Ottawa Events Calendar

Alight at Night
2025-11-28 - 2026-01-03 | 13740 County Road 2, Morrisburg, K0C 1X0, 13740 County Road 2, Morrisburg, K0C 1X0
This all-ages event invites you to unwind in a 19th-century village lit by over a million lights. Enjoy activity stations and visit St. Nicolas, stop by the sound and light show as the lights dance to your favorite holiday music. Ride the free miniature train or make dinner reservations at Willard’s Hotel or grab a seat at the Harvest Barn. Add this enchanting experience to your trip and make memories that will last a lifetime!

A Country Christmas
2025-11-29 - 2025-12-30 | 7893 Bleeks Road, Ottawa, K0A 3P0, 7893 Bleeks Road, Ottawa, K0A 3P0
Embrace the festive spirit with family fun at Saunders Farm! Enjoy the Elf Academy Stage Show, meet Santa, and explore snow-covered hedge mazes. Visit our Town Square for holiday activities, grab delicious treats from our food booths, and shop for unique gifts and seasonal decor at the Farmshop. As night falls, take a stroll through our dazzling Holiday Light displays and create magical memories with loved ones. Let Saunders Farm be part of your most cherished moments this season!

Ottawa Charge
2025-12-01 - 2026-04-01 | 1015 Bank Street, Ottawa, K1S 3W7, 1015 Bank Street, Ottawa, K1S 3W7
Experience the Ottawa Charge – Ottawa’s professional women’s hockey team!
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is redefining the game, uniting the world’s top female hockey talent in a groundbreaking league. Ottawa’s team made its debut in the electrifying 2023-2024 season, captivating the capital with thrilling performances.
Now known as the Ottawa Charge, this powerhouse team is unstoppable, delivering fast-paced, high-energy hockey that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Catch the action live at TD Place in Lansdowne or the Canadian Tire Centre, and be part of the excitement as Ottawa’s women lead the charge and dominate the ice!

Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts
2025-12-04 - 2026-05-03 | 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4
Launched in 1999, the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts (GGArts) celebrate the exceptional careers of Canadian artists. Administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Awards are this country’s most prestigious distinction for the artists, curators and craftspeople who make up Canada’s vibrant visual and media arts community.
Up to eight prizes are awarded each year: six for artistic achievement, one for artistic merit in the fine crafts (the Saidye Bronfman Award), and one for an outstanding contribution to the contemporary visual arts, media arts or fine crafts.
To celebrate this year’s Awards, the winners will be displaying their work throughout the Gallery’s contemporary and historical collections. From installations in the Gallery’s public spaces to interventions disrupting narratives within the permanent collection, the eight laureates offer a new and unexpected take on art today.

Stanley’s Holiday Stroll
2025-12-05 - 2025-12-28 | 2452 Yorks Corners Road, Ottawa, K0A 1V0, 2452 Yorks Corners Road, Ottawa, K0A 1V0
Enjoy the beauty of the holidays while taking a stroll through forest trails that have been decorated with colourful lights and displays. Along the paths, you’ll find space to warm up by a fire before you continue along more than 2km of trails.

Rink of Dreams
2025-12-06 - 2026-04-05, 2025-12-07 - 2026-04-04 | City Hall, Ottawa, K1P 1J1, City Hall, Ottawa, K1P 1J1
Enjoy free ice skating on a refrigerated ice surface 7 days a week from 9:00am to 11:00pm.

Winter Lights Across Canada
2025-12-08 - 2026-01-09 | 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, K1A 0M5, 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, K1A 0M5
Starting in December, nearly 300,000 lights are installed in Canada’s Capital Region, highlighting various sites and monuments and creating the Pathway of lights for families and friends to explore.

Camera and the City
2025-12-12 - 2026-03-15 | 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4
Drawing from the National Gallery of Canada’s rich collection, Camera and the City showcases photographers who reveal the many facets of urban life. Divided into three sections, the exhibition explores the city as movement and theatre, as an idea, and as community. It captures the city’s energy and constant change, conceptualizes urban spaces shaped by culture and commerce, and highlights the human connections that bring city streets to life through diverse gatherings and hidden stories.

Sylvia Safdie: TERRA
2025-12-12 - 2026-10-25 | 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4
Sylvia Safdie: TERRA showcases the work of Montreal-based artist Sylvia Safdie, featuring paintings, sculpture, and video. Her work explores memory, dislocation, and the passage of time, often drawing on natural and human-made materials. Safdie combines these elements in unexpected ways, creating symbolic and transformative meanings. Earth – terra – remains a central and enduring material throughout her practice.

Winter Wonders at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum
2025-12-20 - 2026-01-04 | 11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, K1K 2X5, 11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, K1K 2X5
Get ready for out-of-this-world holiday fun at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Join us for a special reading of The Kuujjuaq Christmas Candy Drop and experience a unique Nunavik tradition, complete with a special sweet treat.

Hansel and Gretel Go West
2025-12-20 - 2026-01-04
OttawaMusicals is back at the Great Canadian Theatre Company with their 9th annual panto, a rollicking family musical adventure inspired by the classic story of Hansel and Gretel, now with a wild west twist! Hidden Valley Ranch is home to a colourful cast of characters: a tough-as-nails sheriff, a whip-smart outlaw called The Kid, a suspiciously charming new farmhand, and a pair of clever kids always ready for mischief.
With slapstick humour, toe-tapping songs, and plenty of audience participation, this musical is perfect for the whole family. Join OttawaMusicals at the GCTC for a wild, heartwarming ride through the west where surprises, silliness, and fun await at every turn!

Holiday Brunch & Board Game Bonanza
2025-12-20 10:00 - 2026-01-04 15:00 UTC
Start your holidays right with brunch and board games! Gather friends and family for good food, great company, and vintage games—or bring your own. Running daily from December 20 to January 4 (closed Christmas and Boxing Day), this festive brunch is the perfect way to celebrate the season together. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome.

Hansel and Gretel GO West
2025-12-20 14:00 - 2026-01-04 16:00 | Hansel and Gretel GO West, 1233 Wellington St W
OttawaMusicals is back at the Great Canadian Theatre Company with their 9th annual panto—a rollicking family musical adventure inspired by the classic story of Hansel and Gretel, now with a wild west twist! Hidden Valley Ranch is home to a colourful cast of characters: a tough-as-nails sheriff, a whip-smart outlaw called The Kid, a suspiciously charming new farmhand, and a pair of clever kids always ready for mischief.
When a pint-sized bounty hunter with a sweet tooth and a faulty map stumbles onto the ranch, chaos ensues. The kids’ woodland escapades—complete with beavers, bear dung, and plenty of laughs—are just the beginning. Meanwhile, flashbacks reveal a shadowy deal between a mysterious new arrival and a certain gingerbread-loving local, whose house might just be the sweetest trap in the valley.
With slapstick humour, toe-tapping songs, and plenty of audience participation, this musical is perfect for the whole family. Join OttawaMusicals at the GCTC for a wild, heartwarming ride through the west—where surprises, silliness, and fun await at every turn!
Visit www.OttawaMusicals.com for a complete list of performance dates and showtimes.

Ottawa Christmas Market
2025-12-26 - 2025-12-28
Get into the holiday spirit at Ottawa’s European-style Christmas market—the perfect place for great food, warm drinks, traditional kiosks and a festive atmosphere!
Each year on weekends and select additional days leading up to Christmas, the Ottawa Christmas Market takes over the outdoor plaza at Lansdowne in the vibrant Glebe neighbourhood. The family-friendly and free event features seasonal food and drink (including alcoholic options), local goods at vendor cabins, glittering displays, and live performances.

Oniro
2025-12-26 - 2025-12-30 | 399, route 323 North, Montebello, J0V 1L0, 399, route 323 North, Montebello, J0V 1L0
Experience a magical forest walk at Parc Oméga as the story of wolf cub Oniro unfolds through light, sound, and immersive storytelling. Created by artist Michel Lemieux, ONIRO features 17 illuminated scenes along a 60-minute trail. First departures begin at sunset.

Ken Ludwig’s ‘Twas the night before Christmas
2025-12-27 - 2025-12-30
“‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” But wait! A mouse is stirring – because Santa missed his house last year. Before you can say “Merry Christmas!”, we’re off on the wild adventures of a mouse, an elf, and a spunky little girl who just won’t take no for an answer.

Bell Capital Cup
2025-12-27 - 2025-12-31
More than just a children’s hockey tournament: a festival celebrating the game of hockey in Canada’s capital, with teams from across Canada, the United States, and around the world.

Ottawa 67's
2025-12-28 | 1015 Bank Street, Ottawa, K1S 3W7, 1015 Bank Street, Ottawa, K1S 3W7
Enjoy affordable, family-friendly junior men’s hockey games at TD Place Arena at Lansdowne, in the lively downtown Glebe neighbourhood.
Founded in 1967, Canada’s Centennial year, the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) always provide competitive and fun action on the ice. Players aged 16 to 21 compete to wow crowds of loyal fans—and, perhaps, to impress recruiters from the professional National Hockey League (NHL). In fact, the team has produced more than 100 NHL draft picks, so you might see future stars! As you cheer on the team, keep an eye out for Riley the Raccoon, their adorable masked mascot.
Concession stands at TD Place serve a variety of affordable food options, or you could have a meal or treat at one of the nearby restaurants before or after the game. You can even get to TD Place Arena by cycling or walking along scenic paths from downtown in spring and fall, or by skating along the Rideau Canal in winter. Your ticket stub also gives you free transportation on OC Transpo to and from the game.

Ottawa Kwanzaa Celebration
2025-12-28
The Ottawa Kwanzaa celebration will include a dynamic showcase of cultural dancers, drumming, singing, music and authentic African and Caribbean cuisine — entertainment for the entire family. It offers an excellent opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of the Ottawa-Gatineau Black Community.

The Shop List at St. Laurent Centre
2025-12-28 11:00 - 16:00 | The Shop List at St. Laurent Centre, 1200 St Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa, ON, Canada, Ontario
The Shop List at St. Laurent Centre
Discover your fall style with The Shop List, running September 16–30 alongside our Share It to Win It Contest for a chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree! ✨Visit the Rules and Regulations for more information about the contest.
📅 Event Hours
Saturday, September 20 & Sunday, September 21 | 11 AM – 4 PM
Saturday, September 27 & Sunday, September 28 | 11 AM – 4 PM
🎁 What’s happening during event hours:
Free limited-edition tote bags (while supplies last)
On-site brand styling ambassadors to guide you through The Shop List and curated fall capsule collections from St. Laurent retailers
Step into the season with style inspiration, shopping perks, and your chance at an unforgettable shopping spree.

New Year Festival by Capitalfest
2025-12-28 11:00 - 18:00
Bring your family and friends for a full day of fun at Capital Fest. Enjoy FREE face painting for children and special activities for women, alongside live music, delicious food, and a vibrant marketplace.
