In this edition of the Weekender, amateur boxing, Fleetwood Mac reincarnated, honeyed cures for colds, and three other things to do in Ottawa this weekend.
Fight, fight, fight!
St. Anthony Italia Soccer Club hosts the Beaver Boxing Club’s amateur boxing show. This is the club’s third event, which features food, drink, music, and 12 bouts of boxing from clubs across Ontario and Quebec. All proceeds support Beaver Boxing Club’s Youth Boxing Program, so lace up those gloves and get set to enjoy the sweet science. Jan. 17. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. $20, youth (17 under) $10, kids six and under are free. St. Anthony Italia Soccer Club, 523 St. Anthony St., ottawastanthony.com
Octopus authors (FREE!)
Acclaimed Indigenous authors, writers and activists gather at Octopus Bookstore for an intimate evening featuring poems, story, and song. Waubgeshig Rice, who’ll be reading from his new book, Legacy, hosts this unique event; author/activist Leanne Simpson’s debut collection of short stories, Island of Decolonial Love, will introduce voices, rarely heard, of individuals struggling to confront racism and colonialism; and poet Vera Wabegijig’s new work, Wild Rice Dream, examines the intricate relationship between people, dreams, and memories. Jan. 17. 7 to 9 p.m. Octopus Bookstore, 251 Bank St., 2nd floor, octopusbooks.ca
Need more Fleetwood Mac? (FREE!)
Born somewhere in the space between Fleetwood Mac and the poetry of Sylvia Plath, Toronto’s indie folk/pop band, Running Red Lights, plays a small, cozy show at The Daily Grind (601 Somerset Ave.). The four-piece band showcases their brand new album There’s a Bluebird in My Heart. They play with Vancouver’s rough and ready bluesman John Pippus, and Ottawa’s own Joe Brownrigg. Jan. 17. 9 p.m. Free, although a $5 donation is welcome. The Daily Grind, 601 Somerset St. W., thedailygrindartcafe.com
Sweet medicine
With cold and flu season well underway, there seems like a never-ending glut of remedies on pharmacy shelves. But have you ever wondered what Mother Nature might prescribe for that hacking cough? Old South Ottawa blogger Amber Westfall, aka The Wild Garden, hosts Sweet Medicine: Herbal Honeys, Syrups and Elixirs. The workshop looks at nourishing, natural, and sweet tonics used by traditional cultures to aid the sick. Preparing infused honeys, syrups, and elixirs is part of the workshop. Jan. 18. 1 to 4 p.m. $35. Location sent upon confirmation of attendance. thewildgarden.ca
Cubicle comedy (FREE!)
Feeling cubicle bound? So is Colin MacDonald. But he escapes office servitude by day, transforming into a horror novelist writing the vampire-zombie apocalypse by night. MacDonald returns as the protagonist in Christian McPherson’s new comic novel Cube Squared. Ottawa author McPherson will be at the Chapters in South Keys for a book signing. Jan. 18. 2 to 4 p.m. Chapters, 2210 Bank St. He will also be reading from his new novel as part of the Dusty Owl Reading Series. Jan. 19. 3 to 4:30 p.m. Mugshots Bar, 75 Nicholas St., facebook.com/mugshotsjailbar
Digital realities
What can be done with all the digital images we take, collect, and see everyday? That’s a question Therese Guy asks in her exhibition Les mécanismes trompeurs at Centre d’artistes Voix Visuelle. The show displays large format digital works, wherein signs and shapes found in the images reveal multiple realities. Until Feb. 18. Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. Le Centre d’artistes Voix Visuelle, 67 Beechwood Ave., voixvisuelle.ca