Good Monday morning!! Only one more day left of the long weekend, so I hope you’re able to enjoy it fully. The weather isn’t perfect today, but it’s not terrible either. What a weekend though for weather…Saturday seemed so much hotter than it actually was, and there were tornado warnings on Sunday! Ottawa can have such wild weather!
Colonel By Day
Yep, that’s today!! I feel like I’ve been living under a rock as I still refer to the August holiday Monday as the “Civic Holiday.” When did that change, anyway? I worked for the Feds on the Quebec side for so many years, so I never had the day off anyway. So, what’s there to do on this final day of the long weekend? The answer….not much. There are plenty of things open around the city today, including malls, beaches, and pools (both indoor and outdoor), but there isn’t too much going in terms of events. However, you can also find a selection of museums and other tourist-ey type attractions open today, so why not make it a one-day stay-cation?
Ottawa is not just famous for its festivals, we’ve also got a lot to see around the city. As mentioned, beaches and pools are open and appropriate for kids of all ages (even you older folks who are young at heart!) Just make sure to follow social distancing rules to help prevent the spread of COVID-19! We are once again trending in the right direction, but just barely! Let’s keep it up!
Thanks to CTV Ottawa, here’s a list of what’s open and closed today (Colonel By Day):
I know that we’re all tired of hearing about our favourite festivals being cancelled or postponed, so I have some good news for you this week! This coming Saturday, August 8th, the renowned Porchfest is still happening!! I highly recommend going and taking this in. By design, this festival encourages physical distancing already, so I’m not surprised that it’s going ahead. If you’ve never heard of this amazing festival, the concept is simple: people in the Hintonburg area set up on their porches and show off their artistic talent through either music or small theatrical performances. They will post a full location listing and schedule of all the registered artists and where they’ll be performing. As I write this, the list is not yet posted on their website, but it will be up soon, I hope! Hintonburg and Wellington West are amazing communities, and this festival highlights the great artistic talents of the locals!
I’ve been promoting the Bluesfest and the National Arts Centre #CanadaPerforms partnership for the Drive-In concert happening in place of Bluesfest this year. It launched this past weekend with the first two nights of the show, and next weekend has the remaining three (yes three…they added a 5th day!!). The newly added day showcases some amazing bands that are no strangers to the Ottawa area. Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine and Blakdenim are headlining the final day; two amazingly entertaining bands. I have to say that Blakdenim are definitely among my favourite local bands….they are so great!! I believe tickets are still available, so get out there and take in this unique and very well adapted concert-going concept!
Next up, while not the greatest of news, Cityfolk has finally officially decided what we all suspected was coming. The physical music festival has been cancelled for this year, but they are replacing it with a virtual concert lineup and event. No details have been announced yet, but I imagine they’ll be coming in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned for the media release!
Wobble and Sway Podcast
Last week, I was invited to take part in a podcast that focuses on festivals, and the host, Sonia Gibbs, picked my brain about what it’s like to volunteer at music festivals. She also asked me about the “behind the scenes” experience of music festivals. I couldn’t spill too many secrets, though. It was a really fun experience, so if you’re interested in listening to it and learning more about what I do at festivals, you can have a listen by clicking the link below. My voice is not quite as clear as I would have liked, but I blame the crappy mic that I used. This would have been so much better in person….stupid COVID.
Yeah, I’m doing it. Nobody’s tired of this topic yet, are they? Okay, so this is more of a lighthearted take on the pandemic, and I thought I’d include it in my newsletter this week. It’s been a rough week to be honest, so this provides some comedic relief. This video is from TikTok @BlakePavey
You may notice that there’s no “This Kid’s Got Talent” section this week…..I didn’t have any submissions! So, if you’ve got a kid that has some sort of talent, doesn’t have to be artistic, it can be anything really…just send me some information and I’ll help you show them off to the world!!! Or at least to the people who read this newsletter! 😊
Have a great week everyone, and make sure to keep social distancing. I host a big party every year at the end of October/early November, so I need Ottawa to be clear by then!
Jonny Jonny….Yes Papa
Just as a closing remark, and in case you need something to keep you up at night, the Covert Baby came across this video clip. I’ve been told that the original song/nursery rhyme is from Little Baby Bum, but I’m not 100% sure. Regardless, it’s terrifying and horrible, so I thought I’d share it with you and your little ones in case you haven’t seen it yet. Warning though: although not actually terrifying, graphic or realistic, you can’t unsee it.
