The BreakFest Blog
News about Ottawa Festivals and our Member festivals, special events and fairs.
CHIN radio presents World Music Showcase Concert Series
CHIN Radio (FM 97.9) and Carleton University present the World Music Showcase Thursday, January 27th 2011.
Two groups will take the stage, Dr. Lee Percussion and Electronics and Caribbean Harmony Band.
Where: NAC Fourth Stage at the National Arts Centre, Elgin Street.
Tickets are $15 and are available at the NAC box office, through Ticketmaster and at Ottawa Festivals headquarters at 22 George street in the Byward Market.
Bell Sensplex to host Canada Day Cup powered by Combat Hockey from June 30 to July 3
In partnership with Combat Hockey, HTG Sports, and Senators Sports & Entertainment, the Bell Sensplex will host the inaugural Canada Day Cup powered by Combat Hockey from June 30 to July 3. The youth tournament, which will feature 40 teams from eight divisions (minor and major novice, minor and major atom, minor and major peewee, minor and major bantam), is now accepting registrations via the event’s web site: www.canadadaycup.com.
“It’s with great anticipation that we prepare to host the first ever Canada Day Cup, powered by Combat Hockey” said Andy Bryan, Bell Sensplex programs manager. “There’s arguably no better place to be on the July 1 weekend than right here in Ottawa. With sponsorship from Combat Hockey, along with countless other value-added features, we expect teams from all over North America to consider this a new addition to their summer hockey calendar.”
Each team will be guaranteed a minimum of four games, while prizing will be awarded to all individual players on championship and finalist teams courtesy of the Combat Sports Group. Specifically, members of championship-winning teams will each receive a one-piece Combat hockey stick. Players and coaches from each participating team will also be presented with a memento from the tournament.
“We are proud to be a founding partner of what is certain to become a premier summer hockey event in the Ottawa region,” said HTG Sports president Peter Hudson. “Young players will have the opportunity to test their skills in a best-on-best environment hosted at what is widely considered one of Canada’s best multi-pad facilities in the Bell Sensplex. Equally exciting is the opportunity for families to join hundreds of thousands of people from around the globe celebrating Canada’s birthday in the heart of the nation’s capital.”
In addition to high level on-ice competition, the tournament will feature a Canada Day party for all tournament coaches, players and their parents in the revolving Summit room on the 29th floor of the downtown Ottawa Marriott Hotel.
For more information on the inaugural Canada Day Cup, powered by Combat Hockey, and other Bell Sensplex tournaments, please visit: www.bellsensplex.ca/tournaments-youth.php
Close encounters: Concerts 2011: Smaller venues hold appeal for big stars this year
The last couple of times John Mellencamp stopped in Ottawa, the classic rocker played big arena shows at Scotiabank Place.
Mellencamp returns to town on Feb. 6, but this time he’ll be singing Hurts So Good and all his other hits in the relatively intimate setting of the National Arts Centre’s Southam Hall.
While it will be a treat for fans to see him up close, it’s a booking that tells a lot about the uncertainty in the North American concert industry. During the economic downturn of the last year or so, sales of outrageously priced concert tickets slowed as consumers reined in their discretionary spending. The crunch seemed to come last summer when everyone from the Eagles to Sarah McLachlan cancelled shows or discounted tickets.
Here in Ottawa, the festivals kept music lovers busy all summer, but things were much quieter than usual during the fall, with only a handful of major artists coming through town. One of the biggest “shows” of the year, in fact, was not a musical act but a celebrity dog trainer. Cesar Millan’s appearance at the Bank in early November attracted just as many fans — 7,500 — as rock legend Ozzy Osbourne later in the month.
Read more: www.ottawacitizen.com
Mark these gems on your calendar: Classical stars to shine in Ottawa, with more to come
Some of the star names are enough to make a classical music lover’s mouth water: In 2011, Ottawa-area music buffs will be able to hear performances by conductor Gustavo Dudamel, pianists Angela Hewitt (twice) Janina Fialkowska (twice), violinist James Ehnes and the Orchestre National de France.
And those are just some highlights of performances that we know about. Programming is still to be unveiled for Julian Armour’s Music and Beyond Festival (July 7 to 17) and the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival (July 23 to Aug. 6.) We also don’t know yet what the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Ottawa Symphony or Opera Lyra Ottawa will offer in the fall.
In the meantime, here are a few promising performances scheduled for the first part of the year:
Jan. 9: Dudamel comes to the megaplex: The brilliant young Venezuelan maestro, director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since fall 2009, is in huge demand as a guest conductor. He appeared with the NACO in 2007, but with his busy schedule, is unlikely to be back to Ottawa often. So fans of Dudamel will be excited that the L.A. orchestra, in a page from the Metropolitan Opera’s successful satellite transmissions, plans to present three of this season’s concerts live by satellite from Walt Disney Concert Hall to movie theatres across North America. The series will include interviews with the conductor and musicians and footage of rehearsals. The series opens Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 and American composer John Adams’ Slonimsky’s Earbox. Other concerts are March 13 (all-Tchaikovsky) and June 5 (all-Brahms). Ottawa-area cinemas presenting the concerts are SilverCity, Coliseum and Gatineau’s StarCité (www.cineplex.com).
Read more: www.ottawacitizen.com
Just For Laughs & Mills Entertainment present Buddy Valastro
Sunday, January 9, 2011, 7:00 pm
Southam Hall
Buddy Valastro: The Cake Boss
Bakin’ with the Boss Tour
Join celebrity baker Buddy Valastro for an evening of cakes, stories, and fun.
In this rare live, interactive event, TLC’s Cake Boss will share the stories behind his hit series and his colorful Italian family, answer audience questions, and give a live demonstration of the techniques that have made him one of the most successful and renowned cake artists in the nation.
Tickets are available online or at Ottawa Festivals office at 47 William street in the Byward Market.
Classic Canadian Adventure Contest!
Looking to experience the wilder side of Ottawa and its outdoors? Look no further than the Classic Canadian Adventure Contest! Four (4) lucky winners will experience a 7 day “one-of-a-kind” adventure, featuring Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley, with outdoor celebrity host Kevin Callan. This all inclusive prize package, redeemable in August 2011, includes:
- Return flight for four from anywhere in continental USA or Canada to Ottawa
- Ground transportation in a new Subaru Outback
- Classic Urban Outdoor Adventures in the City of Ottawa, our National Capital Region (3 days/2 nights) Include behind-the-scenes visits to Classic Canadian icons such as Parliament Hill, Rideau Canal, Bytown Museum with its tales of Classic Canadian Adventures and characters, the sacred Victoria Island – traditional meeting place of Canada’s First Nations, the Canadian Museum of Nature, whitewater kayaking with a ten time Canadian whitewater champion, a guided cycling tour, the ByWard Market, etc.
- Classic High Adventure in the White Water Capital of Canada (2 days/2 nights) Includes rafting, with some of the world’s best guides, on the mighty Ottawa River with River Run Rafting. Pampering and lodging at the classic London Inn and Spa.
- Classic Heritage Adventures with Ontario Parks, Canada’s best provincial park system (2 days/2 nights). While staying at Bonnechere Provincial Park, enjoy local culture and an exclusive float plane tour in a De Havilland DHC-2 Mark III Turbo Beaver in and over Algonquin Provincial Park. Fly through Barron Canyon then land for lunch at Bartlett Lodge, a fine Algonquin resort since 1917.
With thousands of dollars in shopping sprees as well, the overall prize is valued at $26,000 CAD / $25,800 USD
For details please visit www.ottawatourism.ca.
Tourism fund destination: tory ridings
Tourism events in Conservative ridings were significantly more likely to receive funding than events in opposition ridings through a $100-million federal program designed to stimulate the economy, government records show.
Among events deemed eligible for funding by the Marquee Tourism Events Program, 76% of those in Conservativeheld ridings were approved for funding, according to an analysis by Postmedia News and the Ottawa Citizen.
That means such projects had a better than three-in-four chance of being approved. They did not, however, obtain nearly as high a proportion of the total money allocated. The analysis shows they received under 30% of funding allocated to-date.
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com
Travel expected to rebound despite U.S `dead weight.’
Canada’s tourism industry is set to deliver solid growth through 2014 despite a dismal outlook for travel from the U.S., the Conference Board of Canada said in a report Wednesday.
The Ottawa-based think-tank forecasts overnight travel spending in Canada will grow by 5.9 per cent in 2010 to $37.8 billion, driven primarily by overseas visits but also by domestic business.
“Growth is expected across all markets this year,” the report said.
Expenditures, which do not include same-day trips, will continue to grow through 2014 – the extent of the board’s forecast range – by at least five per cent per year.
But there will be little help from the United States, with the Canadian dollar virtually at par and passports now required for travel between the two countries, said Conference Board associate director Greg Hermus.
To read the entire article please visit Canada.com.
Ottawa Premiere of the documentary film: 3rd World Canada
An invitation to all Canadians to support the reconciliation movement and close the gap in standards of living through intimate testimonies, ‘Third World Canada’ reveals an impoverished First Nations community and its struggles to care for eight children left behind by their parents’ suicides.
Nov. 30th, 2010 at the National Arts Centre.
Public Screening & Panel discussion: 7:30 P.M.
Tickets: $18.00
Paypal online or reserve & pay at the door
RSVP strongly recommended
(Toronto event at the ROM was sold out)
andree@andreecazabon.ca
(613) 755-5315
Engage with National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo,
Participants in the film from remote Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (K.I.), and Gemini-nominee local filmmaker, Andrée Cazabon
Parts of proceeds to go to:
First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and ONEXONE breakfast program
SEE THE FILM AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE
“A Country Christmas Remembered”
On Dec. 4-5 is a festival of over 30 activities throughout Spencerville, Ontario, (about 50 minutes south of Ottawa) for kids, families and adults of all ages. It is in celebration of a simpler time, with highlights such as Santa’s Workshop, Children’s Shopping Emporium, Horse Drawn Shuttle, Farmers’ Market, Craft Show, Starlight Parade, Dixieland Jazz Dance and a Rural Ramble of farms, a barnyard zoo, winery, antique shop and art gallery.
For more information and tickets visit www.acountrychristmas.ca or call 613 658-5885.
Family Passport: $15, Individual $5.
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