November in Ottawa brings the National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial on November 11, the Help Santa Toy Parade on November 21, Senators and 67's home games, NAC concerts, and Christmas markets from November 7 onward. Below are the dated 2026 listings we could confirm, what is not confirmed yet, and what the weather usually does.
Remembrance Day in Ottawa (November 11)
The National Remembrance Day Ceremony is at the National War Memorial on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Ottawa Tourism says it starts at about 10:45 a.m., when the dignitaries arrive. They include the Prime Minister, the Governor General and the Silver Cross Mother. The program has the national anthem, two minutes of silence, a wreath-laying and a fly-past if the weather allows.
Crowds hear the ceremony over loudspeakers and can watch a live feed on large screens. The Virtual Wall of Honour shows photos of late veterans on screens near the memorial. After the ceremony, people place poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier through the day. You can buy a wreath through the Royal Canadian Legion, and the proceeds go to the Legion Poppy Fund.
Other November 11 options: Beechwood Cemetery holds its service at the National Military Cemetery from 10:45 a.m. The Canadian War Museum is free that day, with timed tickets released November 8. Its Memorial Hall closes in the morning so the sun lighting the unknown soldier's headstone at 11 a.m. can be livestreamed. The Ottawa Visitor Centre is open 12:30 to 5 p.m. For more museums, see our ranked museums list.
Is there a stat holiday in November in Ontario?
No. Ontario has nine public holidays under the Employment Standards Act, and none falls in November. Remembrance Day is not one of them, so employers covered by the Act do not have to give the day off. The next public holiday after Thanksgiving is Christmas Day.
Parades and Christmas markets in November 2026
The Help Santa Toy Parade, in its 57th year, is Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 11 a.m. It starts on Queen Elizabeth Driveway at Somerset Street West, runs south on the Driveway and ends at Lansdowne Park and TD Place. We could not confirm a 2026 date for the Orléans Santa's Parade of Lights from an official page, so check before you go.
Dated markets, from Ottawa Tourism: Metcalfe Farmers' Christmas Market (November 7), Robert Plante Holiday Market (November 14-15), Heart of Orléans BIA Tree Lighting and Night Market (November 20), ADAAWE Indigenous Holiday Market (November 21) and Watson's Mill Christmas Market in Manotick, three weekends starting November 21-22, admission by donation. The free Ottawa Christmas Market at Aberdeen Plaza, Lansdowne, runs November 20-22 and 27-29, then on more dates in December.
In Gatineau, the Canadian Museum of History holds its free Christmas Market November 26-29 with over 100 exhibitors: Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The NAC HoliYay Craft Market is free in the Atrium O'Brien and listed on Sundays in November 2026; check the NAC calendar for the exact day.
Light shows: what opens in November and what doesn't
Alight at Night at Upper Canada Village, 13740 County Road 2, Morrisburg, runs November 27, 2026 to January 2, 2027. It is outside the city, so plan a drive.
Canadian Heritage's Winter Lights Across Canada is not a November event. It runs every evening from December 7, 2026 to January 7, 2027.
Senators, 67's and concerts in November
The Senators play six November home games at Canadian Tire Centre, per the NHL schedule: November 7 (Utah), 10 (Washington), 12 (Colorado), 19 (Philadelphia) and 21 (Los Angeles), all at 7 p.m., and November 23 (Calgary) at 7:30 p.m. The arena's own events page does not yet list the Calgary game, so confirm it before buying. The Ottawa 67's host Kingston on Wednesday, November 4 at 10:30 a.m. and Windsor on Friday, November 6 at 7 p.m. at TD Place; the league page showed a limited window, so later home dates may follow.
Canadian Tire Centre lists no concerts in November. The NAC calendar lists these for November 2026: Roch Voisine's The Lightfoot Sessions, The East Pointers with Emilea May, Matteo Lane's comedy tour, Brahms X Radiohead with the NAC Orchestra, UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony, the Ottawa Jazz Orchestra's Coltrane 100, The Nutcracker by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, L'Orestie and The King James Bible Play. The 24th Annual Christmas GOOSE concert runs from November into December. The calendar shows weekdays, not day dates, so check each event page.
Ottawa weather in November
At Ottawa airport, the 1981-2010 climate normals from Environment and Climate Change Canada give a mean daily high of 5.4°C, a mean low of -2.4°C and a daily mean of 1.5°C. November averages 64.5 mm of rain and 20.2 cm of snow, with precipitation on 15.2 days and snow of at least 0.2 cm on 6.8 days.
Freezing rain or drizzle comes on about 2.1 days, and the mean snow depth at month end is 3.8 cm. Pack a warm coat and waterproof boots for outdoor events like the parade and November 11. Indoor ideas are on our attractions list.
Best of Ottawa for November: top-rated comfort food
Our lists rank places only by a published formula on public Google Maps ratings and review counts (data pulled 2026-10-29, minimum 10 reviews). See the methodology.
Pho: Pho Tuan, 300 Booth St (4.8, 699 reviews); Pho By Night, 309 Dalhousie St (4.7, 3,930); Phở Bắc Oriental Cuisine, 873 Somerset St W (4.7, 516). Full list: best pho in Ottawa. Ramen: Taki Ramen, 170 Lees Ave (4.8, 1,848); Kuma Takumi, 484 Hazeldean Rd, Kanata (4.8, 607); Jinsei Ramen, 300 Laurier Ave W (4.7, 474). Full list: best ramen.
Shawarma: Shawarma AL MOUNA, 1266 Wellington St W (4.8, 1,509); Grilled Shawarma (Orleans), 2288 Tenth Line Rd (4.8, 1,092); Ottawa Shawarma (Clyde), 1383 Clyde Ave (4.8, 959). Full list: best shawarma. Other months are on our events hub.
Questions and answers
What to do in Ottawa in November?
Attend the Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11, watch the Help Santa Toy Parade on November 21, catch a Senators or 67's home game, see a show at the NAC, and visit the Christmas markets at Lansdowne (November 20-22 and 27-29) and the Canadian Museum of History (November 26-29).
What events are on in Ottawa on November 11?
The National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial starts at about 10:45 a.m. Beechwood Cemetery holds a service at the National Military Cemetery from 10:45 a.m., and the Canadian War Museum is free that day with timed tickets released November 8.
What concerts are in Ottawa in November?
The NAC lists Roch Voisine, The East Pointers, Brahms X Radiohead with the NAC Orchestra, UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony and the Ottawa Jazz Orchestra's Coltrane 100 for November 2026, and the Christmas GOOSE concert runs from November into December. Check each NAC event page for exact days. Canadian Tire Centre lists no November concerts.
Is there a stat holiday in November in Ontario?
No. None of Ontario's nine public holidays falls in November, and Remembrance Day is not a public holiday under the Employment Standards Act.
When is the Ottawa Santa Claus parade in 2026?
The Help Santa Toy Parade is Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 11 a.m., running south on Queen Elizabeth Driveway from Somerset Street West to Lansdowne Park.
Sources
- National Remembrance Day Ceremony (Ottawa Tourism event calendar). Checked .
- National Remembrance Day Ceremony (Ottawa Tourism). Checked .
- Remembrance Day programming in Ottawa (Ottawa Tourism Insider). Checked .
- Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: public holidays (Ontario). Checked .
- Help Santa Toy Parade. Checked .
- Ottawa Christmas Market (Ottawa Tourism). Checked .
- The best Ottawa Christmas markets (Ottawa Tourism Insider). Checked .
- The Museum's Christmas Market (Canadian Museum of History). Checked .
- Alight at Night (Ottawa Tourism). Checked .
- Winter Lights Across Canada (Canadian Heritage). Checked .
- Ottawa Senators 2026-27 regular season schedule (NHL). Checked .
- Canadian Tire Centre events. Checked .
- Ottawa 67's schedule (CHL). Checked .
- NAC calendar. Checked .
- Climate normals 1981-2010, Ottawa airport, November (Environment and Climate Change Canada API). Checked .
- fromOttawa place data: pho, ramen and shawarma lists (data date 2026-10-29). Checked .