OttawaStart's Weekly Event Round-Up: April 9-15

_ Our crowdsourced list of the best events in Ottawa this week. You can find even more events on our Ottawa Event Calendar . _

** Thursday, April 9: The Night Stages: One on One with Jane Urquhart ** 7:00 pm, Christ Church Cathedral, Cathedral Hall • 414 Sparks _ – Amanda Earl , Bywords _ ** Saturday, April 11: The Wildlife Festival ** Head out to the Nepean Sportsplex (1701 Woodroffe Avenue, just south of Hunt Club) this Saturday from 9am to 5:30pm to check out animals from all over the world. Hosted by Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo, General admission is $12.50/person, which will gain you access to the show where you can see two rotating shows of animals from Argentina to the Canadian Arctic, Australia to Asia, and Africa to Europe. For more information, contact Little Ray’s at 613-822-8924. _ – Gordon Dewis _ ** Sunday, April 12: Battle of the Chefs ** One executive level chef and one personal holistic chef…each will receive a list of ingredients with which they must prepare a 5 course menu in 3 hours. That afternoon they will each enter the kitchen and be presented with the same promised stock of supplies to begin preparing meals for your critiquing. As diners, your votes on their creations will determine the final winning chef. May the best chef win! _ – Laura Gauthier _ ** Sunday, April 12 and Monday, April 13: The Big Swim ** Author Carrie Saxifrage’s The Big Swim takes readers on adventures that are also journeys into what it means to live in and take responsibility for a changing environment. She’ll be at two different yet equally cozy venues: the West End Well Co-op on Sunday and the Raw Sugar Café on Monday. _ – Denise Deby , Green Living Ottawa _ ** Saturday, April 18: The Ottawa Gala - Bytown Basement ** The Ottawa Gala supports Ottawa’s underprivileged and at-risk youth by hosting this annual Gala event. This year, we will be taking a trip back in time, and winding up at Ottawa’s very own SpeakEasy. The 2015 Ottawa Gala will be held at the Canadian War Museum. So find your way down to the real McCoy of Ottawa’s SpeakEasies known as the ByTown Basement. Imagine yourself dancing the night away with bootleg beverages and underground bosses. Dress yourself in some festive attire and find your way down to our mysterious location. Prepare yourself for some Photo Booth shenanigans, dancing and endless prizes. _ (Sponsored) _ ** Saturday-Sunday, April 25-April 26: ** ** Vibrant! The 2015 OVCC Artisans @ Archives Spring Market ** The OVCC | Artisans @ the Archives launches spring with a celebration of the work of some of the best artists and artisans from across Ottawa, the Valley and the Outaouais. Celebrating pottery, glass, jewellery, paintings & drawings, wood turning, gourmet foods, fashion & accessories, photography, furniture & decor, sculpting, body & beauty and more. Come and enjoy our one-stop shopping experience. _ (Sponsored) _ ** Friday-Sunday, May 1-3: ** ** Ottawa PoutineFest ** Get your Forks Ready for Ottawa PoutineFest!  The World of Poutine is set to take over Downtown Ottawa, May 1-3 at Marion Dewar Plaza near City Hall.  20 Vendors featuring your local favourites and some special guests from Montreal and Toronto will be serving Poutine from around the world for your tasting pleasure. _ (Sponsored) _ _ For more events, check out ottawastart.com/events/ … or add your event via ottawastart.com/start/ _