Ottawa is ready to celebrate the seasonal flower’s beauty and its historic ties to Canada’s capital with the upcoming Canadian Tulip Festival taking place May 10 – 20. The iconic outdoor event takes place at Commissioners Park, where over 300,000 tulips bloom alongside the Rideau Canal’s picturesque Dows Lake. Access to the site and most programming is free! This popular annual event features massive tulip displays, fireworks, family fun and more.

Take photos and selfies amongst the dozens of multi-coloured garden beds; visit the heritage display to learn about the historic gift of tulips which led to the festival’s creation; shop for fresh-cut flowers, crafts, art and more at the tulip boutique; take the kids to the Tulip Town activity area; and enjoy lit garden beds and a blacklight boardwalk experience after dark – here are a few highlights of what’s in store:

• Shop the Tulip Market: Open 10am – 8pm daily. A curated selection of Handcrafted Tulip Merchandise from regional artisans.
• Movies in the Park: FREE Children’s Matinees: 2pm daily. FREE Family-Friendly Features: 7pm nightly.

Some showings are live Workshops and Activities. Always check the festival’s website and the weather before heading to the park! Shows are weather dependent.

• Blacklight Boardwalk: Alight from 8pm – 10pm nightly, FREE. Learn about the importance of pollinators in the only blacklit tulip garden in the world. See the flowers like the bees and butterflies do, in the glowing UV Spectrum. Experience over 1000 blooms along the Dows Lake Boardwalk.

The festival began with a special gift. The Royal Family of the Kingdom of the Netherlands took refuge in Ottawa during the Second World War, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Margriet was born here in 1943. Two years later, Canadian troops played a key role in liberating the Netherlands. In gratitude, the Dutch government has sent Canada a gift of tulip bulbs every year since 1945, inspiring what has become the Canadian Tulip Festival.