OttawaStart's Weekly Event Round-Up: More festivals, plus trains, a chase and more...

  ](http://www.flickr.com/photos/lazyartist/7576064782/)

Here are our contributor picks for the best local events this week.

** Friday, July 20 to Sunday, July 22: Haïti en Fête **

The Caribbean sounds will be echoing on Petrie Island during Haïti en Fête’s 3-day celebration this weekend. The Carribean Festival celebrates Haitian and Caribbean culture and many francophone minorities within Ontario. There will be a variety of local and international acts as well as some newcomers. This is a great place to go to feel like you’ve left Ottawa and gone on vacation to sample the sights and sounds of the Caribbean.

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Ruvini Godakandae , Web Communications Manager _

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** Friday, July 20th and Saturday, July 21: Ottawa Turkish Festival **

Come meet the Ottawa Turkish community! This free event at Confederation Park will feature Turkish art, folk dance, music and gourmet food, and will give visitors an opportunity to celebrate, learn, and savour Turkish hospitality, culture, heritage and cuisine.

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Yasir Naqvi , MPP Ottawa Centre _

** Saturday, July 21: ZaphodsFestaMusica @ GranFondoOttawa **

GranFondoOttawa is a cycling event in the grand Italian tradition on routes that quickly escape the City limits riding along quiet country roads and ending at ZaphodsFestaMusica across from Brookstreet Hotel. Zaphod’s has curated 4 of Ottawa’s best bands (AMOS THE TRANSAPRENT, SOUND OF LIONS, FEVERS, THE CAPITOL BEAT) to cap it off with a FREE show for the whole family. Bring suncreen, lawn chairs, hats, sunglasses. There is food and drink on-site. There is also a licensed area. Bands from 2pm to 8pm.

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Eugene Haslam , Zaphod’s Owner _

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** Saturday, July 21: Mitsubishi City Chase ** [

](http://www.mitsubishicitychase.com/en_site.asp) Do more in 6 hours than most would all summer! City Chase is the World’s Largest Urban Adventure Series, with 9 local events in Canada alone. City Chase requires teams of two to exhibit teamwork, resourcefulness, determination and the ability to make decisions on the fly as they search for physical, intellectual and wacky ChasePoint challenges scattered in unknown locations throughout the city. Focusing more on the journey than the destination, participants will learn about their city, their teammate, and themselves as they think hard, play hard and laugh hard.

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Laura Nicol _

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** Saturday, July 21: Pioneer Day and Strawberry Social **

Osgoode Township is celebrating the 36th annual Pioneer Day and Strawberry Social this Saturday on the grounds of the Osgoode Township Museum in Vernon (about 25km south of Ottawa on Highway 31) from 10am to 4pm. In addition to pioneer displays and exhibits, this year they will have an artisan’s village, a BBQ and beer tent, a bouncey castle for the kids, demonstrations by Little Ray’s Reptiles, a kids craft tent, cake, strawberries and ice cream. Admission is free!

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Gordon Dewis aka KeeperOfMaps _

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** Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22: Railway Weekend at the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology **

Lots of fun stuff for train fans, including a ride on a vintage rail car, a tour of the museum’s behind-the-scenes artifact storage facility, a model train display, and “Big Hook” in action – a 100-year-old steam wrecking train.

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Glen Gower , Editor/Owner of OttawaStart.com _

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** Tuesday, July 24: Poetry & Open Mic at Arts Court **

Stuart Ross-After Joe Brainard at 6:45pm and Jacob McArthur Mooney at 8pm

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Amanda Earl , poet & publisher _

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** Wednesday, July 25: The Jivewires at Festival de Jazz Desjardins in Aylmer **

Every summer, a free outdoor jazz concert series is offered in Aylmer, featuring Quebec and Ottawa-area jazz artists. It’s held in Parc de l’Imaginaire opposite the Aylmer Marina, and runs from July 25 to 28. This year’s opening act is Ottawa’s jumping-est band: The Jivewires.

Concerts cancelled in case of rain, but in this drought…

_ – Alayne McGregor, OttawaJazzScene.ca _

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** Every day, all summer: National Gallery of Canada - Artissimo **

My family and I had  a great time when we visted the gallery. Families explore artworks in the Gallery’s collection in fun ways, and then use their experiences as inspiration for art-making. Enjoy Art Buddies, Art from Above and other kid-friendly activities.

_ – Sara-Lynne Levine, Ottawa Capital Region Macaroni Kid _

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** July 19 until October: Eco Art **

This outdoor exhibit features the environment-themed works of 40 Canadian photographers aged 14-24. From waterfalls to wildlife to waste, the photos offer a variety of perspectives on nature and people’s effects on it. If you missed seeing the photos on the Rideau Canal Skateway this past winter, do check them out; they’re at the Plaza Bridge Terrace off Elgin.

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Denise Deby , Green Living Ottawa _

_ Have a great week! _

** See also: ** Ottawa Events Guide

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