Ottawa’s spring season offers plenty to do and see to take advantage of the end of long, often-harsh winters. The Canadian Tulip Festival, which takes place between May 8 and May 18 of this year, attracts visitors from around the globe for its unique way of showcasing the beauty of over a million blooming tulips. It’s considered the largest tulip festival in the world, and it honours tradition, connection, and beauty like no other.
An End of War Gift Started It All
Back during World War II, the Dutch Royal Family sought out safety in Canada. Princess Juliana of the Netherlands chose Ottawa, and while in Ottawa, another royal baby was born. As the war came to a close and the family was able to return home without fear, they wanted to do something to thank their Canadian hosts for all they had done to keep them safe and to honour the special relationship between the two countries.
They sent them 100,00 tulip bulbs to build a vibrant garden of tulips, and that’s what Ottawa did. They planted the flowers, and the gift was so well-received that it became customary every year. They received new flowers each year since 1945, in what is now known as the Tulip Legacy.
In 1953, founder and world-renowned photographer Malak Karsh, along with the Ottawa Board of Trade, proposed turning all those gifts into a festival everyone could enjoy, and the Tulip Festival was officially born.
The experience
The first tulips were planted in Commissioners Park, alongside the Rideau Canal and Dow’s Lake, and that’s where the main site continues to be today. Each year, thousands of tulips bloom in the park, growing to about 1.5 million tulips in over 100 varieties.
People can walk through the gardens and take in the beauty, or plan a picnic near Dow’s Lake to enjoy the tulips and the sun and warmth of the spring season. Along with the flowers, the festival also offers guided tours, a heritage display, and nighttime lighting shows for people of all ages.
There are also interactive games, such as this year’s CIBC Tulip Trek, which gives people clues to solve in order to save the tulips, and daily movies in the park.
There are also artisanal vendors to peruse and a variety of food trucks to refuel after walking around to take in all the beauty and history, along with commemorative sites that honour the veterans of World War II and the Netherlands’ liberation.
Things to watch out for
Each year, the festival works hard to maintain its integrity as the best tulip festival in the world, and this year, they’ve added a new exciting event known as the Tulip Trail. People will spend 40 minutes journeying through 12,000 kilometres of tulips and go back 4000 years to learn everything there is to know about the flower and its origins.
Travel and parking are something else you’ll want to pay attention to because it can get packed down by Commissioners Park, so taking transit is the best way to avoid waiting in a long line of cars.
The event is free for all and well worth exploring, as many visitors from the past will tell you.