Orléans resident are invited to celebrate winter’s halfway point at La Féte Frissons
taking place this Sunday, Feb. 9 at the Shenkman Arts Centre, and best of all – it’s absolutely free.
The single-day festival will include activ-ities for whole family, including live entertain-ment, workshops, demonstrations and displays.
The day will kick off at 11 a.m. with an Indigenous pow wow dance in the upper lobby. The Junkyard Symphony is scheduled to do three performances in the music studio next to the box office at 11:30 a.m., 12:45 and 3 p.m.
If you’re a fan of the spoken word, students with the Ottawa School of Theatre will be doing storytelling at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the lower lobby.
There will also be an ongoing Capoeira dance workshop lead by Chrys Courchene in the dance studio from 1 to 3 p.m.
Ongoing activities from noon to 3 p.m. include a leather keychain activity with staff from the Cumberland Village Museum in the lower library, a watercolour and ink workshop led by Ottawa School of Art instructor Maryse Fillion in the upper lobby, and an origami workshop also in the upper lobby.
There will also be face-painting for the kids from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. by Lynne Art, while “The Bubble Guy” will be on hand to make massive soap bubbles with the kids from 1 to 3 p.m.
Other activities include an ice carving demonstration next to the main entrance and behind-the-scene backstage tours.
Finally, if you get hungry, there will be several food concessions on hand including Queensview Cafe, Juice Dudez, Maverick’s Donuts, and Chris’s Ice Cream.
The Fête Frissons event is part of this year’s Winterlude 2026 celebrations being held across Ottawa and Gatineau from Jan. 30 to Feb. 16.
After two years when the Ottawa’s biggest winter festival was limited due to unusually warm weather, organizers are looking forward to a providing a full slate of activities under “normal” conditions.
For a complete schedule go to www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/ winterlude.html.
The Fête Frissons is also the unofficial kick-off to February’s lineup of events at the Shenkman Arts Centre, which includes tribute performances to Elton John and Billy Joel by the Piano Men on Feb. 14, Creedance Clearwater Revival on Feb. 20 and Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton and Shania Twain on Feb. 28.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit shenkmanarts.ca.
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TRIVIA NIGHT from 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday night at the Royal Oak Pub Orléans. Free to play. Prizes for the winning team! The Royal Oak Pub is located at 1981 St. Joseph Blvd. near Jeanne d'Arc. For more info visit 
TRIVIA NIGHT from 6:30 p.m. at the Stray Dog Brewing Company. Exercise your grey matter before it turns to mush over the holidays. Reservations are a must to secure your spot. Send your team name and number of people to info@straydogbrewing.ca. The Stray Dog Brewing Company is located at 501 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park.
QUEENSWOOD HEIGHTS WINTER FESTIVAL from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Queenswood Ridge Park, 346 Kennedy Lane East. Sledding and snow-based games at St. Helen's Anglican Church. Face painting, skating and free hot chocolate. Presente by the Queenswood Heights Community Association.
FÊTE FRISSONS celebration at the Shenkman Arts Centre from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring art and dance workshops, demonstrations and performances. Fun for the whole family. For more info visit 
