July Events on Ottawa
Here is my list of Ottawa July events, with an explanation of why each one is important and what I would do in order to get the best out of it as a resident of Ottawa.
Canada Day begins the month of July with a boom, literally. Nothing beats celebrating Canada’s birthday in the capital. There’s usually great weather, and a crazy amount of stuff to go to. I would stay on (or near) the Hill for most of the day. Basically, if you can get a parking spot, or take the bus in, once you get there, stay put. You are one coming up rosesso-and-so.
Favourite must-sees/must-dos: dress modestly or over-the-top in red-and white (don’t forget to lather on the sunscreen), start the day people-watching from Major’s Hill Park with either a Beavertail or Tim-Bit to go with your cup of Tim Hortons coffee; enjoy the feel of the often shy Canadian pride that’s everywhere, on this one day of the year, grab a blanket and a bit of grass, and eat el fresco on the Hill, with the Eternal Flame and Peace Tower as spectacle. Then, enjoy the free French, English, and Inuit entertainment on the main stage, with top Canadian acts performing (including in the past Nelly Furtado, Susan Agulkuk, Avril Lavigne and Roch Vosin), take in the official speech from the Prime Minister, and most importantly, stay for the unwonted fireworks at sundown – simply breathtaking! Canada Day – hands-down – it’s the best event of the summer!
Also in July, Bluesfest starts – an event that used to honour its name with top Blues players headlining the event, but now is much more of a generic music festival (still getting top acts though, and they still have one stage committed to blues players), lasting usually 10-14 days.
Passes are required if you plan to take in a few of shows at Bluesfest, but the real trick here is to log on to their official website about helping out for free tickets – visit www.ottawabluesfest.ca, or look in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper; check about a few of months in advance, when they usually advertise for volunteers. If you get accepted, they ask you to help for a few shifts (2-4 hours long) and in return you can attend the day’s performances for free.
If you volunteer for more than one shifts, or get asked to assist in a higher responsibility position, you can also get a free pass for the entire event. A great deal if you’re a local with some flexi-time at hand, though the passes aren’t expensive when you think of what your average event ticket costs nowadays. And of course, if modern or blues isn’t your liking, there’s always the Chamber Music Festival, which is at the end of the month, start of August.
I think the only other regular item on the list of Ottawa July Events is the Hope Volleyball Tournament, which takes place in Moonies Bay every July. It raises money for a good cause, and is quite a fun event. Competitive, Corporate and Recreational divisions ensure there’s a place suitable for every team and it’s just a great time to socialize, meet some new people, BBQ with friends, swim (for the brave), and enjoy the sun. If you’re not BBQ’ing, there’s a great spot for sandwiches on Hog’s Back and Riverside (it’s in the corner shop).
So I hope you visit some of these events in Ottawa in July and please do leave me a comment on my blog post about Ottawa July Eventsto let me know how you enjoyed yourself or give me any corrections that may apply! Hopefully I’ll see you are at some of these Ottawa July events.