Thanksgiving weekend is here! If you’re heading out of town for the weekend, we wish you safe travels! If you’re staying in town this weekend or have family and friends visiting, you’ll definitely want to make the most of the time by heading out to one or more of these events in Ottawa. Here’s what’s happening in Ottawa this weekend:
Expressions of Art Fall Show and Sale
Come to the Carp Agricultural Hall on the Carp Fairgrounds for the 2015 Expressions of Art fall show and sale. This is the perfect opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping for the art lover in your life, or maybe just treat yourself. 35 artists from Ottawa and the surrounding area will have paintings, photography, drawings, calligraphy, and more on display for purchase. The event kicks of with a Vernissage on Friday evening, and continues on Saturday (8am-4pm) and Sunday (10am-4pm).
Ottawa Butterfly Show
The annual Biology Butterfly Show at Carleton University wraps up this weekend, so don’t miss your chance to see more than 1,300 butterflies representing 41 different species worldwide. This is a fantastic educational and immersive event for the whole family. Beautiful live exotic butterflies fly freely throughout the greenhouse. Tip: if you want to attract a butterfly or two, wear bright coloured clothing, and hold an orange or pineapple slice aloft and they will land on it for a snack. the Admission is free, but donations are strongly encouraged to keep this event going in the future.
The Greeks: Agamemnon to Alexander the Great
The Greeks is a fascinating exhibition at the Canadian Museum of History that wraps up on October 12. For the first time in North America, more than 500 invaluable artifacts from 21 different Greek museums are collected in one place to tell the tale of more than five millennia of Greek history. Come see Agamemnon’s death mask, a bust of Alexander the Great, and hundreds of other archaeological treasures. Access to the exhibition is available at regular museum admission prices.
Thanksgiving Weekend at the Farm
If you have young nieces/nephews or grandchildren visiting from out of town, this is a fun yet educational event the whole family will enjoy. Thanksgiving is a celebration of family and gratitude, but it’s also a celebration of our bountiful harvest. Learn about the food and animals that make fall the best season of all. Make apple cider, test your apple IQ, learn about pumpkins, learn the First Nations story about the Three Sisters (corn, squash, and beans), make soup, and learn the recipe for apple spice caramel cake. Finish it off with a tally-ho wagon ride around the Experimental Farm for an added fee. Admission to Thanksgiving Weekend at the Farm is $26 for a family, $10 for adults, and $7 for children 3 and over.
Ottawa Senators versus Montreal Canadiens
The NHL season kicks off on Wednesday night, but the Ottawa Senators start the home portion of their schedule with a tilt against the rival Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night. There are a lot of questions up in the air for this young Senators squad, who hope to continue the momentum from the second half of last season. Will Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman build on their incredible rookie seasons? Will Bobby Ryan return to the 30-goal club? How will Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond fare in the crease? There are still tickets available, so don’t miss your chance to see reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson and his Senators live and in person!
Thanksgiving Day Openings and Closures
Finally, we want to give you a heads up on what’s open and closed in and around Ottawa on Thanksgiving Monday.
Open
- Rideau Centre (10 am to 6 pm)
- Rideau Metro (24 hrs) and Rideau Loblaws (9 am-5 pm)
- Many drug stores are open, but be sure to phone ahead
- Ottawa museums
- Most shops/restaurants in the Byward Market
- OC Transpo operates on Sunday schedule.
- Some community centres and pools are open, phone ahead.
- 311 service open for emergencies
Closed
- Bayshore Shopping Centre, St. Laurent Centre, Place d’Orleans and malls
- Grocery stores
- Beer stores and LCBO
- City hall, client service centres
- Public libraries
- City-operated child care centres
Most grocery stores, SAQ stores etc. on the Gatineau side remain open on Thanksgiving Monday. Remember garbage and recycling collection is delayed by one day!
Happy Thanksgiving, readers!
