How do I find free things to do in Ottawa this weekend?

Choose This weekend above to see free events happening Saturday and Sunday. Choose This week for the next seven days. Changing the neighbourhood or event type keeps the free admission condition selected.

Does free admission mean everything at the event is free?

These events are listed as offering free admission. Registration may still be required, and food, parking, or optional activities may cost extra. Check the organizer’s details before visiting.

Are Ottawa museums ever free?

Some national museums offer free evening admission, often on Thursday. Ticket and reservation rules vary by museum. The Canadian Museum of Nature requires a ticket even during its free Thursday evening admission.

Free Events in Ottawa This Week

234 free events · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 29, 2026. Find free events happening over the next seven days in Ottawa–Gatineau. Choose a neighbourhood and event type to narrow your search.

234 events · 24 per section

#stem#family#free

Saturday Stem Club

17 Oct ~ 24 Oct· 3:00 PM

Ottawa Public Library — Main · Downtown

Join us for a fun-filled STEAM activity! Drop-in activity. For ages 7+. Join us for an exciting, hands-on workshop designed especially for kids!Explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Ma...

Freeconference

#free#history#military

National Day of Tribute – Service Day of Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association – Ottawa Chapter

Fri 23 Oct· 7:30 AM

Veterans Section (Section 27, near the tank), National Military Cemetery of Canada, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa · Rockcliffe

Ottawa Chapter – Day of Tribute Friday, October 23, 2025 | 7:30 AM – 11:00 AM Tank at Beechwood Cemetery | 280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa In-Person Event Each year before the November 11 Remembrance Day...

Free Events in Ottawa This Week

Saturday Stem Club

National Day of Tribute – Service Day of Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association – Ottawa Chapter

Kanata Farmers Market | October 24

Volunteer Fair

Family Crafternoon | Après-midi de bricolage en famille​

Calligraphy Workshop

Capital Region Writers Group: Write-In

Capital Region Writers: Kick-Off Party

Curiosity Starts Here: Building Stories with LEGO / Tout commence par la curiosité : L'art de raconter avec LEGO

Dungeons & Dragons (10-13)

Halloween Pumpkin Painting

Little Roots: Creative Writing for Kids

Make n’ Take: Spooky Slime (ages 8-12)

Reverse Colouring - Halloween

Craft Night at Carp - Ghost Landscape Paintings

Writing from the Back Row

BGC Ottawa presents: Job Search and Online Applications

Bricole un monstre

Journée pédagogique - Circuit STIM

Journée pédagogique: Films pour la famille - Le chaînon manquant

Phishing Scams and Staying Safe Online

Themed Movie Tuesdays: At the Place of Ghosts

Élever des enfants résilients face au numérique

Haunted Family Storytime

Recognizing Fake News

Teen Halloween

Collage de Maison Hantée / Haunted House Collage

Quilling

Halloween Storytime

BGC Ottawa presents: Job Search and Online Applications

Learn to Crochet a Pumpkin for Teens

Paranormal Investigation: Stories from S.I.P.A.

Dread: Survive the Night

EcoRangers | ÉcoAventuriers

Pre-Show Chat: Stravinsky Stories With Christopher Stowell and Ming Luke

EEPMON

Trivia Tuesdays at The Barley Mow

Toddler Tuesdays at National Arts Centre

Hard Rock Cafe Ottawa Live Performances

Art n Tell – Monthly Artist Showcase

Threshold

Diatom Rose Window

Canadian War Museum - Free Thursday Evenings

Thirsty Thursdays

Flightpaths: Initiations

Drag the Archive: Photographs of Queer Gender Performance

Sàgàbigonì

Barrio del Sabor (Latin Dance Sundays)

confinement (2024-2025)

Employment Support

Groupe de conversation en français | French Conversation Group

Employment Support

Memory Café

An Afternoon of Fun and Games for Adults! Une après-midi de jeux et de plaisir pour adultes!

Groupe de conversation en français / French Conversation Group

Vernon Book Club

Nepean Centrepointe Book Club

CUAG Centretown / Mélanie Myers: Humidité Relative Humidity

Elmvale Acres Book Club

Stittsville Branch Afternoon Book Club

Timescapes

Beading is Medicine

Rural Business Touchpoint

Rural Business Touchpoint

ሀሌታ | Haleta: The Threshold of Being

Comedy at the Carleton (Open Mic)

Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa

Ottawa 200 Biodiversity Tree

Sunday Morning Family Storytime

Family Storytime

Sunday Greenbelt ESL Intermediate Conversation Group / Groupe de conversation intermédiaire ALS Greenbelt du dimanche

Family Storytime (Sundays @ 2:00)

Royal Oak Trivia

Family Storytime

Centre 507 Outreach Team | Équipe d’intervention du Centre 507

Doodle Hour: Colouring, Zentangle and Mindful Doodling / L'heure du dessin: Zentangle, coloriage et doodling en pleine conscience

Family Storytime, followed by Stay and Play

Toddlertime @ 10:30 | Tout-petits à la biblio à 10h30

Reading Buddies

Family Crafternoon | Après-midi de bricolage en famille