WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
TODAY
It’s Ottawa Pride Week! Officially launched today with a flag raising and proclamation by Mayor Jim Watson at city hall, after the police and Capital Rainbow Refuse cook up and serve pancakes for breakfast, from 6 to 10 a.m., Marion Dewar Plaza. There will also be a convoy of colourful Fiat cars leaving city hall to visit other flag-raising ceremonies around town at 8:30 a.m. (There’s room for more participants, just be there on time).
TUESDAY
It’s the last week to catch A Company of Fools’ family-friendly, outdoor-in-a-park performance of Pericles, Prince of Tyre, an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s story of many characters, mistaken murder, misplaced daughters, intrigue and love, in Bells Corners tonight; Westboro tomorrow; Almonte on Thursday; Kanata on Friday; and Windsor Park in Ottawa South on Saturday, 7 p.m. Tickets: Pay-what-you-can, $20 recommended. For locations, check fools.ca
WEDNESDAY
The much anticipated Arboretum Music + Culture Festival gets started today in various venues around town, but with the Festival Village now at Marion Dewar Plaza at city hall. There are three different shows to choose from tonight: indie folkers Evening Hymns, punk-folk storyteller Safia Nolin and Her Harbour, at St. Alban’s; Partners, Nap Eyes, Shotgun Jimmie and Creep Wave, 7 p.m., House of Common; or dark-arty show with Vallens, Beliefs and the Heavy Medicine Band, 8 p.m., Bar Robo. Tickets: $1015 at the door, $60/pass in advance.
The St. Albert Curd Festival is about more than the squeaky, poutine-perfect cheese lumps (though they will be offered free to taste): There’s a giant maze and bingo, farmers market, wine and cheese tasting, ATV stunt show, live music — including DJ Champion and Acadian charmer Lisa Leblanc and more, 150 St. Paul St., St-Albert, about 45 minutes from Ottawa. Admission: $8/daily, $25-$45 for concerts; $55/pass.
Choir in the Park invites everyone, all ages and with any level of talent and experience (even none) to join the Capital City Community Choir for a casual evening singing in Strathcona Park, 7 to 9 p.m. Cash donations for the Ottawa Food Bank will be collected.
THURSDAY
The Tragically Hip perform for the last time in Ottawa tonight, as the band and the country face the reality of frontman Gord Downie’s cancer diagnosis, 8:30 p.m. with no opening act, Canadian Tire Centre. Tickets: Sold out, but the band has been holding a lottery for those who register at their website, www.thehip.com. Kids in the Hall’s Scott Thompson is hosting a series of Laugh Out Loud, uncensored Pride Week shows at Yuk Yuk’s, with comedians JJ Liberman, Ashley Moffat, Jesse Reynolds and Kyle Brownrigg, 8:30 p.m., Tickets: $25+. Montreal’s Danny Laj and The Looks play songs best described as power-pop Bruce Springsteen-like, with far more energy and retro sensibility, but still winning ways, with Altameda and Ornaments, 10 p.m., House of Targ. Tickets: $5 before 10 p.m.; $8 afterwards.
FRIDAY
The Capital Fair starts today, with
free gate admission all week at the Rideau Carleton Raceway, with the typical midway rides and fun, but also western horse shows, a seniors bridge tournament, monster truck and demolition derby, stunt dog show, and live music. Admission: free. There’s a shuttle from the South Keys transit station every half-hour. Ride bracelets $19.99 before Aug. 18, $38 at the gate. There’s another Pokémon Go pub
crawl planned for tonight, so wash your team colours and get ready to battle, this time including Sens House, PLURR, Pub 11 and EVE club, from 9 p.m. Tickets: $15 in advance. There are three free outdoor movie
screenings: Back to the Future — the classic, 6:30 p.m., Wakefield La Pêche Centre; The Princess Bride, 8:45 p.m. in the By Ward Market; and Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things, an examination of colonial shaming and modern unshaming in Inuit communities, 8:30 p.m., Dundonald Park.
Canadian rockers Sloan will be playing their huge hit album One Chord to Another at Arboretum Fest. Afterwards, phenomenal grunge-punk band METZ; Concert Village at Marion Dewar plaza. There, Beau’s Brewing’s Summer in the City beer garden has visiting brewers, Union Local 613 cocktail bar, food carts and a night bazaar, with DJs spinning, from 5 p.m. Tickets: $10 for beer garden only, $35/one day, $50/weekend. (Sunday: enjoy brunch or a BBQ with live music.) The South Grenville Bluegrass Festival continues with five bands playing, closing the night with Concession 23 at 10 p.m., Spencerville Fair Grounds, 4 Ryan St. Music begins at 10 a.m. all weekend. Tickets: $20 at the gate, $60/weekend.
SATURDAY
The Tragically Hip’s last concert, ever, is tonight in their hometown Kingston, but the show will be broadcast live and several viewing parties are planned so all can party amid the tears: Outdoors at 8:30 p.m., Parkdale Park, 366 Parkdale Ave. Bring chairs; 7:30 p.m., the St. John Pub, Arnprior; the concert will be live-screened in Kingston’s Market Square on what will be officially named The Tragically Hip Day, from 8 p.m.
There are two block parties: Hintonburger, once voted the city’s best slab of meat between two pieces of bread, is celebrating its sixth birthday with their annual block party, complete with live music and suds, noon to 8 p.m. A taste of Manotick has doors flung open all along Main Street, with live music and street performers celebrating, 4 to 8 p.m.
Professional bull riders are at TD Place, competing in a new national series across seven series, starting in Ottawa and ending in Saskatoon, for $25,000 purses at each event, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $35.35 to $86.35. Arboretum Festival is offering free brunch for those with tickets, and as long as supplies last, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Concert Village at Marion Dewar Plaza. Tickets: $25 include evening shows with headliner, post-punk, electro band Operators, and performance artist and rapper Mykki Blanco, Junglepussy and Doomsquad.
The New Season arts supplement
deadline for submissions is Aug. 15 at 5 p.m. Submit information at www.ottawacitizen.com/newseason.html. Submit event information by 8 a.m. Monday, two weeks before the event to kendemann@postmedia.com. @keendemann