Ottawa 
Colonel By Day Long Weekend Events & Activities in Ottawa: Friday, August 1 to Monday, August 4, 2025
Visiting Ottawa this August long weekend? Here is a list of events taking place in the Capital city this weekend, including free, fun family & kids’ activities, live music, theatre & performing arts, sports and exhibitions.
More To Do
I. Family & Kids Activities
Grands Feux du Casino Lac-Lemay
Opening of the site: 6:00 pm
Start of the fireworks show: 9:15 pm
- July 30 – The Grand opening presented by Royale Pyrotechnie
- August 2 – Japan represented by Komei Co
Canadian Museum of History, 100 Rue Laurier, Gatineau
$8.50 to $40
The Big Bounce Canada
The Big Bounce Canada, the record-breaking experience for both adults and kids is coming to Ottawa! Get ready to visit the world’s largest travelling inflatable park, which includes a bouncy castle spanning 16,000 ft (+/- 1,500 m2) and reaching up to 32 ft (+/- 10 meters) high… We’re sure you’ll be impressed! And the fun doesn’t stop there, as you can also enjoy other zones such as The Giant, a race on a 300m-long obstacle course, and Sport slam, an arena dedicated to sports of all kinds. Details
August 1 to 3, 2025
RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Dr., Ottawa
$32 & up
Open Doors at Rideau Hall
Visitors can discover the State rooms of Rideau Hall at their own pace. Open doors weekends at Rideau Hall will also provide the public with an opportunity to visit both greenhouses and private gardens, which are not open to the public during regular tours. Details
August 2 to 4, 2025 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rideau Hall, 1 Sussex Dr, Ottawa
Free
Rideau Hall Storytime
This outdoor family activity is hosted in collaboration with United for Literacy. Volunteers invite visitors to settle in under the Reading Tent to read books and participate in fun literacy activities. Details
August 2, 2025 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Rideau Hall, 1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa
Free
Colonel By Days
Celebrate Ottawa’s rich history and the legacy of Lieutenant-Colonel John By with a weekend full of engaging activities, live performances, and family-friendly fun at the Bytown Museum! Details
Monday, August 4, 2025 | 11am – 5:30pm
Bytown Museum, 1 Canal Lane, Ottawa
Regular Admission
Canada Strong Pass
Enjoy free admission to Parks Canada sites and free admission for children aged 17 and under, 50% off admission fees for youth aged 18 to 24 to provincial museums until September 2, 2025.
- Parks Canada National Parks and Historic Sites
- National Museums: Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Canada Science and Technology Museum, Canadian Museum of History, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian War Museum and National Gallery of Canada.
- Upper Canada Village – Morrisburg
- Fort Henry – Kingston
- Fulford Place — Ontario Heritage Trust — Brockville
- Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History — Ontario Heritage Trust — Dresden
- Art Gallery of Ontario — Toronto
- McMichael Canadian Art Collection — Kleinburg
- St Lawrence Parks Commission — various locations
- Royal Botanical Gardens — Burlington and Hamilton
- Old Fort Erie — Fort Erie
- Laura Secord Homestead — Niagara on the Lake
- Mackenzie Printery — Niagara on the Lake
- McFarland House — Niagara on the Lake
- Sainte-Marie among the Huron — Midland
- Discovery Harbour — Penetanguishene
- Fort William Historical Park — Thunder Bay
- Royal Ontario Museum — Toronto
U-Pick Flowers
Green Corners has planted snapdragons, cosmos, calendula, and sunflowers for you to pick this summer season. Pick your own flowers to make a bouquet of seasonal blooms! Varieties of flowers change through the season, but there will always be a variety of colours and flowers in bloom. Details
August 1-4, 2025
Green Corners, 1259 York’s Corners Road, Ottawa
$5 – $25
Fields of Gold – Sunflower Farm
Come enjoy the sunshine! Ever dreamt of walking in literal fields of gold? Now you can! Our expansive sunflower fields offer a break from the city, remarkable view, and selfie opportunities aplenty. What’s better than fresh cut flowers? You got it — fresh cut sunflowers. Details
July 23 to August 24, 2025
Fields of Gold, 17650 Strathmore Road, Monkland, North Stormont
Adult: $15.00 | Child: $10.00
Maze Days
Visit Saunders Farm during Maze Days. Explore amazing mazes and labyrinths. The hedge and puzzle Mazes are the largest collection in the World! Each maze is designed to test your perseverance and problem-solving skills…sometimes a little luck goes a long way. Details
Wednesdays-Sundays | 10 AM – 5 PM
Saunders Farm, 7893 Bleeks Rd, Ottawa
$15 to $25
Down On the Farm
Lots of animals to see, feed and touch. Hay play structures to climb and explore. The kid’s barn has some fun play areas and the famous corn sensory table. Bring some snacks and enjoy the picnic and play area. Relax and enjoy the fresh farm air while you explore and play down on the farm. Details
Thursday – Sunday | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The Log Farm, 670 Cedarview Road, Nepean
$11.50+hst
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Fun at Little Animal Farm
Visitors can interact with furry friends and enjoy farm-related play structures and activities like the trike corral, corn maze, and basketball wagon. Puppet shows featuring animatronic characters entertain every half hour in the Century Old Barn. Details
Monday, August 4, 2025 | 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Valleyview Little Animal Farm
4750 Fallowfield Road, Nepean
$14 (plus tax) for everyone age 2 and older.
II. Live Music
Gabriel Comba & The Barn Cats
Friday, August 01, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Live on Elgin, 220 Elgin Street, 2nd Floor
$8 to $12
LoveU2
All of U2’s greatest hits, from their debut to today! Discover the best of U2, including Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride (In the Name of Love), Beautiful Day, Vertigo, Where the Streets Have No Name, and many more! LOVEU2 delivers a stunning live performance, where music, costumes, and stage design recreate the world of the planet’s most iconic band, with all of U2’s greatest hits performed with passion and precision. Details
Saturday, August 02, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Theatre du Casino du Lac-Leamy, 1 Blvd du Casino, Gatineau
$44.47 & up
Afraid Of Jazz
Guelph Indie-Rock band You Might Be Sleeping joins forces with Afraid Of Jazz and Crows Feet for a night of Rock and Folk music. Details
Saturday, August 02, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Live on Elgin, 220 Elgin Street, 2nd Floor
$11 to $15
Alien To The Ignorant
With The Disconnect + Brutal Play. Details
Monday, August 4 | 8:00 PM
Rainbow Bistro, 76 Murray Street, Ottawa
$15
III. Live Theatre & Related Events
10-Minute Play Festival
August 1 to 3, 2025
Ron Maslin Playhouse, 1 Ron Maslin Way, Ottawa
Pay what you can – suggested donation $ 10
Company of Fools – The Comedy of Errors
One of Shakespeare’s craziest comedies, The Comedy of Errors tells the tale of two sets of identical twins separated at birth. When Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse arrive in Ephesus, a city where their long-lost twins live, a chaotic chain of mistaken-identity mishaps ensues. A Company of Fools has been delighting audiences all across Canada since 1990 as Ottawa’s original professional Shakespeare company. Details
June 28 to August 16, 2025 | 7 to 8:30 PM
Various Venues, Ottawa
By Donation
Always a Bridesmaid
July 16 to August 2, 2025
Ottawa Little Theatre, 400 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa
$16.00 – $32.00
St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival
Enjoy Shakespeare at the outdoor amphitheatre against the backdrop of the St. Lawrence River in Prescott. Details
July 19 to August 16, 2025
- Much Ado About Nothing: July 19 to August 9
- Sherlock Holmes and the Vanishing Hour: July 23 to August 9
- Play On! A Shakespeare Inspired Mixtape: August 12 to 16
Kinsmen Amphitheatre, 101 Water St W, Prescott
PWYC to $39
Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Show
Our two hour show features all-Canadian music from Maritime folk songs to modern pop. Come be serenaded by our singing Mountie, hockey player, Anne of Green Gables, Klondike Kitty, and many other special guests. This high-energy, family friendly production features over 70 songs from Canadian artists including Paul Anka, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, the Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber, and many more. Details
Various Dates, March 14 to December 26, 2025
Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Theatre, 330 Kent Street, Ottawa
$27.95 to $99.95
III. Sports & Related Events
Kaleidoscope Kayaking
Hop in one of our Oru Inlet folding kayaks and enjoy the serene waterway, surrounded by the enchanting glow of LED lights adorning your boat! The lights create a spectacle of colours that dance along the canal’s surface! This two-hour guided adventure gives you a breathtaking view of the spectacular Les Grands Feux du Casino Lac-Leamy fireworks show. Details
Saturday, August 2, 2025 | 8 PM to 10 PM
Rideau Canal, 3 Waverley St, Ottawa
$99
Canada Rugby Women’s 15s v USA Rugby Women’s 15s
Canada’s capital will play host to an epic showdown on the pitch this summer, with Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team playing the United States in Ottawa on August 1. This will be the world number two-ranked Canadian team’s only home game of the season and final match on Canadian soil before vying for the 2025 Rugby World Cup trophy in England. Details
Friday, August 01, 2025 | 7:00 PM
The Stadium at TD Place, 1015 Bank Street, Ottawa
$55.70 & up
Ottawa BlackJacks v. Calgary Surge
Saturday, August 02, 2025 | 2:00 PM
The Arena at TD Place, 1015 Bank St., Ottawa
$35 & up
Atlético Ottawa vs. York United FC
Atlético Ottawa takes on York United FC in CPL action. Details
Sunday, August 03, 2025 | 4:00 PM
The Stadium at TD Place, 1015 Bank Street, Ottawa
$20 & up
IV. Exhibitions, Festivals & Other Events
Indigenous Walking Tours
The Indigenous Walking Tours (IWT) will explore Ottawa downtown monuments, art, architecture and landscape through an Indigenous perspective. These exceptional tours present a unique opportunity to learn the impact and presence of Indigenous People’s history in our city. The IWT leader, artist and educator Jaime Morse has been organizing these knowledge-sharing events since 2014. Jaime is a proud Metis originally from Lac la Biche, a Buffalo Lake Metis settlement in Alberta. Details
August 1, 2025 | 10:30 AM to 12 PM & 1:30 PM to 3 PM
City Hall, 110 Laurier Ave W., Ottawa
Free
Glengarry Highland Games
August 1 & 2, 2025
34 Fair St, Maxville
$30
Capital Pop Up Cinema Summer Series
The Capital Pop Up Cinema summer series is back. Grab a folding chair, maybe a blanket and your favourite treats and enjoy free movies under the stars. Details
Film starts at 8:30 PM
August 1: Say Anything
Sparks Street, Ottawa
Free
Ottawa Psychic & Crystal Fair
Some of Canada’s Top Psychics, Mediums, Astrologers, Aura Photography, Rune Reading, Healers. Tea Leaf and Palm Readers. Lots of beautiful crystals and hand made jewelry. Details
August 1 to 3, 2025
Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Ave., Ottawa
$10
Fireworks Parking Lot Viewing Party
Join us in the Parking Lot below Tavern on the Hill for the ultimate fireworks viewing party! With 300 seats available and space for 200 standing guests, enjoy live music, delicious food, refreshing drinks from our bars, and an unforgettable night of fun! Details
Saturday, August 2 | 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Tavern On The Hill, 1223 Alexandra Bridge, Ottawa
$13.54 & up
613flea
613flea is an ever changing, twice-a-month marketplace that returns to Lansdowne Park with makers & bakers, crafters & creators, antiques dealers & vintage clothing vendors, vinyl records & comics – plus great food! Details
August 2 | 10 AM – 4 PM
Lansdowne Park, 1015 Bank St., Ottawa
Free
Race for Wishes – A Night of Racing, Music & Hope
Join us at the Racetrack Area of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa for Race for Wishes — a high-energy, family-friendly fundraiser aiming to raise $30,000 to help grant three life-changing wishes for local children facing critical illnesses. The event will feature live music, a DJ, harness racing, kids’ activities, BBQ and refreshments, silent auctions, raffles, and moving “Wish Moments” honouring families supported by Make-A-Wish® Canada. Details
Sunday, August 3, 2025 | 04:00 PM – 09:00 PM
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa, 4837 Albion Road, Ottawa
Free
Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park
Come and experience this hidden jewel just outside Cumberland Village in Ottawa. Discover sculptures carefully placed in a natural setting at this nine-acre wooded ravine with walking trails and quaint bridges over a meandering creek. Details
Open until October 31, 2025
Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park , 3468 Ch. Old Montreal Rd, Ottawa
$7-$10
Nepean Night Market
Nepean Night Market brings amazing vendors, fantastic live music, fabulous food trucks, and the most awesome fun luvin’ summer nights! Details
Sundays 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Mr.Lube parking lot, 1442 Baseline Road, Ottawa
Free
We do try to make the listings as accurate as possible, but there might be oversight errors/Events might be cancelled or postponed without any notice. Verify all details from concerned Event Websites/officials.
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