What’s happening in Ottawa on Family Day weekend

February 16, 2024 Canuck

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at things to do in Ottawa, eastern Ontario and western Quebec on Family Day weekend.

Take advantage of the last weekend of Winterlude!

The Rideau Canal remains closed for skating at this time, but activities will continue throughout the region off-ice. See the full calendar of events for more information

Here are some of the Winterlude events happening this weekend:

Pibon (Winter) Festival: Family-friendly authentic Indigenous experiences, including an indoor powwow and performances on Sparks Street. All events are free.
Bridge of Lights: A 10 minute light show will be running on a loop from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. every night on the Montcalm Street Bridge. Viewing is free.
Diefenbunker’s Winter Carnival: Enjoy snow activities or warm up indoors with hot chocolate and by exploring the Diefenbunker. Outdoor activities are free. The temporary exhibit is included in the cost of museum admission.
Embrace Winter Run: This scenic run takes you through true Canadian winter landscapes, starting at the Canadian War Museum. Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and 3K, and Kids 1K are available.
Snowflake Kingdom: Enjoy Ottawa’s best winter playground by sliding down the snow slides or race your friends to the bottom in the sliding corridors. Open all weekend from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Kelly Hanselman, left, and her daughter Kate pose for a photo in human shaped cutouts in the side of the ice slides hill, at Snowflake Kingdom during the first weekend of Winterlude, in Gatineau, Que. on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The Loppet is Canada’s largest international cross-country skiing event taking place in Gatineau Park. Classical races are on Saturday and free races are on Sunday.

50 K, 27 K, 15 K, 5 K and kids 5 – 15 K ski races are available.

Registration is possible on site on Feb. 16, 17 and 18.

More information is available online.

Big Bang is a one-of-a-kind festival of musical adventures. It invites children and their families on a colourful journey featuring a rich array of sound concepts.

The event takes place at the National Arts Centre on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Check out the calendar of events for more details.

Enjoy a winter theater festival showcasing contemporary theatre created by local, national, and international artists, produced by Ottawa Fringe and happening at Arts Court.

The tickets and the event schedule are available online.

Don’t miss out on the last weekend of 83 ’til infinity, featuring the stories and experiences of hip-hop in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

The exhibit is free at the Ottawa Art Gallery.

Grab your skates and helmets and bring your family to the Mayor’s Family Day Skating Party at City Hall.

The Salvation Army will be providing complimentary hot chocolate and OC Transpo will be on site with an informational booth.

The event takes place on Monday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Many families took advantage of the extra day off. Some venturing to the rink at city hall for the mayor’s Family Day skating party. Feb. 20, 2023. (Jackie Perez/CTV News Ottawa)

Head over to the Vanier Museopark where maple syrup producers will share their knowledge and passion.

A short training session on tapping and forest orientation will be offered every hour, before each departure (at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.).

Pea soup will be served at the Sugar Shack after the tapping event.

Discover 70 vendors for Eid shopping all under one roof at the Ottawa Multicultural Bazaar held in the Nepean Sportsplex.

Runs on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The event is free

Engage with STEM experts from diverse fields as they showcase captivating science experiments and activities at the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Ticket included with museum entry.

The 10th annual Great Canadian Kilt Skate comes to Ottawa on Sunday.

There will a performance by the Ottawa Celtic Choir, bagpipes and the Mayor and other dignitaries will celebrate the declaration of Kilt Skate Day in the Capital.

Event runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Lansdowne Park

Skaters take part in Great Canadian Kilt Skate at Lansdowne Park

Cheer on PWHL Ottawa as they take on PWHL Minnesota on Saturday at TD Place Arena.

Game time is 2 p.m.

Boston’s Sidney Morin, centre, grimaces as she blocks a shot with her knee while battling Ottawa’s Lexie Adzija in front of Boston goalie Aerin Frankel during second period PWHL action, Wednesday, January 24, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The Ottawa 67s take on the North Bay Battalion at TD Place Arena on Family Day.

Game time is 2 p.m.

Downhill skiing

There are several ski resorts near Ottawa. Visit each hill’s website for ski conditions.

• Camp Fortune in Chelsea, Que.

• Ski Vorlage in Wakefield, Que.

• Sommet Edelweiss in Wakefield, Que.

• Mont Cascades Ski Resort in Cantley, Que.

• Mount Pakenham is located 45 minutes west of downtown in Pakenham, Ont.

• Calabogie Peaks Ski Resort in Calabogie, Ont.

• Mont Ste-Marie in Lac-Sainte-Marie, Que.

At Camp Fortune, Maelie Westlake and dad Michael were getting in their first run of the season. Jan. 7, 2024. (Jackie Perez/CTV News Ottawa)

Over 21 kilometres of classic ski trails in the Greenbelt are mechanically groomed by volunteer groups.

This area encircling Ottawa has over 150 kilometres of cross-country ski trails. You can use the trails for free, and all are suitable for beginner and family outings.

• Pine Grove: Trail 45 (start at P19)

• Mer Bleue: Trail 51 (start at P20)

• Green’s Creek: Trails 61 and 63 (start at P26)

• Shirleys Bay: Ottawa West Winter Trail: 14 km, Corkstown Road Loop – Trail 12.

• Ottawa River Pathway East: 2.1 km (start at P27, formerly P8)

Ski Heritage East offers an additional 19 km of groomed ski trails.

Skiers make their way along the banks of the Ottawa River in Ottawa on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Museums

Museums in Ottawa and Gatineau are open this weekend. Visit each museum’s website for the schedule.

• Canadian Museum of Nature

• Canada Agriculture and Food Museum

• Canada Science and Technology Museum

• Canada Aviation and Space Museum

• Canadian War Museum

• Canadian Museum of History

• National Gallery of Canada

• Ottawa Art Gallery

Skating

The Rideau Canal Skateway is closed this weekend as rain and warmer temperatures hit Ottawa. Ice conditions and updates can be found on the NCC’s website.

You can also skate for free on Ottawa’s outdoor refrigerated rinks, weather permitting.

Here is a list of locations in Ottawa. For more information, visit the city of Ottawa’s website.

• Rink of Dreams at Ottawa City Hall

• Lansdowne Park skating court

• Ben Franklin Place skating rink

• Jim Tubman Chevrolet Rink (Canterbury)

A skater skates in front of lights adorning the trees at the Lansdowne Skating Court in Ottawa, on Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25, 2020. The site was intended to be the venue for the Ottawa Christmas Market, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)There are also a large number of outdoor specialty rinks in the Ottawa region, including a skate through an apple orchard and a forest.