💰 Mayor Mark Sutcliffe proposes a police budget rise of 6.5 per cent​​​​​, to create an overall property tax increase of 3.75 per cent​​​​​. All the other departments would be limited to a 2.9 per cent increase. City council will start the annual budget process next month.  – Arthur White-Crummey at CBC

🏜️ The City is now advising residents who use a well to conserve water, including letting the lawn go brown. Unlike residents who use the municipal water system, the City has no authority over what people do with their private wells. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has advised that a Level Three low-water condition is in effect, which means there is not enough water to meet demand.

The City notes that residents who use the municipal system receive their water from the Ottawa River, and there are no restrictions at this time.  – City of Ottawa 

🚌 OC Transpo’s autumn service begins Sunday. That means some new routes, school service is back, and frequency adjustments.  – Stittsville Central

🫎 Cedar, the blind moose who was preparing to move to the Toronto zoo, has died. The baby moose was discovered on the side of the road and brought to Holly’s Haven Wildlife Rescue in Dunrobin in July. The cause of death is unknown. The Province had waived the rule that prevented moose from being homed in zoos as Cedar would have little chance of survival in the wild.  – Josh Pringle at CTV 

🥈 Elections Canada workers who staffed polling stations around Wakefield say they are still waiting to get paid. Despite assurances from Elections Canada that there are no outstanding wages, several workers here – and elsewhere in Canada – say they are still waiting. – Le Droit (In French)

🛒 Every week @stromanker reads all the local grocery flyers and posts the deals on Ottawa Reddit. This week, he highlights eggs for $2.99/12 (Super C) and $4.88/18 (Food Basics) and French roast beef for  5.97/lb (Metro Cité des Jeunes) and bottom blade roast for $5.88/lb (IGA). – /Ottawa

FRIDAY

• ✳️ 🚗 Road Trip: Take a scenic drive to Long Sault for Lost and Sound Festival 2025. One of the area's newest craft beer producers, Lost Villages Brewery, will celebrate the last of summer's lazy days with live music, craft beer. It's all getting underway at 2:00 pm today and continues tomorrow (Saturday August 23).

• 🪵 Get in your final summer visit with the animals, the sensory table, and all the other activities  at the Log Farm today through Sunday. 

• 🆓 ⚗️ Road trip: Ontario Moonshine Festival is back in Perth for a fourth year. Choose from Friday, Saturday, or Sunday visit times. Limited free tickets are available. 

• 🆓 Vendors at last year's Navatara’s Indian Food Festival sold out, so don't miss your chance to sample regional favourites and catch the live cultural performances. It's all happening in Clarke Fields Park today (2:00 pm to 10:00 pm) through Sunday. 

• Singing Pebble books has much to celebrate as it turns 37 years young. Get in on the celebration with a visit to the shop during the the anniversary sale (today through Sunday August 24). You'll save 20% on all items, and anyone who spends more than $37 will be entered into a draw to win a private guided shopping experience and a discount on rare and used books. 

• There are cash prizes up for grabs in the one-on-one dance battles at ByWard Market (George St) tonight from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 

• 🪗 Road Trip: Ottawa Valley Buskerfest kicks off with a BBQ in Pembroke's Waterfront Park, followed by an evening of entertainment. 

• 🆓 Ottawa Greek Festival programming begins at 5:00 pm. 

• ByTowne Cinema: Hola Frida, Eddington, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, Drunken Cinema: Speed 

• Mayfair Theatre: Souleyman’s Story, F1, The Room  

  Gigs

• Every Rose (tribute to Poison). Brass Monkey

• Super K, Dead Gong. LIVE on Elgin

• Double Impact Robert Clarot and Alex. Hard Rock Ottawa Council Oak Stage

• Niel Young Experience. Hard Rock Cafe

• Whiskey River Fever. Irene’s Pub

• 80s Dance Party, The Underground. House of TARG

• Motherland. Dominion Tavern. 

🏳️‍🌈 Today at Capital Pride: 

• Montréal’s Queen & Queer headline the TD Main Stage; Cuffed: Leather, Lace & Chains is a lesbian-sapphic QTBIPOC-centered party at Avant-Garde Bar; Crowned in Colour: A Night of Kings is at Nostalgica Pub & Beer Garden; City at Night hosts the house and techno  Pride Festival After Party with NV: Solstice.

SATURDAY

• ✳️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Road Trip The North Lanark Highland Games’ 40th session brings the Sheaf Toss and Hammer Throw, bands, Highland Games for kids, Highland Dancing, and vendors (including Scottish concessions) to Almonte Fairgrounds Saturday. General admission $20 per person, with kids 11 and under getting in for free.

• ✳️ 🚗 Road Trip: Lost and Sound Festival continues at Lost Villages Brewery in Long Sault.  

• 🆓 The Queenswood Heights Community Association presents the third annual Music Festival and Family Fun Day. With activities and a bouncy castle for the kids, live music, and a Beer Garden presented by Orléans Brewing Co. It's free with a donation to the Orléans Food Bank. Thank you to our friends at Orléans Connect Newsletter for the heads-up about this event.

• Get ready for a giant-sized day of fun at the Monster Trucks All Out Carp event. 

• You don’t need to stray further than Westboro Village for Tomato Fest, with vendors, sampling, food trucks, and LIVE 88.5 will be broadcasting live. 

• Have lunch at Stittsville’s Sweet Corn Festival. 

• Blues is on the bill at the 4th Annual Capital Fair Blues Revue.

• Sip, snack, and laugh at Comedy Night in the Country at Jabulani Winery. 

• Lavendermay will bring the House music to Metcalfe Plaza from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. 

• The food and music of Ottawa Greek Fest continue from 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm today. 

• 🌙 Road Trip: Experience a live music, street performers, and food vendors at Arnprior Cultural Night Market  The after party will bring DJ Kine Wone to Mallard’s Milk Bar.  

• 🪗 Road Trip: Ottawa Valley Buskerfest continues, however the venue has changed to the town of Pembroke.   

• Navatara’s Indian Food Festival runs 11:00 am to 10:00 pm today.

• Bring someone a surprise bouquet that you picked yourself, with a visit to GreenCorners. 

• ByTowne Cinema: 2025 Cat Video Fest, Restoration: Ikiru, Sorry, Baby, Detour: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou 

• Mayfair Theatre: Souleymane’s Story, F1, There  Will Be Blood 

  Gigs

• Browman Electryc Trio. Night Oat

• Motorists. LIVE on Elgin

• Walk Off the Earth. Hard Rock Ottawa

• Girth Control (Ska Fest). Dominion Tavern

• The New Hires. Rainbow Bistro

🏳️‍🌈 Today at Capital Pride: 

• Bank Street welcomes the Capital Pride Street Festival. Lilyisthatyou reigns over the TD Main Stage before the Drag Extravaganza at 9:00 pm 

• City at Night hosts the Official Pride Festival After Party 

SUNDAY

• Enjoy the final day of Navatara’s Indian Food Festival.

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Road Trip: The North Lanark Highland Games continue in Almonte.  

• Capital Fair closes with the uber-competitive Arm Wrestling Competition. If you want to take part, you'll pay $40 per arm.  

• Fetch Local Markets joins forces with Greely Good Market for Dog Days of Summer. It’ll be a dog-friendly pawty in the south end of the city. 

• There are more canine good times to be had at Beyond the Pale’s City Centre location, where the patio will be offering treats for pups and their humans. 

• 🆓 Latin Festival & Fair will be serving up the flavours of México, Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Perù, and you can also expect cultural performances. It's all happening at the Horticulture Building and East Side Court at Lansdowne Park.  

• Shop for soup, pie, local craft beer and cider, self-care and beauty items, baking, decor, and so much more at the August edition of the Original Navan Market. 1279 Colonial Road. 

• Ottawa Farmers Market at Lansdowne shines the spotlight on tomatoes for today's Tomoto Fest. Highlight: check out the tomato-themed cooking demos by Chef Jesse Bell from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. 

• 10% of the proceeds of the Rebecca Sheik show at Rainbow Bistro will benefit CHEO.

• ByTowne Cinema: Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, Hola Frida! Restoration; Ikiru, Detour: Heat 

• Mayfair Theatre: The Last Class, F1 

  Gigs

• Thomas Polychuck, Sunset Missino, Raphaël Weinroth-Browne (early show). LIVE on Elgin

• Bonecat. Atomic Rooster

• Souls of Mischief. Club SAW

• Emma Goldman, Jetsam, Thishellwithyou. LIVE on Elgin

• Souls of Mischief, Hug Mosh, John Deck. Club SAW

• Ellen Braun. Red Bird

🏳️‍🌈 Today at Capital Pride: 

• More than 200 groups will march in the Pride Parade on Elgin and Laurier streets. Over on Bank Street between Gladstone and Slater streets, the Capital Pride Street Festival is a full 14 blocks of community groups, artisans, and businesses. The action on the TD Main Stage starts at 4;00 pm with Post-Parade Drag-A-Palooza, followed by T-Dance at 6:00 pm and the Final Dance at 8:00 pm. Plus: Dominion City Brewing will be popping up at Fauna for a special Pride  event with snacks, slushies, and very good beer. 

🇬🇷 Today at GreekFest

• The final day of Ottawa GreekFest gets underway at noon with live music followed by performances by local groups. Once the food court closes down at the end of the night, head to the After Hours Party #2 at Broadway Bar & Grill (1093 Borden Side Road).

MONDAY

• Start the week right with some culinary self-care: book your three course, prix fixe menu lunch or dinner at Soca Kitchen for $42 per person.  

• Sharpen your funny bone at the Barley Mow (Merivale) Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic. 

• ByTowne Cinema:  Sorry, Baby, Detour: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Eddington

• Mayfair Theatre:  Souleymane’s Story, Some Like it Hot, Manhunter 

  Gigs

• Karaoke Mondays. Atomic Rooster

JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

• Latin Sparks Festival — Canada’s largest Latin dance celebration — returns for one unforgettable night on September 6 (3–11 pm.) This isn’t just a festival — it’s a full-on Latin street-style party. Think: Live bands, artists and DJs bringing the hottest beats from across Latin America, explosive dance battles and free salsa and bachata lessons for all skill levels. Experience more than 15 food vendors serving authentic Latin street eats, from tacos to churros.  Latin Sparks has grown into one of Ottawa’s most vibrant cultural events, celebrating diversity through rhythm, cuisine, and connection. 

• Ogilvy Square hosts Cranium Festival 2025 performances from September 18 to 21. Dance Battles, after parties, and the pop up marketplace will be located in other venues around town. Organizers are searching for volunteers for the Festival.