Lagois ideas for LOVE in February
- Francie Healy
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Sunshine, snow, family ‒ and especially ‒ love, all wrapped up in one. What could be more Canadian than that?
February is often a pretty month of winter, and maybe that’s why it’s so fitting that Valentine’s Day and Family Day should happen together.
The Ottawa area is incredibly rich with activities in February. Here are some suggestions from our “Lagois Love” team to enjoy… with the people you love.
Music, creativity, kids and “little bits of craziness”
The National Arts Centre
Sat. Feb. 14, 11 am to 5:30 pm
Sun. Feb. 15, 10:30 am to 5 pm
There is perhaps no more eclectic way to spend the Valentine’s Day/Family Day weekend in Ottawa than at the Big Bang Festival at the National Arts Centre.
It’s a one-of-a-kind event with so many original and diverse events and activities you might have trouble deciding which you will enjoy the most. Ottawa is the first North American city to host the festival that is so popular in several European cities. (See the trailer, here.)
It is truly a family event with fantastic shows and creative explorations, such as Drawing with Music with Nomad, where young students discover how a musical idea can be transformed into a drawing and the other way around: how a drawing can inspire a sound creation.
The festival is alive with music, dancing, science, and a spark of magic. Many of the events are free.
Special to the festival are delightful Big Bang ambassadors: young people between the ages of 10 and 14 who walk around in Big Bang colours, welcoming you, mingling with artists, and (naturally!) testing all the sound stations.
See the amazing and energetic Big Bang schedule, here.
Snowflake Domain
Jacques-Cartier Park, North Section350 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Quebec.
Until Feb. 16 (Family Day)
A co-production of the City of Gatineau and Canadian Heritage, this immense playground has traditional tubing runs, magnificent snow sculptures and a host of games and activities for all ages.
There are obstacle courses, a maze, Olympic sports, and acoustic performances. And of course there are delicious Beaver Tails to enjoy by a fire. Free parking and a “SnowBus/Bus-O-Neige” to take you to activities in the park. (It’s a loop between the Robert-Guertin Park-and-Ride on Saint-Rédempteur Street and the north end of Jacques-Cartier Park.) See the snowbus schedule here.
More details about times and events here.
Guitar Quartet: Guitarfest!
Feb. 14, 7 pm
Ottawa Chamberfest event
Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre
355 Cooper St, Ottawa
What could be more romantic than good music on Valentine’s Day? The Canadian Guitar Quartet will share the stage with the famed Los Angeles Guitar Quartet in an evening that will include two quartets, an octet, and a massive concerto by Patrick Roux for eight soloists and guitar orchestra.
Self-drive winter safari
Parc Omega
399 Route 323 North, Montebello, Québec
For a memorable family adventure, leave Ottawa for the day and visit this unique (and huge) zoo.
Actually, Parc Omega isn’t like traditional zoos. It’s a massive preserved natural space of more than 2200 acres inhabited by more than 20 species of wild animals. It has animal presentations, hiking trails, picnic areas, restaurants and visits to farm animals along with many other exciting features. Drive on a 12-km path through the parc for about an hour and a half and see Canadian animals close up and personal. Throughout your journey, deer come to your window to accept your offerings of carrots.
Visit the website here to see all the things you can do.
Important: Read and research before you go, starting here.
Ticket information here.
Rideau Canal Skateway 2025
Between Somerset and Bank access points.
Free.
Skate, sleigh and ice trike rentals (as well as boot check) available.
This iconic part of the National Capital is a perfect way to enjoy the outdoors with every member of the family. The total length of the skateway is 7.8 km; the open sections depend on the weather.
Before you go, check this interactive map to see ice conditions.
Winter Wander
Sparks Street, Downtown Ottawa
Until Feb. 16 (Family Day)
Sparks Street serving is an official partner for the 2026 Winterlude festival. Enjoy a lively celebration of winter with DJs, ice sculptures, lights and interactive installations.
See the schedule, here.
Go skiing!
Gatineau Park
33 Chem. Scott, Chelsea Québec
With one of the biggest and best-maintained networks of cross-country ski trails in North America, this might be a place you’d like to go with your family. See the breathtaking panoramic view from the Champlain Lookout, at the top of the Eardley Escarpment on the Champlain Parkway ‒ accessible only by cross-country skis.
There are 15 starting points, and you can buy either a daily or season pass online, here. You can also borrow a pass from your local library. See the list of participating libraries, here.
You can also use the park for snowshoeing and snowbiking.
You might want to start at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre, and, behind the Visitor Centre, warm up at a day shelter.
Camp Fortune
300 Dunlop Rd, Chelsea Québec
For downhill skiing, Camp Fortune has 10 runs with groomed snow on a hard-packed base. It’s open for both day and night skiing. There is a full-service lodge that includes equipment rentals, a cafeteria and ski shop.
Buy tickets online, here.
Mont Cascades
448 Chem. du Mont-des-Cascades, Cantley Québec
A family ski resort in the National Capital Region, it’s designed for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. It has 21 runs, including 16 available for night skiing; five chair lifts and two quad chair lifts.
Buy tickets online, here.
Go tobogganing!
A traditional Canadian family outing, perfect for Family Day weekend! Some of the best hills are in Canada’s Capital Greenbelt. All toboggan hills are maintained by the City of Ottawa. Here are three, but check here for updates.
Bruce Pit
Stony Swamp section (southwest end of Ottawa)
This hill is great for daytime sliding, but not night time because there are no lights.
Conroy Pit
Pine Grove forest (south end of Ottawa)
If you want to go night-sliding, this is a good one!
Green’s Creek
Starting at the Ottawa River in the east end of Ottawa, this is another good hill for tobogganing.
Other hills in the Ottawa area
Bayshore Park (unlit)
175 Woodridge Crescent, Nepean
Craig Henry Park (unlit)
133 Greenbank Road, Nepean
Loyola Park (unlit)
956 Loyola Ave., Gloucester
Walter Baker Park (lit)
100 Charlie Rogers Place, Stittsville
Ski Hill Park (unlit, has trees)
1995 Naskapi Drive, Ottawa
Marcel Lalande Park (unlit)
2157 Northlands Drive, Orleans
Westboro Kiwanis Park (unlit)
411 Dovercourt Ave., Ottawa
Visit a museum
There are many to choose in Ottawa, perfect for all ages and stages. Here they are, with links to their sites.
Here’s to celebrating love, family, the outdoors and our beautiful region.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Happy Family Day ‒ and a whole lot of love from the Lagois team!
For more stories about the exciting people, events and places in Ottawa and surrounding communities, please sign up for The Art of Living, our monthly newsletter, here.
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