Welcome to another weekend! With all the new buds and blossoms, it definitely seems like Ottawa is coming alive again, and not a moment too soon! Whether you want to get into some live sports, cool music, drag shows, or supporting local businesses, this weekend is jam packed. Get out there and enjoy it!
If live music is your jam, our friends at Ottawa Gigs has got you covered.
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All Weekend
The Grassroots Festival is gearing up for three full days of music, from folk to country to roots, and hands-on gardening, ukulele, guitar, and songwriting workshops this weekend. For people of all ages, the 13th edition of the festival will take place from April 24-27 at The First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa on Cleary. Read all about it in our preview here.
Ottawa’s local indie book sellers are celebrating the third annual Ottawa Indie Bookstore Crawl. From April 25-27, readers can collect stamps when they visit Ottawa’s participating independent bookstores. After collecting stamps from seven of the eight participating stores, one lucky winner will win $200 to spend at Ottawa’s indie bookstores! Each store will also have special offers and events through the weekend.
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The Ottawa Art Gallery is hosting the Irish Film Festival all weekend. The festival showcases recent films of all genres from Irish filmmakers in a three-day event that also incorporates Irish music, dance, and other arts. A full festival pass if $60, and individual film tickets are $15. Read more about it here.
How about sometime different? The Ottawa Aerial Circus Festival is taking place from Friday to Sunday at Arts Court. You can find workshops, classes, and performances in all areas of creative circus performance. Tickets are available for the performances online.
Lost Baggage Musical Theatre Company opens their productions of A Chorus Line at Arts Court on Thursday, and the show runs all weekend, with 8pm shows, and matinées on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available online for $31.
Orléans is the place this weekend for the best in Canadian food. You can catch both PoutineFest and the Canadian Buttertart Festival at 255 Centrum Blvd., Friday to Sunday.
The Ten Collective, a group of ten Canadian artists from diverse backgrounds are showing an exhibit and sale of new paintings Saturday and Sunday from 10-5pm at the very neat Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte. Make a day trip of it!
The Ottawa Outdoor and Adventure Travel Show is taking over the Nepean Sportsplex Saturday and Sunday to get us ready for summer. Check it out from 10-5pm, free admission and free parking all day.
Thursday
Get ready for your May flowers with the Garden Tool Maintenance and Sharpening Night with the Ottawa Tool Library. At this workshop the OTL will inspect their tools, clean them, re-sharpen the cutting edges, and give the metal and wood surfaces a light coat of oil. Bring along your own tools for a clean up as well. Get your workshop tickets online.
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Thursdays at Manor Lounge on Elgin you can catch Ottawa’s legendary act Duelling Pianos, and tickets are $20 available online. The fun starts at 8pm.
Discover Flutterings, an exhibition by Valérie Chartrand exploring the impact of climate change on monarch butterflies, presented at Artengine in Arts Court from April 24 to May 10. The opening reception is on Thursday from 6-8 pm.
Friday
On Friday and Saturday from 10-4 pm, Out of the Box Fibre Artists are holding their popular Fibre Fling Art Show at Kitchissippi United Church, on Island Park Drive. Admission is free, with monetary donations gratefully accepted for the Ottawa Food Bank.
C4 Wrestling is back for their April edition of Collateral Damage at the Preston Event Centre. General Admission tickets are $30 in advance, and $40 at the door.
Down for some silly, sexy, shagadelic good times? Ass Catchum: The Spy Who Dragged Me on Friday night promises live music, drag, burlesque, and comedy, celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of the fan favourite Drag King Ass Catchum. Tickets are available online for the 19+ show, at The Other Room on Elgin.
Why not sing a sea shanty? The Bytown Sea Shanty Collective is back at Beyond the Pale at City Centre. The singing begins at 8pm, and there is no cover charge, but the place does tend to fill up early!
Friday and Saturday, Propeller Dance is sharing a new piece at the Shenkman Arts Centre. So It Turns, We Bloom is a meditation on nature, dance, and community, this two-part saga takes place over two nights, journeying through the life cycle of a plant; nurtured by the elements and guided by day/night sky.
Saturday
The PWHL Ottawa Charge are finishing out their second season in the next week, and there are still some re-sale tickets available for this Saturday’s matinée game at 12pm. We are still chasing a possible playoff berth, and it is Pride Day so expect the roof to blow right off.
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613flea is back at the Aberdeen Pavilion from 10-4pm on Saturday. This is the perfect time to find something for Mother’s Day (in only 2 weeks). Knowing the PWHL game is sold out, plan your trip to the flea in advance!
If you’re a fan of the classics, Rideau Chorale’s Handelfest is happening Saturday at 7:30pm at Southminster United Church in Old Ottawa South. Tickets to this vocal concert begin at $20 for students.
Indo-Canadian Bageshree Vaze’s Global Bollywood is a tribute to the rich musical landscape of Indian film music and the composers who defined Bollywood music. The performance takes place at the Shenkman Arts Centre on Saturday at 7pm. Tickets are still available online.
If you’re a crafter, check out the The Great Ottawa Markets Collective Craft Destash at the Sensplex in Kanata. Artisans and crafters will be decluttering their creative spaces, offering surplus crafting materials, tools, and supplies that could become your next crafting masterpiece. Like a garage sale for crafting. The event runs from 11am-4pm, and there also promises to be tons of food.
For some jazziness, you can find Ottawa’s Garrett Warner Trio at Art House Café Saturday night starting at 8pm. You can expect an evening of Americana/alternative-inspired instrumental jazz led by electric guitar. Tickets are $25 online.
Sunday
The Ottawa Rapid FC are opening their inaugural season at home on Sunday at 1pm. This new elite women’s league is already making lots of noise, and with an Olympian, and lots of international talent on the squad, we are in for a real competitive treat. Read our soccer expert’s preview here.
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House of Targ is home to CLUB 96 Drag Show and 90s Dance Party on Saturday night hosted by Saltina Shaker and Sunshine Glitterchild. Get your tickets online for $17 ahead of time for the 19+ show, doors open at 8pm.
Viral comedian Josh Johnson is taking over the Bronson Centre for three shows on Sunday. Check him out at 2pm, 5pm, or 8pm.
OperOttawa is teaming up with Toronto’s Opera By Request to put on Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm. Tickets for the operatic performance at First Baptist Church (Laurier and Elgin) are available online, starting at $10 for students.
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