Happy Monday, Ottawa! As we rapidly approach the humid month of June; the grass is getting greener and the cherry blossoms are starting to shed their petals. Summer is almost here.
The summertime is always a special time of year in Ottawa and it's my favourite season in the city just because of how beautiful it gets. But beyond all the quaint, pretty, and picturesque scenery, there's also a whole lot to do. In fact, the options can be overwhelming. Fortunately, you'e reading Ottawa's weekly guide on all of the happenings around town.
Every Monday, I'll keep you updated on fun and interesting events, the weather, food news and recommendations, as well as anything else I think you'll want to know.
Whether you'd like to spend your summer months hopping from festival to festival, or just kicking back and enjoying the small things in life; Narcity and I have got you covered.
With that being said; let's get into it.
🗞️THINGS TO KNOW🗞️
🌩️ OTTAWA WEATHER 🌩️
Your umbrella will be your most loyal companion until the skies clear on Thursday. You should expect an incredibly wet Monday, a thunderous Tuesday, and a moist and cool Wednesday, with temperatures starting at 20 C and dropping to 16 C by midweek.
You can ditch your umbrella from Thursday, but it still might be too chilly for shorts as temperatures will remain around 17 C. The weekend will be sunny for the most part, with potential sun showers and temperatures climbing from 20 C to 23 C.
Air quality will take a slight dive on Monday and Tuesday as smoke from distant wildfires passes over the capital, but things should return to normal by midweek.
🚪DOORS OPEN 2024🚪
Have you ever walked by a cool-looking building in Ottawa and wondered what it'd be like to have a look inside? Well, it's time for the annual community tradition of "Doors Open," when buildings throughout the city open their doors to the public so people can peep their heads in and see what they're like inside.
This upcoming weekend (June 1 to 2) is the one time a year that the public has the opportunity to tour buildings like Rideau Hall, which is the residence of the Governor General of Canada, the United States embassy, the Supreme Court, and many others.
Keep in mind that some buildings require registration before you visit, so make sure to check out the Doors Open Ontario website for more information before you start opening any doors!
🌃 CHINATOWN NIGHT MARKET 🌃
The Ottawa Chinatown Night Market is one of the most exciting food festivals in the entire city.
Head over to a transformed Chinatown between Friday and Sunday to find it filled to the brim with vibrant colours, amazing entertainment and, of course, delicious food.
This is a perfect event to hang out with friends or to have a romantic date filled with memories of great and tasty food.
🥩RIBFEST COMES TO SPARK STREET🥩
Do you smell that smokey goodness? Starting on Thursday, May 30, continuing until Sunday, June 2, right on Ottawa's very own Spark Street, is Ottawa's RibFest.
Until Sunday, pedestrianized Spark Street will be full of dozens of food trucks selling ribs, pulled pork, brisket, cornbread, and plenty of other delicious barbecue dishes.
Plenty of RibFest events take place this time of year in Ottawa, but this specific RibFest will always be my favourite, rather than being out on an open green field, it's rather uniquely sandwiched in the middle of Ottawa's bustling downtown.
🥂 FREE OYSTERS AND PROSECCO (WITH NO CATCH) 🥂
If you're like me, when you hear the words "free" you're immediately suspicious. However, there's no need for suspicion at Ottawa's Grounded Scratch Kitchen Coffeehouse & Bar, which serves free prosecco and oysters every Friday between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
A couple of weeks ago I visited one of the city's most hidden gems and enjoyed some scrumptious oysters and very nice prosecco -- all free of charge.
Grounded Scratch Kitchen Coffeehouse & Bar website
🚲 A GUIDE TO NCC WEEKEND BIKE DAYS 🚲
For those who don't already know, until October 14 the Kichi Zībī Mīkan Parkway, Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway, and Queen Elizabeth Driveway are pedestrianized each weekend for the National Capital Commission's annual Weekend Bike Days.
Biking along these three parkways is an incredible way to take in the beautiful scenery of Ottawa, but can also lead you to some great Ottawa destinations.
To help guide you through your future bike rides, I compiled a short and sweet guide to the NCC Weekend Bike Days and four destinations you should consider biking to this summer.
🗓️ UPCOMING EVENTS 🗓️
️🔬 CHECK OUT THE CANADA-WIDE SCIENCE FAIR 🔬
Price: Free
When: Thursday, May 30 to Friday, May 31, 2024, from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Address: Field House at Carleton University, 85 University Rd, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Check out the largest youth science fair in the entire country and browse through the various science projects of some of Canada's brightest young minds in STEM.
Members of the general public are encouraged to come and look at the amazing projects made by students from Grade 7 to 12 from all parts of Canada.
Accessibility: Carleton University's Field House is wheelchair accessible.
Canada-Wide Science Fair event web page
🌌 LEARN HOW TO MAKE A DREAMCATCHER ️🌌
Price: $45.19
When: Thursday, May 30, 2024, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Address: Adaawe Indigenous Business Hub, 338 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: If you've ever been curious about making a dreamcatcher, but don't know where to start, this event may be perfect for you.
This Thursday head over to a dreamcatcher workshop led by local Wahta Mohawk artist and educator, Ashley Clark, as she helps you build your very own dreamcatcher. All craft materials are included in the ticket price, so all you need to bring with you is yourself and your ticket.
Bougie Birch Public Dreamcatcher Workshop Eventbrite
🍃 ATTEND A VEGAN FOOD FESTIVAL 🍃
Price: Free admission
When: Friday, May 31, 2024, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Address: Parkdale Public Market, 366 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: This Friday is Parkdale Public Market's annual Vegans Who Snack Food & Art Festival, when the Parkdale Public Market becomes a vegan paradise.
Check out all sorts of vendors selling exclusively vegan food and a variety of arts and crafts. This is a definite must-visit if you or anyone in your life is vegan or vegetarian — but also even if you're just a lover of good food.
Accessibility: Parkdale Public Market is wheelchair accessible.
Vegans Who Snack Instagram page
🏈 CATCH A REDBLACKS GAME 🏈
Price: From $20 per ticket
When: Friday, May 31, 2024, 7 p.m.
Address: TD Place, 1015 Bank St, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Ottawa's very own CFL team will be playing against the Montreal Alouettes this Friday as the Canadian football season kicks off. Will the Redblacks stand a chance at winning the Grey Cup this year? Only time will tell!
Accessibility: TD Place is wheelchair accessible.
🏆 WEEKLY PICKS 🏆
☕ CAFÉ OF THE WEEK ☕
Name: Manhattan's Coffee Co.
Price: $2.50 - $13.00
Address: 200 Laurier Ave W, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Once upon a time, this itty bitty coffee shop was on my route to work. One day I stopped in — and then it became a weekly tradition of mine.
The coffee is great, the vibes are immaculate, and the food is very tasty. My favourite item on the menu is their Cubano, which is a panini with a generous serving of Black-Forest ham, St-Albert cheddar, pickles, stretchy mozzarella, mustard, and mouth-watering garlic butter.
This place is very very small, it's just a counter with only a couple of chairs for seating on the inside. It's a "get your coffee to go" kind of establishment.
Accessibility: Manhattan's Coffee Co is wheelchair accessible.
Manhattan's Coffee Co. website
🥙 SHAWARMA SPOT OF THE WEEK 🥙
Name: 3 Brothers Shawarma & Poutine
Price: $10 - $20
Address: 124 Osgoode St, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: If you're a University of Ottawa student you're probably well aware of the name 3 Brothers, but you might have a particularly intimate relationship with the 3 Brothers on Osgoode Street.
This place feels like home to me. It's cheap, the family who runs the shop is incredibly sweet, and they make darn good food. There's not much more to say other than that; it's good food and good people.
Accessibility: This 3 Brothers location is not wheelchair accessible.
🍸 BAR OF THE WEEK🍸
Name: Swizzles
Price: $2 - $13
Address: 246 B Queen St, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Swizzles is Ottawa's very own basement gay bar. It's got cheap drinks and a whole community built around it. And, as we are approaching Pride Month, they definitely deserve a shoutout.
They have karaoke nights on Fridays and some really awesome drag shows on Thursday nights. Ottawa has a surprisingly great drag scene, and Swizzles is the beating heart of it.
Whether you want to want to watch a drag show, have an affordable drink, or meet a special someone; Swizzles is the place to be.
🧳 TRAVEL UPDATES 🧳
🏖️COSTCO TRAVEL OFFERS ALL-INCLUSIVE VACATIONS 🏖️
If you're a Costco member who's looking to save big on your next vacation, you might want to check out Costco Travel.
Narcity's Lisa Belmonte recently reported on the many discounted vacations offered by Costco Travel, including locations like Aruba, Los Cabos, and even Fiji!
✈️ CANADA ISSUES 7 TRAVEL ADVISORIES ✈️
If you plan on going overseas for a vacation this summer, you should be aware that the Canadian government has issued seven different travel advisories for hotspots in both the Caribbean and Europe.
Join Narcity's Katherine Casperz as she tells us more about these travel advisories and how they might affect your summertime plans.
That's all for now, Ottawa. See you next week and, as always, happy Monday!
Drinking coffee on Ottawa's Thursty Pedaler party bike.