Happy Monday, Ottawa! Have you seen the rainbows? Do you hear Chappell Roan's "Good Luck, Babe!" blasting from speakers all around you? That must mean we are officially in the midst of the first full week of Pride month!
For those who don't know, Ottawa's main Pride parade and festival, "Capital Pride," doesn't happen until late August. Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't any Pride events happening in the city this month — don't you worry.
Now, let's not kid ourselves — it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what to do in Ottawa during the very eventful month of June. Well, fear no longer, my broke and possibly queer friend; you are currently reading Ottawa's weekly guide on what's going on around town.
Join me each Monday as I keep you updated on the weather, food news, upcoming events, food recommendations and anything else I think you may want to know. Whether it's celebrating the time of year on a very colourful yacht, listening to music performed off neighbours' porches, or watching a cowboy ride a bull -- there's always something to do.
Will all that being said; let's hop right into it.
🗞️ THINGS TO KNOW 🗞️
🌩️ OTTAWA WEATHER 🌩️
Get ready for a humid, sticky and soupy start to the week. According to The Weather Network, we should expect a sunny and hot 28 C on Monday, a cloudy but soupy 29 C on Tuesday and then a rainy, thunderous and stormy 30 C on Wednesday that will feel more like 36 C.
By midweek, temperatures should significantly cool down, dipping to 23 C on Thursday and 22 C on Friday, with plenty of rain on the back half of the week and then light showers drizzling through the weekend.
In terms of air quality, wildfire smoke will pass over the capital at the start of the week, causing air quality to be slightly below healthy levels. Fortunately, air quality should return to regular levels by Wednesday.
🏊 THE NCC RIVER HOUSE IS NOW OPEN FOR SWIMMING 🏊
If you're looking for a way to beat the aforementioned heat, I may have just the thing for you. The National Capital Commission's cozy, picturesque River House officially kicked off its swimming season today.
Its enclosed and supervised swimming area is now open to the public — and free! It's open 7 days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day until August 31.
It's a great option for those who want to go for a dip outdoors but also want the safety of supervision as all public beaches in Ottawa will remain unsupervised until June 15.
Price: Free
Address: 501 Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway, Ottawa, ON
Accessibility: The NCC Riverhouse is an accessible venue, and a new chair lift has been installed this year to help folks get in and out of the water.
🌈 WATCH A THEATRIC RENDITION OF 'THE WIZARD OF OZ' 🌈
Oh, live theatre, my beloved, how I love you so. If you're a fan of movies-turned-theatrical-musicals like myself, listen closely. You're going to need to head over to Orpheus Musical Theatre's live rendition of the classic film The Wizard Of Oz.
Follow the yellow brick road to the Meridian Theatre this week and watch some of Ottawa's most talented performers retell the classic story of Dorothy Gale from Kansas. This is fun for the entire family, a great date night or even just a good ol' fashioned hangout with your theatrically inclined friends.
Price: $36 to $57
When: June 4-8 at 7:30 p.m. and June 9 at 2 p.m.
Address: 101 Centrepointe Dr., Ottawa, ON
Accessibility: Meridian is a wheelchair-accessible venue.
🐾 OTTAWA PET EXPO IS BACK 🐾
Are you a huge animal lover at heart? Do you have a furry friend who lives in your home? Do you just like petting animals? Great news: The Ottawa Pet Expo is coming to the EY Centre this weekend.
This is the largest pet festival in Ottawa and it's 100% worth a visit. Starting this Saturday and ending on Sunday is an expo filled with all kinds of pets and pet owners. Check out some interestingly groomed canines, talented and adorable cats, various other kinds of furry creatures, hairless pets, reptiles, and even some plants.
All in all, it's going to be a great time even if you don't have any pets of your own.
Price: $11.50 to $17.00
When: Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Address: EY Centre, 4899 Uplands Dr, Ottawa, ON
Accessibility: EY Centre is a fully accessible venue.
Ottawa Pet Expo website
🗓️ UPCOMING EVENTS 🗓️
CELEBRATE PRIDE ON A BOAT 🏳️🌈 🛥️
Price: $49
When: June 6, 2024, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Address: Ottawa River Queen, 795 Rue Jacques Cartier, Gatineau, QC
Why You Need To Go: Kick off Pride month by going on this three-hour queer cruise on the Ottawa River! You can count on plenty of drag performances by Saltina Shaker, Sunshine Glitterchild, Kiki Coe, and Axel. This event is hosted by Ottawa Boat Cruise, which hosts all kinds of events on boats throughout the year.
This is the ideal event to bring your gay squad out on the water and party it up all night long to really celebrate the beginning of Pride month.
Accessibility: Ottawa Boat Cruises are wheelchair accessible
Ottawa Boat Cruise website
🎸 LISTEN TO MUSIC PERFORMED FROM PORCHES 🎸
Price: Free
When: June 8, 2024, from 10 a.m.
Address: Osgoode Village, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Osgoode PorchFest is an incredibly unique grassroots community event when the entire neighbourhood becomes one big music festival. Watch as neighbours give up their porches to talented local musicians to perform all sorts of music for the community.
Whether you're a fan of jazz, folk, rock, classical, or any genre of music; this will be the event for you! Roam around from street to street while enjoying a great community with some amazing tunes.
Osgoode PorchFest Facebook event
🎨 PERUSE THROUGH SOME ART IN THE PARK 🎨
Price: Free
When: June 8 to 9, 2024, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Address: Central Park, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: If you're an art connoisseur or just a fan of being outside, you've got to check out Art in the Park in the Glebe's Central Park.
Check out over 150 various local artists, ranging from painters, photographers, collage artists, sculptors, potters, clothiers, jewellery makers and more. If you get work up an appetite from perusing the art of Ottawa's most talented artists, there will be plenty of delicious food to consume!
Accessibility: No accessible parking will be available.
Art in the Park Festival website
🏆 WEEKLY PICKS 🏆
☕ CAFÉ OF THE WEEK ☕
Name: Arlington Five
Price: $1 to $10
Address: 5 Arlington Ave, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Arlington Five is the cutest little coffee shop in Centretown. It's cozy, hip, and has awesome coffee. Each time I've been here, it's been really busy and has a real "community hub" vibe.
Its indoor seating area is pretty small, but it also has a very nice back patio. Overall, this is a great place to grab some coffee with friends or even get some work done.
Accessibility: Arlington Five is wheelchair accessible.
🍸 BAR OF THE WEEK🍸
Name: The Rainbow Bistro
Price: $10 to $20
Address: 76 Murray St, Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Right above Vietnamese restaurant iPho is The Rainbow Bistro -- and it's one of the most charming bars in the Byward Market. Head on up the staircase to find yourself in a real "hidden gem" as the entire bar is a live music hall.
There is almost always live music being performed at the Rainbow Bistro. I love coming here with my friends during a night out on the town when we feel like being serenaded. Overall, the vibes here are immaculate and you and your friends are bound to create some pretty special memories.
Accessibility: The Rainbow Bistro is not wheelchair accessible.
🍔 FOOD NEWS 🍔
🥪 GREAT FOODS FOR $15 OR LESS 🥪
Are you a big foodie? Are you also broke? If so, that's completely acceptable and very understandable! Lucky for you, Narcity's Jordan Pizzuti has nine incredible foodie recommendations for you to try that won't set you back more than $15.
Whether you want to bite into a tasty (but affordable) sandwich, devour a tasty artichoke, relish in a delicious pint of locally-made ice cream, or try something entirely new to you, Jordan has got you covered with some of the city's best cheap eats.
🍽️ OTTAWA RESTOS RANKED BEST IN CANADA 🍽️
Six Ottawa restaurants have graced Canada's 100 Best Restaurants List and Narcity's Jordan Pizzuti has re-ranked them and provided a breakdown of each one.
From high-end modern cuisine to delicious, tasty, and delectable Italian food, dine with Pizzuti as he takes you through Ottawa's highest-ranked dining establishments.
🧳 TRAVEL UPDATES 🧳
🌲 GORGEOUS ONTARIO NATIONAL PARKS 🌲
If you adore hiking, camping, boating, or any other outdoor activity among beautiful nature and landscapes, Narcity's Madeline Forsyth has compiled a list of six national parks in Ontario worth visiting -- just for you!
From the turquoise water and white sandy beaches of Pukaskwa National Park or a beautiful hike through the close-by Thousand Islands National Park, you'll be reminded of Ontario's beauty at every turn.
✈️ CANADA ISSUES 7 TRAVEL ADVISORIES FOR ASIAN DESTINATIONS ✈️
If you're planning a vacation to Asia this summer, you may want to pay attention to seven new travel advisories from the federal government. Narcity's Katherine Casperz tells us more about the travel advisories imposed on travellers headed to popular tourist destinations in Asia.
Canadian travellers are asked to exercise extreme caution if planning to travel to China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, or the Philippines
That's all from me for now. Have a great week, Ottawa!
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
