Free Things to Do in Ottawa
57 events · updated daily
Here are 57 free things to do in Ottawa and the 613 — free concerts, markets, community events, outdoor fun and more. Updated daily.
Black Girl Book Fair! Spooky Edition
Sat, Oct 3, 1:00 a.m. · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
Electronics Recycling Drop Off
Sat, Oct 3, 10:00 a.m. · Ottawa Tool Library · Community · Free. Details & tickets →
CxMW: CxMW City Sounds Live in the Glebe
Sat, Oct 3, 11:00 a.m. · Outdoors in the Glebe · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
Annual Mahatma Gandhi Lecture 2026: Indenture No More
Sat, Oct 3, 11:30 a.m. · Steacie Building, Room 103, Carleton University · Education · Free. Details & tickets →
Praise His Majesty Concert 2026
Sat, Oct 3, 5:00 p.m. · RCCG Overcomers' Chapel · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
The Zolas, Jia
Sat, Oct 3, 8:30 p.m. · Club SAW · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
CxMW: Portraits: Fireside Chat
Sun, Oct 4, 4:00 p.m. · Happy Goat Coffee Co · Arts · Free. Details & tickets →
Symposium sur l’IA responsable | Responsible AI Symposium
Mon, Oct 5, 8:30 a.m. · INNOVA - 6th Floor (CRX) · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
Job Fair October 5, 2026
Mon, Oct 5, 9:00 a.m. · Holiday Inn & Suites Ottawa Kanata · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
Scary Movie (2026)
Mon, Oct 5, 7:00 p.m. · Algonquin Commons Theatre · Film · Free. Details & tickets →
CxMW: Community Songwriting & Lyric Workshop with Kalle Mattson
Mon, Oct 5, 7:00 p.m. · Irene's Pub · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
Songs from the Shed
Tue, Oct 6 · The Shed on Sparks · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
Grandmothers to Grandmothers Marketplace
Tue, Oct 6, 4:00 p.m. · 395 Wellington St · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
Fireside Chat with the Honourable Minister of Health Marjorie Michel
Wed, Oct 7, 5:30 p.m. · University of Ottawa Roger Guindon Hall · Education · Free. Details & tickets →
Ottawa Career Fair and Training Expo Canada – October 8, 2026
Thu, Oct 8, 10:00 a.m. · Rogers Centre Ottawa · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
CxMW: CxMW Songs from the Shed
Thu, Oct 8, 12:00 p.m. · The Shed on Sparks · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
Know Your Rights
Thu, Oct 8, 1:00 p.m. · Desmarais Hall (DMS) · Education · Free. Details & tickets →
Sketchy Thursdays | Jeudis croquis
Thu, Oct 8, 6:30 p.m. · Ottawa Art Gallery · Arts · Free. Details & tickets →
Unspoken – A Cacao Circle for Discussions About Life, Loss, Death, & Dying
Fri, Oct 9, 7:00 p.m. · Private Treatment Space · Community · Free. Details & tickets →
Book Brigade
Sat, Oct 10, 12:00 p.m. · The Spaniel's Tale Bookstore · Education · Free. Details & tickets →
The Talk of the Party | Ottawa Afrocentric Book Club
Sat, Oct 10, 2:00 p.m. · Ottawa Public Library - Main · Education · Free. Details & tickets →
CxMW: CxMW Live from the Booth — curated by Space Camp
Sat, Oct 10, 7:00 p.m. · The Booth on Sparks · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
Kitchissippi Ward All Candidates Debate
Wed, Oct 14, 7:00 p.m. · Cours Bayview Yards · Community · Free. Details & tickets →
ARBD in the community: recognition, response and pathways forward
Thu, Oct 15, 5:00 a.m. · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
EPTECH Ottawa 2026
Thu, Oct 15, 10:00 a.m. · Holiday Inn & Suites Ottawa Kanata by IHG · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
Fall Flowers – uOttawa Wind Ensemble in Concert
Thu, Oct 15, 7:30 p.m. · Salle Huguette-Labelle du pavillon Tabaret · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
Handmade Finds Festival
Fri, Oct 16, 10:00 a.m. · 55 Byward Market Square · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
Vendors & Creatives Showcase 2026
Fri, Oct 16, 10:00 a.m. · LeBreton Flats · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
The Great Small Business Showcase
Fri, Oct 16, 10:00 a.m. · Commissioners Park · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
BURGERS & BEATS LAUNCH PARTY
Fri, Oct 16, 8:00 p.m. · The Lone Star Loft · Nightlife · Free. Details & tickets →
Free Open House: Collections of Canadian Museum of Nature in Gatineau
Sat, Oct 17, 9:00 a.m. · Natural Heritage Campus · Community · Free. Details & tickets →
Glebe Halloween Village 2026
Sat, Oct 17, 11:00 a.m. · Glebe Avenue & Bank Street · Family · Free. Details & tickets →
Community Deathcare Expo: A Victorian Death
Sat, Oct 17, 11:00 a.m. · All Saints’ Westboro Anglican Church · Community · Free. Details & tickets →
Big D and the Kids Table, Devon Kay & The Solutions
Sun, Oct 18, 7:30 p.m. · The 27 Club · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
Mayoral Debate on Housing & Homelessness
Mon, Oct 19, 7:00 p.m. · Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) · Community · Free. Details & tickets →
HYBRID(E) - Business Support Expo | l’Expo sur le soutien aux entreprises
Tue, Oct 20, 2:00 p.m. · 7 Bayview Yards · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
Celebrate video storytelling with a free CBC Ottawa Creator Network party!
Tue, Oct 20, 5:00 p.m. · SAW · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
The Threads that Bind Us
Tue, Oct 20, 6:00 p.m. · Rockcliffe Park Community Centre · Theatre & Shows · Free. Details & tickets →
Courageous Conversations with Entrepreneurs
Thu, Oct 22, 8:30 a.m. · Invest Ottawa · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
Start Right: Setting Up a New Company the Right Way
Thu, Oct 22, 1:00 p.m. · Online (Google Meet) · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
My Son The Hurricane
Fri, Oct 23, 7:30 p.m. · Overflow Brewing Co. · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
Making Waves // Faisons des Vagues
Sat, Oct 24, 2:00 p.m. · NCC Riverhouse // Maison riveraine de la CCN · Community · Free. Details & tickets →
The Politics of Lonely: Book Launch & Friendship Forum
Sat, Oct 24, 5:00 p.m. · The Grove · Literary · Free. Details & tickets →
Kitchen Experiences: Discover Country Food and Stories with Chef Trudy
Mon, Nov 2, 3:00 p.m. · Odawa Native Friendship Centre · Food & Drink · Free. Details & tickets →
2026 National CMAC / CCMC national 2026
Tue, Nov 3, 1:00 p.m. · Rogers Centre Ottawa · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
CIGF / FCGI 2026
Wed, Nov 4, 8:30 a.m. · Ottawa Art Gallery · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →
Humanitarian Water Engineering Fall 2026
Wed, Nov 4, 9:00 a.m. · Education · Free. Details & tickets →
Courageous Conversations with Men - Movember Edition
Thu, Nov 5, 5:30 p.m. · Collab Space · Community · Free. Details & tickets →
Daphne Richardson: The Worship Experience
Sat, Nov 14, 7:00 p.m. · Shenkman Arts Centre · Music · Free. Details & tickets →
Handmade Finds Festival
Fri, Nov 20, 10:00 a.m. · 55 Byward Market Square · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
Vendors & Creatives Showcase 2026
Fri, Nov 20, 10:00 a.m. · LeBreton Flats · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
The Great Small Business Showcase
Fri, Nov 20, 10:00 a.m. · Commissioners Park · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
SWIFTMAS, Santa Pics & Live Music from Nayana
Sat, Dec 5, 10:00 a.m. · Orchard View Wedding & Event Centre · Family · Free. Details & tickets →
Handmade Finds Festival
Fri, Dec 18, 10:00 a.m. · 55 Byward Market Square · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
Vendors & Creatives Showcase 2026
Fri, Dec 18, 10:00 a.m. · LeBreton Flats · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
The Great Small Business Showcase
Fri, Dec 18, 10:00 a.m. · Commissioners Park · Market · Free. Details & tickets →
International Tourism and Culture Expo 2027
Sat, Jun 12, 10:00 a.m. · Ottawa Conference and Event Centre · Conference · Free. Details & tickets →