arrangements from Anne of Green Gables–The Musical. This production will bring to life Canada’s favourite precocious ginger. There are still tickets available for the show, beginning at $44 for the balcony. The show starts at 7:30pm and is the only time you can catch this ballet in town!
Saturday
*Daylight Savings Time Ends! *
Tomoni/Go Together is an evening of intercultural performance hosted by Ottawa’s Japanese cultural community. Starting at 7pm at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, the event pairs Japanese cultural performance groups with local non-Japanese artists in pairings that cross traditions, disciplines, and approaches to art-making. Admission is free and everyone is welcome!
Saturday night, take in some competitive culture with Art Battle! Doors open at 7pm at Arts Court, and the battle begins at 8pm! Tickets are available online for $25 and $30 at the door. If you haven’t been to a battle yet, you watch as artists transform blank canvases into beautiful pieces of art in three rounds of just 20 minutes, and then help vote to determine the winner of the event! All artwork will also be available for silent auction. (Excellent holiday gift ideas!)
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The NAC Gala is back in person for the first time since 2019, and this year it celebrates women in the arts, with Jann Arden headlining. Tickets are pricey, but still available for the event Saturday evening. There will be cocktails, dancing, and an optional dinner as well as the main event—an onstage performance from Jann.
If you’re looking for something less mainstream, local band Kosmavermo will be playing a show at Avant Garde Bar. Modeville (from Gatineau) will also be performing, as well as Ce Qui Nous Traverse (from Montreal). Kosmavermo is a “shoegaze-esque/psychedelic/drone-ish three piece” from Ottawa that is usually instrumental, but they will be collaborating with vocalist Modeville. Tickets are $15 online in advance.
The Ottawa Senators are in town this weekend, and Saturday night they host the Philadelphia Flyers at 7pm. Tickets start at $30, and it promises to be a high-energy bout, so tickets are actually moving quickly!
Sunday
The Army Run takes place this weekend, after the event was postponed following the Queen’s death. Registration is closed, but it is good to note the road closures and disruptions to traffic in in the downtown core on Sunday. Read all about it here.
The Ottawa Pops Orchestra is presenting “Pops on Broadway!” taking place at the Meridian @ Centrepointe Theatres on Sunday (rescheduled from May 2020) . Prepare for an evening of laughter, triumph, and soft-shoeing swing that’s guaranteed to have you and your whole family smiling and dancing! This is a greatest hits show, combining numbers from shows like Evita, Les Misérables, Wicked, West Side Story, and more, performed by a live symphony orchestra. Apt613’s own Broadway Friends Forever previewed the show, so read all about it here.
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