TRAVEL & VACATION SHOW
It’s travel for all tastes and budgets at the Travel and Vacation Show — this year there’s a special emphasis on ‘tastes’ with travel seminars and demonstrations by celebrity chefs from around the world. Other highlights include the New Brunswick pavilion with live jazz and blues. Inform your vacation plans by talking to tourism representatives from over 50 countries. Saturday, March 10, and Sunday, March 11. $10, seniors free on Saturday, children free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ottawa Convention Centre, 55 Colonel By Dr. www.travelandvacationshow.ca
NAC
Contemporary dancer-choreographer José Navas of Compagnie presents Personae. A new compilation of solos, the show explores the idea of “dance for the pleasure of dancing” to music by Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Verdi, Vivaldi, Agustín Lara, and Patti Smith. Danced by Navas alone on a bare stage, the piece is a fusion of movement, music, and space. The bare stage is transformed for each solo through the lighting design of Navas’ long-time collaborator Marc Parent. Thursday, March 8, to Saturday, March 10. $34.56. 8 p.m. NAC Studio, 53 Elgin St., www.nac-cna.ca
GALLERY FILMS (FREE!)
Ottawa director Michael Ostroff celebrates the second anniversary of his documentary film Winds of Heaven: Carr, Carvers and the Spirits of the Forest with a re-screening. He created a biography of Carr, often told through her diary’s words, and intermixed it with the history of the Northwest Coast First Nations she was so taken with. The film traces her life from a young woman in Victoria, B.C. through her meetings with the Group of Seven. It includes insights from experts on Carr’s place in the art world and views on aboriginals. Following Winds of Heaven, Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont present West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson. Sunday, March 11. 1 p.m. National Gallery of Canada, 380 Sussex Dr., carrdoc.wordpress.com
SALSA 5 to 9
Turn up the heat with an evening of passionate Latin dance hosted by Come Salsa. Practice or tune up your dance moves to high-energy salsa and cha-cha songs. A monthly social event, it’s an occasion to meet new people and dance with others. Saturday, March 10. $5. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dance or leather sole shoes are required. Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave., Comesalsa.ca/english/events.aspx
CHOCOLATE SHOW
It’s chocolate for breakfast at Carefor’s eight annual Chocolate Competition. Brunch includes live entertainment and a chance to sample desserts from 12 local chefs. The more than 400 guests will crown the creation of one of Ottawa’s pastry chefs ‘Ottawa’s Best Chocolate Dessert’, and a panel of celebrity judges, like the NAC’s executive chef, Michael Blackie, will put the competitors through a separate, more demanding challenge before voting on plate presentation, taste, and creativity. Saturday, March 10. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $75 (you will receive a $25 tax receipt), children $40 (age 4-12), infants free. Centurion Conference Centre, 170 Colonnade Rd., www.carefor.ca
GYPSIES & CO
Vintage fashion store Gypsies & Co is hosting a vernissage for local artists Kristen Saar and Sinisa Janic. Their art will remain up in the store throughout the month of March. It will be an evening of art, music, food and drink. Music will be an indie mix from Record Shop radio. Saar is a graduating student of the Fine Arts program at the University of Ottawa and specializes in video, photography and painting. Janic graduated from the University of Ottawa and his main medium is video. 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., Thursday March 8. $5. Gypsy & Co. Vintage Boutique, 209 Gilmour St., gypsyandcompany.ca
GOTHS + BASS
And for something completely different… Ottawa’s Goth scene invades Ottawa’s bass music scene. The local Goth community is meeting up at a night hosted by School of Bass. (The bass series showcases alternative electronic music.) The evening features Simply Craig from Watertown, NY, who plays a mix of progressive and trance music, as well as local talents Tampered DNA and DJ Reverie. Friday, March 9. $5 before 11 p.m. $7 after. Must be 19+. Cock & Lion Pub, 202 Sparks St. ide.djmix.ca
TRIVIA NIGHT
Find out how much you know about Ottawa’s heritage and Irish history in a just-for-fun trivia night. Bring a group of four or five and test your knowledge in an evening hosted by the Bytown Museum and the Ottawa Irish Festival. The winning team takes away passes to the museum and Bytown Museum travel mugs. Sunday, March 11. $10. 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Reserve your spot by March 8 by contacting vp@irishsocietyncr.com . D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Pub, 44 Sparks St. www.bytownmuseum.ca