OttawaStart's Weekly Event Round-Up: June 18-24

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

** Thursday, June 18: Factory Reading Series ** 7pm, Raw Sugar, 692 Somerset W., the Factory Reading Series presents the launch of two new Chaudiere Books publications: The Collected Works of William Hawkins and Understander by N.W. Lea. Reading for William Hawkins will be the editor of the book, Cameron Anstee, local poet and publisher of Apt. 9 Press. Hawkins has lived a colourful life as a truck driver, cook, musician and Ottawa taxi driver. His poems reflect his wide-ranging experience. N.W. Lea, originally from Yukon, writes in a meticulous style that quietly wows his readers. Performing music as part of the evening will be Jesse P. Ferguson. it’s going to be a great evening of poetry, music, spirits & treats. _ – Amanda Earl , Bywords _ ** Thursday-Sunday, June 18-21: Ottawa Explosion Weekend ** The 2015 Ottawa Explosion Weekend runs from June 17 to 21 at various locations across Ottawa including Club Saw, House of Targ, Mugshots, Cafe Dekcuf, and Avant-Garde Bar. This niche music festival, which features underground punk, rock, garage, grunge, and indie psych/surf pop bands from the region and beyond will present over 75 groups, many of which you’ve probably never heard of, but that you should definitely discover and encourage if you’re into that kind of music. This is what the Ottawa Explosion Weekend is all about: a really loud, really fun celebration of underground punk rock garage music. _ – Eliane Laberge, Eventful Capital _ ** Wednesday-Saturday, June 17-20: ** ** AVENUE Q - The Broadway Musical ** The authors of the very popular _ Book of Mormon _ , Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, put themselves on the musical theatre radar a few years back with this triple Tony award-winning  send up of _ Sesame Street _ with very adult themes and characters.  With 2,534 performances, _ Avenue Q _ ranks 23rd on the list of longest running shows in Broadway history.  Lopez was also the lyricist for Disney’s smash hit _ Frozen. _ This zany, adult-themed spoof is a unique theatre experience involving three human characters and eleven puppet characters who interact as if they are human, _ Sesame-Street-style _ . _ (Sponsored) _ ** Friday-Saturday, June 19-20: Glow Fair ** Glow Fair is back and building on last year’s inaugural success. The festival’s second edition, once again free to attend, will feature art performances, vibrant music shows and state-of-the-art light projections, which will make a stretch of Bank Street come to life on June 19 and 20. Music headliners include Kiesza, Jokers of the Scene, Torro Torro and The New Deal. Be part of the action and experience the core of Centretown like you’ve never seen it before. _ – Eliane Laberge, Eventful Capital _ ** Friday-Saturday, June 19-20: Glow Fair ** Two nights of music, art and light - and it’s free! -Laura ** Friday-Sunday, June 19-21: ** ** Summer Solstice ** The annual Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Festival & International Powwow Competition is being held from Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21 at Vincent Massey Park in Ottawa. The 2015 edition, which offers free admission, and presents host drum Black Bear, will feature a variety of traditional powwow dance competitions along with live music shows, a drum contest, a family fun zone, workshops, artisans, crafts, a selection of traditional aboriginal foods and lots more. _ – Eliane Laberge, Eventful Capital _ ** Friday-Sunday, June 19-21: ** ** Summer Solstice ** Celebrate National Aboriginal Day with 3 days of FREE family fun. Experience and celebrate the diverse Aboriginal cultures of the National Capital Region. The International Competition Pow Wow attracts hundreds of singers and dancer from across North America for a vibrant and lively display of our living culture including the new Hoop Dance competition. Visit the Family Fun Zone with Sports themed activities for the kids. Catch non-stop cultural programming and family friendly main stage performances.  Shop the Aboriginal marketplace featuring incredible art, food and fashion. _ (Sponsored) _ ** Friday-Sunday, June 19-21: Native Plant Garden Days ** Explore four gardens that are full of wildflower and local plant species. Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Petrie Island’s wildflower garden, the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s wildlife-friendly demonstration garden, and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s landscaped gardens will be open for self-guided walks. (Check the schedule for details.) _ – Denise Deby , Green Living Ottawa _ ** Sunday, June 21: Father’s Day Brunch at the Canadian Museum of Nature ** Treat Dad to a delicious BBQ brunch at the Museum. He’ll love the mouth-watering selection of grilled meats and other tasty fare. Breakfast bar and omelette station; BBQ ribs, flank steak, maple chicken, wings, sausages, maple trout, and filet mignon; Whiskey pulled pork; and more! _ (Sponsored) _ ** June 19 to July 1: Free music at Noon and on weekends at the Ottawa Jazz Festival ** The Ottawa Jazz Festival run from June 18 to July 1. But what if you’re not sure you like jazz? What if you can’t afford a $200 or $300 pass? What if you work evenings? Worry not! You can enjoy almost 40 free performances by highly talented, award-winning, local musicians on noon-hour stages and on weekends. Catch jazz vocal originals and standards, full big bands, modern jazz, and high energy jazz fusion. It’s a great way to check out a wide range of jazz, risk-free. Because it’s performed by local musicians, if you like what you hear you can often hear the groups again at performances throughout the year. _ – Brett Delmage, OttawaJazzScene.ca _ ** Monday, June 22 until August 22: Children’s Activities at Rideau Hall ** The grounds of Rideau Hall are open daily from 8 a.m. to one hour before sunset. Special activities include: “Storytime at Rideau Hall,” in collaboration with Frontier College. Fridays and Saturdays, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., from June 28 to August 23; Learn about heraldry by designing your very own coat of arms. Daily, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Stroll the grounds, bring a picnic and enjoy the children’s play structure; Watch the Relief of the Sentries of the Ceremonial Guard. Daily, every hour on the hour, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 25 to August 22. _ – Sara-Lynne Levine, Macaroni Kid Ottawa _ _ ** Upcoming… ** _ ** July 3-4: Shaun Majumder at Yuk Yuk’s ** Gemini award-winning actor/comedian SHAUN MAJUMDER performs in Ottawa

July 3-4

at Yuk Yuk’s. A regular cast member on CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Shaun most recently played Andrew Palmer on the NBC/Global Television series The Firm, starring Josh Lucas and Juliette Lewis, and in 2010 starred as Det. Vik Mahajan in the critically acclaimed drama series Detroit 1-8-7 on ABC. His stand-up show has garnered critical praise for its candid look beyond the public persona to reveal a more intimate and complex side. _ (Sponsored) _ _ ** Continuing… ** _ ** Until September 7: Alex Colville. A Canadian Icon ** At the National Gallery of Canada, _ Alex Colville _ offers a fresh perspective on Colville’s work, as he is considered to be one of Canada’s most celebrated artists. Featuring nearly a hundred paintings along with various student works and prints, this exhibition explores the breadth of Colville’s practice. _ (Sponsored) _ ** Until September 13: ** ** Chagall: Daphnis & Chloé ** Enter into a captivating love story between a goatherd and shepherdess. This tale titled _ Daphnis & Chloé _ is narrated visually through a set of colour lithographs by Marc Chagall.  These illustrations highlight Chagall’s unique style, setting him apart from the main 20th-century pictorial currents followed by some of his contemporaries. At the National Gallery. _ (Sponsored) _ ** Until December 31: Mary Pratt: This Little Painting ** What’s the story behind Red Currant Jelly (1972), which the artist Mary Pratt affectionately calls “this little painting”? See how Pratt developed her technique, which today stands as a defining example of painterly realism in Canada, a style strongly associated with the country’s Atlantic provinces. _ (Sponsored) _ _ For more events, check out ottawastart.com/events/ … or add your event via ottawastart.com/start/ _