HALLOWEEN FUN IN THE CITY
A rundown in What to Do This Week
TODAY
Writer’s Fest continues: The noon talk is about is acceptance and safe spaces with authors who are tackling such topics, for adults and children, including Vivek Shraya, Zoe Whittall and Ivan Coyote, noon, Christ Church Cathedral. Cost: $5-$10. Later at the same venue, Zoe Whittall joins Katherena Vermette and David Bergen for Family Matters, exploring issues of intimacy, truth and loyalty in their novels, 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $10-$15. Comedian Mike Myers is signing copies of his new, funny and heartfelt book about our homeland, Canada, at a very tightly-organized event at Chapters on Rideau Street: Only 400 wristbands will be handed out starting at 10 a.m. Signing runs from 7 to 9 p.m., 47 Rideau St. Beautiful and haunting and angry, together: Innovative instrumental metal music is up at this unique event featuring local band, The Night Watch, melding prog rock, strings and classical skills into some headbanging but beautiful songs, 8 to 11 p.m., Bar Robo. Cover: $10. TUESDAY Cinderella, the pumpkin carriage, glass slipper and amusing step-sisters will romp, twirl and sing across the stage in the Broadway Across Canada production of the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, 7 p.m., National Arts Centre. On to Oct. 3. Tickets: from $41. Margaret Atwood is in the (Writers’ Fest) house, talking about her latest novel, Hag-Seed, a retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest as the protaganist’s own life comes to mimic that of the play he is trying to produce at a theatre festival. There will also be some actors on hand to illuminate some of the original, stormy tale, 6:30 p.m., Christ Church Cathedral, 414 Spark St. Tickets: $25-$35. WEDNESDAY Far from socks and sandals: Eco style is now all over the runways of the world, including those at the Lansdowne Park where the Metamorphosis Fashion Show gives local designers a chance to showcase sustainable and cutting-edge designs, on the catwalk and in the night-time market, 6 to 10 p.m., Horticulture Building. Tickets: $49.50, $85/VIP.
THURSDAY
The Haunted House on the Hill from 7 p.m., Billings Estate National Historic Site, 2100 Cabot St. Reservations recommended. Tickets: $10.20/ each. Children under 13 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. For those missing rock from
another era — think ZZ Top and Def Leppard, when lyrics like “You make my temperature hot, and my jeans real tight” were commonplace — Toronto’s head-banging band Last Bullet play The Rainbow, 9 p.m. Tickets: $7.
FRIDAY
Ballet Jörgen’s production of Swan Lake has a one-night-only engagement at Centrepointe Theatres, setting the romantic story in a 17th-century Nova Scotia Park, 7:30 p.m., 101 Centrepointe Dr. Tickets: $24-$43, Grab your cargo pants, butterfly
clips and shell necklaces: 1994 is back. Huge Canadian alt-rock bands Our Lady Peace and I Mother Earth are on tour together and hitting TD place with Edwin, 7 p.m. Tickets: $59.15-$89.15. SOME HALLOWEEN CLUB EVENTS AND PARTIES: Halloween Emocore: Local bands play classic EMO songs, with SLIP, Missioner, Halfsleeper, Old Rules, 10 p.m., House of Targ. $10/with costume, $12/without. Food donations for Ottawa Food Bank give another $2 off door price. Sashay Halloween LGBT party with DJ Cajjmere Wray, 10 p.m., Barrymore’s. Tickets: $14.99$25. Return of the Living DJ is a two-floor party of house and techno, and a psytrance room, with Ruth Grader, Intangerines vs. Transmit, Shalbats, Kurt Yates, Joe Rowe, KyAzMa and more, Mavericks and Cafe Dekcuf, from 9 p.m., 221 Rideau St. Tickets: $20 in advance. Timekode and Double Barrel are uniting with a night of seven-inch selections of soul to Afro oddities, with DJs Memetic, Zattar and Magnificent, 10 p.m., D’Afrique, 164 Laurier Ave. W. Tickets: $10 cover. Chicago DJ Skull aka Ron Many is hosting the pre-Halloweeen, Acid party at Mercury Lounge, 9 p.m., 56 ByWard Market Sq. Tickets: $15 at the door. SATURDAY Dressing like a vampire? Then donate some blood at a Spooktacular blood drive, costumes encouraged, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Canadian Blood Services, 1575 Carling Ave. Whiprsnapr Brewery is haunted (tonight at least) with two waves of events: The first, from noon to 4 p.m., is family-friendly and includes treats for all; the one from 5 to 9 p.m. includes treats of the alcoholic sort, 14-106 Bexly Rd. Admission; free, but donations welcome to the FAMSAC Food Cupboard. The Great Pumpkin Ball is an annual, two-floor party in Saint Brigid’s “Haunted Castle,” with two DJs, the Alice in Wonderland band and more, to benefit several local and national charities. The theme for this 10thanniversary party is Poison: Descent into darkness — though all the donations for the food bank shall remain untainted, 8 p.m. until late, 310 St. Patrick St. Tickets: $40, and only 750 will be sold. SUNDAY The Sons of Scotland pipes and drums will be on Sparks Street, no matter the weather, parading alongside highland dancers to launch the selling of poppies for the month of remembrance, 10:30 a.m. The parade, including poppy sellers and veterans, will end at the National War Memorial at about 11 a.m. A Comedian’s Guide to the Universe as Zaphod Beeblebrox hosts its first comedy showcase, with 10 performers for just $3 (8 p.m.) — and followed by the always outrageous Trailer Park Bingo. All proceeds from the comedy show will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. There are more than $6,000 in costume prizes to be given away at Scream 2016, turning the mundane EY Centre into a scene of horror and fright — and EDM, with Marshmello headlining, 9 p.m., 4899 Uplands Dr. Tickets: All advance tickets are sold out, $40-$45.