As part of my job as a mom, and part of my job as a parenting writer, I’m always looking for stuff to do around the city – special events, cool places to visit, new shops and services. I try not to play favourites but I can’t help but notice when there’s something so cool, so unique, and so fun that it’s worth talking about.
So with apologies to my out of city readers, I’ll just take a moment to rave about the Puppets Up! festival running August 8 to 10 in Almonte, because it’s awesome, and you should go.
And now there’s totally no excuse NOT to go, because I have passes to give away. PASSES. FOR FREE. BOO YEAH.
Disclosure: Puppets Up! is providing the passes for the winner of this contest, but I wrote about them for free, with no compensation to my family. That’s because it’s awesome! And you should go! Trust me. 🙂
So what’s so great about Puppets Up? First of all, PUPPETS. When my kids were little, puppets were a touch-and-go thing – sometimes fun, sometimes scary. But at the festival it’s very, very kid-friendly. Most of the puppeteers are quite willing to show their faces – some are even an integral part of the shows – and everyone is very open and friendly about showing how the puppets work. Everything I’ve seen has been very fun and funny, nothing intense or scary – definitely aimed at families.
There’s a parade every day at 1:45 down Mill Street, Almonte’s main strip – very cool and interactive, and it’s totally free. Most of the adorable shops and cafes in town have at least something puppet-related in the window, so if you’re looking to check it out but don’t want to commit to buying tickets, you can still get a flavour of the event just by heading out for the parade and having a wander.
But! If you do invest in passes ($20 adults, $10 kids), you can pop in and out of tents to see any number of performers and shows. Check their website for details of who will be performing (full schedule coming soon, but stuff is going on all the time there, so you can really just head out when it works for you and then catch whatever you can catch). And the shows are charming! And cute! And funny! And entertaining!
ALL GOOD.
So! Want to win passes? All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me your favourite summertime activity in Ottawa. The giveaway is for four passes – you can use them for two adults, two kids, or one adult, three kids, or four adults, or whatever works for you. You can pick them up at the Puppets Up VIP box office when you arrive in Almonte.
Contest ends Thursday, July 24, at midnight EST. I’ll draw a winner at random on Friday, July 25. Good luck – and if you don’t win, you can always pick up passes yourself through their website.
TurtleHead 
not an entry!
i’ve always wanted to go to the festival but never seem to be around. and this year it’s the weekend we head to PEI, so can’t even think of changing those plans. here’s hoping it works out for next year!
I would also enter, just to see what it’s all about, but also have pre-existing summer plans … I’ll have to tell my friends who are around to enter since it seems their odds will be good with so many people away!
Every year we make plans to go, and every year something happens to screw it up. My sister and her family will be here this year, so maybe some combination of us will try to make it out. My favourite summertime activity in Ottawa is strawberry-picking, or Bluesfesting, or swimming, or reading in the backyard, or gardening.
Ottawa has so many great summer activities and places to see and do! We love to pack a picnic and head to the many great beaches, splash pads or walking trails in summertime.
Our new found favourite activity is spending the day enjoying the pools at the Brookstreet Hotel. A bit of a splurge but everyone loves it.
We love to explore new splash pads and pools – sooooo many to try!
Just so much awesomeness in Ottawa in the summer (Gatineau Park! Shakespeare in parks! kilometers of multi-use pathways to walk, jog, bike all around the city, hand-crank locks!!), but my favourites probably are: 1) grabbing a latte or other treat in the Glebe early in the day and walking along Patterson creek to the Canal, where there is a mega-huge awesome climbing tree for the small ones to climb on, then walking north toward Pretoria and downtown, hoping for a boat to come along that will make them raise the bridge OR 2) heading out to the airport via Ruby Inn to pick up a dozen (or more) open-ended Eggrolls, and then sitting and eat them parked in one of the designated areas, watching planes take off and land. If they’re using runway 32 we might even get out of the car and see who isn’t afraid to have a plane fly directly right over their head just before it touches down on the runway. Oh, and timing it just right to catch a sunset from the lookout pavilion where the Rockcliffe parkway turns into Sussex.