8 Things To Do In Ottawa This Weekend If You Want To Soak Up The Sun

You can heat things up or cool 'em down.☀️

Girl standing at RBC Bluesfest. Right: Waterslides at Calypso water park.

Girl standing at RBC Bluesfest. Right: Waterslides at Calypso water park.

Staff Writer

Whether you're looking for a way to heat up your summer days or cool off, there are many fun events and activities in Ottawa that will have you soaking up that sunshine.

From bike tours of the city and beautiful river paddles to rooftop party patios and fun picnics, there is no shortage of things you can do this summer. Here are eight fun things to do in Ottawa this weekend for the ultimate summer vibes.

Get beach bucket service 

Price: 💸 - 💸💸

Address: 523 St. Anthony St., Ottawa, ON

Why You Need To Go: Ottawa has a new rooftop party bar, Baba Bar, where a DJ is always spinning and you can get mini bottle service in colourful beach buckets. Dance into the evening like you're on vacation.

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Enjoy small town soft serve 

Price: 💸

Address: 27 Mill St., Almonte, ON

Why You Need To Go: The quaint town of Almonte has a seasonal ice cream hut where you'll find both hard and soft serve along with other frozen treats. You can grab your dessert for a pretty walk along the river.

Website

Browse a massive outdoor market 

Price: Free to visit

When: Daily May to November

Address: 55 Byward Market Square, Ottawa, ON

Why You Need To Go: The Byward Market is one of the oldest and largest public markets in Canada and during the summer you can shop everything from flowers and fresh produce to jewelry and art. This year there is also a new night market on Thursdays if you're looking to beat the heat.

Website

Paddle under a bright red bridge 

Price: $35+ for one hour, $50+ per three hours

Address: 721 Chem. Riverside, Wakefield, QC

Why You Need To Go: The Quebec town of Wakefield is only about 30 minutes from Ottawa and on top of hiking trails and vibrant restaurants they have the beautiful Gatineau River that you can paddle down. Expéditions Wakefield offers kayak, canoe and SUP rentals and you can paddle under a red pedestrian bridge on the river.

Website

Rock out at an outdoor concert

Price: $65+ for day passes

When: July 7 - 17, 2022

Address: LeBreton Flats, Ottawa, ON

Why You Need To Go: Ottawa's RBC Bluesfest is back in full swing with headliners including Marshmellow, Alexisonfire, Alanis Morissette, Jack Johnson and Luke Bryan.

Website

Have a metre-long pizza picnic 

Price: $30+ per full pizza

Address: 492 Rochester St. & 806 March Rd., Ottawa, ON

Why You Need To Go: You can get a metre-long pizza from Farinella with a variety of different toppings, and it makes a fun and easy picnic option. The location in Little Italy is close to Commissioners Park, an ideal picnic location with a view of the Rideau Canal.

Website

Tour the city by bike 

Price: $57.95 for the 2-hour tour

Address: 79a Sparks St., Ottawa, ON

Why You Need To Go: You can rent bikes from Escape Tours and Rentals or choose to do a two-hour bicycle tour of the city. You'll visit some of the top landmarks downtown learning some stories and history as you admire the views. They also have a cozy bike café with an outdoor patio.

Website

Rip down giant water slides

Price: Season pass deal for $79.99, $49.99 for the day

Address: 2015 Calypso St., Limoges, ON

Why You Need To Go: Less than 30 minutes from Ottawa is the country's largest themed water park, Calypso Waterpark. They have a lazy river, wave pool, water slides, cozy cabanas and more.

Website

  • Ottawa Staff Writer Megan Johnson was an Ottawa Staff Writer for Narcity Canada. Prior to joining the Narcity team she founded Ottawa River Lifestyle, a blog to promote the Capital Region and small towns along the Ottawa River. In addition to writing about Canadian businesses, local events and outdoor adventures, Megan has created content for Canadian brands and tourism boards. She has her B.Sc. in Honours Biochemistry and has always enjoyed various forms of writing and travel.

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