Canada’s Unknown Soldier
2025-05-24 - 2026-05-24 | 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa, K1A 0M8, 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa, K1A 0M8
Marking 25 years since his return, this commemorative panel exhibition reflects on the legacy of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its role in national remembrance.

Resistant Fibres
2025-06-17 - 2026-05-19
Discover Resistant Fibres, a new exhibition at Âjagemô showcasing textile art as a powerful form of protest, celebration, and healing. Curated by Julie Graff, this display features works from the Canada Council Art Bank collection from June 17, 2025, to May 19, 2026.

Qikiqtait
2025-09-26 - 2027-09-06 | 240 McLeod Street, Ottawa, K1P 6P4, 240 McLeod Street, Ottawa, K1P 6P4
Discover Qikiqtait: Where Inuit Knowledge and Innovation Come Together, a groundbreaking exhibition showcasing the leadership of the Sanikiluarmiut of Sanikiluaq. Through research, education, environmental stewardship, and the harvesting of eider down — the warmest feather in the world — this exhibition highlights their innovation and resilience. Developed by the Arctic Eider Society with the Canadian Museum of Nature, it celebrates the community’s enduring connection to the land, sea, and each other.

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.

2026 Karsh Continuum exhibit
2026-02-26 - 2026-05-17 | City Hall, Ottawa, K1P 1J1, City Hall, Ottawa, K1P 1J1
This exhibition brings together work by Angelina Barrucco, Barry Pottle, and Laura Taler in a presentation that honours the legacy of Yousuf Karsh and Malak Karsh while continuing a tradition of mentorship and lens based experimentation.
Selected by 2023 Karsh Award laureate Christine Fitzgerald, the featured artists explore contemporary themes through photography and photo driven processes. Their practices reflect creative risk taking, thoughtful engagement with the world around them, and a sustained commitment to artistic innovation.Working across abstraction, portraiture, cultural memory, and performance based imagery, the exhibition highlights the evolving possibilities of image making while acknowledging the influence of earlier generations.Admission is free. The exhibition is open daily.

Drag the Archive: Photographs of Queer Gender Performance
2026-04-10 09:00 - 2026-12-12 17:00 UTC | Drag the Archive: Photographs of Queer Gender Performance, 100 Tallwood Drive - Gallery 112
Drag the Archive is a collaborative practicum project by Carleton University students in partnership with the City of Ottawa Equity Team and the City of Ottawa Archives. Through photography, the exhibition showcases the life and work of drag performer Paul ”Peaches Latour” Fournier and queer rights activist, editor, news reporter and diplomat Philip Hannan. The project celebrates drag performance and queer gender expression in Ottawa and beyond. Through carefully curated selections of archival records, students bring forward a powerful visual narrative that highlights local histories while connecting them to broader traditions of queer gender expression.

Judy Nakagawa – Complicated Heart exhibition at City Hall Art Gallery
2026-04-16 - 2026-08-02
This exhibition features sculptural works by Canadian artist Judy Nakagawa. Through delicate materials and expansive forms, the sculptures explore themes of memory, resilience, and cultural heritage. Inspired by the artist’s Japanese Canadian background and her interest in movement and space, the works invite viewers to reflect on the relationship between fragility and endurance.

Move for Youth 2026
2026-05-01 00:00 - 2026-05-15 23:59 | Move for Youth 2026, NA
Get active and support youth in your community
May 1–15, 2026
Move for Youth is a free activity challenge with a goal to reach 1,500 participants, 75,000 kilometers, 150 million total steps, and $150,000 dollars! Every step you take creates opportunities for local kids to thrive.
By participating, you’ll make sure more kids have safe spaces to play, learn, and grow. From homework clubs to mental health services, you can help children in your community get what they need to succeed.
Get ready to move with us in May. Plus, if you or your team climb to the top of our fundraising and step leaderboards, you can win great prizes!

Parkdale Public Market
2026-05-04 - 2026-10-31
Join for a day filled with festivities suitable for all ages. From live entertainment to delicious treats, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Come be a part of this historic milestone as we commemorate a century of community and tradition at Parkdale Market. This is a free outdoor event.

Canadian Tulip Festival
2026-05-08 - 2026-05-18 | , Ottawa, , Ottawa
Welcome spring at the world’s largest tulip festival! This popular annual event features massive tulip displays, family fun and more.
Over 11 days each May, the Canadian Tulip Festival celebrates the seasonal flower’s beauty and its historic ties to Canada’s capital. The outdoor event takes place at Commissioners Park, where over 300,000 tulips bloom alongside the Rideau Canal’s picturesque Dows Lake. Access to the site and select programming is free!
Tulips (day and night), kids fun and souvenirs
Take photos and selfies amongst the dozens of multicoloured garden beds; visit the heritage display to learn about the historic gift of tulips which led to the festival’s creation; shop for fresh cut flowers, crafts, art and more at the tulip boutique; take the kids to the Tulip Town activity area; and enjoy lit garden beds and a blacklight boardwalk experience after dark.
Tours, workshops and movie
Enjoy a Self-Guided Legacy Tour that conveniently uses QR codes. Additional free programming includes daily outdoor movies at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., as well as a new sound and light show every evening on the blacklight boardwalk at 9:15 p.m.
Royal roots
The festival began with a special gift. The Royal Family of the Kingdom of the Netherlands took refuge in Ottawa during the Second World War, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Margriet was born here in 1943. Two years later, Canadian troops played a key role in liberating the Netherlands. In gratitude, the Dutch government has sent Canada a gift of tulip bulbs every year since 1945, inspiring what has become the Canadian Tulip Festival.

Weekend Bikedays
2026-05-09 - 2026-10-12 | Throughout urban and rural Ottawa and Gatineau, Ottawa-Gatineau, Throughout urban and rural Ottawa and Gatineau, Ottawa-Gatineau
On weekends—and even some weekdays—you can bike, walk, run and in-line skate on several car-free parkways in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
Weekend Bikedays (previously Sunday Bikedays) creates additional space and time for people to enjoy environmentally friendly outdoor recreation in Canada’s capital. During the warm months, people can safely exercise during select periods on Saturdays and Sundays (as well as select weekdays) on scenic roadways along the Ottawa River, the Rideau Canal and in Gatineau Park.
Full details on locations schedules are listed on the National Capital Commission website.

Carp Farmers’ Market
2026-05-10 - 2026-10-25
The largest producer-based farmers’ market in Eastern Ontario, with over 100 vendors offering produce, baked goods and crafts.

The Heart of Robinhood
2026-05-13 - 2026-05-23
Presented by Kanata Theatre, The Heart of Robin Hood offers a daring twist on the classic legend, where courage, love and justice take centre stage. Deep in Sherwood Forest, Marion rises to protect the poor and prove that true heroism lies not in reputation, but in the choices we make.

The Shop List at St. Laurent Centre
2026-05-13 11:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-14 11:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-15 11:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-16 11:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-17 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.

Urban Art Collective Hintonburg Night Market
2026-05-14
Stroll through the Hintonburg Night Market to pickup local eats, treats and all things handmade. Sit back, relax, eat and be entertained by local musicians, buskers and entertainers.
All markets are carefully curated to bring you new vendors and the best of the best each week!
Situated at the gateway to Hintonburg, in the Wellington West food and shopping district.

Evening in the Maritimes
2026-05-14 17:30 - 21:00 | Evening in the Maritimes, 11 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEAING YOU ON MAY 14TH, 2026 AT THE WESTIN HOTEL OTTAWA!
This unique event is a sell-out every year bringing together hundreds of high-profile guests from many sectors, including the most prominent business and community leaders, government, media, and prestigious social figures in Ottawa/Gatineau.
Over the last 29 years, Evening in the Maritimes guests and sponsors have helped to raise funds to support people with disabilities in Ottawa. Support from event attendees, donor and sponsors empower people with disabilities to build lives of meaning and joy.

Evening in the Maritimes
2026-05-14 17:30 - 21:00 | Evening in the Maritimes, 11 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa
Evening in the Maritimes (EiTM), Ottawa’s premier East Coast kitchen party, celebrates its 30th anniversary on May 14 at The Westin Ottawa! EiTM is a unique event that brings together hundreds of high-profile guests from business, political, community, and media sectors, where Good Food meets a Good Time for a Great Cause.
Funds raised at Evening in the Maritimes support ABLE2’s programs and services to empower people with disabilities in Ottawa to build lives of meaning and joy.
Tickets and tables are selling quickly! Available until April 28 or until supplies last: https://www.able2.org/evening-in-the-maritimes-home/eitm-tickets-tables/

Cangames
2026-05-15 - 2026-05-17
Hundreds of miniatures, role-playing, and board gamers together in more than 300 different games over 8 time slots. There is also a vendor marketplace, a full bar, and meal service on-site.

Barrhaven Ribfest and Poutine
2026-05-15 - 2026-05-18
Get sticky at Barrhaven Ribfest and Poutine! They’re making it even better with more Ribs, more BBQ, more Poutine, a Kid Zone and more Live Music.

Westboro Farmers' Market
2026-05-16 | PO Box 4465 Ottawa Postal Station E, ottawa, K1S 5B4, PO Box 4465 Ottawa Postal Station E, ottawa, K1S 5B4
Discover more than 60 local vendors in Westboro every Saturday from May to October. Wander beneath the tree canopy as you shop for the freshest seasonal produce, meat, dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts and more. Enjoy lunch at the food court while listening to live music. Everything is authentic, with no resellers and produced within 100 kilometers of Ottawa.

Main Street Farmers' Market
2026-05-16 | PO Box 4465 Ottawa Postal Station E, ottawa, K1S 5B4, PO Box 4465 Ottawa Postal Station E, ottawa, K1S 5B4
Support your local farmers’ market every Saturday from May to October! Discover the finest fresh produce, baked goods, pantry staples, crafts, hot meals and more. As a producer-only market, all vendors make, bake and grow everything within 100 kilometers of Ottawa. Enjoy live music and special programming while you shop.

Wakefield Market
2026-05-16 | 38 Chemin de la Vallée de Wakefield, Wakefield, J0X 3G0, 38 Chemin de la Vallée de Wakefield, Wakefield, J0X 3G0
Experience the charm of the Wakefield Market, a lively outdoor market happening every Saturday from May to October. Each week, around 30 passionate vendors come together to showcase farm-fresh produce, handcrafted goods, and delicious homemade treats. With live music setting the mood and special events sprinkled throughout the season, the market offers a warm and festive atmosphere.
Since its beginnings in 1997, the market has remained a vibrant hub for local producers and artisans to connect with visitors and neighbours alike. From handcrafted goods to seasonal delights, every visit brings something new to discover. Soak in the lively energy, grab a bite, and make the most of the warm months in beautiful Wakefield!

Ottawa Polish Fest
2026-05-16
Join us for an afternoon of family fun filled with Polish food, folk dancing, fun and so much more! Located in the heart of the ByWard Market, this festival is fun for everyone. With out-of-town guest performers, vendors and a great dance party for all ages to end the night off, it’s sure to be a blast for the whole family!

May Show Festival
2026-05-17
Celebrate arts, crafts, music, dance, and delicious food at the May Show Festival. This lively event brings together fantastic vendors and entertainment for all to enjoy. Explore, shop, and soak in the festive vibes. Admission is free.

Queen Victoria Birthday Celebrations
2026-05-17 | 13740 County Road 2, Morrisburg, K0C 1X0, 13740 County Road 2, Morrisburg, K0C 1X0
Join in the celebration as the 1860s Village celebrates Queen Victoria’s birthday. Sing “God Save the Queen,” hear historical patriotic speeches, see grand military manoeuvres’, lace up for the 1860s athletic games, watch the Village’s “Queen” in action (a hand-pumped fire engine), and enjoy a piece of birthday cake.

Ottawa Titans Baseball Club
2026-05-18 | 300 Coventry Road, Ottawa, K1K 4P5, 300 Coventry Road, Ottawa, K1K 4P5
Join fellow sports fans and catch professional baseball games from May to September in Canada’s capital at Ottawa Stadium, just east of downtown.
The Ottawa Titans Baseball Club plays in the Eastern Conference of the Frontier League, which includes 15 teams from Ontario, Québec, and the U.S. northeast. The team’s mascot, Cappy, is a family favourite. During non-game days and the off-season, the 10,000-seat RCGT Park stadium is also used to host concerts, festivals and other events.
The venue is conveniently located along Ottawa’s main highway, and parking is available. The stadium is also easily accessible by public transportation via the light rail O-Train Confederation Line, which stops at the VIA Rail station just a short walk from the stadium.
