Ottawa Blog

Going Greek this weekend!

Jennifer — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:42:44 +0000

The annual GreekFest is held at the Hellenic Community Centre, (1315 Prince of Wales Dr.) is back on! From Aug. 9 - 19, the festival will have us all wishing we were Greek, with traditional food and dancing that is amazing.

Learn how to ask for more spit roasted lamb, with free Greek language lessons throughout the festival. Free shuttles by Blueline Taxi will be running throughout the festival from St. Pius X school on close-by Fisher Ave.

Activities run 4:30 p.m.-11 p.m. weekdays, and noon-11 p.m. weekends.

More info at www.ottawagreekfest.com

Enjoy!

International Busker Festival turns Sparks Street into a stage

Jennifer — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 02:44:16 +0000

It isn't too late to catch jugglers, musicians, puppeteers, and magicians as they perform in Ottawa's Sparks Street outdoor mall Aug. 4-6.
All the world is their stage, and tomorrow Ottawa is the audience from 11 a.m. till the grand finale at 6 p.m. Monday.

This annual festival takes over the historic pedestrian mall, a tourist attraction on its own, and delights the whole family with a variety of acts. The performances of these often professional entertainers are magnetic to watch, and make for some interesting photography. Who needs another photo of the parliament buildings when only a few steps away is this event!

Opera Under the Stars- Ottawa

Loralea — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:00:11 +0000

Opera Under the Stars

From July 19 until the 22nd come to LeBreton Flats and enjoy the Opera. These evenings under the stars commence between 7 and 7:30 PM, please check the NCC Site for exact dates and times. The concert is free to anyone wishing to attend. The reason for all of these free concerts this year? 2007 marks the 150th anniversary of Ottawa being chosen as Canada's Capital by Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Bring your family, a chair and maybe even a picnic to snack on and watch the sun set over the Capital while enjoying the wonderful sound of the Opera.

Loralea

The Writing Shop

Noon Under the Bridge

Loralea — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:55:20 +0000

From now until August 1^st, pack your lunch and head UNDER the Plaza Bridge. That’s right, under. From noon until 1 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays the public is invited to attend music and theater productions taking place there- free of charge.
For more information, please call 613-239-5000 or 1 800 465-1867 Or, visit the Noon Under the Bridge Website

Loralea
The Writing Shop

Renoir Landscapes at the National Gallery- Ottawa

Loralea — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:53:25 +0000

The National Gallery of Canada is now exhibiting the Renoir Landscapes from now until Sept. 09 2007.

Don't miss this exciting opportunity to view Renoir's work. Ottawa is Canada's only venue. Tickets are available online or at the museum for $15.00 Canadian. Museum hours are 10-5 daily and until 8PM on Thursdays. Keep in mind that tickets are limited per day for the Renoir exhibit, and the price includes only admission to the exhibit. Group tours must book ahead. Please visit the National Gallery Renoir Landscapes site for more information.

Loralea

The Writing Shop

Ottawa Bluesfest Now On

Loralea — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 11:57:09 +0000

From July 04 until July 15 2007 at Lebreton Flats (near the Parliament Buildings) there will be various artist performing at this years Bluesfest. Tickets are available on site; children under the age of 10 are admitted for free. The Festival has gone green this year, and in doing so is encouraging everyone to bus or bike to the event. The organizers have set up supervised bike parking right at the festival site. In addition, a recycling program has been set up this year, in an effort to minimize waste generated by the event. For more information, or for ticket sales, please visit the Ottawa Bluesfest Site.

Loralea

The Writing Shop

Canada Day in the Nations Capital

Loralea — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:00:26 +0000

There is A LOT to do in Ottawa on Canada Day, July 1st. The city buzzes with this energy that just can't be felt at any other time of the year (well, unless the Sens make it to the cup…..but that’s another story!)

No matter where you are in the city, there’s something to do. Heading to Parliament Hill to watch all of the free shows is one of the biggest. Many families host barbeques, and then arrive downtown in time to watch the fireworks. It’s an amazing time to be visiting or living in this wonderful city. If you haven’t been to Ottawa on our country’s birthday, you might want to consider planning a vacation to coincide with it; I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Since there is so much going on, I can’t possibly post about it all in one little article. For this reason, I’m going to direct you over to the National Capital Commission’s Website for information on all the events, shows, activities, and just about anything else you can think of. This site is one of the best resources for anyone looking for anything Canada Day related. They have even included a short Experience Canada Day music video.

Hope to see you on the Hill!

Loralea

The Writing Shop

RCMP Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies

Loralea — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:31:46 +0000

From now until July 1st (Canada Day!) visitors are welcome to attend the RCMP Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies at the Rockcliffe Stables. Watch as 32 riders and their horses perform a choreographed ride at this world-famous event. This event runs nightly from 7:00 PM- 9:00 PM, rain or shine. While admission is free, this event does raise money for charity. This year the theme of the ride is literacy, therefore donations collected will go to CanWest Raise a Reader. Please remember to bring a blanket or lawn chair for your own comfort during the show, and perhaps some bug repellant as well! For more information, please visit the Official RCMP Website.

Location: The RCMP Stables are located on St. Laurent Blvd., at the Canadian Police College grounds (OC Transpo route #7), or access free parking directly off the Rockcliffe Parkway.

Loralea

The Writing Shop

1st Ever Ottawa-wide Give Away Day!!!

Loralea — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 07:00:29 +0000

Visiting the city and want to take home a few souvenirs without spending a bundle? This weekend is the one you’ve been waiting for! In an effort to keep our landfills free of “stuff” the city has organized an Ottawa wide FREE stuff yard sale type event. Residents can put items such as furniture, books, clothes, cds, kitchen items and anything else that you’d normally sell at a yard sale out on their front lawn with a sign marked FREE between 9AM and 4PM and watch it disappear to a new home. The idea being that someone else’s junk is another person’s treasure. I personally think this is a great idea and plan to participate by giving away some of the items just sitting in my garage, unused yet in perfect working order.

The rain date, if we should need one (weather has been beautiful) is set for Sunday, June 24^th.

For more information, please visit the Ottawa City Website

Loralea

The Writing Shop

Capital Idea! Festival, Ottawa

Loralea — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 18:11:20 +0000

From June 20-30, Ottawa is home to the Capital Idea! Festival taking place at various clubs all over Ottawa. The idea for the festival belongs to a 20 year old Carlton University film studies student, Calum Marsh who has decided to go against the norm and cater to a niche market. Capital Idea! Festival goers will enjoy listening at smaller, more intimate club venues rather than at a larger events such as the upcoming Bluesfest, where it is often hard to catch a glimpse of a favorite band onstage. Bands that are popular with tastemakers, indie kids, and obscurists are part of the demographic catered to, with music to be performed by such bands as The Walkmen, Sunset Rubdown and Russian Futurists.

To obtain a copy of the festival schedule, ticket prices, or to e-mail Calum personally, please visit the Mocking Music site.

Loralea

The Writing Shop