Ottawa 
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.
Ottawa-born pop and R&B singer Duava and acoustic blues-roots duo The Blind & The Beautiful will also perform. A surprise headliner is expected to be announced closer to the event.
Away from the main stage, visitors can explore interactive art, live demonstrations, local food and beverage vendors, games, trivia and displays focused on Ottawa’s history. The program will also feature Heart of This Place (Adàwe c’est ma ville), the official Ottawa 200 anthem created with the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition.
Several other downtown events are planned for the same day, including programming at the Bytown Museum, the Ottawa International Animation Festival, Pique at Arts Court, Nuit Blanche in the ByWard Market and the SoundScape Festival at Plaza Bridge. The Ottawa REDBLACKS will also face the Calgary Stampeders at Lansdowne Park.
OC Transpo service will be free on September 26 and 27.
“For 200 years, Ottawa has been shaped by the people who call this city home,” Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said, pointing to the artists, entrepreneurs, creators and families who have contributed to the city.
Ottawa was founded as Bytown on September 26, 1826.
