HINTONBURG SHINNY
Hintongburg residents will slap sticks and square off against their neighbours in the first first annual street hockey tournament in the hip ‘hood. Nets will be set up on Hamilton Avenue North and Spencer Street (immediately next to the Parkdale Park). Funds raised will be used for youth programming in the community. Teams must have one person who lives in Hintonburg as well as at least one male and one female, and one youth under 14. If you can’t put a team together, bring the family down to watch the excitement unfold. Visit to sign- up. Organizers will be accepting team registration until Friday night, but registration is capped at 30 teams. Saturday, Jan. 21. 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. $10 per team.
LOST IN YONKERS
Lost for what to do this weekend? Quench your culture craving with Ottawa Little Theatre’s run of Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Lost in Yonkers. The show stars Thomas Nyhuus and Ven Djukic as two brothers who suffer the damages of an eclectic and dysfunctional family in the early 1940s. A stern grandmother, a mentally soft aunt, and a thug uncle make for an entertaining cast of family members. The play is Chantale Plante’s third time in the director’s role at the Ottawa Little Theatre. Until Jan. 28; matinee performance Sunday, Jan. 22. $25, $22 seniors, $10 students. Ottawa Little Theatre, 400 King Edward Ave. www.ottawalittletheatre.com
OTTAWA CHILDREN’S GALA
This awards season, walk the stars of your camcorder down a red carpet! The Children’s Gala is a formal affair with entertainment for both adults and children. Enjoy a classy meal (adult and kid menus available), then twirl around the ballroom in honour of a good cause. Proceeds from the event go towards Ottawa ThinkFirst, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of brain and spinal cord injuries. Saturday, Jan. 21. Ballroom doors open at 4 p.m. Tickets start at $125 for adults, $50 for children. Hampton Inn Ottawa and Conference Centre, 100 Coventry Rd. www.ottawachildrensgala.com
WINTER BEERFEST (FREE!)
Order up a beer from behind an ice bar and drink it down beside a cozy bonfire, or take in other classic Canadian traditions (like dogsledding!) at BeerFest, taking place this weekend at Chateau Cartier in Gatineau. For the first edition of the festival, «du Lièvre» microbrewery has been chosen as the official brewer, the Chateau Cartier’s own Chef Marc Gervais will be serving up tapas dishes to pair with your beer, and everything from troubadours to DJ beats will be on offer. Friday, Jan. 20 and Saturday, Jan. 21 from 4 p.m. until 1 a.m. 18+ event. Chateau Cartier, 1170 Aylmer Rd., Gatineau. www.festibieredegatineau.ca
HOME RENOVATIONS SHOW
The Home Renovations Show comes to the new CE Centre this weekend, bringing designers, professional renovators, and local building experts under one roof. Browse exhibiting companies and hundreds of products for the latest upgrading ideas. Highlights include the Ultimate Garage display, a ‘man cave’ complete with high end cabinetry and storage racks, an array of high-end power tools, a large screen TV, and a draft tap. Friday, Jan. 20 to Sunday, Jan. 22. $10, $8 in advance, free for youth under 17. CE Centre, 4899 Uplands Dr. www.thehomerenovationsshow.com
WINTER BIKE PARADE (FREE!)
Citizens for Safe Cycling are hosting Ottawa’s first ever Winter Bike Parade. Cyclists decked out in funky winter clothing, colourful biking gear, and touting noisemakers will parade down the Laurier Avenue bike lane to City Hall to prove Ottawans not only bike in winter, but that they actually enjoy it! Free apple cider will be provided at the end of the route. Meet the group at the corner of Laurier Avenue and Percy Street at noon to start the ride. Sunday, Jan. 22. www.safecycling.ca
WINTER SURVIVAL SKILLS WORKSHOP
Not sure how you survived last winter — let alone how the pioneers managed it? Find out in an outdoor skills workshop aimed at kids 12 and up. Learn to make a temporary shelter called a ‘quinzee’ from a mound of snow, build a fire, brew pine needle tea, and snowshoe around the Billings Estate. At the end of all that outdoor activity, hot drinks and snacks can be enjoyed inside Ottawa’s oldest wooden-framed house. Advanced registration ($15 per person) is required. Saturday, Jan. 21.1-4 p.m. Billings Estate National Historic Site, 2100 Cabot St. www.ottawa.ca/rec_culture