Family-friendly
Events
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Anyone Can Sculpt Ice: Ottawa’s Hands-On Ice Sculpting Workshop
Canadian Ice Carver's Clubhouse 42 Antares Drive, Unit 110, Nepean, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaDiscover the fundamentals of ice sculpting in a guided, hands on workshop experience. Participants are introduced to essential techniques for carving small scale ice sculptures, including safety practices, proper tool handling, and foundational artistic methods. Led in an indoor setting, this interactive workshop offers insight into the craftsmanship behind ice art and provides participants with […]
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Glengarry Renaissance Festival
Glengarry County Fairgrounds 35 Fair Street, Maxville, Ontario, CanadaThe Glengarry Renaissance Festival is an annual two-day immersive festival transporting attendees to a medieval Scottish village of the 1500s, held in Maxville approximately one hour from Ottawa. The festival features live jousting with knights on horseback, falconry demonstrations, sword demonstrations, bardic entertainment, stage shows, interactive Renaissance characters, and vendors selling period-appropriate goods and food […]
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Frame of Mind: 10 Years of Creative Space
Ottawa Art Gallery 10 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaFrame of Mind is the 9th exhibition in the Creative Space program, a partnership between the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and the Ottawa Art Gallery celebrating its 10th year of using artmaking as a tool for wellness and community connection. The exhibition features work created across fall and winter sessions using acrylic painting and […]
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Intertwined – A concurrent exhibition
Ottawa Art Gallery 10 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaIntertwined is a concurrent exhibition at the Ottawa Art Gallery running through August 2, 2026, bringing together artists to explore humanity's increasingly complex relationship to the natural world through their works. The show features multiple artists working across a range of disciplines and takes up space across the OAG's five-floor programming venue at 10 Daly […]
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Powwow Workout with Amanda Fox
Peter A. Herrndorf Place, National Arts Centre 1 Elgin St, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaA free, family-friendly drop-in fitness session led by Indigenous instructor Amanda Fox that incorporates Powwow-style movement and dance into an accessible workout format open to all ages and fitness levels. The session takes place in the Peter A. Herrndorf Place at the National Arts Centre, one of Ottawa's most prominent cultural venues on Elgin Street. […]
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Capital Ribfest 10th Anniversary
Alta Vista · RA Centre 2451 Riverside Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaThe 10th annual Capital Ribfest takes over the RA Centre grounds with North America's top rib pitmasters, live music all weekend, a new Great Canadian Backyard Smoke Off Competition, a […]
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Dickinson Days
Dickinson St, Manotick, Ottawa, ON K4M Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaThe Kiwanis Club of Manotick presents the 50th anniversary edition of Dickinson Days, a beloved community street festival in the historic riverside village of Manotick. This signature Kiwanis project brings families together through service and celebration, coinciding with Ottawa's 200th anniversary in 2026. Specific programming and hours are available at the Manotick Village website; the […]
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Doors Open: University of Ottawa Heart Institute
University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Civic Hospital Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaThe University of Ottawa Heart Institute opens its doors to the public as part of Doors Open Ottawa 2026, celebrating the institution's 50th anniversary. Visitors can learn about heart health, participate in the One Million Hearts screening initiative, and take a self-guided tour of the Cardiac Research Complex. This is a free public event within […]
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Doors Open Ottawa 2026
Various venues across OttawaDoors Open Ottawa returns for its 24th anniversary with the theme Doors to the Past: Bytown's Bicentennial Journey, giving free access to 90-plus historic and modern Ottawa buildings that are […]
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Doors Open Ottawa – Birkett Castle Tour
Hungarian Ambassador's Residence (Birkett's Castle), Sandy Hill Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaStep inside the 1896 Gothic Revival mansion known as Birkett's Castle, now the Residence of the Hungarian Ambassador and open to the public on Sunday only. Built by architect Thomas Birkett, the baronial castle has served as the Japanese Embassy, the Boy Scouts headquarters, and the Heritage Canada Foundation offices across its 130-year history. Registration […]
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