Whether you’re a local resident looking for some adventure or a first-time visitor to the capital, there is plenty to see and do in Ottawa this year. From good food and extreme adventures to music festivals and monumental anniversaries, 2023 is set to be a year of fun for the city. For even more information on events and activities in the capital visit ottawatourism.ca!
Foodies
- Explore Ottawa’s history through beer and brewing with BrewDonkey’s new after-work craft brewery tour
- Visit Alice, a vegetable and fermentation-focused tasting menu restaurant run by Briana Kim, winner of the 2023 Canadian Culinary Championship
- Prefer drinks on the water? Check out Palapa Tours, Ottawa’s 12-person floating cocktail bar!
- Voted #4 on the Canada’s Best New Restaurants list, Perch is an intimate fine dining restaurant focused on sourcing Canadian ingredients
Adventurers
- Ahoy Captain! Starting this May, rent a luxury Le Boat rental right from Dows Lake! Fully equipped with cabins, bathrooms and a kitchen/ BBQ you can explore the Rideau Canal this summer in style
- Catch disco fever at Ottawa’s new indoor roller skating rink 4Wheelies! With a live DJ, food, bar, arcade, and party rooms you can roll the night away
- Camp Fortune is unveiling three new zip lines – totalling 4,478 feet of peak to peak travel. If that’s not enough, check out their 50-foot freefall jump!
- Take a ride on Ottawa’s first “beer bike”—aka the Thursty Pedaler. Seating up to 14 people, pedal your way through the Glebe or Wellington West while stopping at craft beer bars along the way
Fans of culture
- A local classic, RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is back in a big way. From July 6-16 checkout a chock-full line up of performers including headliners Shania Twain, Weezer, Foo Fighters, Pitbull and more!
- More than 1,500 Indigenous athletes will visit Ottawa in August to compete in the Masters Indigenous Games – a competition of 10 contemporary and traditional sport categories. Check out the free cultural festival at Lansdowne Park while you’re there!
- Nature Nocturne is back at the Canadian Museum of Nature! The popular after-hours event that includes music, dancing, food, and drink hosts four events from May through January
- Celebrate 100 Years of the Canadian Forces Naval Reserve at the Canadian Tulip Festival from May 12-22. A new Mother’s Day Flower Fun Run will also take place May 14 in support of the Canadian Tulip Legacy
Anniversaries
- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police celebrate their 150th anniversary in 2023, including at the RCMP Musical Ride Stables which reopen Monday to Friday, May 8-August 31!
- It’s a big year for the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour, an annual ride from Ottawa to Kingston and back. The 200 km-each-way event, which attracts close to 1,500 cyclists every year, is celebrating its 50th year from June 10-11
- House of PainT – Ottawa’s festival of hip-hop culture – celebrates its 20th anniversary August 11-13, 2023!
