Family Fun in Ottawa
Ottawa is not boring! We get the unfortunate nickname of being “the boring city”, not as vibrate as our neighnours Montreal and Toronto. But, Ottawa has some amazing summer festivals and the city really does come alive in July and August.
Here are some family friendly festivals to discover this summer! Summer Maze Days - Saunders Farm
https://www.ottawafestivals.ca/calendar/summer-maze-days
Ok! This is a little bit of a drive outside of Ottawa, but Saunders Farm is always worth it. So much for the little ones to do and if you are in the area in October it is a must see for their Halloween celebrations too!
Fanaticcon
If you or your little ones are a fan of comics, this has everything for you! Toys, games, characters...and all inside a nice air conditioned conference center!
Rata Yatha Chariot Festival
https://iskconottawa.ca/ratha-yatra-2026/
Come celebrate India’s rich spiritual heritage. There will be dancing, food, face painting and children’s activities!
Music in the Woods
https://cgow.ca/event/music-in-the-woods-festival
Live music (even some folks from Monkey Rock!), kids zone and lots of food! Les Grand Feux du Casino Lac-Leamy
https://feux.qc.ca/en/home-2026/
This remains one of my favourite events of the summer! There is something about watching the fireworks explode over the Ottawa river with coordinating music that gets me every time! Grab a blanket and a good viewing spot on the lawn with general admission or go a little fancy and buy a VIP seat right at the edge of the river.
Navan Fair
This one is a little bit of a drive as well, but if you are looking for a classic country fair, you have found it!
Ottawa International Busker Fest
https://www.hellodowntown.ca/events/ottawa-international-buskerfest/
Roam around downtown Ottawa and see all the wild street performances! Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival
Kids will love this festival! World Class Puppeteers bring the streets of Almonte alive with life size puppets!
Faerie Picnics
https://www.cirquonscient.com/faerie-picnic
This is one of the most magical and whimsical events of the summer! It has changed over the years, but it was the highlight of our summer when the kids were little. It is not to be missed if you like a little fairy dust in your life!
Capital Pride Festival
Pageants, Parades, Street Vendors, Kids zone! There is so much packed into this event over a few days. You don’t want to miss this!
These are just a few of the kid friendly events to check out! There are also many food festivals and I would need a whole other blog post to list all of them!! Maybe next time!