Things you can do in Ottawa for free this winter

The OTTAWA sign as snow falls in downtown Ottawa. (Natalie van Rooy/CTV News Ottawa)

While the cost of groceries, property taxes and home ownership keeps rising, there are things you can do in Ottawa this winter without breaking the bank.

You can visit Winterlude in Ottawa and Gatineau, go cross-country skiing for free at several trails in Ottawa or tour the Parliament buildings.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at nine things you can do for free in Ottawa this winter.

Winterlude

Experience the best of Canadian winter at Winterlude.

The popular winter festival in Ottawa and Gatineau includes a number of free events on Sparks Street, the Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau and in the ByWard Market.

Winter Pride is set for the weekend of Feb. 10 to 12.

Winterlude runs until Feb. 20. For information, visit www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/winterlude

Rideau Hall Winter Celebration

The public is invited to Rideau Hall on Feb. 11 for the Winter Celebration.

Activities include:

All activities are free of charge.

For more information, visit gg.ca.

Free Wagon Rides

Celebrate Valentine's Day with a free horse-drawn wagon ride in the ByWard Market.

The ByWard Market BIA is offering complimentary horse-drawn wagon rides on Feb. 14 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information, visit byward-market.com

Big Bang

Get ready for the ultimate musical adventure on Feb. 18 and 19 at the National Arts Centre.

The Big Bang Festival is back with a burst of colourful activities, including several free events.

For information on the free and ticketed events, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/bigbang.

Skating

You can skate for free at Ottawa's four refrigerated outdoor skating rinks.

Cross-country skiing

You can cross-country ski for free at the following areas, but donations are encouraged.

Tour Parliament

You can take a free tour of the Senate of Canada Building and the House of Commons in the newly restored West Block.

Senate Guided Tours last 30 minutes, while tours of the House of Commons take approximately 40 minutes.

For tickets, visit https://rts.parl.ca/

Visit a museum

You can visit the following museums for free during the following periods.

KIDS EAT FREE

Children can eat for free at several restaurants in Ottawa.

Zak's Diner – Kids 10 and under eat free Sunday to Thursday (holidays excluded) from 4 p.m. to close, with the purchase of one adult meal and beverage.  Offer available at the Zak's Diner locations in the ByWard Market, on Elgin Street and in Kanata.  Visit the restaurant's website for details.

Jonny Canuck's – Kids eat free on Sundays between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. For more information, visit the restaurant's website.

Mandarin Restaurant – Kids aged 4 and under eat free from the buffet (up to two kids per paid adult)