Morning, Ottawa. Canada's women's rugby team gets another crack at England, the NAC Orchestra goes full Star Wars for three nights, 70+ Canadian makers set up shop at Lansdowne and an entire chocolate show lands in the west end. Plus khao soi, because it's late October and you deserve soup.
This weekend
🏉 Canada vs England, women's rugby (WXV Global Series): Fri Oct 23, 7 PM (doors 3:15 PM)
The Stadium at TD Place, Lansdowne. A rematch of the 2025 World Cup final against the reigning world champions. Last time Canada played in Ottawa, TD Place says the crowd set a North American attendance record for women's rugby. Let's do it again. Tickets at the link below.
TD Place · Tickets
🌌 STAR WARS and beyond: The music of John Williams: Thu Oct 22, Fri Oct 23 & Sat Oct 24, 8 PM (about 1 hr 30 min, with intermission)
Southam Hall, National Arts Centre (1 Elgin St). Damon Gupton conducts the NAC Orchestra through music from nine Star Wars films: the big fanfare, Luke and Leia's theme and "Duel of the Fates." On Saturday, there's a free pre-show "Beyond the Baton" talk with Gupton at 5 PM in the Salon. Tickets from $33, and anyone under 30 can get $15 Under30 tickets.
NAC · Free NAC events
🧶 Signatures Handmade Market: Thu Oct 22 & Fri Oct 23, 10 AM to 9 PM; Sat Oct 24, 10 AM to 6 PM; Sun Oct 25, 10 AM to 5 PM
Horticulture Building, Lansdowne Park (1525 Princess Patricia Way). 70+ Canadian makers under one roof, so early holiday shopping is officially on the table. Coffee, tea and matcha from Ottawa's own Café Apéro. Your ticket also gets you free rides on any OC Transpo route, from 3 hours before the market until 3 hours after. General admission (18 to 64) $8, seniors (65+) $6, 17 and under free. It's half price ($4) after 5 PM on Thursday and Friday. Free readmission all show long: grab a pass at the info desk before you leave.
Signatures · Tickets
🐾 Ottawa Pet Expo: Sat Oct 24, 10 AM to 5 PM; Sun Oct 25, 10 AM to 4 PM
Cohere Centre (formerly the EY Centre), 4899 Uplands Dr. Paid parking. Bring the dog: there's a free Canine Fun Zone, a lure course, a grooming competition and a cat area. Pets need a signed waiver and a non-retractable lead. Adults $16, youth and seniors $10, kids 6 and under free. Couples (2 adults, one day) $29; single-day family pass (2 adults plus 2 youth or seniors) $43. Tickets are also sold at the gate; online tickets are non-refundable.
Pet Expo
🎶 Allison Russell: Sun Oct 25, 8 PM
National Arts Centre. Tickets at the link below.
NAC calendar
Next week
💃 SoulRhythms dance workshop: Mon Oct 26, 7 PM
National Arts Centre. A free dance workshop. Price: Free.
NAC calendar
🧸 Toddler Tuesdays: Tue Oct 27, 10 AM
National Arts Centre. Free.
NAC calendar
🎙️ CBC Radio's The Debaters, live taping: Tue Oct 27 & Wed Oct 28, 6:15 PM (doors 6 PM)
Bronson Centre Theatre, 211 Bronson Ave. Heads up: the show moved here from Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe after July flood damage, and old Centrepointe tickets are not valid. Five comedy debates a night, recorded for CBC Radio. $47 to $62; recommended for ages 16+.
Meridian Centrepointe · Bronson Centre
Sports
🏒 Senators vs NY Rangers: Sat Oct 24, 7 PM
Canadian Tire Centre, Kanata. The last home game before a road trip that runs to Nov 4, so get your fix while you can. Tickets at the link below.
Sens schedule · CTC events
🏒 Ottawa 67's vs Kingston Frontenacs (OHL Rivalry Week): Sun Oct 25, 3 PM (doors 2 PM)
The Arena at TD Place, Lansdowne. Ottawa swept Kingston in last spring's playoffs, so expect some feelings in the building. A Sunday-afternoon game, too. Tickets at the link below.
Game preview · TD Place events
🏈 Carleton Ravens vs Toronto (football season finale): Sat Oct 24, 1 PM
TAAG Park (formerly MNP Park), 1125 Colonel By Dr. Senior Game and the last game of the season, so send them off right. $5 to $21.
Ravens schedule · Tickets
🏀 Gee-Gees men's basketball vs Ontario Tech (OUA opener): Fri Oct 23, 8 PM
University of Ottawa. Cheap, loud and a solid Friday-night warm-up. $7 to $12.
Gee-Gees schedule · Tickets
🏒 Olympiques de Gatineau at home: Fri Oct 23, 7 PM (vs Saint John); Sun Oct 25, 3 PM (vs Blainville-Boisbriand); Thu Oct 29, 7 PM (vs Halifax)
Centre Slush Puppie, 500 boul. de la Cité, Gatineau. Plus the QMJHL Prospects Game there on Wed Oct 28, 7 PM. Tickets at the link below.
Centre Slush Puppie events
Food
🍫 The Ottawa Chocolate Show: Sat Oct 24, 10 AM to 5 PM
Algonquin College Event Salons, Woodroffe Campus (Building D), 1385 Woodroffe Ave, right across from Baseline Station. Chocolate makers from across Canada, sampling, and presentations and pairings. The first 25 in line get a goodie bag of samples, so set an alarm. Parking in Lots 8 and 9 is included with your ticket. Advance tickets $19.94 on the show's official Eventbrite page; kids 12 and under get in free with an adult. Tickets are non-refundable.
Chocolate Show · Tickets
One dish this week: khao soi
Northern Thailand's curry noodle soup: a rich coconut-curry broth, soft egg noodles underneath, a nest of crispy ones on top, and pickled mustard greens, shallot and lime on the side. It's built for a cold late-October night. Here are three places to get it, one west, one downtown and one east. It's not a ranking, and heads up: the press on these is thin, mostly one Ottawa Citizen story from June 2025. Prices are from each restaurant's own menu.
Khao (Street Food Thailand and Bar): 205 Richmond Rd, Westboro. Khao Soi Chiang Mai, with chicken or beef (a vegetarian/tofu option is listed), $21. The Ottawa Citizen (June 2025) called it "another hearty winner" at a spot whose menu goes well past the usual Thai standards. Menu · Citizen, June 2025
Khao Thai: 103 Murray St, ByWard Market. A Market fixture since 2004 that lists khao soi among its three signature dishes: Chiang Mai yellow-curry noodle soup with chicken or beef, pickled cabbage, shallot, lime and crispy noodles. $28 at dinner. At lunch (Tue to Sun, 12 to 3 PM), it's Combo 3 for $24, with a spring roll, a clear soup (dine-in only) and a drink. Dinner menu · Lunch menu
Chopp Chop Thai Street Food: 5929 Jeanne D'Arc Blvd S, Unit 5, Orléans · 613-824-8111. A small, takeout-heavy east-end spot that saves you the drive downtown. Its khao soi comes with braised chicken or beef, mustard pickle, shallot and crispy egg noodles, $20.95. The Citizen (June 2025) found a whole chicken leg in a "vibrant broth": a solid bowl rather than a showstopper, so set expectations to match. Menu · Citizen, June 2025
Openings & closings
One new door to watch this week.
Coming soon: Chef On Call, the Montreal late-night halal comfort-food brand (burgers, tenders, poutine, wings), plans to open at 228 Bank St. Its own site says "Coming Soon," and the brand's Instagram targets November, as reported by WhatNow. Hours aren't confirmed yet. (Chef On Call Ottawa · WhatNow)
🎃 Halloween is nine days out
Halloween lands on a Saturday, so this weekend and next are fair game for costumes. Pumpkin patches, haunted farms, free trick-or-treating and 19+ crawls are all in our Ottawa Halloween guide.
Read the Halloween guide
Book ahead
Passarim: Thu Oct 29, 8 PM, Fourth Stage, NAC. A Brazilian ensemble's tribute to Jobim, plus singer Tika's Canadian debut. $25. NAC
Stravinsky Stories: Royal Winnipeg Ballet with the NAC Orchestra: opens Thu Oct 29, 8 PM (also Oct 30, 8 PM and Oct 31, 2 PM), with a free pre-show chat Oct 29 at 7 PM. $33 to $115. NAC
Michel Barrette, "Drôle depuis 1957": Thu Oct 29, 8 PM, Salle Odyssée, Maison de la culture de Gatineau. The Quebec comedy veteran, in French. $46 ($42 with a Carte Odyssée), plus fees online and by phone. Salle Odyssée
CBC Massey Lectures: "Housing Inc.: A Global Takeover and Our Fight for Home": Thu Oct 29, 7:30 PM, Babs Asper Theatre, NAC. Leilani Farha gives the fifth and final lecture of this year's series: a timely talk on housing. From $35, final sale. NAC
FROM THE 613 WEEKLY
Know someone who'd love this?
Forward this email to a friend, or subscribe at www.the613weekly.ca.
Want this spot? Founding Sponsor spots are open: just reply to this email.
Enjoy the weekend, 613. Cheer loud, shop local, eat the chocolate. 🍫
The 613 Weekly
Details checked Tue Oct 20, 2026. Plans change, so confirm with venues before heading out.
Halloween is Saturday, Oct 31: our Ottawa Halloween guide has you covered.
Got this from a friend? Subscribe at the613weekly.ca. Know someone who'd like it? Forward it along.