Navan Fair
| August 9, 2012 | to | August 12, 2012 |
Let Navan Fair be your summer tradition! Launched in 1946, this rural celebration has all the countrified events one would expect from a great country fair. Located only 20 minutes south-east, in the village of Navan.
• Live entertainment all weekend long
• Midway
• Demolition derby
• Horse shows (Heavy Horse, Light Horse & Western)
• Agricultural displays and exhibits
• Livestock competitions
• Antique machinery and tractor display
• Parade
Located only 20 minutes south-east of downtown Ottawa, in the village of Navan.
Festival Information:
General information: 613.835.2766
General information email: navanfair@bellnet.ca
Location: 1279 Colonial Road, Navan
On the Web
Website: www.navanfair.com
Map:
Unisong
| June 28, 2012 | to | July 2, 2012 |
Unisong is a choral festival showcasing at least one choir from each province of Canada. Choristers range in age from grade school to post retirement and perform in concerts at public venues leading up to Canada Day. On Canada Day, the Unisong massed choir performs at 10 a.m. in Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. In the afternoon and evening of Canada Day, the National Arts Centre Orchestra concerts feature the Unisong massed choir singing a few pieces with orchestral accompaniment. The combined choirs present a cross-section of Canadian choral music from different time periods from all corners of the country. The concerts are free and donations are gladly accepted.
Event Highlights:
- Free choir concerts by choirs from across the country at various public venues from June 28 through July 2
- Free massed Unisong Choir Concert at 10a.m. Canada Day in Southam Hall, National Arts Centre
Festival Information:
General information: 613.244.1244 ext. 3367
General information email: groups@mkitravel.com
Ticket information: Please e-mail or phone prior to June 29, 2012
Locations:
National Arts Centre – 53 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON
Canadian Museum of Civilization – 100 Laurier St., Gatineau, QC
Various venues throught the city TBA
On the Web
Website: www.mkitravel.com
Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Festival
| June 21, 2012 | to | June 24, 2012 |
FREE Admission – Donations Gratefully Accepted
For a number of years now, the Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Festival has been providing families a unique opportunity to experience and celebrate the diverse Aboriginal cultures of the National Capital Region. Ongoing, lively and interactive programming will keep your family entertained throughout the day including extensive Family activities (pony rides, petting zoo, bouncy castles, stilt-walkers and more) Aboriginal artisan village (featuring interactive arts workshops, demonstrations and vendors) and our popular Main Stage featuring headliner Shane Yellowbird, Shy Anne Hovorka, Kaiva, Aboriginal Canada We’ve Got Talent! and ongoing cultural showcases throughout the day.
Festival Information:
General information: 613-261-3637
General information email: nadottawa@gmail.com
Locations:
Lebretton Flats Park (behind the War Museum)
Museum of Civilization
(Please consult the Summer Solstice website)
On the Web:
Website: www.aboriginalexperiences.com
Magnetic North Theatre Festival (2012 Dates TBA)
| June 13, 2012 | to | June 23, 2012 |
The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is your chance to see fantastic productions from all across Canada, meet national and international presenters, and mingle with great Canadian artists. We bring some of the most exciting productions of English theatre on tour in Canada to your front door! Magnetic North is coming to Ottawa June 3-11, 2011! Check out the website for more Festival information.
Festival Information:
General information: 613.947.7000 ext 719 / 1.866.850.2787 ext 719
General information email: info@magneticnorthfestival.ca.
Location: National Arts Centre
On the Web:
Website: www.magneticnorthfestival.ca
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MNTF
Ottawa International Children’s Festival (2012 Dates TBA)
| May 30, 2012 | to | June 3, 2012 |
The Ottawa International Children’s Festival was established in 1985 and is an annual celebration of the best in live performing arts for young people. For over two decades the OICF has presented an abundance of award-winning artists from around the globe and made wide-eyed children out of attendees of all ages.
The OICF provides a unique opportunity for children and their families to experience the rich heritage of other cultures right in their own backyard. We strive to present work that excites and challenges audiences of all ages, and the festival prides itself on developing and producing award winning programming that comes to us from across Canada and around the world.
Festival Information:
General information: 613.241.0999
Email: boxoffice@ottawachildrensfestival.ca
Locations:
Lebreton Flats Park – 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa, ON K1A 0M8
Canadian War Museum – 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa, ON K1A 0M8
Library and Archives Canada – 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON K1A 0N4
Event Highlights:
- Theatre, music and dance performances
- Roving circus arts performers
- Imagination Station – visual arts workshop tent
On the Web:
Website: www.ottawachildrensfestival.ca
Map:
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Finding their voice – through poetry
Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
For Liam and teens like him all across Ottawa, spoken word poetry is helping them find their voice and express how they feel about difficult things they face in their lives or the world around them. Depression, suicide, addiction, bullies, broken hearts and stereotypes are all fodder for poems, but so, too, are death, dictators and dearly beloved family members, in this art form that bursts with creativity, energy and emotion.
The budding poets meet over the lunch hour in Phelan’s second-floor classroom, where they fine-tune and perform pieces for each other. They also drop rhymes at school assemblies and many attend monthly poetry slams held at the central branch of the Ottawa Public Library.
Spoken word poetry has flourished in the city since the first national festival was held here in 2004. Ottawa teams have twice won the Canadian slam poetry title and the brand new youth team, which Liam is on, won the top prize at this year’s festival in Toronto.
Full story: Finding their voice – through poetry
2011 Juno Award winner inspires youth to dream big
Here is a great example of the often over-looked benefits of festivals and special events — the opportunity for youth to connect and learn from their role models in a meaningful way.
Eddie Rwema, YourOttawaRegion
Shad Kabango, 2011 Juno Award winner for best rap recording, took time of his busy schedule and spent the afternoon of Sunday, June 26 delivering words of inspiration to the youth of Rwandan origin.
The Vancouver-based rapper, who was in town to perform at the Ottawa International Jazz festival, spoke to the youth about making good choices and life decisions.
The young people had gathered at the annual youth empowerment conference organized by Rwanda Social Services and Family Counselling.
“Do what you love, be who you are, have some integrity and purpose in what you are doing,” Kabango told those gathered.
Full article on YourOttawaRegion website: 2011 Juno Award winner inspires youth to dream big
Student musicians show their stuff: Kiwanis Festival returns for 66th season
Steven Mazey, Ottawa Citizen
Photo courtesy Ottawa Citizen, photo by Bruno Schlumberger
More than 10,000 Ottawa-area student musicians have been practising for months and are about to take to the stage to show listeners what they can do, at an event that has become an annual rite of passage for music students across the region.
Ottawa’s 66th annual Kiwanis Music Festival opens Monday, April 4, and continues to April 30, with performances at 10 venues across the region, all open to the public.
This year’s highlights concert, featuring performances by some of the top-scoring musicians in the festival, will be held Friday, May 20, at Centrepointe Theatre.
For information, including schedules of performances and locations of the competitions, visit www.ottawakiwanismusicfestival.com.
Full story online at: Student musicians show their stuff
Benson students get the blues
EMC News
Students at Benson Public School have got the blues – and they love it.
For the second straight year, the school is working with the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest Blues in the Schools Program, which brings professional artists into the schools to teach blues music history and appreciation, as well as how to compose and perform an original tune.
During the two-week program professional blues bands come to the school to perform for Benson students as well as students from nearby schools within the Upper Canada District School Board. The bands – The Mighty Popo, Monkey Junk, and Jason and Company – all performed at the school during the first week of March.
Read the full story on the EMC online: Benson students get the blues
Thousands of area students benefit from Blues in the Schools
The Ottawa Bluesfest organization will launch the 13th edition of their award-winning Blues in the Schools program on Monday, February 28. The two-week residency program, which will see 30 professional artists/educators visit 24 area schools this year, will run through to Friday, March 11.
The 10-day program begins with a series of assembly-like presentations. A variety of musicians visit two different schools per day, performing a total of 98 presentations over the course of the first four days. The following phase involves classroom-size core groups, with students enjoying a more formal workshop approach. These sessions include a look at the heritage of blues music, while examining its influence on other genres. Song writing, singing, and exploring various instruments is also involved. The workshop phase culminates with students performing for their families, teachers and peers. Ultimately these students are offered an opportunity to perform at the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, during the festival’s Blues in the Schools day in July.
Initiated in two Ottawa-area schools in 1999, Blues in the Schools has seen tremendous growth. This year, visiting artists/educators and local musicians will deliver the program to more than 10,000 students in Ottawa-area schools. “The intent of the program,” says Bluesfest executive director, Mark Monahan,” is to expose students from all backgrounds to music and to encourage them to use music as a positive outlet in dealing with the world around them.”
Blues in the Schools is a charitable undertaking, which is financially supported by the not-for-profit Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest organization, with essential support from its private-sector partners: Holiday Inn© Hotel & Suites; Steve’s Music Store; and the Ottawa Citizen.
