Category: Ottawhat

This November will mark Ottawa’s first annual FestiFest, the long awaited event that showcases, promotes, and celebrates the dozens of festivals that call Ottawa home. Lansdowne will host the three day event, and expects a turnout of nearly 3000 attendees. Residents can look forward to getting information about their favourite festivals, and learning about new upcoming ones.

“We are very excited to be a part of FestiFest” says David Northrup, founder of Ottawa Beard Fest, “We are a fairly new organization, and are excited at the opportunity to share our vision with so many people”.

FestiFest will showcase popular Ottawa Festivals, such as Bluesfest and Ribfest, but will also feature lesser known events, such as the Orleans Festival, Pugfest, and ObamaFest. Tickets for the event can be purchased through Capital Tickets, or from any other Ottawa Festival.

This Saturday and Sunday, the fourth semiannual Ottawa Geek Market will descend upon the Nepean Sportsplex. The popular event features comic books, videogames, cosplayers, and other “geeky” endeavours. This year, organizers have added something else to the agenda: a heavy boost to security.

“The safety of our fans is paramount to us” says Jane Westcliffe, Geek Market’s organizer. “This event is a safe haven for geeks, dorks, and people who play Yu-gi-oh!. We decided to allocate a significant portion of our budget this year to ensure that everyone has a great time.”

Included in the Geek Market’s security budget this year is a variety of state-of-the-art anti-bullying technology. Patrons with gym bags, iPhone armbands, or protein shakers will. be thoroughly screened. Recording devices will identify individuals who utilize suspicious buzzwords, such as “bro” or “lift”. Participants will be asked to answer questions at certain checkpoints, such as “Who played the 8th Doctor Who?” (Paul McGann) or “What is the heaviest Pokemon?” (Groudon).

Hopefully, these precautions will be enough to ward off any persons who harbour ill-will towards the geeks of Ottawa.

Note: Ottawhat will be sending a team to cover the Ottawa Geek Market, so if you see us there, be sure to come over and say hi!