I was hoping to have a whole Year of Epic, but I think this will be my last what’s happening around Ottawa kind of post. I’m just ready to move on to new things, and with the end of summer and (sob!) return to the Making Of Lunches, it seems like a good time to turn over a new leaf and start fresh.

My blog, just like Madonna! Constantly re-inventing itself! I am SO cutting edge.

Anyway, here’s what’s up for the Labour Day weekend in Ottawa. (Events for this coming weekend, August 25/26, are here.)

August 31 through September 3 is the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival, in the Parc de la Baie which is just on the other side of the river from Rockcliffe. See the balloons up close, meet the pilots, even take a ride yourself. There’s also a midway, classic car show, arts and crafts, buskers, and a ton of bands, including KC and the Sunshine Band on Friday, Simple Plan on Saturday. The balloon flights are very early in the morning – scheduled for 6:30 a.m. most days – but activities run all day; you can see balloons on the ground in the afternoons, and evening entertainments go right up to 11:30 p.m. Kids aged 10 and under are free (except for midway rides); anyone older needs to purchase a one-day pass for $22 or a four-day pass for $35. Balloon rides, of course are extra (a LOT extra), but possibly worth it for a once-in-a-lifetime event. Advance tickets to everything can be purchased here.

August 31 through September 3 are also the dates of the Perth Fair, at the Perth Fairgrounds. This is a more traditional agricultural fair, featuring animal shows, livestock competitions, and displays by local farmers, although there are also amusement rides and, I’m sure, cotton candy, because what’s a fair without cotton candy? Adult entry is $10, kids 7 to 12 are $2, with midway rides costing extra; gates open at noon on Friday, 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Feel like getting out for a run on the last weekend in summer? The Canadian Run will be on Saturday, September 1, at 8 a.m. It features an 8 km run and 3 km run, with the 3 km run in particular offering several kids’ age categories.

The Labour Day weekend is the last weekend for the Capital Reading Garden. It is also the last weekend for the Whales Tohora exhibit at the Museum of Nature, and the Van Gogh exhibit at the National Gallery, both of which will be moving on after September 3. It’s also the last weekend for the Mosaika sound and light show on Parliament Hill, and Sunday, September 2 is the last free Alcatel-Lucent Bikeday on the various parkways in town.

And that’s all I got! Hope you’re off and running for your very own Year of Epic.