Ottawa Record Fair 2023

Make sure to mark April 29th on your calendars! Here's why...

Ottawa has been the scene for many record fairs or conventions as far back as I can recall.  I cut my teeth doing them down in Eastern Canada long before moving to Fat Cat City.  My good friend and legend Gerald Dewan (Mad Platters) put on fantastic shows at various locations in the mid-late 80's and early 90's.  For a period of time, great record shows happened twice a year at Chateau Laurier (organized by a good chap named Peter) and were always fun to both sell at and shop at!  Peter passed the shows onto others and while they were still worth going to, some were ill-attended and poorly promoted. 

Over the next 10 or so years, Birdman Sound Co-Presented the Ottawa Community Record Shows. Initially I felt these events were pretty awesome with huge turnouts and mostly stellar selections from many vendors.  However, the last few years prior to the pandemic, while still getting decent turnouts the shows seemed to be increasingly infiltrated with sub-standard records on offer (in my professional opinion). In the last couple of years, people have been asking when we will see another awesome record show happen in Ottawa. 

Well the time has come!  Grant Young and I are busting out the inaugural Ottawa Record Fair: Presented by Birdman Sound which will take place on April 29th, 2023.  First and foremost, this show is designed with an emphasis on quality not quantity; vinyl LPs both new and second hand.  A number of sellers are already lined up, with a criteria for participation: this record fair will not be a sea of vinyl landfill!