It looks like we have a warm, but wet, weekend in store for us here in Ottawa. While the weather may have you feeling a little grey, there are plenty of fun events going on around town that are sure to add some brightness to an otherwise cloudy time.
All Weekend
You won’t want to miss Thorgy Thor and the Thorchestra in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre, this Thursday through Saturday. Thorgy Thor, of RuPaul’s Drag Race, is one multi-talented Queen. She will be playing violin, viola, and cello with the NAC orchestra! This isn’t your typical NAC Orchestra concert either. It will feature everything “from Mozart to Madonna, Bach to Beyonce, Florence Price to Lady Gaga and more.”
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Axé Worldfest presents its 4th annual Empowering Women in the Music Industry Conference in partnership with the National Arts Centre this weekend. This three day conference begins on Thursday, “with programming at the Fourth Stage, Club SAW, Arts Court, and the 27 Club”. Thursday is the opening day of the conference with a performance by Tássia Reid. There is a networking barbecue and showcases on Friday, and free panels, discussions, and workshops on Saturday. There is also an afterparty on Saturday night at the 27 Club. Tickets to the events, as well as more details about the performances, can be found here.
Back to Black: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse is happening at Irene’s Pub on Friday and Saturday night. Renée Landry & her seven piece band The Cool return to Irene’s to pay tribute to Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black album. There are a small amount of tickets available at the door, so be sure to arrive early to get a spot.
The Ottawa Indie Bookstore Crawl returns for a second year this weekend, in honour of Canadian Independent Bookstore Day on the 27th. Each bookstore will be celebrating Canadian Independent Bookstore Day in its own way, so be sure to visit Books on Beechwood, Mill Street Books, Octopus Books, Perfect Books, Singing Pebble Books, The Spaniel’s Tale Bookstore, Westboro Books, and World of Maps and collect stamps from seven of the eight bookstores to be entered into a draw to win $200 in gift cards for more books!
Ottawa Poutine Fest and Mac My Cheese takes over City Hall once more this weekend. They will be serving up over 100 different poutine options, from traditional to exotic to extreme. There will also be live music and entertainment to enjoy alongside your cheese curds.
Ottawa Grassroots Festival takes place at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa and Irene’s Pub this weekend. The festival is packed full of concerts and workshops – and the daytime ones are free! You can check out the festival schedule here.
Shorthanded: A Ladies Game is in its final weekend at the Gladstone Theatre. Written by Michael Grant and directed by Rachel Worton, the play tells the story that ensues when “eight women battle the other team (and each other), after finding themselves short-handed for their championship game”.
The Ottawa Humane Society Auxilary is hosting their Spring Craft Sale this weekend at Carlingwood Shopping Centre. There will be a wide selection of handmade goods for sale with proceeds going to support the OHS animals.
Festival Transistor, taking place April 24–27, is a celebration and showcase of francophone podcast productions and audio creations. The festival takes place at the Centre culturel du Vieux-Aylmer in Gatineau. A full program can be found here.
Thursday
There is a lot going on Thursday, it just happens to continue through the weekend, so check out our All Weekend events for this Thursday’s goings on.
Friday
Switched on Synths – Darkwave Edition takes place this Friday at House of Targ. There will be performances by Dancing Plague from Portland, Renonce from Montreal, Wire Spine from Vancouver, Voyageur Statique from Montreal and Ottawa, and DJ Reverie from Ottawa’s goth industrial scene. As always, the Cicada Interactive Synth Lab will be bringing some fun toys for you to play around with. Tickets are $20.
Saturday
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There will be a Maker House Tasting Event with Collective Arts this Saturday at noon. Come sample some of Collective Arts’ new non-alcoholic beverages, like their mellow mojito or their non-alcoholic guava gose. You may just find your new favourite drink for those times where you aren’t feeling like alcohol, but still want to be a part of the party.
If you are in the mood for a drive, the celebration of the culmination of maple season, the Festival of the Maples, takes place in Perth this Saturday. There will be a selection of vendors, some tasty treats, a Maplefest Play Park for the kiddos, and live entertainment. Winners of the Maple Judging Competition will also be announced following the opening ceremonies at 11am—just in case you’d like to know who the best of the best maple producers are before you purchase.
It’s a 613Flea weekend and this Saturday the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park will be filled with over 140 vendors selling everything from vinyl and vintage, to baked goods and bath bombs. Entry is free, so come take a stroll and see what treasures you can find.
Sunday
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Hello Spring Makers Market kicks off the spring market season at Broadhead Brewery this Sunday. There will be over 40 vendors, a dozen plus beers, and a full lunch menu by Meatings BBQ. Need I say more?
Sunday is a great day to be vegan in Ottawa. Sausage Party Toronto will be in the kitchen at Little Jo Berry’s for a Vegan Brunch Takeover. In addition to a full brunch menu, there will be breakfast themed treats and milkshakes. If that weren’t enough, YugiRolls, Ottawa’s vegan Chinese food, will be hosting a PopUp at Dominion City. What’s better than vegan egg rolls? How about vegan egg rolls and beer?
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