Planning for Westfest: Westboro's Giant Street Party

Westfest is one of Ottawa's most happening arts and music festivals, featuring a whole slew of great Canadian talent. It’s basically a giant, free, four-day party in Westboro and after a year of waiting for the excitement, Westfest is back and it starts tonight!

 If you’ve been to Westfest before, you understand what all the excitement is about and if you’ve never been, do yourself (and the kiddies) a favor and get out there and enjoy. Some rules of thumb to remember when attending Westfest with the kids:

Walk if you Can

If you live close enough to Westfest you really should consider walking since parking is extremely limited. If you live too far away to walk, prepare to park away from the action.

Wear your best walking shoes and don’t forget your stroller because Westfest covers nearly 15 blocks, about a one kilometre chunk of Richmond Road, which can feel very long if your feet hurt or if you have short little legs. Biking is also a great way to get around.

Check the Weather

Check the weather before you leave the house, and if you’re planning on spending some time there, prepare for any weather-related eventuality. If it’s hot, bring water, lots of sunscreen and hats. For chilly weather, bring sweaters and blankets for strollers. Westfest happens rain or shine so always have an umbrella is you’re willing to brave the rain.

Have a Food Plan

If it’s a nice day it’s pretty much guaranteed that all the restaurants will be jam-packed. Some restaurants will have a special Westfest menu and have seating out on the street. If you have little ones, figuring out how and when to feed them beforehand is a pretty important piece of the puzzle if you want your day to run smoothly.

Plan Your Day

There is so much for kids to see and do on the street. There are always some really cool street performers, a bunch of inflatable bouncy things, awesome face-painting artists. This year, for the kids, there is a Dovercourt Funzone, ScotiaBank Kidzone and some pretty awesome balloonists from The World’s Greatest Balloons. There will be so much to do that you’re kids won’t be bored. But it is easy for them to get overwhelmed so having a plan of what you want to do is critical.

Plan Some Adult Time

One of the best parts of Westfest, however, and a part that shouldn’t be missed is the music. This year, Jane Siberry, The Skydiggers and Fiftymen are some of the big name draws. You can check out the lineup here. The music during the day is fun for the kids but don’t forget to book a sitter if you want some adult time to walk, eat and enjoy as well.

Are you heading out to Westfest this weekend? What is your favorite part?

Ottawa's Farmer's Markets

One of the best parts of Ottawa in the summer is the availability of fresh produce grown locally. Last weekend, my girls and I had the opportunity to visit the Westboro Farmer’s Market to get some veggies and breads for dinner. Since the arrival of summer, the Farmer’s Markets are popping up all over Ottawa, in every part of the city. Not only are they a great resource for those who want to support our local infrastructure, but they are a fun way to get your kids involved in making (and actually eating) dinner.

If I’m honest with myself, I have to admit I have the world's pickiest eaters. Both are self-proclaimed vegetable haters. So, in order to help the situation, I told them that they could each pick and prepare a dish with their (ahem) favorite veggies. My eldest grabbed some asparagus (all the while laughing because it would make our pee smell). My youngest latched onto the zucchini. At first, she wanted to make fried zucchini but later settled on “baked” fried zucchini. A good compromise I thought.

We had a blast inspecting, choosing and then buying our dinner. Not only did they have fresh vegetables, baked goods and fruits but they also had crafts, treats and pottery, flowers and more. It was a great way to spend an afternoon.

The Ottawa Farmer’s Market in Westboro is located along the walking path of the Byron Linear Park, between Golden, Richmond and Byron Avenues and there are more than 65 vendors. It runs on Saturdays from 9:30-3:00. you can also find more Farmer’s Markets around the city on their website.

Do you shop at an Ottawa Farmer's Market? Which one is your favorite?

The Start of Garage Sale Season

If you’re anything like me you’ve got a whole bunch of junk you don’t use anymore. I know I’ve got a whole store-room full of old toys, baby furniture, books and games. That’s why I love the start of summer. Or as I call it “Garage Sale Season!”

This weekend is the Great Glebe Garage Sale. While I’m not in the Glebe, my parents are so for as long as I remember, we’ve gotten up early on Garage Sale Day to unload all the gently used things we just don’t want anymore. My brother and I used to spend hours tagging and pricing all the stuff and when my own girls were old enough, I got them involved in doing the same. Since they were small, my girls have always loved to sell lemonade and cookies to everyone who walked by.

This year is no different. We’ve already got all our stuff organized and we’re crossing our fingers that the weather cooperates. We’re ready to head out to sell our used treasures and perhaps find a few new ones of our own.

If you can’t make it out to the Great Glebe Garage Sale tomorrow, here’s  a list of some other ones around Ottawa in the next few months.

Are you hitting the garage sale scene this summer? Here’s to happy treasure hunting!

What To Do In Ottawa This Weekend

With the weather warming up and the smell of flowers in the air (sort of), there is a lots of fun kids friendly things to do in Ottawa this weekend. If you’re stuck for ideas, here are some great outdoor, interactive activities that the whole family will love: The Tulip Festival

Running from May 3-20^th, the Ottawa Tulip Festival boasts food, dancing, music and a whole lot of tulip. There are free concerts and live performances from Thursday to Sunday nights at the Tulip Plaza in front of City Hall.

For more info: http://tulipfestival.ca/site/capital_sounds/en

Spring on Sparks

Sparks Street is gearing up for a family friendly, fun-filled spring extravaganza. Come and enjoy a giant 50 foot ferris wheel, merry-go-round, games, food and whole lot more! From May 3 until May 12.

For more info: http://sparksstreetmall.com/spingonSparks.html

Intergalactic Star Wars Day

For those of you who would not be surprised to see a Wookie walking down the street, May 4^th is known among Star Wars fans as Star Wars Day. Use your imagination to have light saber battles, watch reruns of the two trilogies and remember, “May the fourth be with you!”

For more info: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/May_4

Canadian Museum of Agriculture

On Saturday, May 4^th is the Grand Opening of the Learning Center at the Museum of Agriculture. They’re celebrating with a fun-filled day of activities like ice cream making, butter making, grooming a calf, crafts and demonstrations of big tools and farm machinery in action. And of course, who could argue with free cake!

For more info: http://www.agriculture.technomuses.ca

25^th Birthday Celebrations at Centrepointe Theatre & Ben Franklin Place

This family friendly event will feature Juno-nominated children’s performer Jennifer Gasoi and a Musical Petting Zoo. Tweens & teens can check out the skatepark, take a juggling workshop, or get a henna tattoo. Making anything from remote control robots to making laser cardboard cut-outs. A great day will be had by all.

For a full list of activities and performance times visit www.centrepointetheatre.com

So get out there, Ottawa families, and start to enjoy all the awesome spring activities that our great city has to offer. What are your plans this weekend?

Play Time Cafe in Manotick

By Kamerine Play Time Cafe is a kid-friendly coffee shop that recently opened in Manotick. I was so excited because even though there are other similar establishments in town, this is by far the closest one for me. I took the kids there one snowy morning a couple of weeks ago.

The first thing I noticed were the super bright green walls and then my eyes wandered around to the toys and puzzles and comfy chairs and couches and the high chairs everywhere. This was obviously a clean, kid-friendly, cozy place. The play area is gated off but surrounded with half walls so you could see the kids from almost everywhere in the place. There were also toys and stations (for lack of a better word) set up here and there like a princess table the kids loved with a hidden cubby full of blocks.

I picked up a snack for the kids and tried a Panini for me and veggie sliders for them. It was all delicious. The food is a focus for the owners and they boast wholesome and locally sourced ingredients. This isn't a necessity for me but it's definitely a nice touch.

It can be weird talking about bathrooms but I'm going to. Play Time Cafe has two bathrooms and a fully stocked change table for the little ones. This is such a big deal when you're out and about and the inevitable happens and you need to change a diaper. No problem at all here.

I had a chance to talk to two of the owners and I can say without a doubt that they are friendly and passionate about what they do. I'm glad to have Play Time Cafe so close by and I hope I've convinced you to go check it out. It's bright and cheerful and clean, with a friendly staff, and focused on healthy eating and community: a winning combination. We will definitely be back to Play Time Cafe.