Good morning, everyone! Sorry that I’m a day late with the blog this week, especially after missing last week, but life just gets in the way sometimes, ya know? When I started writing this weekly blog again a few weeks ago, I mentioned that I’d AIM to get it out weekly, but couldn’t make any promises.
This week we enter the month of March, but will it be in like a lion or a lamb? March is when I typically start to go a little bit crazy; I am checking the weather network hourly, gazing longingly at the 14-day forecast, hoping for brighter skies and sunnier days! Watching the daily high-temperatures trending upward toward spring makes me both happy and excited about things to come. But alas….winter drags on for a few more weeks.
Last week was a very busy one for me (and by ‘me’ I am referring more to the royal ‘us’ of Covert Ottawa Guy as a whole) with the one-year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. There were several events in the city focused on raising awareness about the atrocities that have occurred over the past year there and about the ongoing war in general. We attended many of these events, including the rally across the Flora Foot Bridge and the candlelight vigil on Parliament Hill. Each event was very moving: hearing various stories from survivors, or people with loved ones fighting for their country on the front lines really brings things into focus, allowing one to put a face and a name to the statistics that we hear. It was a very emotional week to say the least.
I also had the privilege of attending this year’s SnowBall on the evening of Thursday February 23rd. This annual event is a fundraiser for the Snowsuit Fund, and it was pretty spectacular! The theme of SnowBall 2023 was ‘A Cool Winter’s Eve,’ and it took place at 50 Sussex, home of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. The evening featured live music, beautiful décor, a variety of food and alcohol vendors, ice sculptures, photo opportunities against a variety of backdrops, and a silent auction. Adults of all ages were in attendance, with most dressed to the nines!
The event offered free parking close-by down the street, with options for both self-parking and valet parking, which was included in the price of your ticket. This was a great feature, allowing for guests to leave their cars and immediately get into a warm one, not having to risk getting snow on their suits, dresses, and shoes walking from a parking lot into the venue.
There were three separate floors, each boasting its own exciting ambience! Each also had a few different food and drink options for guests. My only complaint about this event was related to the food and drink: the choices were extremely limited, and it was very difficult to find options for specific diets, such as vegetarian and gluten-free. It was also very hard to find non-alcoholic drink options, even regular water. The non-alcoholic options were limited to cranberry juice or lemonade at the bar, or sparkling water. I was initially so happy to see Pure Kitchen was set up there, as they often cater to the gluten-free crowd, but they only had mini crostini with a mushroom topping.
The people in attendance were in great spirits: everyone was friendly, most interacting with the other guests and enjoying meeting new people. If you have the opportunity to attend this event in the future, I would highly recommend it! It was a really wonderful time, and it raises funds for a great cause. However, if you have any dietary restrictions, ensure that you eat a hearty meal before you go!
Now, enough about the past week’s events; let’s move on to this week ahead. There is a pretty great mix of events coming up this week, with a little something for everyone. Starting with sports, the Senators have two home games this week: Tuesday night vs the Detroit Red Wings, and Saturday evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Ottawa 67’s continue their incredible season with two home games hosting Kingston on Wednesday night, and Saginaw on Saturday afternoon.
If you’re looking to take in some theatre, may I suggest “Sense and Sensibility” at the Ottawa Little Theatre? It kicks off this Wednesday and runs through March 18th. I’ll be in attendance on Saturday to write up a review! So watch for that early next week.
The coming weekend seems pretty heavy on trade shows. For all of you aspiring entrepreneurs out there, the Ottawa Franchise Expo takes place Saturday and Sunday at the EY Centre. For all you collectors, come visit me on Sunday at the monthly Sports Card and Comic Show at the Nepean Sportsplex, brought to you by Capital Trade Shows!
Event of the Week!!
Although, I don’t think I’ll be able to get out to it, my pick for Event of the Week is the 2023 I Heart Beer & Taco Festival! This festival/event has two different sessions to choose from: session #1 is from 2pm – 6pm and session #2 is 6pm – 10pm. I can only imagine how many tacos I could eat and how many beers I could drink in four hours…..Mmmmm. This festival is located at the Aberdeen Pavilion. I haven’t recently checked on remaining tickets, but I imagine they will sell out. Afterall, who doesn’t like beer and tacos?!
Announcements!
This past week, the Bluesfest lineup was released! And in case you missed it, I think it’s their strongest and most diverse lineup yet! Every single night features a major artist, sure to draw a huge crowd. If you haven’t purchased a festival pass yet, you have missed the pre-sale, but there are still plenty of well-priced tickets available! For a full list of the lineup, check out my announcement by clicking here! If you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll get all of my event announcements and reviews delivered to your inbox so you won’t miss out again!
Thanks everyone for reading this week. Once again, sorry for the delay, but I’m working very hard on bringing you new experiences for the future! Please check out my events calendar, and keep it in mind when searching for the best things to do in Ottawa. I update it almost daily with new and great events around the city, so check it out often, and share with your friends/family. Cheers!
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