How to find stuff to do

People have been asking me lately how I find all these interesting and quirky things to do in such a boring city.

1. Email Lists

(a): I subscribe to Artengine, and it sends me notices about all kinds of art-related events. There are a LOT of art-related events going on in Ottawa. For example, on Friday night GC and I went to two free art openings: Great Big Smalls at the Cube Gallery and Foot Fetish at Cyclelogik.

Great Big Smalls was a show/sale of small art by local artists. The art was fun and they served hot mulled wine, cold fruit punch, popcorn and chocolate.

Foot Fetish was a stone’s throw from Great Big Smalls. It didn’t have anything to do with feet or fetishes – it was just that all the pieces measured one square foot. The art was diverse and the food was dramatic. (I was already full from the chocolate and popcorn but I wished I’d saved some room for the little hors-d’ouevres called Smoking Jackets. They’re made of tobacco, port and blackberries. Weird but gorgeous.

(b) The other list I subscribe to is the Homelessness list. This one alerts me to all kinds of poverty and political events. If you want to get on that one, send an email to lbrowne [at] ysb.on.ca.

These email lists might not accurately reflect your location or interests, but there are probably other lists that do…you just have to dig them up on google and subscribe to them. Or check out the groups on Facebook.

2. Street Signs

I read every sign on every street post and bulletin board I see. It doesn’t matter whether it’s for a lost cat or waxing services, I read them all. I can’t not read signs. I often learn of intriguing upcoming events from signs. That’s how I heard of the Ferret Frolic, for instance.

3. Word of Mouth

I get a lot of good suggestions from friends and people who read my blog.

GC supplies some of the ideas too. Last night we went to see the CBC reading of Dickins’ Christmas Carol because he just realized he’s always wanted to do that. It was kind of cool to see those radio voices in person and all dressed up. The fashion statement of the evening was Michael Bhardwaj’s socks.

4. Serendipity

Sometimes we just stumble across things. For example, just yesterday GC and I stopped into Irene’s Pub for something to eat and there just happened to be a magician doing a magic show there. Yeah, I know, whoever heard of a magic show in a pub? But then again, Irene’s is no ordinary pub. Far from it.

(The serendipitous approach, by the way, works best if you actually leave your home and go outside from time to time. I know this because I spent some time as a homebody and I rarely found myself in the middle of a magic show or a parade of zombies.)

So there ya go. My secrets for finding stuff to do. How do you find stuff to do?

By the way, I ran across this awhile back and meant to post it here. So far the only Canadian city on the Free and Cheap Things to Do in Your City site is Toronto. Let’s put Ottawa on the map.