OttawaStart's Weekly Event Round-Up: October 1-8, 2014

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Colour in the Trees by Marcel Regimbald, from the OttawaStart Flickr Group[/caption] _ Here’s our crowdsourced list of the best events in Ottawa this week. _ ** ** ** ** ** Until Sunday, October 5: Ottawa Architecture Week ** Take a closer look at how architecture and design influence urban life. This year, Ottawa Architecture Week offers talks, art installations and workshops focusing on intensification and creating a liveable city. Among the events to check out: the Pecha Kucha Ottawa evening of presentations on several creative projects (Thursday 7 p.m.), and the tour led by local writer Phil Jenkins of the “work in progress” that is LeBreton Flats (Saturday 2 p.m.). _

Denise Deby , Green Living Ottawa _ ** ** ** Thursday, October 2: Rich Aucoin, Robots! Everywhere!! @ House of Targ ** If you want a fun show with high energy and a crowd that gets pumped  you should check out this great show at this great venue. _

Laura Gauthier _ ** ** ** Thursday, October 2: Erin Moure & Sandra Ridley featured poets at the season opener of the A B Series ** The A B Series is Ottawa’s hub for experimentalism in literature & performance. Moure is a Montreal writer whose work always surprises. Ridley is a local poet who takes your imagination to dark places. It’ll be a fine evening & it’s only the beginning of the extravaganza that is autumn’s literary season in Ottawa. 8pm, Karsh-Masson Gallery, Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West. _

Amanda Earl , Bywords _ ** ** ** Friday, October 3: Ottawa Charity Ping Pong Tournament ** The 5th annual Ottawa Charity Ping Pong Event is a great opportunity to have some fun, make new friends, and play some ping pong. High skill, low skill, no skill… …all skill levels welcome! Last year over 300 competitors wore their best tennis whites and enjoyed a night filled of ping pong, recreational athletic excellence, social networking, and fun, all to support four local charities: Youth Services Bureau, Operation Come Home, Do it For Daron, and Christie Lake Kids. The players battled for ping pong glory and a chance to hoist the Charity Cup! This years Ottawa Charity Ping Pong event will take place on Friday October 3rd at The SpinBin (The Cabin) located at 310 Dalhousie in the Byward Market. The SpinBin is fully licensed and can comfortably hold 700 participants/Spectators. The fun begins at 7pm. There are 8 ping pong tables, a stage for the band and a gallery where spectators can watch the games. The participants will be entertained by a live band and DJ. To help fuel your body in between matches, snacks will be provided! $50 gets you a guaranteed 2 games, 2 drink tickets, swag bag, and a meal! See you in your tennis whites! _

Nick Bachusky _ ** ** ** Friday, October 3: Peter Liu: Bamboo Groove at the NAC Fourth Stag ** e Ottawa jazz vocalist Peter Liu releases his debut album, Bamboo Groove, this Friday in a concert at the NAC. The show features many of his favourite standards from the Great American Songbook – modernized in new arrangements by pianist Peter Hum – but it will also include jazzified pop and folk songs from Taiwan and Hong Kong, sung in Mandarin and Cantonese. Liu told OttawaJazzScene.ca that he fell in love with this music as he grew up, and wanted to combine it with his love of jazz. _

Alayne McGregor , OttawaJazzScene.ca _ ** Friday-Saturday, October 3-4: IMOOFest ** The Improvising Musicians of Ottawa/Outaouais (IMOO) present the third improvised music festival, IMOOFEST taking place at Club SAW. The festival will feature six acts over two days and showcase iconic Canadian improvisors Jean Derome, Joane Hétu, Lina Allemano’s Titanium Riot, the Craig Pedersen Quartet, Mark Molnar, David Broscoe and the IMOO Chamber Orchestra. _ – Eliane Laberge, Eventful Capital _ ** ** ** Saturday, October 4: International Food & Drink Soirée ** Attention Ottawa foodies: this Saturday, head to the Ottawa Convention Centre for the International Food & Drink Soirée. This tasty event will feature dozens of ethnic restaurants, private caterers, crafty chefs and finger-licking foods from the Indian Subcontinent, South Asia, Latin America, South-East Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe. As part of the event, there will also be travel exhibitors, ethnic art and craft, a DJ playing all-night international music, cultural performances and global fashion. _ – Eliane Laberge, Eventful Capital _ ** ** ** Saturday, October 4, 2014: ** Whisky Ottawa Whisky Ottawa is that can’t miss event. Meet all of the Whiskey family, Whiskey, Rye, Scotch and Bourbons. The festival will offer you the opportunity to taste whiskeys from around the world. Learn how to create whisky cocktails and take a Master Class. Over 70 whiskies to sample. _ (sponsored listing) _ ** ** ** Saturday, October 4, 2014: ** Peking Opera Matinée Captivating excerpts from Peking Opera classical repertoire – dazzling costumes and makeup; refined performance and drama. Featuring acclaimed artist William Lau, with artists Sun Mingzu and Wang Jingze from China, and Ottawa’s AiYue Choir. English surtitles. UofO Theatre Department’s Academic Hall, October 4th –3pm – $20 at door. _ (sponsored listing) _ ** ** ** Sunday, October 5: Smashing Pumpkins ** Pumpkins + trebuchets = Waaay too much fun! The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum (2940 Old Montreal Road in Cumberland, about 30 minutes from downtown) is putting on one of its most popular events this Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Watch your pumpkin be launched across their field towards a giant bulls-eye target by a trebuchet. In addition to the fun of lobbing things through the air with a trebuchet, you can learn about flight technology in the 1920s and 1930s (hint: it probably doesn’t involve a trebuchet), make model airships and play with model trebuchets (!). Before your pumpkin takes flight, you can decorate it for its maiden voyage. The cost of the event is included in the regular admission fee. _

Gordon Dewis _ ** ** ** Sunday, October 5: Medieval Quest - Family Craft Day ** Enjoy some family fun from the times of yore. Crafts geared to ages 4-11 at the Goulbourn Museum.  Registration and parental accompaniment are required. To register call 613-831-2392 or emaileducation@goulbournmuseum.ca . $4 per child. _ – Sara-Lynne Levine, Macaroni Kid Ottawa _ _ Have a great week! _