More than 50 Ontario ciders are pouring at Britannia Yacht Club on Tuesday, while downtown the same night David Suzuki is taking over Southam Hall with a playlist that jumps from Beethoven to Joni Mitchell. That contrast sets the tone for Ottawa events this week, with animation, Indigenous art, comedy, theatre and live music stretching from Westboro to Hintonburg and the NAC. By Friday, you can choose between an all-vegan market on Parkdale Avenue, Afro-Cuban rhythms downtown and an Irish dance production backed by live musicians. Here are 10 Ottawa events this week, September 21-25.
Top Ottawa events this week
1. Ottawa’s Craft Cider Celebration
More than 50 Ontario craft ciders are gathering under one roof at Britannia Yacht Club, making this Tuesday tasting a particularly easy way to explore the province’s cider scene without leaving Ottawa. More than 10 regional cideries are taking part, including 1818 Ciders, Saunders Cider, Ernest Cider and West Ave Cider, and you’ll have a chance to meet some of the makers behind the pours. It’s a strong pick for anyone interested in local food and drink in Ottawa and wants to discover bottles beyond the usual LCBO shelf.
📅 Tuesday, September 22 at 6:00 PM 📍 Britannia Yacht Club, 2777 Cassels Street, Britannia 🎟️ $30 plus HST
2. David Suzuki’s Playlist
David Suzuki is curating the program at Southam Hall, but this is far from a conventional classical concert. The NAC Orchestra moves between Mendelssohn and Beethoven and songs associated with Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, with a world premiere arrangement of Carmen Braden’s Imaginal also on the program. Suzuki hosts the evening, giving the concert a personal playlist concept rather than the feel of a standard orchestral program.
📅 Tuesday, September 22 at 8:00 PM 📍 Southam Hall, National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street 🎟️ From $33
3. Ottawa International Animation Festival
The Ottawa International Animation Festival reaches its 50th anniversary with five days of screenings, talks, workshops and industry gatherings beginning Wednesday. Short film competitions, Animation Exposé and artist talks are among the highlights, while celebrated cartoonist Seth designed this year’s festival poster. Events spread through Arts Court, ByTowne and other downtown venues, so this is one of the few picks this week that can become a multi-day itinerary rather than a single night out.
📅 Wednesday, September 23 to Sunday, September 27 📍 Arts Court and other downtown Ottawa venues, including 67 Nicholas Street 🎟️ Admission varies by festival event
4. Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette’s music becomes the backbone of a Tony Award-winning stage musical as TotoToo Theatre brings Jagged Little Pill to Hintonburg. The story follows the Healy family through questions of identity, relationships and personal truths, with familiar songs including You Oughta Know, Hand in My Pocket and Ironic. The run starts Thursday at the Great Canadian Theatre Company and continues into October, making opening week a good Ottawa date idea for musical theatre fans.
📅 Opening Thursday, September 24 at 7:30 PM, with performances through October 3 📍 Great Canadian Theatre Company, 1233 Wellington Street West, Hintonburg 🎟️ $69 plus tax and $3 service fee
More Ottawa events this week
1. Dreamcatcher Workshop with Bougie Birch
Indigenous artist Ashley Clark leads this hands-on dreamcatcher workshop at the National Arts Centre on Wednesday evening. The session combines making with an opportunity to learn about the resilience of Indigenous communities. All materials are supplied, which means participants can arrive without assembling their own craft kit beforehand.
The workshop is led by Bougie Birch and runs for approximately 1.5 to two hours. Rather than watching a demonstration from the sidelines, you’ll work on your own dreamcatcher during the session. The setting is Atelier Shenkman Smith, across from the NAC Box Office.
This is one of the more participatory Ottawa events this week, especially for people who would rather make something than sit through a conventional performance. It also offers a smaller-scale experience compared with the concerts and festivals filling other downtown venues. Plan on spending most of the early evening at the workshop before heading elsewhere downtown.
📅 Wednesday, September 23 at 5:30 PM 📍 Atelier Shenkman Smith, National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street 🎟️ $45, materials included
2. Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation
Four generations of comedians share the bill at Yuk Yuk’s Ottawa West on Wednesday. Canadian comedy veteran Glen Foster headlines, giving the show its most experienced voice. Tavis Maplesden hosts the night, with Dr. Sarah Boston, Jeff Davis, Sean-Thomas Martin and Rick Currie also scheduled to perform.
The generational setup gives the comics a built-in source of contrast. Different perspectives and experiences can collide over the course of a single lineup rather than having every performer approach material from roughly the same stage of life. The show is uncensored, so this is geared toward an adult comedy crowd.
Tickets are listed at $25. There’s also a $60 dinner-and-show package for anyone who wants to turn the performance into a fuller night out. The Richmond Road location makes it a Westboro-area alternative to the cluster of performances taking place downtown this week.
📅 Wednesday, September 23 at 8:00 PM 📍 Yuk Yuk’s Ottawa West, 1394 Richmond Road 🎟️ $25, with a $60 dinner-and-show package available
3. Odāwā Tomorrow: Odāwā Wàbang
The NAC’s Kipnes Lantern becomes a giant outdoor canvas for Jay Odjick’s animated artwork beginning Thursday night. Odāwā Tomorrow: Odāwā Wàbang imagines Indigenous futures through imagery influenced by Woodland art and comic books. Seeds and planting appear as symbols of renewal within the work.
The projection is designed for the exterior Lantern rather than a traditional gallery. That means you can encounter it outside after sunset without buying a ticket or committing to a fixed performance start time. It runs nightly between 8:00 PM and 11:59 PM from Thursday through Sunday.
Among Ottawa events this week, this is particularly easy to fit around dinner, another performance or an evening walk downtown. It’s also the only event in this Monday-Friday selection explicitly listed as free admission. Because the work is projected outdoors, you can simply make the NAC a stop on an evening route through the downtown core.
📅 Thursday, September 24 to Sunday, September 27, 8:00 PM to 11:59 PM 📍 Kipnes Lantern, National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street 🎟️ Free
4. Vegans Who Snack Food and Art Festival
Parkdale Public Market shifts into vegan festival mode on Friday evening for Vegans Who Snack. The event brings together small food businesses and art vendors in Hintonburg. Little Jo Berry’s is organizing the festival, with an emphasis on independent vendors.
Expect vegan snacks and dishes alongside work from artists rather than a market focused exclusively on food. That combination gives visitors something to browse between bites and makes the event useful for mixed groups interested in both local makers and plant-based food. The market setting also keeps the atmosphere more casual than a seated tasting event.
It runs from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, making it an early Friday option among Ottawa events this week. Parkdale Public Market sits on Parkdale Avenue in the middle of Hintonburg, with Wellington Street West nearby if you want to continue the evening in the neighbourhood. Give yourself time to browse rather than treating it as a quick restaurant stop.
📅 Friday, September 25, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM 📍 Parkdale Public Market, 366 Parkdale Avenue, Hintonburg 🎟️ Admission price not listed in the supplied event information
5. Ottawa Latin Jazz Conference
Afro-Cuban rhythms take over the NAC’s Fourth Stage as the Ottawa Latin Jazz Conference begins its three-day run. Friday’s concert features Rachelle Behrens, Anh Phung & Civil Lizard and the Orlando Cardoso Trio. The program is built around Latin jazz while celebrating Canada’s multicultural diaspora.
The conference extends beyond a single concert. Workshops, panels and networking sessions are part of the September 25 to 27 program, giving musicians and dedicated jazz listeners more to explore over the weekend. Friday night’s performance runs from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
At $25, it’s one of the lower-priced ticketed live music choices in this week’s list. The Fourth Stage also offers a more intimate setting than Southam Hall upstairs. If your Friday plans lean toward live music rather than a large festival environment, this gives you a focused two-hour option downtown.
📅 Friday, September 25, 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM 📍 Fourth Stage, National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street 🎟️ $25
6. Michael Keegan-Dolan’s MÁM
Twelve dancers and live musicians come together in MÁM, Michael Keegan-Dolan’s acclaimed dance work at Southam Hall. The 80-minute production draws on Irish culture and mythology. Teaċ Daṁsa performs alongside concertina player Cormac Begley and five contemporary musicians.
Music isn’t simply background accompaniment here. The live players and dancers share the production, creating an experience built around the interaction between movement, sound and ritual. The source listing describes the result as 80 minutes of “ritualised ecstasy.”
There are performances on both Friday and Saturday, with Friday falling inside this week’s Monday-Friday roundup. It’s a distinctive option for audiences interested in contemporary dance, Irish culture or multidisciplinary performance. The 8:00 PM start also leaves enough time for dinner downtown before heading into Southam Hall.
📅 Friday, September 25 at 8:00 PM, with another performance Saturday, September 26 📍 Southam Hall, National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street 🎟️ $33 to $79
Frequently asked questions
What’s free in Ottawa this week?
Odāwā Tomorrow: Odāwā Wàbang is explicitly listed as free in this week’s event information; admission details were not provided for Vegans Who Snack, so it should not be assumed to be free. Find more options on our free events in Ottawa page.
What are some good date ideas in Ottawa this week?
Jagged Little Pill, Ottawa’s Craft Cider Celebration, David Suzuki’s Playlist and the Ottawa Latin Jazz Conference all offer very different date-night possibilities, from cider tasting to theatre and live music. Find more inspiration on our Ottawa date ideas page.
Where can I find nightlife in Ottawa this week?
The Ottawa Latin Jazz Conference gives Friday night a live-music option, while MÁM offers an evening performance at Southam Hall and Odāwā Tomorrow: Odāwā Wàbang runs outside the NAC until 11:59 PM. Explore more evening options in our Ottawa nightlife guide.
What family-friendly options are happening in Ottawa this week?
The Ottawa International Animation Festival has screenings, talks and hands-on animation workshops, while Odāwā Tomorrow: Odāwā Wàbang offers a free outdoor art experience; check individual festival programs and age guidance when planning with children. Browse more possibilities on our Ottawa events page.
New listings get added constantly, check the complete calendar of Ottawa events.
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