Thursday, Oct. 1
The midway at the Metcalfe Fair will be ready for rides as of 4 p.m., with dairy cattle events in the arena and demolition derby at 7 p.m., kids’ activities, horse/pony shows, and even pro-wrestling and more continuing all weekend, 2821 8th Line Rd., Metcalfe. Tickets:$7, $3/children 5-12. www.metcalfefair.com
The Mayor’s public forum on Syrian Refugee Resettlement is holding an information session for those interested in sponsoring and resettling refugees, starting with an information fair at 5 p.m., panel presentations from experts at 5:30 to 7 p.m., and legal clinic from 7 to 9 p.m., Jean Pigott Place, City Hall. ottawa.ca
Family, current and prospective students are welcome to a seminar about programs and supports for post-secondary students with disabilities with representatives from Carleton University, University of Ottawa and Algonquin College at 7 p.m, United Way office, 363 Coventry Rd. Register at 613-236-6636 or www.reach.ca.
Former host of the Late Late Show, Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson brings his brand new stand-up show The New Deal Tour to the NAC, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $52.90-$68.90. thecraigfergusonshow.com
NYC bassist Shayna Dulberger.
Creemore Springs Oktoberfest starts tonight with Kountry Koncert Thursday with duo High Valley and, of course, beer, ciders and even wine, 6 p.m, to 12:30 a.m., Clarke Fields Park in Barrhaven. Tickets: $35. $20 Friday and Saturday. www.oktoberfestottawa.com
For some improvised music, see NYC bassist Shayna Dulberger and Montreal trumpeter Craig Pedersen, who are on tour peforming in the free-jazz tradition, 8 p.m., Raw Sugar Cafe. Tickets: $10.
Authors Larry Beasley and Jonathan Barnett, of Ecodesign for Cities and Suburbs, will discuss how Ottawa’s suburbs can become viable economic centres, 6 p.m., Capital Urbanism Lab, NCC HQ, 40 Elgin St. Free, but register at info@ncc-ccn.ca. www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca
See the darker, more debauched director’s cut of the movie 54, capturing the hedonism of the world’s most glamorous disco club, as part of the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival, 6:45 p.m., ByTowne Cinema. Tickets: $10 at the door. www.insideout.ca
Photos: What to do
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Friday, Oct. 2
Beaus Oktoberfest in 2011.
Beau’s Beer Oktoberfest has a skate park, homebrew competition, malt sack race, sausage eating contest, keg toss, stein holding struggle, partner carrying race, beer brunch (Sunday), midway games, workshops, food, beer, polka music and bands (headliners Yukon Blonde Friday and Alvvays Saturday) AND a bus to get you back safely from Vankleek Hill, 4 to 11 p.m. Tickets: $27-$39.50. www.beausoktoberfest.ca
Get further in the October mood at a free screening of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, 6:30 p.m., ByWard Market Sq. Themed costumes, we are told, will be rewarded. www.capitalpopupcinema.com
The Ottawa Art Gallery is holding an opening reception for its fall exhibitions, including Painting a Life Together, works by couple Kathleen Daly and George Pepper and group exhibit Truth of the Matter, examining trauma through historical concepts of body and identity, 6 to 8 p.m., 2 Daly Ave. www.ottawaartgallery.ca
Comedian Howie Mandel.
Comedian Howie Mandel says his show contains mature subject matter and coarse language and is only intended for adult audiences, 7:30 p.m., Centrepointe Theatres. Tickets: $77-$82. centrepointetheatres.com
The Tall Tales and Furry Tails of Online Dating workshop will offer practical tips, including analysing stats and how to brand yourself in order to find what you seek on different platforms, 3 to 5 p.m., RedBrick Rooster Creative, 71 Bank St. Must be 18+. Tickets: Free. www.eventbrite.com
The TaDa! Festival in Wakefield celebrates all of the arts this weekend, including the amusing and poignant puppet show Little Orange Man by Ingrid Hansen (7:30 p.m.) and more all weekend, including A kids’ art camp, dance, music, food and the genre-challenging Midnight Birth Show. www.tadafestival.ca
Popular blues rock band MonkeyJunk are having a party (read: concert) at The Rainbow to celebrate the release of their latest CD, 9 p.m., 76 Murray St. Tickets: $20 — and continues on Saturday. therainbow.ca
Peterborough’s Mayhemingways bring welcoming alt-country harmonies with a hint of Cajun to the Black Sheep Inn, with Melissa Payne, 8:30 p.m, Tickets: $10 in advance. www.theblacksheepinn.com
If it’s guitar you’re after, see the Guggenheimer Quintet play intricate surf rock — of all things — at 10 p.m., House of Targ. Tickets: $5 before 10 p.m., $8 after. www.houseoftarg.com
Saturday, Oct. 3
Get the forks ready for the Mac My Cheese event.
It will be gooey and delicious (and we all need to put on a few pounds in preparation for winter anyway …) at the St-Albert Mac My Cheese Fest, with such delights as lobster, thai, pulled pork and smoked salmon offerings — also beer, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., City Hall. Vote for your favourites. Cash only, prices from $6-$15. www.macmycheesefest.ca
Enjoy the fall colours and maple syrup at Fulton’s Sugar Bush.
The Ottawa Voyageurs invites all to join them on an autumnal walk in Gatineau Park, on either 6-, 10- or 12-kilometre routes — there will be significant rocky/rooted paths, starting at 8:45 a.m. at the Visitor Centre, 33 Scott Rd., Chelsea. Free, but bring a picnic lunch for yourself and a dessert to share with your fellow walkers after the walk. ottawavoyageurs.ca
Or, for those who prefer maple syrup with their fall walk, Fulton’s Sugar Bush’s kitchen is whipping up pancakes on special dates, to take advantage of the seasonal beauty on their hiking trails, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 399 Sugar Bush Rd., Pakenham. Join them again on Oct. 8 — or wait until they open again on Feb. 13. (Gluten-, dairy- and egg-free waffles available.) fultons.ca
For the rest of us, comes Yoga for Round Bodies, a welcoming class for all levels and all shapes, 1 p.m., Rama Lotus Yoga Centre, 342 Gladstone Ave. Cost: $8 for first-time class, $16 otherwise. www.ottawayoga.com
Zombies and humans are needed for the Zombie Run for Humanity, with living-dead and other obstacles to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Zombies need to arrive at 9 a.m. (for makeup) and humans 15 minutes before the set run times, The Log Farm, 670 Cedarview Rd.,Nepean. Must register in advance, and participants must be at least 15 years of age. www.zombierunforhumanity.com
Magic combines with comedy and education on stage with champion Mystéric (Éric Leclerc) playing with geography, math and problem solving to make children aged 5 to 12 years gasp and laugh, 3 p.m., Shenkman Arts Centre. In French. Tickets: $14.50-18.50. shenkmanarts.ca
Harvest Noir 2014.
The long-standing rivalry continues as Carleton University and the Ottawa Gee Gees football teams play at the Panda Game, 1 p.m., TD Place. Remember: North is Carleton’s side, South uOttawa’s. Tickets, limit 8 per person: $20-$35. www.tdplace.ca
Enjoy the beauty and calm of Japanese floral art at the Ikebana exhibition at the Embassy of Japan, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. all weekend, 255 Sussex Dr. www.ca.emb-japan.go.jp.
The creative, all-black Harvest Noir has three parts this year: starting with a farmer’s market and vintage funfair, followed by the traditional elegant picnic, ending with a dance after-party, to support local farmers and the One Planet Living program, 2 to 1 p.m. at a secret location announced to ticket holders. Tickets: $29-$59. www.harvestnoir.com
Rapper Tech N9ne is on tour and at Ritual with Krizz Kaliko and performs with local artists Ickarus, Alex Lost and Proper T, 9 p.m., Ritual. Tickets: $39.50. spectrasonic.com
Sunday, Oct. 4
One can carve a pumpkin — or smash it with a medieval weapon!
Smash your own pumpkin at the gourd-tossing event at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, featuring working trebuchets, 10 am. to 4 p.m. (Fear not, the smashed pumpkins will not go to waste as they feed the farm animals.) Included with admission. ottawa.ca
This Sunday, the Heritage Walking Tours take a look at Briarcliffe, Ottawa’s newest heritage conservation district, starting at 2 p.m., at Combermere Park, at the parking lot near the tennis courts. 11 Combermere Lane. Tickets: $10 for non-members. www.heritageottawa.org
The Ottawa Geek Market and Capital Gaming Expo are running side by side with tickets giving access to both shows, where fans of all kinds — and ages — can then go try their hands at some of the hottest games — from card, to board, to LARP, to video, then go back to see some special guests, play with LEGO, attend a panel or cosplay show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nepean Sportsplex. (Attendees may also get a chance to be in a documentary about Dr. Who fans.) Tickets: $20 at the door, free for kids 12 and under. geekmarket.ca
The 13th Ottawa Community Record Show features not only vinyl, but also CDs and anything else holding sounds, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., St. Anthony’s Hall, 523 St. Anthony St. Admission: $3. (Visit the Facebook page for information on setting up your own table.)
For the kids (of all ages) who preferred playing in the box, comes The 4th Cardboard Challenge, at the Old Firehall Community Centre, 9 a.m. to noon, 260 Sunnyside Ave. Bring your friends, family, cardboard, decorative supplies and nut-free snacks — glue, staple guns, scissors and markers will be provided. Free, but register at www.oldottawasouth.ca
The Zombie Walk is on this Sunday in downtown Ottawa — cricket bats optional.
The Zombie Walk is on in downtown Ottawa, with games, FX makeup artists and photo-ops at City Hall at noon before stumbling at 4 p.m. to Parliament Hill in search of brrrraaaaaiiiins — two weeks before the election, but who’s commenting?. Free to join, but donations to the Ottawa Food Bank are encouraged. (NB: read event info on the website to keep it a safe and continuing event.) www.ottawazombiewalk.com
Youth and adults are invited to attend a free and popular workshop on Mental Health and Intimate Relationships, to learn the signs of abuse and violence — in ourselves and others, discuss consent with lovers and friends, and learn tools, 6:30 p.m., Venus Envy, 226 Bank St. Info: venusenvy.ca
The evening show of Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids — where things are mostly funny but sometimes poignant — sold out, so a matinée was added, 3:30 p.m., Yuk Yuk’s, 292 Elgin St. Tickets at http://bit.ly/1VpN9AY
Monday, Oct. 5
The butterfly houses are open!
The heartwarming Carleton University butterfly show is open, with more than 1,300 of the beautiful insects — 41 different species — fluttering about, sometimes landing on noses, every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (3 p.m. on weekends) until Oct. 12, in the steamy Nesbitt Biology Building greenhouses, Carleton University. Details available at carleton.ca/biology/annual-butterfly-show
The Ottawa Symphony Orchestra starts its season with a Rome-themed performance, including Berlioz’ Roman Carnival, Corigliano’s Chaconne with violin solist Kerson Leong and Respighi’s Fountains of Rome and The Pines of Rome, 8 p.m., NAC. Tickets: from $36. nac-cna.ca / www.ottawasymphony.com
The Ottawa Fringe Festival lottery for 2016 opens tonight at the Town Hall meeting, where suggestions and questions will be taken, 7 to 9 p.m., Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave. ottawafringe.com
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
Just Watch Me, The Musical is about, as one can guess, the life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, written by Gord Carruth (who a few years back brought us a similar show about Newfoundland premier Joey Smallwood), with such songs as “The Heart Knows No Age,” “We Are the Power” and “Papa” — sung by the character ‘Justin’ at his father’s funeral, 7:30 p.m, Centrepointe Theatres. Producers Maple Leaf Productions say it is not a political piece, but a story — with a certain amount of necessary creative license. (Invitations have been sent to members of the Trudeau family, liberal politicians and others — but no confirmed attendance has been reported.) Tickets: $40, with a portion going to Wateraid Canada. centrepointetheatres.com
Those with little ones will know how useful a baby sleep seminar can be, where new parents can have questions answered and get tips — and commiserate with each other, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Rama Lotus Yoga Centre, 342 Gladstone Ave. Cost: Free. www.facebook.com
Wednesday, Oct. 7
Learn about Hostas.
For plant and flower fans, learn about growing healthy Hostas with Ann Frederking, (7 p.m., Greely Greely Community Centre, 1448 Meadow Dr., $2, greelygardeners.ca) or about Ikebena, the art of Japanese flower arranging (7 p.m., St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 39 Bridge St., Carleton Place. $3)
The Tony Award-winning play Love! Valour! Compassion! by Terrence McNally, explores the modern reality of gay life as eight friends spend several holiday weekends together across one summer, opens at 7:30 p.m. as part of the ToTo Too company production, 7:30 p.m., Academic Hall, uOttawa. Tickets: $24-$30. www.tototoo.ca
Split Tree Cocktails
Cheer on Ottawa’s Split Tree Cocktail Company as they appear on the season premiere of Dragon’s Den on CBC at 8 p.m., to pitch for partners to help making their unique, fresh fruit cocktail syrups — like Tonic No. 3 (a personal favourite) and Grapefruit Cordial, 8 p.m. on CBC. splittree.ca
Author Will Ferguson discusses his book Road Trip to Rwanda, part buddy story, part heartbreaking look at the legacy of genocide and the hope that somehow survives, 7 p.m., Centretown United Church. (Ferguson’s most recent novel, 419, won the Giller Prize for literature.) Tickets: $10-$15. www.writersfestival.org
It seems Ottawa is a fan of mystery musical theatre as the show tonight by the Confidential Musical Theatre Project, where the audience does not know what will be performed and the actors have done no rehearsal, sold out a month in advance. Tickets for the next unknown musical piece on Jan. 16 at Arts Court go on sale today. Apparently, the time to buy is now. www.confidentialmusicaltheatreproject.com
Thursday, Oct. 8
Emil Pearlman’s sold-out Fringe show is getting encore performances.
Favourites from the Fringe Festival are getting encore performances, including this year’s sold-out comedy I think my boyfriend should have an accent by Emily Pearlman (7 p.m.) and the emotional — but fun — Moonlight After Midnight by Martin Dockery (9 p.m.) which has won acclaim since its premiere in 2014, at Arts Court until Oct. 10. Tickets: $18, $30/double bill. www.artscourt.ca
Get the latest scoop on discoveries of Sir John Franklin’s HMS Erebus from Parks Canada diver and underwater archeologist Ryan Harris, who will described the ongoing search, with Inuk Caitlyn Baikie who was on the 2014 expedition, 6:30 p.m., Canadian Museum of Nature. Tickets: Free, but donations accepted. nature.ca
What will you learn about Ottawa’s scoundrel past?
Meanwhile, Ancient history fans can learn about the grave circles of Mycenae — are they the resting place of murdered mythological Greek commander Agamemnon — or from a time even earlier?, 6 p.m, Canadian Museum of History. Free, but register at RSVP@historymuseum.ca. historymuseum.ca
Learn about Ottawa’s scoundrels and even assassins over a few pints on the Historical Tavern Tour, off