The BreakFest Blog
News about Ottawa Festivals and our Member festivals, special events and fairs.
Ottawa Children’s Festival Calling All Artists
OttawaStart
CALLING ALL ARTISTS – Request for submissions and expressions of interest
Artists of every discipline – visual, media, multi-media, theatre, music, dance, and literary: you are all invited……..
The Children’s Climate Change Project (Year 2)
After a very successful launch year, the Children’s Climate Change Project will tackle a new and ambitious project in 2012 – focusing on Year 2 of “Forests of the Future” project as well as exploring a new theme: water. The Festival is inviting all artists in the region to think about getting involved in this innovative arts and education undertaking.
Produced by the Ottawa International Children’s Festival, the Children’s Climate Change Project is a mixed media art installation created by professional artists and students in schools across Ottawa. The exhibition will be installed at the Festival which runs from May 30 to June 3, 2012 at Lebreton Flats Park. In 2011 the exhibition was also erected in Ottawa City Hall for two weeks following the festival.
Read more on the OttawaStart website: Ottawa Children’s Festival Calling All Artists
Metcalfe Fair offers family-oriented fun
Emma Jackson, YourOttawaRegion.com
The Metcalfe Fair is even older than Canada, but despite its age it promises a mix of old and new traditions throughout the weekend as it hosts its 155th fair Thursday, Sept. 29 to Sunday, Oct. 2.
Agricultural demonstrations, antique tractor pulls, horse shows and fiddling competitions will fill the days alongside the midway rides, demolition derby, a newly added motocross show and a slew of Canadian rock and country performers.
Opening Thursday morning at 10 a.m. to accept entries for the many community competitions in cooking, pickles and jams, wine, home crafts and horticulture, visitors will have no shortage of rural entertainment to keep them occupied until Sunday’s close.
Read more on the Your Ottawa Region website: Metcalfe Fair offers family-oriented fun
A Buzz is in the Air for Ottawa Fashion Week
Ottawa’s fashion savvy have more reasons to wear their favourite kicks with the first day of Ottawa Fashion Week (OFW) upon us. Yesterday’s Media & VIP Champagne Social at the Arc Hotel was reason to believe that there will be a stream of fashion enthusiasts donning their best from Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
As you were about to enter the hotel, there were models in the windowfront with designs by David McCaffrey. The venue had an intimate feel with a dj and people sipping Pink champagne and sampling hors d’oeuvres. Simon Ekrelius’ line was showcased on models as they walked within the crowd. The event had a very chic, glamourous feel setting the scene for the next few days of glorius spring/summer 2012 fashion. OFW’s mandate is to promote the arts by using it as a platform to showcase fashion, photography, film and music.
Models wearing Simon Ekrelius’ collection
Courtesy: Ottawa Fashion Week
Culture Days kicks off a cross-Canada arts celebration
All that was needed for this weekend’s massive eruption of arts across Canada was a green light. And it’s called Culture Days.
The national open-house arts festival includes everything from putting yourself into famous movies (by way of green-screen technology) at Toronto’s Bell Lightbox to live-band karaoke at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. From improv workshops in Vancouver, even to caribou-hair tufting, a traditional native art form, in Flin Flon, Man.
More than 5,500 public art and cultural offerings, up from around 4,400 for Culture Days’ debut last year, will take place Friday to Sunday across the country. And all-night events, such as Nuit Blanche in Toronto and Winnipeg, will turn downtowns into street-level art parties.
So what exactly is this overarching Culture Days banner? “We felt that we needed to find a way of celebrating the role of the arts in society,” said Antoni Cimolino, general director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and chair of Culture Days’ national steering committee.
Read more on the The Globe and Mail website: Culture Days kicks off a cross-Canada arts celebration
Silent Auction and Runway Show to Close Ottawa Fashion Week
[Source: Ottawa Fashion Week press release]
EDIT by Jeanne Beker to show holiday collection in support of Dress for Success
Ottawa, Canada -In the spirit of giving back to the community, Ottawa Fashion Week is pleased to announce an additional charitable partnership for this season – EDIT by Jeanne Beker in support of Dress for Success will be featured on the runway on Saturday, October 1st at 9PM to close the sixth season of Ottawa Fashion Week. Four of the looks from the collection, styled by the Ms. Beker herself, will be modeled by local celebrities and auctioned off after the runway show. In addition, four personalized copies of Ms. Beker’s latest book “Finding Myself in Fashion”, will also be auctioned off with all proceeds going towards Dress for Success.
Dress for Success is a not-for-profit organization that aims to give economically disadvantaged women the opportunity to rise above their limitations. The organization does this by providing women with the right tools for finding and maintaining a successful career. Through the use of clothing donations and financial contributions, each woman in the program is given assistance in helping to select an appropriate outfit for the industry in which she is interviewing. Once the participant is employed, Dress for Success ensures that the she has access to career counselors as well as clothing options suitable for her workplace. Ms. Beker has been a long time advocate of Dress for Success and has hosted many events in the organization’s honour.
Ottawa Wine and Food Festival beckons with stellar lineup
SEP 28 11 - 10 AM — This year’s rebranded Ottawa Wine and Food Festival, expanded to five days in November, promises its most ambitious and impressive lineup in its popular 25-year history. In fact, there’ll be lots more this year for oenophiles, gastronomes, and even curious foodies who want to visit farms that goes beyond the usual tutoured tastings, seminars and finger munchies.
Opening night attraction on Nov. 9 in the sparkling new Ottawa Convention Centre is celebrated TV chef Lynn Crawford, who will join Citizen wine columnist Rod Phillips with expert Janet Dorozynski for tastings of gold-medal vintages and a cooking demonstration featuring Lynn’s delicious four-course holiday food and wine menu.
Of course, it doesn’t stop there: Thursday will unveil the new Canadian Wine Awards and personalities from outstanding Canadian wineries tasting eight winners with commentators Tony Gismondi and David Lawrason. Also on Thursday, barley lovers can anticipate a beer tasting featuring local microbreweries and TV’s star chef Anthony Sedlak of Vancouver at the National Irish Canadian Cultre Centre (Saint Brigid’s Centre, Patrick Street).
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: Ottawa Wine and Food Festival beckons with stellar lineup
“A Violent State” and “Inescapable” are screened at OIFF 2011
Jennifer Barnes, Ottawa Movie Examiner
The second year of the Ottawa International Film Festival finished last night with the music video portion. I attended only the opening night, where the short film “Inescapable” and the feature length “A Violent State” were both screened. Many people turned out for the opening night, showing their support for friends and family involved, as well as the Ottawa film community.
“Inescapable” was a short starring veteran actor and Ottawa citizen, Barry Blake, as well as Jon McLaren, who has starred in many tv movies. McLaren actually appeared in “A Violent State” creator Adrian Langley’s last feature, “Donkey”. The short dealt a lot with a philosophical discussion on death, what it means to kill and the best way to die. All this occurs between a man and his assassin. It was very well acted and interesting, however due to the lighting, a lot was taken away from the delivery. I am told that it was not the film, but the projection that is to blame, but you can only comment on what you see. As with many short films, you don’t get all the story, so there may seem to be little point to the tale. However, I choose to see the point as being the discussion and the irony of how it unfolds between two people on different sides of the talk about death, in more ways than one.
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website:
Midway Magic: Final Weekend to Make Memories
[Source: Midway Magic press release]
Midway Magic is riding into its last weekend. Plenty of memories were made this week.
- Little Darius erupting from the merry go round with the smile on his face then scampering to hug grandma’s knees.
- 4 year-old Emma who told the face painters she wanted to be an actress then posed for her picture taking young dad as if she were on the red carpet.
- Wide-eyed 3 year old Chan who studied how to catch a plastic fish more than they studied catching fish in Jaws.
- 71 year old grandfather Paul who reluctantly went on the Fireball with his 12 year old grandson because no one else would. Paul had to breathe in lots in order to get the safety belt to fit. The grandson thanked him.
There are 3 days left to experience family memories!
Ottawa’s Oktoberfest Celebration Get Bigger Than Ever!
Oktoberfest Ottawa Sept 30, Oct 1 & 2 Richmond Fairgrounds
[Source: Oktoberfest Ottawa press release]
It may be early August but plans are already underway to fill the fields with food, froth, fun, frauliens, steins, lederhosen, dirndls, pretzels, sausage and more to make this year’s Oktoberfest Ottawa the biggest & best Oktoberfest celebration around.
Oktoberfest Ottawa will take place Friday September 30th (4p-11p); Saturday October 1st (11a-11p) and Sunday October 2nd (11a-6p) at the Richmond Fairground …just 10 minutes from Kanata
Ottawa’s Oktoberfest Celebration really has something for everyone!
BEER
What would Oktoberfest be without it? Plenty of choice to fill your stein this year…Local Ottawa brewer Kichesippi Beer Co will be on hand serving up their popular ‘Natural Blonde’ & ‘1855’ beers plus a new and exclusive traditional German style beer to be debuted in a limited batch at Oktoberfest Ottawa.
A Violent State Wins Best Film at Ottawa International Film Festival
[Source: OIFF press release]
Ottawa, CANADA – August 22, 2011 – The Ottawa International Film Festival is proud to announce that Adrian Langely’s A Violent State has received the award for Best Film.
“My hope for the Ottawa International Film Festival is that it becomes a champion for emerging filmmakers, like Adrian Langley, so they can continue to create great cinema. It’s a real pleasure to present this award to A Violent State,” said Nina Bains, executive producer, OIFF.
Ottawa-shot A Violent State is a crime drama about a man on the verge of leaving his life of crime only to have to return. Director and Writer Adrian Langely was in attendance when it had its World Premiere at OIFF to a sold-out crowd on opening night. A Violent State stars Rams Fax, Jessica Edwards and Adrian Langley. Richard Towns and Sean Parker of Parktown Productions, John Kambites of Kambites Media, and Sara Deline produced it.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to receive the Best Film Award from OIFF. Truly honoured to be chosen,” commented Richard Towns.
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