The BreakFest Blog
News about Ottawa Festivals and our Member festivals, special events and fairs.
Funding cut to Canada Day jazz programming
Joe Lofaro, Metro Ottawa
Organizers of the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival are looking for new sponsors for their 2012 Canada Day programming after the National Capital Commission (NCC) said it’s pulling its funding.
Funding from a second sponsor, Galaxie, is also up in the air according to the festival’s executive producer, Catherine O’Grady.
The NCC has partnered with the festival since 2005 to provide funding so that it could offer free jazz programming and a Jazz Youth Summit on Canada Day.
Last year, the NCC gave the festival $45,000 and $60,000 the year before. Next year, all funding will be withdrawn.
Read more on the Metro Ottawa website: Funding cut to Canada Day jazz programming
Signature style
Janet Wilson, The Ottawa Citizen
Flamboyant designer Adrian Wu, who has built a reputation for his theatrical runway shows and over-the-top fashion, will open Ottawa’s Signatures Christmas Show on Nov. 15.
The 21-year-old Wu spent Tuesday walking around the architecturally stunning Ottawa Convention Centre getting a feel for the bold, sleek space before he launches his holiday collection, which will include silks, taffeta and some “sculptural” pieces.
“The modern venue with the glass, glass triangles and the contemporary carpets will have an impact on my show. It isn’t just about the clothes, but rather the overall message. The show, which is still being established as we speak, is ultimately the final product,” Wu said.
This will be Wu’s first exclusive runway show. He appeared at last month’s Toronto Fashion Week and has shown twice at Ottawa Fashion Week.
“People tell me Ottawa is conventional, yet I’m not conventional. I’m a human being trying to evoke a message. It’s just by coincidence that people call me a designer,” says the self-taught Burlington, Ont. native.
“I hope to live here one day. I love Ottawa and think it has the potential to be a real fashion capital.”
Dining with the stars
V chefs Blumer, Crawford and Sedlak perform in Ottawa this weekend
Ron Eade, The Ottawa Citizen
Every television food show host these days seems to have buckets of fun grilling, simmering and brazing, to say nothing of creating elaborate sculptures for dessert. Even when they’re not galloping around a barnyard chasing dinner or playing with their ingredients, celebrity chefs have a visceral passion for the craft that goes beyond their shtick of breaking world pizza-making records, running relay races, milking domesticated animals for our entertainment, or reinventing classical dishes that make the rest of us stand back, gob-smacked, and gasp.
Salmon fillet in a cupcake? Yes, it’s true.
Passion and entertainment – with a dose of education – is certainly what it’s about at this year’s expanded, five-day Ottawa Wine and Food Festival that kicks off Nov. 9 with a stable of celebrity TV chefs flown in for our edification, sugared with amusement.
Among them, Toronto chef Lynn Crawford of TV’s Pitchin’ In fame is the star on opening night in the main Canada Hall of the sparking new Ottawa Convention Centre. Ottawa oenophiles Rod Phillips and Janet Dorozynski begin with a blind tasting of award-winning wines before introducing Crawford who will demonstrate (and you can taste) a four-course holiday food tasting paired with sponsor Inniskillin wines.
Turkish Earthquake Relief Fund
[Source: Ottawa Turkish Festival]
Tune in to Ebru TV this Thursday at 8:00PM (EST) for a special Live Donation Drive for the earthquake victims in the Ercis/Van area in southeastern Turkiye.
On Thursday, November 3rd, 2011, at 8:00PM (EST), Ebru TV will broadcast a live telethon to collect donations towards relief, aid and rebuilding efforts for the victims of the recent earthquake that took place in southeastern Turkiye. Donors will be able to call-in at anytime between 8:00 and 10:00 PM (EST) to make a pledge. All received donations will be collected by Helping Hands Relief Foundation and immediately utilized for the on-going relief efforts in Van/Ercis and the surrounding areas.
To make a pledge call Ebru TV anytime during the show (8-10PM EST) at: 732-560-0800
- Fundraising brought to you live by Ebru TV
- Donation organization by Helping Hands Relief Foundation
Mayor, Senators get behind I-love-Ottawa rap video: update
The Ottawa Citizen
In order to be a great city, songs must be written about you. Peter Joynt’s new song about Ottawa may not be so famous as New York, New York or Chicago (My Kind of Town), but he loves his hometown and is singing — or rapping, that is — its praises.
Joynt, an Ottawa musican, posted his new hip hop song Capcity on youtube, and during the four-minute video he raps in front of many of the city’s more recognizable sites – Parliament, Scotiabank Place — and gives shout-outs to what makes the city “Capcity.”
A few choice rhymes . . .
Cause, we got it made in the o-double-t/ where the tax payer’s dollars stretch as far as you can see . . .
This Capcity – so green, so clean, so small/ where crossing over rivers makes the drinking age fall. . .
Spend a little money and your dollar goes far/ still afford a house with a nice backyard/ and for all the time and money that you still got left/ how about pick any place and pick any top chef . . .
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: Senators get behind I-love-Ottawa rap video: update
Ottawa Tea Festival
We’d like to share some information that was provided to us:
The Ottawa Tea Festival will be celebrating its debut in the Nation’s capital, Ottawa on the weekend of the 5th & 6th of November 2011. We will be having Tea’rrific events and activities where you can try the best teas in town, whilst raising funds for a good cause.
The countdown has begun before over 400 visitors are anticipated to attend this unforgettable weekend tea extravaganza. Festival attendees can taste complimentary teas from around the world, attend tea ceremonies, enjoy traditional dance performances from Sri Lanka, as well as India and explore different exhibitors booths and buy their favourite teas.
The festival runs from 11 am to 6pm at the City Hall on the 5th of November 2011. Advance tickets are $15 each for the 5th of November. Tickets are available at the Singing Pebble Bookstore 220a Main street, Maison Chaloin on 256 Dalhousie, online at www.ottawateafestival.com or call 613-612-5464.
Kellylee Evans headlines Ottawa Jazz Festival benefit and live auction
[Source: Ottawa Jazz Festival]
Kellylee Evans returns to Ottawa for one of her first appearances since winning the JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the year. She performs at the Ottawa Jazz Festival’s annual benefit concert at the Library and Archives of Canada on December 8 at 6:30 p.m.
The 2011 Ottawa Jazz Festival benefit also includes a live auction of several travel and leisure lots overseen by special guest auctioneer Alan Neal of All in a Day, CBC Radio One 91.5 FM.
Visit: OttawaJazzFestival.com
Savour Ottawa brings farmers, chefs and retailers together Nov. 7
Sixth annual Networking Summit builds business and celebrates successes
[Source: Savour Ottawa press release]
OTTAWA, November 1, 2011—Local farmers, chefs, retailers and organizations will gather at the sixth annual Savour Ottawa Networking Summit on Monday, November 7 starting at 1:00 p.m. at the Restaurant International at Algonquin College’s School of Hospitality and Tourism.
This free event will kick off with a one-hour meet & greet event showcasing local farm products to chefs and retailers. The goal of this culinary speed dating is for chefs and retailers to order products for late 2011 and early 2012 at the event. A similar Meet & Greet event has been held in late winter for the past 5 years—participants asked for a second yearly event.
Attendees at this business-to-business event (not open to the public) will review Savour Ottawa’s 2011 successes, including
- The integration of seven retailer members into the program
- The opening of the Savour Ottawa Field House at the Parkdale Market, a cooperative of 10 Savour Ottawa farmers
- The Savour Ottawa promotions campaign, including videos, ads and @SavourOttawa Twitter feed
- Savour Ottawa’s first-ever public event, the Harvest Table, held on August 28, 2011.
- The inclusion of Savour Ottawa programming in the upcoming Ottawa Wine and Food Festival including a farm tour
- Significant media coverage of the initiative at home and around theworld
A foggy Nuit Blanche
Organizers need to step up and build some excitement for the proposed art festival
Peter Simpson, The Ottawa Citizen
Haven’t heard much about Nuit Blanche Ottawa since a public meeting was held a couple of weeks ago.
The meeting was organized by Bravo-Est, the local branch of a provincewide independent group of artists. The group got seed money from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to launch Nuit Blanche events — the overnight festivals of contemporary art, mostly outdoors — in several Ontario cities, including Ottawa.
The meeting at La Nouvelle Scene on King Edward Street attracted about 60 people, who asked a lot of thoughtful questions and, in some cases, publicly declared their support for a Nuit Blanche in Ottawa. Bravo-Est should be capitalizing on this momentum as immediately and publicly as possible, but since the meeting there’s been hardly a peep that I can hear.
An interview with celebrity chef Lynn Crawford
Ron Eade, The Ottawa Citizen
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
By now Ottawa wine and food lovers — and they are legion — should be getting excited about some of the celebrities being flown in next week for the expanded Ottawa Wine and Food Festival, which opens Nov. 9 at the new Ottawa Convention Centre.
Among them, Toronto chef Lynn Crawford of TV’s Pitchin’ In fame is the star on opening night in the main Canada Hall. Ottawa oenophiles Rob Phillips and Janet Dorozynski begin with a blind tasting of award-winning wines before introducing Lynn who will demonstrate (and you can taste) a four-course holiday menu paired with sponsoring Inniskillin wines.
I had a chance to speak with Lynn over the phone, and what follows is a more full version of our chat than what will appear Thursday in the Citizen‘s Food pages.
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: An interview with celebrity chef Lynn Crawford
- All Blog Posts /
Tous les Postes - The Festival Industry /
L’industrie des Festivals - Ottawa Festivals and Events /
Les festivals et événements - Ottawa News and Views /
Actualités et Nouvelles d’Ottawa - Community Issues /
Communauté - Travel and Tourism /
Tourisme et Voyage - Interesting Stuff /
Quelques faits intéressants
- 3 February:
- 17 February:
- 8 March:
- 28 March:
