When she started her online stationery business in 2024, Cara Loop never thought she’d become an event planner. Two years later, she’s the creative mind behind a rotating calendar of trivia nights, themed events and affordable craft workshops across Ottawa.
Rough Draft Events, founded by Loop, hosts workshops at community-oriented businesses such as Arlington Five, Equator Coffee and Manor Park Brewing (formerly Small and Local Beer co.), with a focus on accessibility and low-cost participation. In a city often criticized for limited nightlife and rising event costs, Loop says she is trying to create welcoming spaces outside of work and home, something she calls the “third place.”
Loop says she started with book bedazzling after taking an interest herself.
“I got a lot of really good feedback from that,” she said. “I was a government worker who lost their job, so I decided to try out community workshops. It was just kind of a spiral from there.”
Loop says affordability is central.
“I don’t do anything over $40 a workshop,” she said. “Most of them range from like $10 to $25.”
Across North America, researchers and urban planners have raised concerns about the decline of “third places,” social environments outside of home and work. As remote work increases and discretionary spending tightens, informal gathering spaces are less accessible, particularly for young adults.
Data from the 2021 Census shows young adults 20 to 34 are nearly a quarter of Ottawa’s population. Still, many in that age category struggle to find activities catered to them.
“There’s not a lot of things to do for people that are our age,” Loop said. “A lot of things that there are, are focused on families.”
Ruthie MacGregor first discovered Rough Draft at 613flea, after spotting a pair of earrings Loop was selling. She followed the account online, and attended her first workshop in October.
“I’m a sucker for any little crafting event,” she said. “And I’ve been to probably 10 since. I really love them.”
She says the price makes frequent attendance possible.
“Some other craft events, if you look, they’re like $45 for a ticket,” she said. “And I am going to way too many of these to be spending $45 on every ticket.”
The events became especially meaningful after a major life change.
“I recently went through a pretty intense breakup. I had been with the person for seven years,” MacGregor said. “Your social circle gets kind of small. And it can be really difficult to get out there, especially when you’re in a stage of grieving.”
She describes the workshops as particularly beneficial in the winter.
“The winters are so rough,” she said. “So it’s been stunning to have something to look forward to in the dark months.”
At a recent “Palentine’s”-themed workshop, MacGregor says the seating arrangement encouraged conversation. She exchanged Instagram handles with several attendees and later saw them again at a market.
Keri Cass, social media creative with Rough Draft Events, says her role has helped her see different places across the city in a new light.
“It’s been cool to come to places I already know and see people make friends. Being able to bring together other businesses and vendors has been really cool to watch as well,” Cass said.
During a beaded cactus-making workshop in February, Arlington Five’s service was in full swing, while attendees kept their hands busy. The hum of espresso brewing was accompanied by chatter and the sound of beads and sequins hitting the tables.
But beyond the cafes and breweries where she hosts events, Loop has also been able to collaborate with other creatives in the city.
Sarah Zimmerling is also on the Rough Draft Events team, and has a small business of her own. She helps Loop run a variety of craft workshops, offering her own unique expertise. Zimmerling has also been working on expanding Rough Draft to her hometown of Shawville, Que.
First-time attendees say the events offer flexibility that other social settings do not.
“With how big the city is, small community events that you don’t necessarily have to be continuously going to are super important,” said Lindsay Grbic, who attended her first Rough Draft event, the beaded cactus making workshop, with her friend Claudia Plante.
“It allows people to fit it into their schedule wherever they can. People who want to make new friends, people who just need to get out of the house or need a creative outlet.”
Grbic and Plante also point to the cost of crafting independently.
Photos © Sophia Lall
Buying materials can require purchasing items in bulk. At Rough Draft workshops, materials are provided and shared.
“If I were to do this myself, I would have so many beads lying around, so many pins. I wouldn’t know what I was doing. But seeing what everybody else is doing and just having a warm space to do it in is really nice,” said Grbic.
Loop says accessibility extends beyond cost. As someone with ADHD, she considers how events are structured, another gap she’s aiming to fill within the city.
“I find a lot of crafts are a lot more friendly for that because it just gives you something to do,” she said. “I also have things like masks and fidgets that I bring for maybe someone who might need that.”
She says she partners with venues that share similar priorities.
“It’s more community focused rather than profit focused,” Loop said.
Rough Draft has also incorporated charitable components into its programming. At a market last fall, Loop says they donated some proceeds to the Ottawa Trans Library and the Youth Services Bureau.
“That one was very meaningful, just giving back to the community,” she said.
For many attendees, the appeal is consistency. Workshops are held regularly, prices remain stable and familiar faces return.
“You’re going to a place where there are friends,” MacGregor said. “No matter whether you’re bringing a friend with you or not.”
