October 20 & 21

I went to visit a friend in the Big Smoke this weekend and she finally put my OTW illustrative talents to practical use:

Even those porcelain owls are like, "Whaat?"

The line forms over in the Contact tab, people.

Saturday

Ottawa Valley Crafts and Collectibles Show

   What is it about this season that brings out the inner DIYer, crafter, and baker in everyone? Even the completely incompetent dip their toes in the domestic trades once the leaves turn a little burnt umberish. Pinterest is a mess right now.
   I made pom-poms for the dog's collar on Thanksgiving. Pom-poms. Why?

   So here's another craft show. There's free admission (a rarity) and free parking (a Nessie!).

   Expect hand-crafted items, home decor, culinary giftware, hand knits, vintage collectibles, y mucho más!

Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street. 9am-5pm. Free Admission, Free Parking.

http://ovccshow.com/

Oktoberfest — ByWard Market

   “Another Oktoberfest?” say you? This one is different, damn it. So different that someone who has already been to one might be compelled to go again.

   Face painting, barrel racing, The Leiderhosers, and a giant pumpkin.

   Many ByWard Market businesses are participating by serving Oktoberfest-themed dishes and drinks, hosting contests, and doing giveaways!

   The official beer tent is at the Cabin on York.

ByWard Market, 55 ByWard Market Square. 11am-4pm. 613-562-3325.

http://www.byward-market.com/en/events/oktoberfest.htm

Sunday

Pugs for Adoption

   This is just a shameless plug for an organisation that re-homes pugs who don't have families. Pugs love getting touched by people so you should do your part and go down to the market to pet a few of these guys. 

   Donations are probably most appreciated.

Brewers Park Farmer's Market, Bronson Avenue South of Riverside Avenue. 10am-4pm.

http://undermywingpugrescue.com/

All Weekend

Antiquing at The Fieldhouse

   Antique furniture, handbags that you've only seen on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, amazing jewellery, vintage fashion... it's a rich hipster's dream. Probably everything is going to be beautiful. Is all that beauty worth paying 10 dollars to see it?

   Yes.

The Fieldhouse at Carleton University, Bronson Avenue And Sunnyside. Fri 5pm-9pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm. $10.

http://www.asinter.com/

Oct 6,7,8 THANKSGIVING

The Capital has been crazy with events these past couple weeks.

My parents visited to take me to The Gladstone to see the two-man-show Stones In His Pockets which wasn't about a quirky guy with a collection but about suicide instead. 

 

The actors, Zach Counsil and Richard Gélinas, were great. I didn't know how they would handle so many characters between the two of them but they pulled it off miraculously and without the help of such aids as light, costume, or set changes. A slight change of their inflection and posture would completely transform them. 

 

The most notable part of the play was the long-haired dreadlocked guy sitting in front of me. Not only was he 7'100'', his hair hung down to his waist and, when sitting, tickled the tops of my feet. 

 

It was an incredibly uncomfortable situation.

Click for in real life picture

The other event I went to was Oktoberfest at Clarke Fields Park in Barrhaven (not Beau's but that is definitely the one I'll be at next year). They had a few ladies in lederhosen, Hogsback beer (of which I had Pumpkin, Vintage, and something very very murky), and an Oompah band that had a very limited playlist (finding diversity in Oompah music is difficult).

The boyfriend had a really funny moment (for me) when Norm from Cheers walked by and Elliott said “nice to meet you” but they hadn't met yet. (He doesn't know I'm telling the internet this).

20 minutes from now...

Shaun Majumder was there also in, what I hope was, a mullet wig.

Friday

Just Bake it!

A charity bake sale put on by local groups, churches, and bakeries. The fun includes a Pumpkin-pie tasting competition, cake decorating demonstrations, face painting, and a raffle for a $500 Billings Bridge gift card.

Be a hit at your family's Thanksgiving with some scrumptious baked goods!

Billings Bridge Mall, 2277 Riverside Drive. 9:30 am to 2 pm. Free admission. 613-226-6434.
website 

Saturday

O-town Hoedown (Fri & Sat)

The Hoedown is an annual concert series featuring contemporary (?), alternative (?) country music. The site says rockabilly, cowpunk, folk-rock, and bluegrass. From the site: “O-Town Hoedown is 100% independent, with volunteer staff comprised of local musicians and music lovers. Everything we do is for the love of music, not money! The bands and songwriters we showcase are the best of the best indie-alt-whatever country music in Ottawa”.

The venue, Rainbow Bistro, is beautiful. It looks like a ski resort's chalet — stone and brick walls, wooden beams, skylights, multi-level viewing... gorgeous.

Tickets are only available at the door. I can't find the price of admission so if you're wary of the cost call ahead.

The Rainbow Bistro, 76 Murray Street. Fri schedule, Sat schedule. 613-241-5123
http://www.otownhoedown.com/

All Weekend

Farmer's Market

I know I tout the Farmer's Market a lot but there are so many great veggies (etcetera) that are near the end of their harvesting season which usually means larger quantities — beets, broccoli, cranberries, herbs, honey, kale, green onions, and so much more.
Also, in case everything being pumpkin-spice flavoured these days wasn't a big enough hint, pumpkins are in season. The best part about pumpkin season (besides throwing their hollowed out bodies onto neighbour-porches) is the delicious feast of roasted pumpkin seeds.

Here's my mom's — and probably a few of your mom's — classic fool-proof recipe:

Three locations , morning until early afternoon. 613-986-2770.
http://www.ottawafarmersmarket.ca/

Harvesting Energy at the Agriculture Museum

Not only is the museum's Energy Park open but poultry is huge right now. Rare Breeds Canada http://www.rarebreedscanada.ca/ will be on hand showing off their birds and talking about their initiative. There will also be a poultry-themed craft (for children, damn it).

You get to make your own apple cider. Unfortunately, this isn't a cleats and basin type of operation. They have a real press and it's probably sanitary (pssht). Don't forget your bota (or whatever) for your own dash of flavour.

Including wagon rides, bunnies, and bread making it's a great weekend at the museum.

Agriculture Museum, Prince of Wales Drive. $9.00. All Weekend, 9:30am-4pm. 613-991-3044.

www.agriculture.technomuses.ca

Now get off the internet and go spend time with your family.

March 10 - The Mud Oven: moms, paint, and a curious lack of mud *UPDATED*

     

    In the spirit that (hopefully) perpetuates this blog, I visited one of the events from the past weekend.  I give The Mud Oven experience a rating of nine out of nine unbroken mugs.

    The Mud Oven was the second event in a row where adults were vastly outnumbered by sticky children. I suppose this is a normal weekend for The Mud Oven as they only kept a handful of adult aprons (I got to wear a purple polka-dot apron that came to just below my belly button; I looked really, really cool).

    Though one might assume that a small shop full of mini-humans, shelves of ceramic, and an unending supply of paint means chaos for any who shall enter. However, the lock-down on organisation the Mud Oveners have makes me want to set my day planner on fire. They have a tall shelf set up with all they have available to paint, a library of reference material (that seriously lacked a National Geographic magazine; my unguided interpretation of the Vhavenda tribe's breasts was terrible), and tablets that show the various stages of a paint colour's opacity as you layer. 

    It can take hours to paint one mug (it took us three).My take-away advice is to bring someone you are comfortable sitting in silence with. I was very lucky to go with someone who is at-ease in quiet moments and incredibly honest when acknowledging them. Still, we arrived and got settled in a cloud of our own chattiness. 

 

    As we got more and more into our respective artwork, our chatter died down, eventually ceasing, and whole half-hours would sneak by with hardly a peep between us. After some time, my private bubble of concentration would let a little of the environment leak in and I 'd remember that I had company, seemingly at the same time as my mug-buddy. We'd start chatting again, though remained eager to get back to work and abandoned conversation-continuity as soon as our brushes started moving again. 

 

  
We left our work in their shop for them to glaze it and fire in their kiln, ready for pick up by Friday. Don't let the kid-phobic review deter you; those skinny-armed little tykes are downright civilised compared to their parents:

   

UDPATE

Mug's home!

 

March 10-11 (bonus Friday)

Friday

“I Am A Feminist, But...”

Although bra-burning is terribly outdated, (not to mention uneconomical) this evening-celebration of International Women's Week is a modern hoopla of sisterly solidarity.
There'll be a talk-show-panel style discussion on the feminist year in review, a short film called 'Sh*t Feminists Say' (probably inspired by this, this, and this), a (vaguely described) contest, and the Fourth Annual Femmy Awards.

There will also be a cash bar (my second favourite kind of bar) so you'll still be able to get a little drunk and say something sexy to a feminist.

Library and Archives, 395 Wellington St. $9.00. 6pm
click for website

Saturday

30^th Annual St Patrick's Day Parade

The Ottawa Irish Festival starts March 8^th but is kicking off this Saturday by snaking a line of Irish-enthusiasts down Bank Street.

There will be (or at least discussion about) Irish-themed music, poetry, history, song, dance, theatre, language, and sport.

The Ottawa Food Bank will be collecting so bring your non perishables.
If it's anything like I expect it to be  it ought to be a rousin' good time.

Laurier Ave West + Elgin to Landsdowne Park. 11am - 1pm. 613-591-9194.

www.irishsocietyncr.com

Sunday

Live Entertainment and Pancake Breakfast

In keeping with the theme of Impending St Patty's Day, St Brigid's (of St Brigid's cross) Centre for the Arts is hosting a delicious breakfast and live entertainment. Volunteer musicians from the Irish community will be a-serenading while you wolf down pancakes, fruit, ham, homefries,and coffee.

You can also pick up a loaf of Soda Bread and stop by Irish Eyes gift shop to get all your gear for St Patty's day.

St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts, 310 St. Patrick St, $5.00. 10am - 12pm

www.saintbrigidsccentre.com

All Weekend

The 18^th Annual Travel and Vacation Show

A consumer travel show with the added benefits of a Trade Show. If this is anything like the Sexapalooza trade show, there'll be $40 purex glass phalli.

Ottawa Convention Centre, 55 Colonel By Drive. $10.00. 10am – 5pm

www.travelandvacationshow.ca 

The Mud Oven

They're a paint-your-own ceramics studio! You pick a vessel (mugs, bowls, vases, tea pots, frames, goblets, candleholders, and more), design and paint it, and leave it with the staff to glaze and fire for you to pick up in a few days.

My friend, struggling to come up with a gift idea, called to ask for a ceramic-painting-companion. I have since been paralysed by all the possibilities a blank canvas holds.

My ideas so far:

Reservations are recommended and party packages available.

The Mud Oven. 1065 Bank St. Saturday and Sunday 10am – 6pm. 613-730-0814

www.mudoven.com