• By: OLM Staff

Things to do in Ottawa this weekend — April 21-23, 2023

Ottawa Grassroots Festival

When: Thursday, April 20 – Sunday, April 23, 2023 
Where: St. Andrew's Church (82 Kent St., Ottawa) & Irene's Pub (885 Bank St., Ottawa)
What time: Click here for the schedule
Admission: Featuring both paid and free performances

Everyone is invited to take part in the 11th annual Ottawa Grassroots Festival, a non-profit, community-based, volunteer-run festival dedicated to cultivating community at the local level. Enjoy the free all-day events on Saturday and Sunday, and don't miss the nightly ticketed concerts at St. Andrew's Church. Visit www.ottawagrassrootsfestival.com for the full schedule.


Ottawa Cottage Life & Backyard Show

When: Friday, April 21 – Sunday, April 23, 2023 
Where: EY Centre, 4899 Uplands Drive
What time: Fri 12 pm – 9 pm; Sat 10 am – 6 pm; Sun 10 am – 5 pm
Admission: Adults $13.50 (plus $10 parking) • Click here to purchase tickets

Cottage Life Magazine brings you the Cottage Life & Backyard Show! Meet exhibitors showing docks, builders, contractors, innovative building products, green solutions, decor and style, arts and crafts, food and entertainment, water toys, and more. 


Comedian Ahren Belisle

When: Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22, 2023 
Where: Yuk Yuk's Ottawa West, 42 York Street
What time: 7:30 pm on both nights
Admission: $22.13 • Click here to purchase tickets

Ahren Belisle is a software engineer and mental health advocate turned comedian. Born in Northern Ontario with cerebral palsy, Ahren is a mute comedian who uses his phone to deliver jokes. Ahren has over 300,000 followers on social media and has been featured on 60 Second Docs.


Give a Little Help a Lot Fundraiser for Türkiye

When: Sunday, April 23, 2023
Where: Ottawa City Hall
What time: 10 am – 4 pm
Admission: Free 

The City of Ottawa is marking April 23, 2023, as Turkish Heritage and Children’s Day. The Canadian and Turkish Women's Association of Ottawa is hosting the Give a Little Help a Lot to help raise funds for children in Türkiye. The event is not your typical fundraiser; it will focus on the participation of Ottawa children for fellow kids in Türkiye and will include a bake sale, face painting, a silent auction, arts and crafts, fortune telling, and a professional photoshoot.


Show Tune Showdown

When: Saturday, April 22, 2023
Where: Meridian Theatre @ Centrepointe, 101 Centrepointe Drive
What time: 7:30 pm
Admission: $35

Show Tune Showdown™ is a popular musical theatre competition and game show­—a unique blend of the best of Broadway and musical trivia similar to Name That Tune. Three teams — Orpheus Musical Theatre, Lost Baggage Musical Theatre, and Zucchini Productions — sing a selection of Broadway or off-Broadway show tunes in front of three celebrity judges, who score each team up to 10 points for each of two performances. For even more fun, each team strives for additional points in Showdown rounds, where the team that guesses a song from trivia clues performs without rehearsal and with just sheet music and lyrics. 


Ottawa 67s Playoffs – Round 2

When: Saturday, April 22, 2023
Where: The Arena at TD Place, 1015 Bank Street
What time: 4 pm
Admission: From $25 • Click here to purchase tickets 

Cheer on the Ottawa 67's as they take on the Peterborough Petes in the 5th game of the second round of OHL playoffs. The Barber Poles fell behind in the series after Thursday night's loss in Peterborough, and they need your support to help them win and move on to round three! 

Photo: Courtesy Ottawa 67s


TACTICS presents Exciting Cause

When: Friday, April 21- May 5, 2023
Where: Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daly Avenue 
What time: 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Admission: From $17 • Click here to purchase tickets 

Stealing into the abandoned Rockwood Asylum, Sarah is determined to unravel the mystery surrounding her great-great grandmother’s incarceration in 1899. Once inside the labyrinth of Rockwood’s endless corridors, she stumbles upon ghosts and experiences strange visions, a phantasia of things not quite real. What are the women of Rockwood’s past trying to tell her, and what secrets will she finally uncover? Exciting Cause is based on true stories of the women of Kingston's Rockwood Asylum.

EXCITING CAUSE is written by Laurie Fyffe with choreography by Allison Burns
Directed by Patrick Gauthier, with Michelle LeBlanc, Julie LeGal, Chelsea Passmore & Angelina Wehbe
Costumes by Hannah Ferguson, lighting design by Emilio Sebastiao, and sound design by Nick Di Gaetano. Stage Manager:
Quinn Melenchuk


Echoes of the Galaxy 

When: Monday, April 24, 2023
Where: Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre, 355 Cooper Street
What time: 7:30  pm – 8:30 pm
Admission: From $20-$45 • Click here to purchase tickets 

Delayed due to the ice storm earlier this month, Echoes of the Galaxy is a symphonic exploration of outer space! Music from Star Wars, Star Trek, Gustav Holst's The Planets, and more. The out-of-this-world concert is for space lovers of all ages, bringing together galactic classical excerpts and some of your favourite music from deep space and beyond!


Bollywood Hangover with “Kala Chashma” theme

When: Saturday, April 22, 2023
Where: The Urban Centre, 70 Bongard Ave
What time: 9.30 pm to 1.30 am
Admission: $25  •  Click here to purchase tickets

Watch Belly Dancer's show and dance to the best of Bollywood & Bhangra with DJ Avtaar.  Enjoy Indian street food like gol gappe, momos, aloo tikki burger, and much more. VIP Booths, Innovative drinks, and free parking.


The Lucky Ron Show @ The Chateau Lafayette

When: Every Saturday
Where: The Chateau Lafayette, 42 York Street
What time: Now from 4 pm – 8 pm!
Admission: Free 

A true legend in the Ottawa Valley. The Lucky Ron Show has been a mainstay at The Laff since 1999; he performs every single Saturday from 4-8 pm. In March 2023, the Lucky Ron Show was expanded to include local country solos and duos to open the show. Opening for Lucky Ron this weekend is KJ Thomas. No cover, no reservations, no tickets required!

Photo: Jean Lapointe


Spring Refresh Promotion

When: April 1-29, 2023
Where: Rideau Carleton Casino, Future Hard Rock – 4837 Albion Rd S, Gloucester, ON K1X 1A3
What time: Open 24/7
Admission: N/A

$15,000 in Cash Prizes to be Won This Upcoming Weekend

Swing into Spring with Rideau Carleton Casino, Future Hard Rock’s, ultimate Spring Refresh promotion with over $30,000 in remaining cash prizes to be won!

Join us at Rideau Carleton Casino, Future Hard Rock, now through April 30th for a chance to win $15,000 in total cash prizes every weekend. Three cash prize draws of $2,500 every Friday and Saturday evening all month long. Every $20 wagered earns you a ballot for a chance to win.

  • Free Parking
  • Play Smart. Must be 19+.

Click HERE to view full promotional details.

*Signing up for a Rock Star Rewards card is easy and free, visit our Rock Star Rewards Desk for details.

The chips are back in town! | Table Games Now Open

The chips are back in town with live table games now open daily from 12:00 p.m. (noon) – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and open 24/7 Friday through Sunday.

Get ready to experience the thrill of action-packed tables, including live Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat, now available. Pull up a seat and get into the action, plus enjoy the very best variety of slots, entertainment, live horse racing, and exceptional dining, all under one roof.


Sunday Funday: Live Horse Racing & Dining Special

When: Sunday, April 23, 2023
Where: Rideau Carleton Raceway – 4837 Albion Rd S, Gloucester, ON K1X 1A3
What time: 6:30 pm post time
Admission/Cost: N/A

Join us for Sunday Funday Live Racing & Dining Specials!

Experience exhilarating live standardbred harness racing in Ottawa! Join us this coming Sunday for an evening at the track while also indulging in our limited-time offer Snow Crab Dinner Special for $39.95, available Friday to Sunday from 5:00-10:00 PM in Mr. Lucky’s Restaurant.

Enjoy one-of-a-kind harness racing events that you can't find anywhere else in the city. Rideau Carleton Raceway also offers off-track wagering and simulcast racing from Canada and across the world. After the race, the fun continues in the casino with gaming, live entertainment, and exceptional dining, all under one roof. See you at the track!

  • Free Parking
  • Must be 19+