Looking for fun activities in the Ottawa area? Check out these options over the next seven days, starting on Thursday, September 11. Be sure to verify details with the organizers as plans can change at any time.
For festivalgoers…
- Friday, September 12 to Sunday, September 14 |Riverside Festival is back and bigger than ever with its largest stage and epic lineup. Held at the Canadian Museum of History.
- Saturday, September 13 | BanFest brings together Haitian culinary excellence, artistic creativity, and the strength of the business community.
- Until Sunday, September 14 | Don’t miss CityFolk, a celebration of music, dance and community at Lansdowne Park.
For arts, culture and a good time…
- Fridays and Saturdays | Dance the night away at Club Aléa in the Casino du Lac-Leamy with its lineup of talented DJs!
- Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening | Don’t miss Metcalfe Plaza where weekend evenings come alive with energizing DJs, music and food vendors and daytime offers everything from pop-up shops to pilates. Produced by the Downtown BIA, Aire Commune and AMASHOWZA. FREE!
- Thursday, September 11 to Friday, September 12 | Enjoy decadent pastries, delightful desserts, and high tea on the veranda of the Laurier House National Historic Site.
- Friday, September 12 | Capital Pop-Up Cinema brings families and friends together to experience classic movies under stars. This is a free event for all! FREE!
- Friday, September 12 to Saturday, September 13 |Over the course of a year, 12 playwrights—1 per month—from Vancouver to Caraquet were chosen by 12 theatre companies to join a writing relay with mysterious rules, the main one being to write about and during the night. Witness the result in Nuits claires at the National Arts Centre.
- Friday, September 12 to Saturday, September 13 |Hard Rock Cafe Ottawa offers live entertainment. FREE!
- Friday, September 12 | City Sounds Live brings family-friendly concerts to neighbourhoods across Ottawa, showcasing diverse local emerging artists in partnership with BIAs and community curators. FREE!
- Friday, September 12 | Explore downtown Ottawa through an Indigenous lens during the Indigenous guided walking tours led by artist and educator Jaime Morse. FREE!
- Saturday, September 13 ; Wednesday, September 17 | Hop on a historic bus tour through the streets of Ottawa and uncover the vibrant tapestry of Black history in the capital and across Canada. FREE!
- Saturday, September 13 | Curious to see what the National Capital Commission does? Join them for Open NCC, a behind-the-scenes peek into the day-to-day activities and projects happening in the National Capital Region. FREE!
- Saturday, September 13 to Sunday, September 14 | CatVideoFest returns to the ByTowne Cinema with a 75-minute, family-friendly reel of the internet’s best and newest cat videos.
- Saturday, September 13 | Swing on the Hill 2025 brings Ottawa’s beloved summer swing dance social back to Parliament Hill. FREE!
- Wednesday, September 17 |Don’t miss Korn: Kanada Tour, at the Canadian Tire Centre.
- Wednesday, September 17 |Every Wednesday at 12 pm, join local yoga instructors for a one-hour outdoor reset on the lawn of Parliament Hill. FREE!
