Ottawa spring festivals shake up the Canadian capital from the freeze of winter. With gorgeous gardens and tasty treats, festivals in Ottawa will appeal to everyone from families to weekend visitors.
The Prettiest Ottawa Festival is the Canadian Tulip Festival
The Canadian Tulip Festival represents a long-time international friendship between Canada and the Netherlands. To thank Canada for its assistance during WWII, the Netherlands’ Princess Juliana gifted tulip bulbs to Ottawa in 1945. This gift soon bloomed into the best-known springtime Ottawa festival.
In 2009, the Canadian Tulip Festival runs from May 1–18 and includes family events as well as many varieties of the honored guests—tulips.
One of the best spots to see tulips during this Ottawa festival is at Parliament Hill. Here, the roots of the festival go back to the original 1945 planting. Other great locations to admire the beauty of the tulip festival in Ottawa include:
- Commissioners Park, on Dows Lake
- Major’s Hill Park, near the banks of the Ottawa River
- The paths along the banks of the Rideau Canal
- Jacques-Cartier Park, in Gatineau, Quebec
A fun element to the tulip festival remains the international aspect—visitors can enjoy everything from African Night to a Belgian mirror tent during the Ottawa festival. Call 1-800-667-8547 for details.
Maple Sugar Festival: A Tasty Canadian Festival in Ottawa
This Ottawa festival celebrates the sweet product of the sugar maple trees: maple syrup. Just a 15-minute drive northeast of downtown Ottawa, Richleau-Vanier Park hosts sweet-tooths annually during the Maple Sugar Festival. In 2009, this Ottawa festival runs March 28 to April 5.
Visitors can indulge in many maple treats that range from beaver tails (fried pastries shaped as a beaver tail) to maple candy. Learn how to tap maple trees then discover how the watery, clear sap becomes rich and sticky maple syrup. Fun family events include brunches, lumberjack competitions, and of course—taste tests! Phone (613) 746-4339 for more information.
The Ottawa International Writers Festival
This Ottawa festival celebrates the rich stories told by local writers in Canada’s official languages (French and English) as well as ta international authors. The spring edition of the Ottawa International Writers Festival runs from April 24–May 2, 2009.
Events during the writers’ festival celebrate writings that range from screen to historical to poetry.
Starting this year, the heart of this Ottawa festival is the new arts center, the Saint Brigid's Centre for the Arts and Humanities. The ethereal art, church pews, and vaulted ceiling of this former church offer a distinct and special setting for community events. For more details on this Ottawa festival call (613) 562-1243.
Visiting for an Ottawa Vacation
Spring is a lovely season to take the train to Ottawa and see the countryside budding with new growth; however, Ottawa is also readily accessible by bus, plane, and car.
Once in Ottawa, festivals provide diverse (and often free) activities in one of Canada’s most intriguing cities. The tulip festival makes the perfect accessory to Parliament Hill and a visit to the public galleries, while the Maple Sugar Festival provides tasty eats for culinary travelers.
No matter the reason for an Ottawa vacation, the Canadian capital offers many ways to ring in spring.
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