22 Ottawa Summer Festivals and Events You Won’t Want To Miss
Summer is the perfect time to explore Ottawa’s many vibrant festivals and exciting local events. Whether you’re a foodie hankering to indulge in different cuisines, a curious soul looking to experience new cultures, or a music lover yearning to dance the night, Ottawa has some of the best festivals and events to keep you entertained this summer.
Food and culture
Ottawa Chinatown Night Market
Date: May 31-June 2 2024
Location: Ottawa’s Chinatown, Gladstone St.
Cost: Free
https://ottawachinatown.ca/nightmarket
Enjoy one of the most vibrant, bustling and sensory stimulating events in Ottawa at the 3-day event featuring a melting pot of cultural foods from across Asia. Along with the delicious food, enjoy multicultural performances, dragon and lion dances, martial arts displays, and multiple street vendors.
Italian Week
Dates: June 6-16, 2024
Location: Little Italy, Preston St.
Cost: Free
Experience all things Italy at Ottawa’s longest running arts and cultural festival in Ottawa’s Little Italy. Take part in sporting events and cooking classes, enjoy film screenings, comedy shows, dance, music and of course authentic Italian food. Car lovers will also want to check out the FCA Ottawa Ferrari Festival taking place during Friday and Saturday of the first weekend.
Summer Solstice Festival
Dates: Jun 21-23, 2024
Location: Mādahòkì Farm
Cost: Entrance is free, with some additional cost for creative and culinary experiences
https://summersolsticefestivals.ca
Discover and learn about Indigenous culture through music, dance, traditional knowledge, cultural performances, movie screenings, creative workshops, and culinary experiences at this family-friendly festival. The highlight of the festival is the popular international Competition Pow Wow, and don’t miss the Indigenous marketplace selling amazing goods from Indigenous artists, makers and producers from the region.
City of Om
Date: May 31- June 1 2024
Location: Lansdowne Park
Cost: Full day pass $65, VIP pass $150
Join Ottawa’s largest health and wellness festival and participate in curated yoga and fitness classes, a 5km run, plus enjoy the wellness speaker series, and a health and wellness marketplace with over 40+ apparel and food vendors. The event takes place both indoors and out, and is family friendly with specialty yoga classes geared towards kids.
Capital Pride
Date: Aug 17- Aug 25, 2024
Location: Various locations around Ottawa
Cost: Most events are free, with some ticketed performances
Although Ottawa’s Pride week is held later in the summer than most cities, the celebrations are just as entertaining! Don’t miss the annual Pride Parade and street festival, drag shows and musical performances, the Capital Pride Pageant, informative speaker series, plus over 50 community events throughout the city.
Ottawa Ribfest
Date: TBC
Location: Sparks Street
Cost: Free
https://www.sparkslive.com/ribfest
Devour award winning ribs from some of the best Ribbers in North America at this 3 block BBQ competition. Pick your favourite for the best of grill and sauce, and watch to see who wins the coveted prizes for best rib, chicken, sauce and best team. Complementing the grills are a myriad of other food vendors and live entertainment.
Orleans Craft Beer Festival
Date: June 7-8, 2024
Location: 255 Centrum Plaza, Ottawa
Cost: Free
https://www.orleansfestivals.ca
Get your fill of amazing craft beers, including the best in local Ottawa breweries, plus wines, spirits, and a host of delicious food. Enjoy live entertainment and watch for the winner of the homebrew competition. Event takes places outdoors with a beer garden and eating tents available for inclement weather.
Art and Music
RBC Ottawa Bluesfest
Date: July 4-14, 2024
Location: Lebreton Flats
Cost: Tickets starting at $75
Check out some of the best names in International and Canadian music at one of the most popular musical festivals in the region. Dance your heart out to your favourite artists and famous headliners, and enjoy a wide range of food and drink vendors, plus a giant Ferris wheel!
Escapade Music Festival
Date: June 21-23, 2024
Location: Lansdowne Park
Cost: Tickets: From $329
Live it up at Ottawa’s biggest electronic dance music festival hosting some of the biggest names in Canadian and International EDM. Over 33,000 people attend the event annually, making it one of the biggest single events in any city across Canada.
TD Ottawa Jazz Festival
Date: June 21-June 30, 2024
Location: Main location Confederation Park, with other performances at venues throughout the city
Cost: Tickets starting at $25
https://ottawajazzfestival.com
Delight in all genres of jazz from local and international artists, at this popular Ottawa event. Enjoy concerts in a variety of jazz styles from pop and rock, to symphonies and solo instrumentalists. The festival overlaps with Canada Day, where admission is free.
House of PainT
Date: TBC
Location: Under the Dunbar Bridge
Cost: Free
Celebrate urban culture, art and music at the House of PainT festival, in a secluded and urban setting under the Dunbar Bridge along the Rideau River. Watch as graffiti artists create masterpieces live, watch break-dancers battle it out on the dance floor, and listen to new and old school hip-hop beats.
Ottawa Chamberfest
Date: July 25 - August 8, 2024
Location: Various locations across the city
Cost: Tickets starting at $35
Revel in the sounds of the largest chamber music festival in the world, featuring over 120 concerts by solo artists and top international ensembles. Events take places in churches, museums, theatre, heritage site and galleries throughout the capital.
Asinabka Media and Film Festival
Date: August 6-11, 2024
Location: Ottawa Art Gallery, Club SAW, & Gallery 101
Cost: TBA
Discover Ottawa's annual Indigenous film festival, presenting the best music, digital arts, contemporary film, and performances from Canada and around the world. The event takes place in various venues on the Algonquin Territory and features over 60 Indigenous-made films (screened both indoors and out), curated art exhibitions, digital arts programming, workshops, masterclasses and live Indigenous music and performances.
CityFolk
Date: Sept 11-15, 2024
Location: Lansdowne Park
Cost: Tickets starting at $75
Revel in the sounds of CityFolk at this 5-day festival celebrating music, dance and community. The festival features an eclectic and varied mix performers on multiple stages, as well as plenty of food and beverage options. Don’t miss the free Marvest Festival which runs alongside CityFolk, offering free performances at various pubs and restaurants in the neighbourhood of the Glebe.
Family, Community and Entertainment
Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival
Date: August 29-September 2, 2024
Location: Park La Baie, Gatineau
Cost: Tickets starting at $12
https://montgolfieresgatineau.com/en
One of the most exciting festivals in the Ottawa region, this festival attracts young and old and is hard to miss! Watch as colourful and uniquely shaped balloons take off on morning and afternoon flights and float across the city, take in the sight as the balloon light up each night for the night glow, and even take a ride in a balloon yourself! The festival also hosts some amazing concert performances, amusement rides, fireworks displays and an endless supply of delicious food and drink.
Les Grands Feux du Casino Lac-Leamy Fireworks
Date: July 31- Aug 17, 2024
Location: Canadian Museum of History
Cost: General admission starting at $14.50
Be dazzled by 6 nights of amazing fireworks displays set to beautiful musical scores each August. Enjoy onsite activities and entertainment on the festival grounds including pyro-musical shows, art installations, roaming performers, and a plethora of culinary experiences. Purchase a seated ticket with an up-close view, or bring a chair or blanket and watch the show from your own cozy spot on the lawn. You can also see the fireworks from other locations throughout the city, however the festival grounds provide the best view and the musical accompaniment.
Great Glebe Garage Sale
Date: May 25, 2024
Location: The Glebe
Cost: Free
https://glebeca.ca/garage-sale-committee
Go treasure hunting at the cities largest garage sale stretching all throughout the entire neighbourhood of the Glebe. Browse blocks of garage sales all taking place on the same day, and search for bargains on clothes, shoes, accessories, canoes, skis, furniture, antiques and more. Pro tip is to have someone with a vehicle on standby nearby to collect your purchases as you go, as parking in difficult at best during this bustling event.
Canada Day
Date: July 1, 2024
Location: Lebreton Flats and various locations throughout the city
Cost: Free
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/canada-day.html
Celebrate Canada Day in the nation’s capital with amazing celebrations throughout the city. Watch live musical and cultural performances, fly-pasts by the world-famous Snowbirds aerial flight team, interactive and family friendly activities, free access to local museums, and of course the annual evening fireworks extravaganza.
Ottawa International Busker Fest
Date: TBC
Location: Sparks Street
Cost: Free
https://www.sparkslive.com/buskerfest
Be entertained by world-class entertainment from street artists and performers from around the world including fire jugglers, magicians, acrobats and more. This is a great family-friendly event, and food and drink vendors are located all along the festival site.
Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival
Date: June 21-3, 2024
Location: Mooney’s Bay Park.
Cost: Free
Watch as skilled teams of dragon boats compete for the top prize in this Dragon Boat Canada race series event. Along with the races, the festival hosts numerous live concerts from local and Canadian musical talent, and there is tons of food vendors and family activities.
Doors Open Ottawa
Date: June 1-2, 2024
Location: Various locations around the city
Cost: Free
https://ottawa.ca/en/arts-heritage-and-events/doors-open-ottawa
Get exclusive access to more than 100 important and significant buildings around Ottawa, many not usually accessible to the public. Take a peek inside international embassies, research facilities, various museums and galleries. Entry is free, but some locations require advanced registration.
H.O.P.E. Volleyball Summerfest
Date: July 13, 2024
Location: Mooney’s Bay Beach
Cost: Free, concert tickets starting at $23
This well-recognized volleyball tournament is run by H.O.P.E.; a volunteer, not-for-profit event management organization that raises funds for community-based charities. If you’re not playing in the tournament, the H.O.P.E. Volleyball Summerfest is still a great place to enjoy a day out with friends, or to meet some new ones. Alongside a day of volleyball on the beach, and raising funds for great causes, the event also features concerts, live bands, entertainment and food.
