Frugal Fun Ottawa Newsletter 
Summer 2010

It's summer, and the living is easy - and frugal!

I'll be taking it easy this summer and enjoying as many frugal events with my family as I can, so this newsletter covers events happening in July and August.  I'll still be adding every free, frugal, and almost frugal event and activity I find to Frugal Fun Ottawa, so you can check the site whenever you need some summer inspiration.  See you in September! 

Canada Day in the Capital

As always, Canada Day in Ottawa promises to be a spectacular time with a little something for everyone.  If you want to be in the heart of the action you can head to Parliament Hill, where activities include live musical entertainment, a visit by the Queen, fly-bys by the Snowbirds, and so much more!  A complete list of Canada Day activities happening in and around the downtown core can be found on this official webpage, which can be searched by location (Parliament Hill, Major's Hill Park, Confederation Park, Jaques Cartier Park, Sparks Street) or by category (ceremonies, shows, fireworks, street performers, etc.).  My family had a blast just wandering from park to park downtown last year and enjoying the festivities. There are also Canada Day celebrations going on in Orleans and Kanata which promise lots of live entertainment, kid-friendly activities, and of course fireworks! 

Music in the Capital

There are concerts for everyone's musical taste this summer, from jazz to chamber music to marching bands: 

• The Unisong Canada Choir Festival brings together choirs from every province in the country, and every concert is free. Click here for the complete schedule.  
   
• There are free concerts on July 24, 25 and August 1, 2010, as part of the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival. Click here for my listing which details free concert times and locations.
   
• The Orchestras in the Park series of free concerts takes place once again this year at Lebreton Flats.  This series is one of my personal favorites.  Concerts take place from July 22 to July 25, 2010 and each concert starts at 7:30 pm. 
   
• The Governor General’s Summer Concerts Series offers families with young children a wonderful opportunity to experience great music.  The grounds of Rideau Hall, where the concerts take place, are perfect for a picnic, and children can keep busy on the play structure or playing ball or frisbee without disturbing other concert-goers.  The Governor General's Summer Concerts take place at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm on Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, 2010.   
   
• If bag pipes and marching bands are for you, then you won't want to miss B in the Park, a bag pipe and drum event featuring pipe bands from Ottawa, Chicago, Winnipeg and Calgary.  B in the Park takes place on Thursday, July 29, 2010 at Major's Hill Park from 6:15 to 8:45 pm.
   
• Fortissimo is another marching band spectacular and is my family's favorite free event of the year.  The Band of the Ceremonial Guard will be joined by over 150 musicians, gunners and soldiers to demonstrate this most thrilling of military spectacles taking place at Parliament Hill.  Last year's show included Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture with live cannons, so we can't wait to see what's in store for this year.  Fortissimo takes place at 7:30 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday August 12, 13 and 14 and at 2:30 pm on Sunday, August 15, 2010.  

Frugal Fun Away From Home

What would summer be without a few field trips?  The following destinations may be off the beaten path, both literally and figuratively, but are well worth checking out:

• Watson's Mill in Manotick is a unique 19th century grist and flour mill located in Manotick, on the shores of the Rideau River, and is a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site.  Free Audio Guides for the Mill Discovery Tour are available daily.  Paper guides are available for a self-guided tour at a cost of $2.00 per guide, and guided tours are available for $2.00 per person (subject to staff availability).  In the summer the mill is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; the mill operates on Sundays from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.   
   
•  Le Festival de la Curd ("Curd Festival") in St. Albert, Ontario (August 18th to 22nd, 2010): Past festivals have included free hot-air balloon rides and one of the largest labyrinths ($20/family) in North America, built out of hay and complete with petting zoo inside! There are tents set up with live entertainment, kids' bingo, and free curds for everyone. (Note that many activities take place in French.)  They haven't yet revealed what's in store for this year's festival, but it seems to get bigger and better every year.  Get directions to the festival here.
   
• If you can't make it out to St. Albert during the Curd Festival, you can still make an afternoon trip out of visiting the cheese factory there.  For obvious reasons tours don't go through the cheese factory itself, but you can still view the cheese-making equipment from a viewing area and watch a short video about the making of cheese.  Don't forget to budget for some yummy ice cream!