Ottawa Tulip Festival

More than one million tulips bloom from Commissioners Park at Dow’s Lake along Queen Elizabeth Drive to Parliament Hill and across the Ottawa River in Mackenzie King Estates in Gatineau Park, Quebec. This has been a part of the Canadian heritage and bond with the Netherlands originating in the gift of tulips to the people of Canada by the Dutch Royal Family following the liberation of Europe in the Second World War.

                                                      

                                                                        Photo by Cesar Eli Barboza

The 2010 Special 65th anniversary Liberation edition of the Canadian Tulip Festival is a proud commemorative celebration of the role of Canadian troops in the liberation of the Netherlands.  The Festival also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Navy!

An estimated one million tulips bloom in Ottawa in the month of May. The best way to see some of the most spectacular displays is to follow the Tulip Route. It extends from Major’s Hill Park on the edge of the ByWard Market downtown to Commissioners Park on the shore of Dow’s Lake, where some 300,000 blossoms are on display.

When: Anytime

Cost: No charge

Tip: Festival activities take place in Commissioners Park May 7-24.                                

Tulip Festival shuttle travels the Tulip Route between Commissioners Park and Major’s Hill Park May 14-24