Summer kicks off with jazz, fringe, festivals this weekend
Ottawa Jazz Festival, Fringe, Italian Festival, and more events fill the first official summer weekend.
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The first official weekend of summer brings a cascade of festivals and live events across the city.
The Ottawa Jazz Festival begins Thursday and runs through the weekend at Confederation Park, the NAC, and the Lord Elgin Hotel. This weekend's lineup features Wyclef Jean, Big Smoke Brass, and BADBADNOTGOOD, with several free shows throughout the weekend. The full lineup is available at ottawajazzfest.com.
The Ottawa Fringe Festival also launches Thursday at Arts Court, La Nouvelle Scène, and Knox Presbyterian Church, with reviews rolling in through next week.
Preston Street celebrates Italy all weekend with the Italian Festival. Preston Street closes from Carling to Somerset, hosting a full program including the Italian Fest menu, DJs, and a dancefloor at Torta Boyz.
Festival l'Outaouais en Fête marks its 50th anniversary, beginning Friday with several DJs and musical performances across the weekend.
The Canadian Track and Field Championships are being held at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility this weekend, with live streaming available online.
The Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival takes place at Mooney's Bay this weekend—a free festival featuring three full days of races.
The Ottawa Titans are home this weekend at Lansdowne, taking on the league-leading Québec Capitales. Friday night is Star Wars night, and Sunday you can play catch on the field after the game to celebrate Father's Day.
The Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday at Wesley Clover Fairgrounds. This free event features international competition pow wow, an Indigenous market, Ojibwe spirit horses, a drone show, and more.
Thursday evening, Beats & Boards happens at Art House, with founding members Rob and DJ Hobo alongside DJs James Reddy and Honey Crisp for board games and beats. A free Silent Disco in the Fringe Courtyard this Thursday evening features DJ Hibo Lagerfeld and DJ AL Connors, beginning at 9:30 pm.
Both the Museum of Nature and the National Gallery of Canada are free after 5 pm Thursday. Check out the Museum of Nature's newest exhibit, Wild Colour, or make a summer sun reflector at the Gallery.
Friday, a Summer Solstice Indigenous Market runs in the ByWard Market from noon to 9 pm, featuring over 60 vendors, musical performances, a fashion show, and Indigenous cuisine.
Budding astronomers can check out the free Star Party hosted by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in the parking lot of the Carp Ottawa Public Library Friday night.
Studio2Be's Dad Jokes—a stand-up comedy show celebrating fatherhood, flannel, and puns—plays Friday at Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe, headlined by Ottawa's Pierre Brault.