Things to do in Manotick
The village keeps a real calendar — anchored by a few institutions that have run for decades and filled in by the market, the mill, and the community associations. Dates below are confirmed for 2026 where organisers have published them.
The annual anchors
Dickinson Days is the signature weekend — the village festival named for the founder, organised by the Kiwanis Club of Manotick with the BIA as sponsor and partner. It lands on the first weekend of June, not late spring as it is often described; official listings for 2026 differ on whether it ran 4–7 or 5–7 June, so check with Kiwanis rather than trusting a second-hand date. Taste of Manotick brings the food scene onto Main Street as a licensed open-air street party run by the BIA in mid-September — 12 September in 2026. Shiverfest, run by the community association, breaks up February. And Watson's Mill keeps its own season from mid-May to mid-October, with special events continuing into early December.
Markets — there are three, not one
The one most people mean is the Manotick Farmers' Market, Saturday mornings through the growing season in the Carriage Shed lot at 5524 Dickinson Street, directly across from the mill. Note that 5525 Dickinson is the mill itself and 5524 is the Carriage Shed — a distinction plenty of listings get wrong. Separately, The Lot Manotick runs Sundays 9am to 2pm at 5546 Manotick Main Street, and the Manotick South Market runs weekends at the Swan on the Rideau, 2730 River Road, on a published event calendar rather than a fixed season. Dates shift; confirm before driving out.
Staying current
The Manotick Village and Community Association and the Manotick BIA are the two reliable sources for current dates — both publish their calendars well ahead. The village paper is still going too: the Manotick Messenger ceased publication under its long-time owner in January 2025 and was revived by Ottawa publisher Your Community Voice, which now puts out a biweekly Manotick edition. Event timing shifts year to year; confirm with the organisers before planning around this page.
Common questions
What is Dickinson Days?
Manotick's annual village festival, named for founder Moss Kent Dickinson and organised by the Kiwanis Club of Manotick with the Manotick BIA as sponsor and partner. It falls on the first weekend of June, centred on the historic core and the mill. Published dates for a given year sometimes disagree between sources, so confirm with the organisers.
Is there a farmers' market in Manotick?
Three, in fact. The Manotick Farmers' Market runs Saturdays 9am to 2pm through the growing season, roughly June to October, in the Carriage Shed lot at 5524 Dickinson Street across from Watson's Mill. The Lot Manotick runs Sundays 9am to 2pm at 5546 Manotick Main Street, and the Manotick South Market runs weekends at the Swan on the Rideau on River Road, on a published event calendar rather than a fixed season. Season dates shift year to year — check before driving out.
When is Taste of Manotick?
Mid-September — 12 September in 2026. It's a licensed open-air street event on Manotick Main Street run by the Manotick BIA.