March 10 news: St. Patrick's fun, accessible boardwalk, kids' gear
Also, plus-sized fashions, Meech Lake hotel and mermaids
An accessible wetland boardwalk on Ottawa’s southern edge and art classes in Chelsea. A kids’ gear sale in Carleton Place and early-bird registration for a Kingston race. Wine in Prince Edward County and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations all over. The reopening of a boutique hotel overlooking Meech Lake. And the chance to win a trip to a Stanley Cup playoff game or to Italy! Read on for more details.
Calendar of events: Foreign films, kids’ gear and mermaids
This week’s events calendar features a kids’ gear sale in Carleton Place and a plus-sized fashion pop-up in Ottawa, an author reading in Almonte and a celebration of mermaids in Brockville, art classes in Chelsea and a wine festival in Prince Edward County, yet more Seedy Saturday and Seedy Sunday events, and much, much more (over 45 events in total).
This week's featured contest
There are two travel prizes up for grabs in this contest from East Side Mario’s. One is trip for two to a first-round 2026 Stanley Cup playoff game (destination to be chosen by the contest sponsor). The other prize is a $15,000 trip for two to Italy. Enter by March 31, 2026.
Heads Up: Accessible boardwalk, Meech Lake hotel, CN Cycle for CHEO
This week’s Heads Up post is so jam packed with useful tips that I had to include a table of contents! Find out why you should sign up now if you want to do one of the longer CN Cycle for CHEO rides, where you can get a bird’s-eye view of a Laurentians sunrise, when a long-shuttered boutique hotel in Gatineau Park is set to reopen, where you can explore a wetland on an accessible boardwalk, how you can save money on registrations for a Kingston obstacle course race and more.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with music, tea and trivia
Even though St. Patrick’s Day isn’t until next week, all sorts of Irish celebrations are in the works this week. (In fact, Ottawa jumped the gun and had its St. Patrick’s Day Parade last week, as noted in last week’s calendar of events.)
My guide to St. Patrick’s Day fun includes everything from a ceili in the ByWard Market to an Irish tea in Quyon, trivia nights in Renfrew and Ladysmith, and parties in Arnprior and Pakenham. In fact, the guide stretches all the way past St. Patrick’s Day to include a big Celtic celebration in Hudson and Montreal’s venerable St. Patrick’s Day parade.
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And before I sign off this week
In case you missed some previous posts on the Ottawa Road Trips website, here are a few to check out:
Trying to find something from an earlier newsletter? You can read previous issues on the Ottawa Road Trips Substack page.
That's it from me for now. I'll be back in your in-box next week with more ideas. Until then, happy road tripping!
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.