July Events on Ottawa

Here is my list of Ottawa July events, with an explanation of why each one is important and what I would do in order to get the best out of it as a resident of Ottawa.

Canada Day starts the month of July with a boom, literally. Nothing beats celebrating our country's birthday in the capital. There's usually great weather, and a crazy amount of events to go to. I would stay on (or near) the Hill for most of the day. If you can get a parking spot, or take the bus in, once you get there, stay put. You are one coming up rosesso-and-so.

Favourite must-sees/must-dos: dress modestly or over-the-top in red-and white (don't forget to lather on the sunscreen), start the day people-watching from Major's Hill Park with either a Beavertail or Tim-Bit to go with your mug of Tim Hortons coffee; enjoy the ambiance of the often shy Canadian pride that's everywhere, on this one day of the year, grab a blanket and a bit of lawn, and picnic on the Hill, with the Eternal Flame and Peace Tower as surroundings. Then, enjoy the free French, English, and Inuit entertainment on the main stage, with top Canadian acts performing (including in the past Nelly Furtado, Susan Agulkuk, Avril Lavigne and Roch Vosin), take in the official speech from the Prime Minister, and most importantly, stay for the fantastic fireworks at dusk - simply breathtaking! Canada Day - hands-down - it's the best event of the summer!

Also this month, Bluesfest starts - an event that used to honour its name with top Blues players headlining the event, but now is much more of a generic music festival (still getting top acts though, and they still have one stage committed to blues players), lasting usually two weeks or so.

Passes are definitely worthwhile if you plan to take in a couple of shows at Bluesfest, but the real trick here is to check their official website about being a volunteer for free tickets - visit www.ottawabluesfest.ca, or look in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper; check about a couple of months in advance, when they usually ask for volunteers. If you get taken on, they ask you to help for a few shifts (2-4 hours long) and in return you can attend the day's performances for free.

If you volunteer for more than one shifts, or get asked to help in a higher responsibility position, you can also get a no cost pass for the entire event. Worthwhile if you're a local with some flexi-time at hand, though the passes aren't a lot of money when you think of what your average show ticket costs nowadays. And of course, if modern or blues isn't your taste, there's always the Chamber Music Festival, which is at the end of the month, start of August.

I think the only other staple item on the list of Ottawa July Events is the Hope Volleyball Tournament, which takes place in Moonies Bay every year. It raises cash for charity, and is quite a fun event. Competitive, Corporate and Recreational divisions ensure there's a spot suitable for every team and it's just a great time to socialize, meet some new people, BBQ with friends, swim (for the foolhardy), and enjoy the sun. If you're not BBQ'ing, there's a great spot for sandwiches on Hog's Back and Riverside (it's in the corner shop).

So I hope you visit some of these events in Ottawa in July and please do leave me a comment in my blog to let me know how you enjoyed yourself or give me any corrections that may apply! Hopefully I'll see you are at some of these Ottawa July events.