Summertime! And the living is easy...
- Francie Healy
- May 25
- 4 min read
It’s June! And there is no shortage of fabulous things to do in Ottawa, especially if you like being outdoors with music, food, culture and a wide variety of performances.
Here are some of the things the team at Lagois Design-Build-Renovate suggests, starting with the annual event we love to support.
Ride for ROSSS
June 21
Kickstands up at 9 am
$40 per rider or $60 with a passenger
(If you don’t ride, come for the party at 1 pm!)
This will be the fourth annual Lagois motorcycle Ride for ROSSS, getting better each year. The Ride supports a favourite Lagois organization, Rural Ottawa South Support Services, which provides essential programs and services for vulnerable rural seniors.
This year’s sponsors, besides Lagois, are W.O Stinson and Yates Sprinklers, with music from Rebel Rock Radio 101.7. Several members of the Lagois team are motorcycle riders, so this is like a walk, er, ride, in the park for them. They invite all other riders to join them in the fun.
The four-hour ride begins at the ROSSS office at 1096 Bridge Street, Manotick, and ends at Lagois offices, with a scenic route that goes through Johnstown along the beautiful St. Lawrence River before looping back up through Kemptville to the Lagois office at 5921 Prince of Wales Drive in North Gower at about 1 pm. There will be poker run stops along the way.
The end-of-ride party at the Lagois office will include a barbecue meal for $25, a silent auction, live music by the talented singer, guitarist and songwriter Gabrielle (Brie) Salmon, and prizes.
The Lagois team hopes to see you there!
Father’s Day Italian Picnic
June 15, 11 am - 5 pm. Free.
Ev Tremblay Park, corner of Beech Street and Champagne Avenue South
In Italy, picnics are a cherished tradition. Families and neighbours gather to share bread, wine, olives, cheese, and sausages brought by everyone.
You might want to create your own Father’s Day picnic tradition al fresco at Ev Tremblay Park. Listen to Italian music or play lawn games. Bring your own homemade food and non-alcoholic beverages, get takeout from any restaurant in Little Italy, or order a special picnic box from Di Rienzo, and don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs and blankets.
Although this is a free event, registration is required because of an attendance capacity limit. Register here.
Ottawa Jazz Festival
June 20-29, 2025
Hear a wide range of jazz genres, including swing, jive, fusion jazz, hot jazz and boogie. This is the 45th edition of the festival with world-class artists and rising stars.
Locations:
● The Main Stage at Confederation Park
● The OLG Stage at Marion Dewar Plaza / Ottawa City Hall
● The Fourth Stage at the National Arts Centre
● Late Night Jamming Series at the Lord Elgin Hotel - Grill 41
● Jazz at the Castle at the Chateau Laurier
See the lineup and information about tickets here.
Summer Solstice Festival
June 21–22. Free
Experience the rich cultural heritage, artistic excellence, and living traditions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, from high-energy dance and vocal performances to immersive cultural programs, hands-on workshops, and culinary experiences.
Perhaps one of the most exciting, colourful and energetic events is the International Pow Wow competition. It features Grammy-nominated Bear Creek with top dancers and drummers from across North America.
Other Summer Solstice Festival events include:
The Celebration Stage with hoop dancing, Inuit throat singing, Métis jigging, and theatrical performances.
Glow-in-the-Dark Pow Wow with an electrifying after-dark high-energy performance by Long Lake 58 First Nation.
A Drone Show which blends ancestral wisdom with the cutting-edge technology of 250 synchronized drones celebrating Indigenous stories.
For more information about the many Summer Solstice Festival events, visit summersolsticefestivals.ca
Ottawa Fringe Festival
June 12–22
Nine venues throughout downtown Ottawa
See map of locations here.
With 58 original productions, more than 350 performances, and featuring artists everywhere from Ottawa to across the globe, Fringe is hilarious to heart-wrenching, musical to mysterious, improv to “proudly uncategorizable”. It is Ottawa’s largest theatre festival.
Find show listings, tickets, and festival updates at ottawafringe.com.
Changing the Guard
Every morning from late June through late August. Free. Parliament Hill.
It’s a colourful and breathtaking Canadian event. If you haven’t experienced it yet, you might want to this summer. It doesn’t last long, so it’s perfect for families with children.
The parade begins at the Cartier Square Drill Hall. At about 9:45 am, with the Pipes and Drums of the Ceremonial Guard leading, they march to the east lawn where they await the arrival of the New Guard.
The New Guard arrives at Parliament Hill at 10 am as the band begins to play "The 10 Provinces March". The parade then marches onto the east lawn of Parliament.
Tim Horton’s Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival
June 20-22. Free
Rideau River at Mooney’s Bay Park
This is a large annual festival featuring dragon boat races, concerts, food vendors, and family fun activities including live music performances, amusement attractions, sports demonstrations and a children's area with crafts, music, science, puppets, clowns, games, animals, and magic.
The Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival is part of a larger Chinese cultural tradition that goes back 2,400 years. Teams include up to 30 members competing in community, corporate and competitive divisions over the two days of racing.
More information here.
We hope you enjoy some of these activities and so much more in our beautiful Ottawa and region.
Happy summer from everyone at Lagois!
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