MAX Ottawa

Groupe de soutien trans 16 ans+ virtuel
2025-12-05 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Toronto) | https://maxottawa.ca/list/groupe-de-soutien-trans-16-ans-virtuel/2025-12-05/
Trans Outaouais offre à nouveau son groupe de soutien virtuel pour les membres de la communauté trans et ses allié·es, ainsi que personnes en questionnement de 16 ans et plus mensuellement à partir de septembre 2025.

Joignez-vous au groupe virtuel tous les 1er vendredi du mois de 18h30 à 20h30 pour une chance de partager nos expériences, de poser nos questions et de s’offrir une écoute bienveillante entre nous.

Inscription :

Pour participer, inscrivez-vous en utilisant le formulaire au bas de la page. Une fois inscrit·e, vous recevrez le lien pour vous connecter au groupe sur la plateforme Zoom au plus tard la veille du groupe. Vous serez contacté en cas d’annulation ou de changement de dates.

Pour plus d’informations, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter à info@transoutaouais.com.

Frontrunners
2025-12-06 09:00 - 11:30 | Ontario
A running and walking club for 2SLGBTQ+ community and friends in the National Capital Region, meeting Tuesday nights, Friday nights, and Saturday mornings (09:00 (spring, summer, fall); 09:30 (winter; from the first Saturday of December to the last Saturday of March)) at 111 Lisgar Street, the rear entrance of City Hall.

Runs are held:

Tuesdays at 6:30 pm, after which we go for coffee (Routes)

Saturdays at 9:00 am (9:30 am from the first Saturday of December to the last Saturday of March inclusive), followed by breakfast (Routes)

Women’s 5km run

Fridays at 5:00 pm

This event is open to all who identify as women, female-identifying, non-binary, and Two-Spirit individuals

For more details, please email wmns@ottawafrontrunners.org

NOTICE: 2025 Gatineau runs — Saturdays, 10 May, 14 June, 12 July, 9 August, 13 September, and 11 October.

Cancellation of runs are rare, only owing to holidays and hazardous weather. When runs are cancelled, we post a notice on the site linked below and send an e-mail to members.

Poetry Night
2025-12-06 17:30 - 19:30 | Ottawa Trans Library, 1104 Somerset St. West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y3C8, Canada
An informal evening of poetry reading and discussion. No mic, no stage! Share poems you have discovered or ones you have written in a casual atmosphere of poetry appreciation. Meeting on the first Saturday of the month at 5:30.

Bottomless Dine & Drag Dinner
2025-12-06 19:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-13 19:00 - 22:00 | The Vanitea Room, 551 Somerset St West, Ottawa, ON, K1R 5J9, Canada
Every week, on Saturday night, Vanitea is the destination for the no. 1 voted drag dinner, presented by beloved house host Devona Coe and a rotating calendar of featured local and visiting drag queens.Delivering their struts, gag-worthy performances & all-over sass for your Saturday night pleasure, + a fabulous 3 course tower (with meal included) and bottomless drinks!

Night of Lights: HOHOHO Competition
2025-12-06 21:30 - 2025-12-07 01:00 | Swizzles, 246 Queen Street,, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5E4, Canada
🎅✨ The HOHOHO Competition Returns! @nightoflightsottawaGet ready for a night of camp, comedy, and Christmas chaos as our competitors sleigh the stage in this year’s HOHOHO Drag Competition! ❄️💋

Hosted by the one and only @mr.benjamindover , with judges @monamooreuse and @mx.tique , this winter wonderland showdown will have you jingling all the way! 💃🏼💫DJ: @funfettidragVideo: @photographsbyac

❄️⛄️ 📅 Saturday, December 6th🕤 Doors: 9:30 | Show: 10:00PM💸 $15 at the door📍 Swizzles Bar and Grill

Winner receives a crown, sash, and $300 cash provided by @mr.benjamindover.

Who will be the newest HOHOHO Winner? Well you have to come, watch and be the first to know. Did I mention that there will be a one night only drink specials? Dirty Santa is back $6 for a single shot $12 for a double and 4 for $20 Polar Shot deal.

@mx.autumnrayne@kingbrattpitt@dr.t.munee@king.hongdong@kushy.tushy.burlesque@its.pinup.polly@tcupdrag@trixieroselee@whiskeytheestallion

So grab your mistletoe, sip your cocoa, and come watch the holiday magic unfold — one high heel at a time! 💖

Sunday Afternoon Bear Walk
2025-12-07 14:30 - 15:40, 2025-12-14 14:30 - 15:40 | Ottawa / Gatineau Pathways, Ottawa, Canada
Join other gay and bisexual men (including gay and bi transmen) for a one hour walk every Sunday at 2:30pm. Locations vary each week and are posted to the website through the link below.

Gay Bar 1985
2025-12-07 16:00 - 20:00 | The Annx, 221 Rideau St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 8X3, Canada
Low lights, hot looks, and retro porn—all for a cause.

Join MAX at Gay Bar 1985: a sexy afternoon at the Annx, where porn is on the wall and throwback beats have a modern tempo. Come together with friends, lovers, and strangers to celebrate sexual identity and queer art.

Fun, frisky, and unapologetically bold, our stock of sex toys, queer art, and vintage porn will be up for silent auction to spice things up ahead of the holidays.

All proceeds go to support MAX’s queer health and support services thriving year-round.

Event Details

Full staffed bar & Light snacks

Music by DJ Dwayne Minard

Location: The Annx, 221 Rideau Street, Ottawa (above GRIDWRKS)

Karaoke Night
2025-12-07 20:00 - 23:00, 2025-12-11 20:00 - 23:00, 2025-12-14 20:00 - 23:00, 2025-12-18 20:00 - 23:00 | T’s, 323 Somerset Street West, Ottawa, ON, 2P 0J8, Canada
Karaoke with fellow Queers hosted by Jolene.

5-Pin Bowling
2025-12-08 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-12-15 18:30 - 20:00 | West Park Lanes, 1205 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 2Z8, Canada
EVERYONE is welcome (please bring your friends!) to join us for a fun evening of 5-pin bowling at the West Park Lanes bowling alley at 1205 Wellington Street West. We play two games. The cost is $10.00, including shoe rental. It’s quite informal. You don’t have to join a team, just show up at West Park Lanes. Please come to the lanes early—at least 15 minutes early.

Creative Writing Workshop
2025-12-09 13:00 - 14:00 | The Good Companions, 670 Albert St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 6L2, Canada
Write the story only you can tell. Join a supportive writing group designed to help you find the words for the life stories you haven’t found a way to tell. Facilitated by Jeremiah Bartram, who has extensive training and experience as a writer and playwright. Inspired by the Writers’ Collective of Canada’s proven methodology. We will blend warm -up exercises, creative prompts, and reflective group discussion to get the writing flowing. This is not a therapy group – but personal wiring is powerful. The goal here is craft, clarity, and courage. Rough rafts are expected and welcome.

What to Expect:

Small group setting (Max. 10 participants)

Warm-up writing and group intros

Round table sharing tell the story you want to write

Supportive feedback; what resonates, what needs clarity

Choose your prompt and write for 10 minutes

Optional sharing and group reflection

Every voice matters, every draft is a beginning

No experience required – just the willingness to begin

The group will meet biweekly, max. duration is two hours, break included

Register with our 2SLGBTQIA+ Program Coordinator Sarah Rea: srea@thegoodcompanions.ca

Jeremiah Bartram: Queer Catholic Artist & Writer https://www.jeremiahbartram.com/

OGRC Weekly Run
2025-12-11 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-12-18 19:00 - 20:00 | T’s Pub, 323 Somerset St W, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0J8, Canada
Join us every Thursday evening for our weekly 5 km run, starting and ending at T’s Pub. We welcome runners of all levels, with multiple pace groups to ensure everyone feels comfortable and supported. Whether you’re looking to push your limits or just enjoy a leisurely jog, there’s a spot for you in our community.
After the run, stick around at T’s Pub to unwind with a cold beer and some great company. It’s the perfect way to cap off a run and connect with fellow gay men. No pressure, just good vibes and good times!
See you at 7:00 PM—let’s hit the pavement together!

Gay Men In Recovery
2025-12-11 19:00 - 20:10, 2025-12-18 19:00 - 20:10 | MAX Ottawa, 400 Cooper St. Suite 9004, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2H8, Canada
A weekly hybrid narcotics anonymous group for gay men.

To access the Zoom link, click the link below, select Thursday, and scroll down to “Gay Men In Recovery.” To enter the building, ring the intercom doorbell on the left side of the main doors if they are locked and a member will let you in.

Meeting formats and accessibility:

This meeting is closed to non-addicts. You should attend only if you believe that you may have a problem with substance abuse.

This meeting invites participation by all attendees.

This meeting is focused on the needs of gay, lesbian and transgender members of NA.

This meeting is meant to be attended by men only.

This meeting is wheelchair accessible.

Meetings virtually and in person.

Confidence Is Key - Ballroom Workshop Series: Winter Edition
2025-12-12 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-12-14 12:00 - 14:00 | McNabb Community Centre, 180 Percy St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 5P4, Canada
MAX Ottawa is proud to present the Winter Edition of Confidence Is Key – Ballroom Workshop Series (Vol. 3), featuring legends from the Toronto Kiki Ballroom scene. Our Friday and Sunday workshops are in partnership with the City of Ottawa and Kiki House of Siriano.

✨ Event Notes

All workshops are FREE

Venues are wheelchair accessible

Hosted primarily in English

Light refreshments provided (water/snacks)

Please wear comfortable clothing for movement

Filming will take place at specific moments — let a volunteer know if you prefer not to be filmed

Please RSVP to the workshops you’d like through the form linked below

Questions? Contact Antonio: a.wilson@maxottawa.ca

This season’s workshop lineup

Friday, December 12 – 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM 💫 Runway (All American) with Prince Sayeed Telfar 📍 McNabb Recreation Centre – 180 Percy Street, Ottawa, ON

Saturday, December 13 – 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ✨ Runway (European) with Legendary Pleasure Juicy Couture 📍 Arts Court Courtroom – 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, ON

Saturday, December 13 – 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM 🔥 Sex Siren with Legendary Godmother Juju Louboutin 📍 Arts Court Courtroom – 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, ON

Sunday, December 14 – 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM 🎤 Commentator + DJ with Legendary Charmed Mulan & Legendary Bam Bam Siriano 📍 McNabb Recreation Centre – 180 Percy Street, Ottawa, ON

Queen & Queer
2025-12-12 21:00 - 2025-12-13 02:00 | SAW, 67 Nicholas St, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7B9, Canada
Queens of Ottawa! 😍

Guess who’s back? Your favorite lesboqueer dance party returns, and we couldn’t be more excited to see you again!

Edition after edition, Ottawa has truly become our second home, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you once more.

And this one’s extra special:

A venue we’ve never been to before | Our 4th Ottawa edition | Our last party of the year | And… our 4th anniversary! 🥳🥳

What an honor to celebrate this milestone with you all! 🤩

📅December 12

📍SAW Club

Get ready for a night dedicated to the lesboqueer community, with the best crowd in the city and our amazing allies.

For our anniversary, we’re switching things up! Expect your signature house and afro grooves, with a twist of pop, latin, and Caribbean energy.

🎧DJ Sam (OTT/MTL)

🎧 DJ Karyen (OTT)

🎧 DJ Zabella (OTT)

Plus: hot performers all night long!

🌈 WHO WE ARE

QUEEN & QUEER isn’t just a Montréal-based group, we’re a queer travelling collective creating events across cities to connect, uplift, and celebrate queerness wherever it thrives. Ottawa has truly become a second home for us. We’re not a big production, just two passionate souls, Sam & Maryline, working with zero public funding to create safe, festive, and inclusive spaces for the lesboqueer community. (And fun fact: one of us actually spends half their time in Ottawa, so yes, we really do feel at home here )

🌈 OUR MISSION

Beyond creating safe and festive spaces for the lesboqueer community and allies, our mission is to highlight and uplift female and gender-diverse artists, from DJs to dancers and circus performers.

🌈 MUSIC IS THE ANSWER

QUEEN & QUEER events are safe spaces that prioritize LGBTQ2SIA+ women, non-binary, and trans folks while warmly welcoming allies. We have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind: no homophobia, sexism, transphobia, racism, or harassment. Our parties celebrate diversity, inclusion, and joy whether you’re 20 or 60, no matter your background, you’ll always have a place on our dance floor.

Out and About Saturdays
2025-12-13 09:30 - 14:30 | The Good Companions, 670 Albert Street
OSPN in partnership with The Good Companions is delighted to offer in person programming to our 55+ LGBTQ2+ community.

Join us every second and fourth Saturday of the month for a range of engaging activities, from educational workshops to social programming, all designed to foster connection, support, and enjoyment. Our goal is to create a welcoming environment where everyone can feel comfortable, respected, and celebrate.

For more information on Out and About Saturdays programming, contact Sarah Rea at sarah@thegoodcompanions.ca.

Parking is available at the centre for $2.50 a day or $30.00 annually.

*Please Note: Individual financial restrictions will never be a barrier to accessing Out and About Saturdays or becoming a member of The Good Companions. Subsidies are available on a case-by-case basis.

Confidence Is Key - Ballroom Workshop Series: Winter Edition
2025-12-13 12:00 - 16:00 | Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave., Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6E2, Canada
MAX Ottawa is proud to present the Winter Edition of Confidence Is Key – Ballroom Workshop Series (Vol. 3), featuring Legends from the Toronto Kiki Ballroom scene. Our Saturday workshops are in partnership with Debaser for Pique, as well as the City of Ottawa and Kiki House of Siriano.

✨ Event Notes

All workshops are FREE

Venues are wheelchair accessible

Hosted primarily in English

Light refreshments provided (water/snacks)

Please wear comfortable clothing for movement

Filming will take place at specific moments — let a volunteer know if you prefer not to be filmed

Please RSVP to the workshops you’d like through the form linked below

Questions? Contact Antonio: a.wilson@maxottawa.ca

This season’s workshop lineup

Friday, December 12 – 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM 💫 Runway (All American) with Prince Sayeed Telfar 📍 McNabb Recreation Centre – 180 Percy Street, Ottawa, ON

Saturday, December 13 – 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM ✨ Runway (European) with Legendary Pleasure Juicy Couture 📍 Arts Court Courtroom – 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, ON

Saturday, December 13 – 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM 🔥 Sex Siren with Legendary Godmother Juju Louboutin 📍 Arts Court Courtroom – 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, ON

Sunday, December 14 – 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM 🎤 Commentator + DJ with Legendary Charmed Mulan & Leg

Pique
2025-12-13 18:00 - 2025-12-14 02:00 | Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave., Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6E2, Canada
Not your average holiday-season party, Pique winter edition returns to Arts Court on December 13, 2025 with a unique and eclectic program celebrating underground music, forward-thinking art and bold performance. Designed for discovery, community connection and radical self-expression, Pique brings together some of the boldest ground-breaking artists from across Canada to experiment and engage with the local artistic community.

This season, Pique features emergent innovators in the fields of pop-avant garde, ambient-electronic, contemporary installation, afro-rap, and more. They include genre-fluid electronic producer Korea Town Acid, ethereal club angel Monsieurmadam, electrifying R&B/noise artist Quinton Barnes, Afrobeats scene stealer Banggz, global south sound selector TRINIDADDY, fractal ambient brainfeeder 16:9 ratio, cyborgian new media artist Ajeebsir, anti-disciplinary installation collaborative Sabrina Ferrari & Evalyn Shields, and eclectic songwriter Sandour.

Plus, back by popular demand, Pique will host the Queertopia kiki ball presented by Legendary Mother Maldita and Yéila Siriano, welcoming legends and leaders from ballroom scenes across Canada to not only host a ball, but also mentor emerging ballroom artists through skill-building workshops presented by MAX Ottawa. Community members can sign up to walk the ball here. More information about workshops coming soon.

Tickets to Pique are pay-what-you-can (PWYC), with sliding-scale and subsidized options available. Our PWYC ticket keeps the festival open to everyone while inviting those who can pay more to help cover the cost for others. Every contribution above the minimum goes directly toward fair artist pay, inclusive programming, and supporting independent culture in Ottawa.

Featuring performances, exhibitions and interactive presentations by 20 participating artists, Pique winter edition is not to be missed

ACCESSIBILITY

As always, Pique is all ages and pay-what-you-can. The event site is accessible, and our detailed accessibility policy and event information are available on our accessibility page.

The EQUIPE harm reduction team will be on-site to support audience members and hand out free supplies thanks to our partners at MAX Ottawa. Pique staff and volunteers are trained in bystander intervention and harm reduction strategies to support audience members throughout the event.

Psychic Death and Transitions
2025-12-16 19:00 - 20:30 | https://maxottawa.ca/list/psychic-death-and-transitions/
Badly Licked Bear loves death. As a transsexual person, as an Indigenous person, as an adoption survivor, as someone who works with the knowledge of the body and of bodies, death is a constant companion in her work.

Participants will be held in exploring psychic deaths, what it means to be “once dead and twice born,” and how our sexuality often skirts, confronts, plays with, or outright embraces death. What does it mean to bring death and the process of death consciously into one’s daily life and practices?

Queer Death Salon is a community space for all 2SLGBTQIA+ people to come together to discuss death, dying and grief. It is a facilitated drop-in discussion space, with the purpose of building connection, skill, and resources for 2SLGBTQIA+ people navigating end of life in our personal lives and in our communities.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own questions, stories, and complexities to share.

Holiday CRAFTernoon
2025-12-17 17:00 - 20:00 | MAX Ottawa, 400 Cooper St. Suite 9004, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2H8, Canada
MAX’s holiday CRAFTernoon is back! Join us for a festive evening preparing care packages for the community and crafting away.

We’ll have some craft supplies to get you started on your creative path, but we recommend bringing some items of your own:

What we’ll have:

🎁Paper

🎁Glue

🎁Beads

🎁Paint

What we recommend bringing:

🎨An ornament

🎨Stickers

🎨Fabric

🎨Yarn

A few festive crafting ideas to spark some inspiration include: an ornament, a decoration, holiday cards, and knitted or crocheted items to keep you or a friend warm.

We’ll also have snacks and hot chocolate ☕ to keep you fueled and a cheesy Hallmark movie playing in the background to set the holiday mood.

Please RSVP below to let us know you’re coming!

MAX Ottawa is an accessible venue with elevators and wheelchair accessible, gender neutral washrooms.

Mööse Knuckle Boylesque
2025-12-18 20:00 - 22:00 | LIVE! on Elgin, 220 Elgin St #2, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 1L7, Canada
Ottawa’s boylesque cabaret show returns with more titillation and hilarity to mark the festive season. This queer-produced show featuring queer performers is open to everyone. An all-inclusive gender washroom is available. We regret that the venue is not wheelchair accessible. This is a 19+ event.

Jingle & Mingle
2025-12-19 18:00 - 21:00 | The Good Companions, 670 Albert St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 6L2, Canada
🎁 Thinking about what to do this holiday season? Come celebrate with MAX at our Jingle & Mingle, festive end-of-year gathering.

We’ll have games, music, delicious food, and exciting activities like:

🔔Most Festive Outfit Contest

🔔Holiday Photo Booth

🔔MAX Trivia

Come meet new people, celebrate community, and wrap up the year with laughter and warmth!

RSVP below to let us know you’re coming:
