25+ Fun Things to Do During Fall in the Ottawa Region – 2026

The Ottawa Region is known for its spectacular nature and outdoor charm, as well as the magic of Canada’s capital.

Museums, art events, restaurants, nightlife, and classic fall staples make fall even more exciting as Ottawa locals and visitors look for ways to experience the season’s beauty. Here are 25+ fun things to do this fall season in the Ottawa region.

Contents:

• Events & Festivals
• Outdoor Fun During Fall

Events & Festivals

1. Ottawa Senators Fan Fest

Ottawa Senators take to the ice for another season, and this free marquee event will feature an exciting day of games and activities for the whole family. September 19, 2026

2. See a few chart-topping artists

Summer may well be over, but concerts and live comedy shows will fill your entertainment schedule. Here is a list of who is coming to Ottawa this fall.

@ Canadian Tire Centre: 

• Bring Me The Horizon: POST HUMAN: NeX GEn – THE THIRD ASCENSION PROGRAM – October 2, 2026
• The Black Keys: PEACHES ‘N KREAM – October 17, 2026
• Disney Descendants, ZOMBIES & Camp Rock: Worlds Collide Concert Tour – October 30, 2026

@ History Ottawa

• Sabaton – September 26, 2026
• Gogol Bordello – September 30, 2026
• Two Door Cinema Club – October 2, 2026
• Modest Mouse – October 4, 2026
• Bahamas – October 7, 2026
• Jenny Berggren of Ace of Base, Haddaway, Real McCoy, SNAP! & No Mercy – October 10, 2026 –
• Thundercat – October 21, 2026
• Marianas Trench – October 24, 2026
• Sleeping With Sirens – October 31, 2026
• Sam Roberts Band – November 14, 2026
• Slaughter To Prevail – November 18, 2026
• Dax – November 26, 2026
• Arkells – November 27, 2026
• TALK – December 4, 2026
• Wolf Parade – December 11, 2026
• Shakey Graves – December 13, 2026

@ Hard Rock Casino

• W.A.S.P. – October 6, 2026
• Ann Wilson – October 10, 2026
• Vengaboys & Prozzak – October 15, 2026
• Collective Soul – October 18, 2026
• Big Wreck – October 30, 2026
• Streetheart, Harlequin & Helix – November 7, 2026
• Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes – November 13, 2026
• Barenaked Ladies – November 14, 2026
• Orville Peck – November 18, 2026
• The Trews – December 3, 2026
• Colin James – December 4, 2026

3. Cirque Du Soleil’s Luzia

Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA invites you into a dreamlike Mexico, where light, rain, myth and acrobatics collide. Follow a parachuted traveller through movie sets, dance halls, beaches and deserts, meeting curious characters along the way. With water woven into the performance for the first time, LUZIA now runs at Laurent Shopping Centre until October 18, 2026.

4. Attend the Ottawa International Animation Festival

View some of the world’s most unique, cutting-edge, and quirky animation pieces at the Ottawa International Animation Festival.

OIAF is an annual five-day event bringing art and industry together in a vibrant hub, attracting artists, producers, students, and animation fans from around the world.

5. Fall Fairs

Ride the midway, see demolition derby and more at Richmond Fair,  Carp Fair and Metcalfe Fair. 

Fall Fairs Around Ottawa

For more things to do every week, see Things to do this week in Ottawa

6. Ottawa 200 Block Party

Ottawa’s 200th anniversary celebration will take over Marion Dewar Plaza on Saturday, September 26, with a free block party running from 10 a.m. until well after sunset. Comedian Jonathan Dion will guide the day as master of ceremonies. The lineup includes hip-hop artist Cody Coyote, francophone singer-songwriter Mehdi Cayenne, the NO DEF Collective, Franco-Ontarian pop artist Jessy Lindsay, and drag performers Sunshine Glitterchild and Saltina Shaker.

7. Ottoberfest –  Ottawa Oktoberfest

Ottoberfest brings a one-day Bavarian-style celebration to Lansdowne Park on September 26. The 19+ event runs from noon to 11 p.m. with free walk-in entry, Oktoberfest-inspired food and drinks, music, games, singalongs and stein-holding contests.

8. Pique #21

On September 26, Pique returns with its most ambitious edition yet—and for the first time ever, admission is free. Transforming Arts Court into a vibrant playground of adventurous music, immersive art, performance, and unexpected encounters, Pique #21 brings together boundary-pushing artists from across disciplines, genres, and geographies.

9. Cirque A La Carte – Circus of Shadows

Cirque A La Carte brings a darker twist to Ottawa’s circus scene with Circus of Shadows at LabO Theatre. Expect an intimate mix of aerial acrobatics, juggling, hand balance, hooping and other original acts, each shaped by the performer’s own style. The Halloween-themed production runs October 2 and 3, with three performances filled with mystery, mayhem and theatrical flair.

10. HOPE RockFest

HOPE RockFest turns the spotlight on independent music with a lineup of local and regional talent on October 3. Catch A Rose For Ann, Futura Free, Last Stop and Amanda Keeley, alongside food, drinks and an audience vote for a future HOPE Volleyball SummerFest performer. Proceeds support HOPE’s work with community-based charities, making it a night of music with a purpose.

11. Celebrate the Halloween season at Saunders’ Farm

Saunders Farm brings fall fun and Halloween scares together with PumpkinFest and Frightfest. Families can enjoy wagon rides, live shows, ziplines, escape rooms and hedge mazes, while evenings turn darker with seven haunted attractions, street theatre and a fiery stage show. Add burgers, poutine, snacks and Saunders Cider, and you have plenty to explore from day into night.

12. Pumpkin Fest

Bring a picnic and come join for a ghostly gathering in a country setting at  Proulx Maple & Berry Farm, just a few minutes from Orleans and 30 minutes east of downtown Ottawa.

13. Behind The Screams: Studio B Horror haunted house

From 1D Studios comes Ottawa’s most immersive haunt. The experience features movie-quality sets and two separate horror journeys through twisted rooms, grotesque creatures and unsettling surprises. Each path offers a different way to explore Andi’s warped midway and its latest collection of nightmares.

15. Carleton University Butterfly Show

Every year, the Carleton University Biology Department hosts its annual Butterfly Show.  During the days leading into the Thanksgiving weekend, over 1300 live exotic butterflies are released into the Nesbitt Biology building greenhouses. Visit the greenhouse to enjoy a world of butterflies. 

16. Antiquarian Book Fair

Book lovers can browse antique and rare titles, maps and paper ephemera while learning a little along the way. More than 20 dealers will be on hand, alongside bookbinding demonstrations and over seven talks on collecting. You can also join tours of Saint Paul University’s Rare Book Room, making this a weekend built for curious readers and serious bibliophiles alike.

17.  Signatures Handmade Market

Signatures is a uniquely Canadian handmade marketplace in Ottawa that features the works of over 70 artists, artisans, makers, and designers from coast-to-coast.  From October 22–25, 2026, this top-rated craft show features an extensive range of Canadian handmade goods, including unique fashion, jewellery, home décor, gourmet foods and more, directly from the creators themselves.

18. Red Trillium Studio Tour

The Red Trillium Studio Tour returns October 17 with more than 30 artists and fine craftspeople spread across studio stops in Dunrobin, Kinburn and Woodlawn. You can browse pottery, painting, jewelry, woodworking, glass art, photography, quilting, fabric art and more. Each stop features a local host alongside guest artists, making it an easygoing weekend of art, creativity and community.

21. Performing Arts at NAC

From  STAR WARS and beyond (concert)  to The King James Bible Play, there are various concerts and live performances at Canada’s famous performing arts centre.

22. Go on a Haunted Hay Ride

sKreamers is a fundraising project of the Kiwanis Club of Orleans. This year, Skreamers feature a Haunted Hayride, a Trail and a Corn Maze.

23. Elmvale Ward Séance

After a decade of sold-out séances and more than 25,000 participants, Jaymes returns home to Ottawa and his roots where the seance began for The Elmvale Ward Séance. Experience undeniable fear in an authentic Victorian séance inside a historic ward, one of Ottawa’s most hidden and darkest secrets. This soul-shaking psychological experience is not intended for the weak or faint of heart. Restricted to ages 18+.

24. Vegans Who Snack Food and Art Festival

Discover a lively marketplace featuring 50+ local vendors with delicious vegan snacks, treats, ice cream, groceries, art, self-care products, flowers, and more. Enjoy an uplifting atmosphere with two live DJs, curated by Homo Phono, creating the perfect soundtrack for an unforgettable night of food, shopping, and community vibes. (September 25 & October 24)

25.  Day of the Dead

Immerse yourself in Mexican culture in the midst of the historic ByWard Market neighbourhood as the community gathers to celebrate the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, festivals, and activities the dead enjoyed in their lifetime. With special programming including Mariachi performances, authentic Mexican cuisine, artisan market, folkloric dancers and much more, the Dead of the Dead Festival is an unforgettable experience.

Outdoor Fall Fun

1. Autumn Tree Tour

Fall brings a new dimension to the trees at the Dominion Arboretum. Reds, yellows, purples and browns emerge as the green fades away and other pigments take over. Enjoy a Fall walk as some of these colours become more spectacular as the weather gets colder and stresses the trees until frost comes and the wind takes the leaves away.

2. Go Apple Picking

Go apple picking at the stunning Ottawa area Orchards, and choose from several varieties such as the Cortland Apple, McIntosh, Ambrosia, Golden Delicious and more, and complement your visit with a wagon ride, a walk through the corn maze, or a stroll on a forest trail.

3.  Enjoy the Cranberry at Upper Canada Cranberries

Pick some juicy, nutritious cranberries at the only commercial cranberry grower in Eastern Ontario – Upper Canada Cranberries. This vitamin C-loaded fruit is used to make amazing frozen sliced cranberries, jams, and sauces, available on the farm. The farm is open most days during harvest time from mid-September to mid-November.

4.  Hike to a Scenic Lookout

What better time to hike to a lookout than visiting a scenic lookout from where you can enjoy fabulous fall colours? Visit some of the lookouts in and around the Ottawa and Gatineau area where you can enjoy panoramic views and both hidden gems and well-known spots in the outdoors.

5. Zipline through Camp Fortune

Head to Camp Fortune and challenge your strength and endurance on the aerial courses and zip lines.

6. Fall Rhapsody

View the stunning change of fall colours through Gatineau Park. Pack for a picnic, take a walk through the woods, or enjoy a breezy bike ride along the beautiful landscape.

7. Go on an Ottawa Haunted Walk

Celebrating 20 years of haunted storytelling adventures in Ottawa, as well as Toronto and Kingston, the Haunted Walk tours guests around some of the most haunted spots around the city.

• Halloween in Ottawa – Family & Adult Events

8. Relax at the Nordik Spa-Nature

Take some time for self-care at the Nordik Spa-Nature – a place “where everything can wait”, and relaxation is your primary purpose. Details

9. Flyover Gatineau Park with Ottawa Biplane Adventures

Take a seat in an open cockpit Biplane and fly across Ottawa to see fall colours from up above.

10. Go Pumpkin Picking

Enjoy fall at Cannamore Orchards.  Family Activity Weekends begin on the Labour Day weekend and continue until Thanksgiving weekend in early October. Activities include apple/pumpkin picking, family activities, and the famous Acres of Terror Halloween Haunts!

11. Bushels of Fun Down on the Farm

Visit Ottawa’s historic farm that was originally settled in 1854. You can walk through the original home of the Bradleys and take in how they lived right here over 150 years ago! Additionally, the corn maze will be open for those who want to test their skills at navigating their way through it. There will be wagon rides, lots of friendly animals to see, feed and touch and the kids’ barn, three different hay play structures to climb and explore and more for a fun day with the kids at the farm. 

12. Get Lost in Corn Mazes

Make getting lost part of your fall plans with giant corn and hedge mazes around Ottawa. Explore sprawling fields, cedar labyrinths and family-friendly farm attractions at spots including Ouimet Farms, Cannamore Orchards, Saunders Farm, Millers Berry Farm, The Log Farm and Mountain Orchards. Many locations also offer pumpkins, wagon rides, Halloween events and other seasonal activities.

13. Waterfalls adorned in Fall Colours

Turn a waterfall hunt into a colourful fall day trip around Ottawa. Visit local favourites like Rideau Falls, Hog’s Back Falls and Princess Louise Falls, or venture farther to Luskville Falls, Chutes Coulonge, Chutes de Plaisance and Grand Falls in Almonte. Add walking trails, scenic lookouts and autumn foliage, and you have an easy seasonal escape.

14. Plan a Day Trip:

Make the most of autumn with a scenic day trip from Ottawa. Explore colourful lookouts in Gatineau Park, Calabogie and Bon Echo, wander historic towns like Kingston and Renfrew, or try pumpkin picking, hiking, horseback riding and winery visits. From the Rideau Canal to Mont-Tremblant, there are plenty of easy escapes for soaking up crisp air and fall colours.

More Fun Activities in Ottawa

Fall Fun in Ontario