BistroFest

05/20/2026

May 16 at BistroFest Part 1 ❤️

Thanks to all of you who came last Saturday and supported our first free live music event of the series at Hog's Back :)

Check out this little clip of Mikhail Laxton who opened in the 2nd video, what a fantastic performance to start everything! He's got a really cool thing worth looking into, 613 Soul! Mikhail Laxton

And 613 Underground who were there to debut their merch, but don't worry if you missed them, they'll be around with us some more at future events where you'll be able to grab your own copy of their local music magazine 😊 613 Underground

I'd be remiss not to mention our artist Holly Alaine who offers free face painting for everyone and all the volunteers that made this possible 🥰

Please donate if you can, it makes a world of difference in making this free and to pay the artists ❤️

www.bistrofest.ca

Alex Sampson
Jason Matte
Kleeson Lewis
Natasha Liard
James Hastings
Hog's Back Grill and Bistro
Curiocity on CKCU 93.1 FM

More clips coming!!

05/18/2026

‼️BISTROFEST TIMING UPDATE FOR JULY 4‼️ Marèva at BistroFest 2026 (Special DJ Event)

Small correction for our July 4 DJ event with Marèva, Mos and Fembotttt: instead of 7 PM to 11 PM, the event will now run from 6 PM to 10 PM to stay compliant with NCC rules.

Also, May 16 was our first official BistroFest event and it was amazing. ❤️

Huge thanks to everyone who came out, donated, helped, played, danced, bought merch, picked up magazines from 613 underground, and made the first night feel so pleasant. If that was only the beginning, we can’t wait to see what this summer looks like once everything is in full swing.

We’ll be sharing videos from the first event soon! Be on the lookout 👀🎶

See you at the next one, June 6, Hog’s Back Grill & Bistro from 6 PM to 10 PM for some punk rock, amazing young artists, and a headlining band active in the Ottawa scene, coming all the way from Guelph 🔥 You Might Be Sleeping at BistroFest 2026

Donate via www.bistrofest.ca to keep the series alive!

* * * FR * * *

‼️MISE À JOUR HORAIRE POUR LE 4 JUILLET À BISTROFEST‼️

Petite correction pour notre événement DJ du 4 juillet avec Marèva, Mos et Fembotttt: au lieu de 19h à 23h, l’événement aura maintenant lieu de 18h à 22h afin de respecter les règles de la CCN.

Aussi, le 16 mai était notre tout premier événement officiel de BistroFest, et c’était incroyable. ❤️

Un énorme merci à tout le monde qui est venu, qui a donné, qui a aidé, qui a joué, qui a dansé, qui a acheté de la merch, qui a ramassé des magazines de 613 underground, et qui a rendu cette première soirée aussi plaisante. Si c’était seulement le début, on a vraiment hâte de voir à quoi l’été va ressembler une fois que tout sera lancé pour vrai.

On va partager des vidéos du premier événement bientôt! Gardez l’œil ouvert 👀🎶

On se voit le 6 juin au Hog’s Back Grill & Bistro, de 18h à 22h, pour du punk rock, des jeunes artistes incroyables, et un groupe en tête d’affiche actif sur la scène d’Ottawa, qui viennent de Guelph 🔥

Faites un don via www.bistrofest.ca pour garder la série en vie!



might.be.sleeping official



klifford.skies.project

05/14/2026

613 Underground and BistroFest are collaborating this summer!

613 Underground is an Ottawa-based indie physical and digital DIY magazine giving an inside look into Ottawa and the 613 area’s underground music scene, its artists, and exclusive news.

After meeting with them, it was obvious that this collaboration was meant to be ❤️‍🔥 I mean, look at the artists they’ve covered and who’s playing BistroFest this year!

They’ll be with us this Saturday, May 16, at Hog’s Back Grill & Bistro from 6 PM to 9 PM, and they’ll be debuting their merch with us!

You can see their merch in the 1st and 2nd pics 👀📸

The 3rd pic shows their April issue, Volume 3, with about 20 copies available. They’ll also have a limited number of March issues, Volume 2, shown in the fourth picture!

They’ll be bringing about 20 shirts and 3 tote bags too, so come early, grab some merch, pick up a magazine, say hi, check out the bands, and support the amazing projects helping Ottawa’s local music scene grow ❤️

613 Underground is going above and beyond, and we can’t thank them enough for being part of this with us!!

See you this Saturday at Hog’s Back Grill & Bistro! 🌞

Aurora's Reef at BistroFest 2026

613 Underground
Hog's Back Grill and Bistro
Alex Sampson
Jason Matte
Kleeson Lewis
CKCU
Curiocity on CKCU 93.1 FM

05/11/2026

05/11/2026

WE GOT MERCH 👀

The events are free, we don’t yet have grants or sponsors, and donations go directly to the performing artists. So merch sales are the main ways we can keep building this thing without compromising what BistroFest is about ❤️

If you comfortably can, please support us and get some cool stuff in exchange :)

Price rundown at the bottom!

Huge thanks to Megan Landry for the amazing design work, and Natasha Liard for the photos 📸

We’ve got shirts on the way, and we’re looking into making some cool hats too 😎

Important:
The 2026 merch is ONLY available in person at the events.

We’ll eventually bring some merch online, but the 2026 material is exclusive to the people who were actually there for the first season. So if you want some and can’t make it, send your friends!

MERCH INFO:

🖼️ Limited Posters (Pic 1)
48 available total // 50$ each

BistroFest Logo Stickers (Pic 2,3,4)
3$ each

Lil' Square Stickers (Pic 2,5)
2$ each

Small Black Circle Stickers (Pic 6,7,8,9)
5$ for 6

And seriously… check out Picture 9

We thought that sticker placement idea was pretty fitting for a grassroots festival.

See you all May 16 🌅

Also make sure to join our newsletter to stay in the loop for shows, surprise announcements, and potentially some smaller unannounced events around Ottawa before next season 👀

www.bistrofest.ca

Alex Sampson
Jason Matte
Kleeson Lewis
Hog's Back Grill and Bistro
CKCU

05/09/2026

We’re lucky to have such a strong music community in Ottawa, and it’s a pleasure to showcase it.

You know when you hear a band and think, how have I never heard of them before?

We’ve got a whole summer of that!

Here’s the lineup for Sept 5, 6PM to 9PM, at the Hog’s Back Grill & Bistro:

C.A. & Sonny (1st pic)

An Ottawa-based duo focused on preserving the tradition of Folk music. Using stringed instruments, C.A. & Sonny sing songs, crack jokes, and tell tales of yesteryear.

I hadn't personally seen C.A. & Sonny play, but I had heard so many good things about them, I was actually surprised they saw my message when I reached out to them, let alone accept to headline the last event of the season! It's an honor to get to host these two local favorites!

Cattail Creek (2nd pic)

Folk rock mixed with alt-country, blues, rockabilly, and bluegrass. Lively, foot-stomping music built for campfire sing-alongs and kitchen parties.

Bram from Cattail Creek reached out to me as we started releasing our headliners this year and seemed like the perfect fit for our folk evening. I got to see them at the Black Sheep while learning the sound system there as a sound tech. Definitely a good time coming!

Stephen Hardy Palmer (3rd pic)

From opening for The Who and Led Zeppelin to earning a spin on Stuart McLean's Vinyl Café, Stephen Hardy Palmer has had a long career inspired by folk legends like Lightfoot, Tyson, and Joni Mitchell.

Every performance I've seen from Stephen has been a delight. Seeing someone of his caliber casually joining jams and local open mics is always special, and I couldn't resist inviting him to open our final folk evening of the BistroFest season.

Next week, May 16, BistroFest officially begins 🌅

All donations go directly to the artists ❤️

Donations and reminders via
www.bistrofest.ca

See you soon :)
Alex

🪕 C. A. & Sonny
🎻 Cattail Creek Band
🌙 Stephen Palmer
🍔 Hog's Back Grill and Bistro
😎 Alex Sampson
🛠️ Jason Matte
🛠️ Kleeson Lewis
📻 CKCU

05/09/2026

Another week another lineup! C.A. & Sonny at BistroFest 2026

September 5 is going to be the final event of the first BistroFest season ❤️

After a couple stressful days behind the scenes, everything is officially sorted out and BistroFest is happening at the Hog’s Back Grill & Bistro exactly as originally planned.

And honestly… what a beautiful way to close the season.

C.A. & Sonny, Cattail Creek, and Stephen Hardy Palmer are joining us for an evening of folk music, storytelling, and songs that feel timeless.

FREE // 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Check out our website www.bistrofest.ca or the linktree in our bio to find out more and to donate to the bands!

Next week, May 16, BistroFest officially kicks off 🌅

Bring your chairs and bring your friends! Food and drinks available on-site at the Hog's Back Grill & Bistro :)

See you September 5 🔥
Alex

🪕 C. A. & Sonny
🎻 Cattail Creek Band
🌙 Stephen Palmer
🍔 Hog's Back Grill and Bistro
😎 Alex Sampson
🛠️ Jason Matte
🛠️ Kleeson Lewis
📻 CKCU

05/02/2026

We have such a strong music scene in the Ottawa region, and it’s a pleasure to showcase their talent! Baby Richman at BistroFest 2026

You know when you see a band and think, how have I never heard of them before?

We’ve got a whole summer of that!

Here’s the lineup for Aug 15, 6PM to 9PM, at the Hog’s Back Grill & Bistro:

Baby Richman (1st pic)
Rock driven, tight harmonies, and a classic influence pulled from bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Oasis.

I first encountered Baby Richman in their early days at Pour Boy's Wednesday open mic. Their mind-blowing musical abilities weren’t enough, apparently they also had to write one of my new favorite songs. A true pillar of the Ottawa scene, they host a full band Karaoke every Tuesday at Lowertown Brewery, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t keep rising. Let’s enjoy them while they’re still in our hometown!

Sun Dried Flies (2nd pic)
’90s alt rock with grunge and classic rock influences, built for high-energy, crowd-moving shows.

I met Ben from Sun Dried Flies at Pour Boy too. Young guy with a lot of talent for songwriting. It was a coincidence that his band came under my radar as this whole lineup was recommended to me by the guys from Baby Richman (and by Noise Hotel!)

Shirley (3rd pic)
Bluesy riffs, 90’s grunge influence, and metal elements. Loud, raw, and straight to the point. It’s scrunge.

I can’t wait to see them live. They were flying under my radar before booking BistroFest, but they embody what we love to showcase. Young, spirited, local, and brilliant on a stage. I’m really happy to see this unfold and I hope these moments will be remembered as more than just an evening.

One more Lineup to go, next Friday, then we kick off the series!

Free tickets via Eventbrite
linktr.ee/bistrofest

All donations go to the artists ❤️

www.bistrofest.ca

See you Aug 15 😁
Alex

🎸 Baby Richman
🪰 Sun Dried Flies
🖤
🍔 Hog's Back Grill and Bistro
😎 Alex Sampson
🛠️ Jason Matte
🛠️ Kleeson Lewis