Thanksgiving weekend is one of the best times of year to be in Ottawa. The long weekend runs Saturday, October 10 to Monday, October 12, 2026, the fall colours are usually at or near their peak, and the region fills up with farm festivals, artisan markets, concerts and hockey.
This guide pulls together specific things to do, with dates, addresses and costs, so you can plan the weekend in minutes. And if you're thinking about buying or selling in Ottawa, it's also a great excuse to see a few neighbourhoods up close.
Before you head out: details below come from public event listings as of October 7, 2026. Hours, prices and availability can change, so confirm with the organizer before you go.
Peak colour in the Ottawa region typically falls in early to mid-October, which usually means Thanksgiving weekend. The National Capital Commission's Fall Rhapsody celebrates the season across Ottawa-Gatineau, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy it.
About a 15-minute drive from Parliament Hill, and the region's headline fall destination. Champlain Lookout is the classic viewpoint.
It gets busy. Access is limited during Fall Rhapsody, some roads close to vehicles for active use, and parking fills up on weekends. Going on Friday, or using the free NCC weekend shuttle where it's running, makes for an easier day.
Through Thanksgiving Monday, the NCC opens parkways in Ottawa to people walking, running, biking and skating on weekends. It's free, and a good way to see the colours along the water without fighting for a parking spot.
You don't have to leave the city. Major's Hill Park, Rockcliffe Park and Vincent Massey Park are all good picnic spots, and the pathways along the Ottawa and Gatineau rivers are lined with colour.
A nine-acre wooded ravine with sculptures set along walking trails, just outside Cumberland Village at 3468 Old Montreal Road. Admission is $7 to $10, and it's a quieter option than the big lookouts.
If you're looking for gifts, baking supplies or something to bring to the dinner table, this is the weekend for markets. Most of these are free to attend.
Oct 10-11 at Les Serres Robert Plante Greenhouses, 4228 Navan Road. More than 200 local vendors and artisans, with handmade goods, seasonal finds and treats, set among the greenhouses. Free.
Saturday, Oct 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Dickinson Square, Manotick (5524 Dickinson Street). Crafts, contests and carriage rides at one of the area's most photographed heritage spots. Free.
Saturday, Oct 10. A community market with more than 30 local vendors, handcrafted goods, prize draws and a photo op with Turkey Boy.
Oct 10-11 in Mississippi Mills. Now in its 30th year, this self-guided tour visits artists' studios around Almonte and the surrounding countryside. Free.
Also worth a look: the Thanksgiving Farmers Market in Metcalfe on Saturday, October 10 (Metcalfe Agricultural Society, 2821 8th Line Road), the One World Bazaar in an old converted barn on Mitch Owens Road in Manotick (open weekends this fall), and the Nepean Night Market on Sundays at 1442 Baseline Road, which runs until October 18.
Farms, pumpkins and family funOttawa's farms go all in for fall. These are the ones with the most going on over the long weekend.
7893 Bleeks Road, Munster Hamlet. Wagon rides, live and puppet shows, mild haunts, a parade, hedge mazes and pumpkin picking. Runs to November 1, from $25.
1865 O'Toole Road, Cumberland. The farm becomes a Halloween playground, and you're welcome to bring a picnic. Runs to October 31, about $22.55 to $23.60.
670 Cedarview Road, Ottawa. A corn maze and wagon rides, running to November 1. About $15.46.
Nesbitt Biology Building, 1125 Colonel By Drive. Over 1,300 live exotic butterflies are released in the greenhouses. Open through Sunday, October 11, and $5.
Apple and pumpkin picking, a petting zoo and a hedge maze. Family weekends run through October 12, about $16.
Ride up for a fall-colour view over the Ottawa Valley. Runs through October 12, $15 to $20.
Thanksgiving Train Rides at the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario in Smiths Falls (90 William Street West) on Saturday, October 10: a vintage caboose ride, hay ride, museum tour and fall photo spots for about $20.76.
Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, east of Ottawa, lights up more than 7,000 handcrafted pumpkins along a kilometre-long path at night. It runs to October 31, at $21 to $23.
Looking for a bit of spooky? Frightfest at Saunders Farm, Acres of Terror at Cannamore Orchard, sKreamers at Proulx Farm and the Midway Massacre haunted house at 1D Studios (2935 Conroy Road) are all open this weekend, and the Stittsville Haunted Heritage Tours run on the main street. These are generally aimed at older kids and adults.
Shows, concerts and hockeyIf your long weekend involves a night out, the lineup is strong.
Saturday, October 10 at the Canadian Tire Centre, with tickets from about $56.
October 9-10 at the National Arts Centre's Babs Asper Theatre, from about $76.
Saturday, October 10 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (4837 Albion Road), from about $82.
Saturday, October 10 in Southam Hall at the NAC: a celebration of Burundian culture through movement, music and storytelling.
More options: Kalle Mattson's new duo summersets at the Fourth Stage on Saturday (about $20), the final days of Capital Music Week (through October 11), Cirque du Soleil's Luzia (through October 18, from about $67), the Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Show at 330 Kent Street, and folk duo Buffalo Traffic Jam at The Bronson on Thanksgiving Monday. History buffs can catch Dief the Chief: October '62, a theatrical take on the Cuban Missile Crisis, at the Diefenbunker on Friday, October 9.
A sample Thanksgiving weekend planNot sure where to start? Here's one way to string it together. Swap anything in or out based on your crew.
Fridays are quieter than the weekend, so it's a smart day for the lookouts. In the evening, catch John Cleese at the NAC or the Dief the Chief show at the Diefenbunker.
Start at the Watson's Mill Fall Finale in Manotick (10 a.m.) and work in the Navan or Stittsville markets. Spend the afternoon at a pumpkin farm, then finish with the Senators game or a show.
Take the Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour through Mississippi Mills, stop in at the Butterfly Show on its last day, or ride the NCC parkways. The Nepean Night Market runs Sunday evening.
Go for a morning walk, then settle in for dinner. Last chances this season for the Cannamore Orchard weekends and the Calabogie chairlift, and Buffalo Traffic Jam plays The Bronson in the evening.
In past years, OC Transpo has run a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Monday, curbside collection has shifted by a day, and City of Ottawa services, libraries and many city-run facilities have closed. Several national museums have stayed open. Many shopping centres have also been closed or on reduced hours.
Check the City of Ottawa, OC Transpo and each venue for 2026 hours, and do your grocery shopping before Monday.
| Event | When | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving Market | Oct 10-11 | Robert Plante Greenhouses, 4228 Navan Rd | Free |
| Watson's Mill Fall Finale | Sat, Oct 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | 5524 Dickinson St, Manotick | Free |
| Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour | Oct 10-11 | Mississippi Mills | Free |
| Carleton Butterfly Show | Through Oct 11 | 1125 Colonel By Dr | $5 |
| Senators vs. Predators | Sat, Oct 10 | Canadian Tire Centre | From about $56 |
| Thanksgiving Train Rides | Sat, Oct 10 | Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario, Smiths Falls | About $20.76 |
| PumpkinFest | Through Nov 1 | Saunders Farm, 7893 Bleeks Rd | From $25 |
| Pumpkin Fest | Through Oct 31 | Proulx Farm, 1865 O'Toole Rd | About $22.55 to $23.60 |
| Fall Fun on the Farm | Through Nov 1 | The Log Farm, 670 Cedarview Rd | About $15.46 |
| NCC Weekend Bikedays | Weekends through Oct 12 | NCC parkways | Free |
Not cooking this year? Many Ottawa restaurants and caterers offer turkey-to-go and dine-in Thanksgiving brunch or dinner, and the good ones book up early. Order or reserve as soon as you can.
If you're hosting, shop before the weekend, since stores and malls can run reduced hours on Monday. And if the house is going to be full, it's a good moment to notice what your home does and doesn't do well for entertaining. That's often the first spark behind a move.
Use the long weekend to scout Ottawa neighbourhoodsMany of the best Thanksgiving events happen in communities across Ottawa and the surrounding area. If you're thinking about buying, this is a relaxed way to see what daily life feels like in each one, without a real estate agenda. Here's what this weekend's plans can show you.
Watson's Mill, Dickinson Square and the One World Bazaar. A village atmosphere on the Rideau River within the City of Ottawa.
Gobblefest and the Main Street heritage tours show off a community with a strong local calendar, in Ottawa's west end.
The Plante greenhouse market sits in the east end's rural-meets-suburban edge, with Orléans close by.
Proulx Farm and the Humanics sculpture park put you in a village setting east of the city core.
Home to Saunders Farm. Think space, farmland and a quiet drive home from the fun.
The Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour highlights a small-town community with a real artist scene, a drive west of Ottawa.
Drive the commute from each area at a normal rush hour, visit the same street on a weekday and a weekend, and note the details: grocery stores, schools, parks, and how busy the roads get when there's an event. Take photos, and write down what you liked.
When is Thanksgiving in Ottawa in 2026?
Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday of October, which is Monday, October 12, 2026. The long weekend runs Saturday, October 10 to Monday, October 12 (many people also start on Friday, October 9).
Are the fall colours at their peak over Thanksgiving weekend?
Usually, yes. Peak colour in the Ottawa area tends to arrive in early to mid-October, around Thanksgiving. Timing changes from year to year with the weather, so check the NCC's Fall Rhapsody updates before you go.
What are the best free things to do in Ottawa over Thanksgiving weekend?
The Thanksgiving Market in Navan, the Watson's Mill Fall Finale in Manotick, the Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour, NCC Weekend Bikedays and walks through Ottawa's parks are all free.
What can I do with kids on Thanksgiving weekend in Ottawa?
Pumpkin farms such as Saunders Farm, Proulx Farm and The Log Farm are the most popular choices. The Carleton Butterfly Show is a good shorter outing, and the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario's Thanksgiving Train Rides make a fun day trip.
Is there a free shuttle to Gatineau Park?
During Fall Rhapsody, the NCC has offered a limited number of free weekend shuttles to the southern part of Gatineau Park. Access to the park is limited at busy times, so check the NCC's latest information, and consider going on a weekday or Friday.
What's open on Thanksgiving Monday in Ottawa?
It varies. In recent years, OC Transpo has run a Sunday schedule, and city services and libraries have been closed, while several national museums stayed open. Confirm 2026 hours with each venue.
Is Thanksgiving weekend a good time to look at Ottawa neighbourhoods?
It can be. With events happening across the city, you can see how different communities feel when they're busy. If you'd like help turning those impressions into a plan to buy or sell, the Ali Realty Group team is happy to talk it through at 613-327-0131.
Whether your perfect Thanksgiving weekend is a quiet walk under orange maples, a Saturday of markets and pumpkin patches, or a big night out, Ottawa has a lot going on between October 10 and 12. Pick a few things, leave room to wander, and enjoy the long weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Ali Realty Group.
