BY AMY ALLEN & MATT HARRISON
Derby Day at City Hall
When two deaths occurred at Madison Square Garden in New York City at a six-day roller derby competition, it marked an ominous start to a relatively new sport — one which would wax and wane in popularity for more than a century. Those deaths also demonstrated how demanding this sport can be, requiring speed, endurance, and sheer athleticism in order to compete — something both the Capital City Derby Dolls and Rideau Valley Roller Girls know all too well.
That athleticism will be on display this Saturday, July 11 when the two teams compete in a fun demonstration of the sport at City Hall. They, along with four other teams, will compete in a series of short games with a full-contact co-ed game concluding the day. It’s free, and will run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Food trucks will be on-hand for snacking. More info, visit here.
Marion Dewar Plaza is at 110 Laurier Ave.
Spins & Needles 10th Anniversary
The glue gun’s hot, the pints are pulled, the needle is threaded — just as the other needle is about to drop — Spins & Needles is set to celebrate their 10th anniversary (geez, can it really be that long ago?) this Saturday, July 11.
If memory serves me correctly, I took my future wife to a pub on Sparks Street in the dead of winter in 2005 for what was a unique twist on “going out.” Melanie Yugo and Jason Pelletier, the initial creators, offered up a chance to hear eclectic beats and drink and craft; a sort of post-rave experience for burn-outs. Some sewed, some glued buttons, some cut shapes with scissors — I think I came home that night with fridge magnets. Whatever it was, it was fun.
Ten years on, and Spins & Needles is celebrating a milestone with a party at SAW Gallery, which includes: DJs Jason Skilz, Kurt Yates, Calkuta and Memetic will be spinning; there’ll be a special anniversary DIY project kit featuring one of Spins & Needles’ favourite DIY art/craft/design projects; selected local artists, designers, and makers will be hosting interactive graphic art stalls where you can drop by and participate in additional projects; plus more fun including illustrative sketches, zines, silkscreening, and linocut stamps. Entrance is $15. More for beer. Need to know more, visit here.
SAW Gallery is at 67 Nicholas St.
Wolfgang
Classical music gets a makeover with the Wolfgang Sessions, a collaboration between the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Mercury Lounge that aims to infuse the genre with a bit of youthful exuberance. Accompanied by DJs and with visuals by video projection artists, the orchestra performs pieces by innovative young composers.
On Saturday, July 11, catch this season’s third and final Wolfgang session, where the orchestra performs Lies You Can Believe In by Missy Mazzoli, whom the New York Times lauded as a “consistently inventive and surprising composer”, as well as Sarah Kirkland Snider’s wistful Daughter of the Waves, Tansy Davies’ Loure, Marie-Pierre Brasset’s Dyea, and Jocelyn Morlock’s Vespertine. The show takes place at Mercury Lounge. Tickets start at $10 and are available through the National Arts Centre.
Mercury Lounge is at 56 ByWard Market Square
Skratch Bastid’s BBQ
Beats and barbecue — they’re such simple things, but truly, what more do you need to pull off the perfect summer party? Halifax-born DJ and record producer Skratch Bastid grills up some goodness with Skratch Bastid’s BBQ, a massive open-air shindig that brings a bunch of DJs and EDM artists to the stage — including Green Lantern, Thugli, Poirier, Bear Witness, DJ Magnificent, Acro, and Iggy Smalls. The party gets started at TD Place on Saturday, July 11. Tickets start at $10. More info, visit here. Check out his latest mix:
TD Place is at 1015 Bank St.
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
“The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily: then he dipped it into his cup of tea and looked at it again: but he could think of nothing better to say than his first remark, ‘It was the best butter, you know” — Alice in Wonderland
Insanity. Sheer madness. And hats. Colourful, fanciful, outlandish, weird, and whacky. And tea. Lots of it. There should also be food and fun — the makings of a Mad Hatter’s tea party. Come out to this year’s Alice in Wonderland-themed party on Sunday, July 12 at Windsor Park from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. All ages welcome, simply bring your favourite ‘hat’, a picnic blanket, and a penchant for silliness — tea, cups, and activities will be provided. It’s free. More info, visit here.
Windsor Park is just off of Riverdale and Belmont Avenues, east, near the Rideau River in Old Ottawa South