The BreakFest Blog
News about Ottawa Festivals and our Member festivals, special events and fairs.
Art festivals boost local economy
While Ottawa residents reap the cultural benefits of art festivals such as the International Writers’ Festival and the International Animation Festival, art festivals boost the city’s economy, according to studies by the City of Ottawa.
From Sept. 21-25, animators and filmmakers could be found in the Chateau Laurier lobby. Janet Perleman, a filmmaker from Montreal, says she’s been to the festival since it started in 1976.
During the festival, Perleman stays at a hotel. This year, she was at downtown Ottawa’s Novotel.
In fact, hotels are one of the biggest festival sponsors in Ottawa.
Robin Grant, Centretown News
Kimberly Wilson, Novotel sales and marketing director, says sponsoring festivals shows support for the city and helps business.
“The city needs support because it is competing with other cultural hubs like Toronto and Montreal.”
Arc Hotel sponsors the writers’ festival among other art festivals.
“Being as we are an artistic design hotel, these festivals make sense to us,” says Dean Lake, director of sales at the Arc.
Read more on the Centretown News website: Art festivals boost local economy
Culture Days kicks off a cross-Canada arts celebration
All that was needed for this weekend’s massive eruption of arts across Canada was a green light. And it’s called Culture Days.
The national open-house arts festival includes everything from putting yourself into famous movies (by way of green-screen technology) at Toronto’s Bell Lightbox to live-band karaoke at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. From improv workshops in Vancouver, even to caribou-hair tufting, a traditional native art form, in Flin Flon, Man.
More than 5,500 public art and cultural offerings, up from around 4,400 for Culture Days’ debut last year, will take place Friday to Sunday across the country. And all-night events, such as Nuit Blanche in Toronto and Winnipeg, will turn downtowns into street-level art parties.
So what exactly is this overarching Culture Days banner? “We felt that we needed to find a way of celebrating the role of the arts in society,” said Antoni Cimolino, general director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and chair of Culture Days’ national steering committee.
Read more on the The Globe and Mail website: Culture Days kicks off a cross-Canada arts celebration
Silent Auction and Runway Show to Close Ottawa Fashion Week
[Source: Ottawa Fashion Week press release]
EDIT by Jeanne Beker to show holiday collection in support of Dress for Success
Ottawa, Canada -In the spirit of giving back to the community, Ottawa Fashion Week is pleased to announce an additional charitable partnership for this season – EDIT by Jeanne Beker in support of Dress for Success will be featured on the runway on Saturday, October 1st at 9PM to close the sixth season of Ottawa Fashion Week. Four of the looks from the collection, styled by the Ms. Beker herself, will be modeled by local celebrities and auctioned off after the runway show. In addition, four personalized copies of Ms. Beker’s latest book “Finding Myself in Fashion”, will also be auctioned off with all proceeds going towards Dress for Success.
Dress for Success is a not-for-profit organization that aims to give economically disadvantaged women the opportunity to rise above their limitations. The organization does this by providing women with the right tools for finding and maintaining a successful career. Through the use of clothing donations and financial contributions, each woman in the program is given assistance in helping to select an appropriate outfit for the industry in which she is interviewing. Once the participant is employed, Dress for Success ensures that the she has access to career counselors as well as clothing options suitable for her workplace. Ms. Beker has been a long time advocate of Dress for Success and has hosted many events in the organization’s honour.
Fall is in the Air at Gatineau Park
[Source: NCC press release]
Canada’s Capital Region ― Residents and visitors are invited to experience the magical fall colours of Gatineau Park, during the National Capital Commission’s (NCC) Fall Rhapsody, from September 30 to October 16, 2011.
The public can get the most from Gatineau Park in the fall, by:
- Exploring over 90 kilometres of trails by bicycle or on foot. Using sustainable transportation is environmentally responsible and has positive impacts on overall quality of life. Air and noise pollution are reduced, as is road congestion.
- Visiting mid-week to experience the autumn splendour at its tranquil best.
- Admiring the fall colours at scenic Philippe Lake, Camp Fortune or Mackenzie King Estate.
- Enjoying activities for the whole family at the Visitor Centre. The public can learn about the hidden treasures in the Park and participate in dynamic free educational programs: “Follies of the Fall Forest” weekends from October 1 to 16, including Monday, October 10.
- Discovering the Luskville Falls sector. An interpretive path will take you to the Falls and then on to the top of the Eardley Escarpment, giving you a spectacular view of the Ottawa Valley.
FALL RHAPSODY 2011 ACTIVITIES
FOLLIES OF THE FALL FOREST
October 1 and 2 (12:30 pm in English / 2:30 pm in French)
October 9, 10, 15 and 16 (2:30 pm in English / 12:30 pm in French)
Gatineau Park Visitor Centre, 33 Scott Road
An NCC nature interpreter will demonstrate how to recognize some of the 50 species of trees found in Gatineau Park during guided tours. Participants will also learn more about what causes the leaves to fall and change color. These free two-hour programs include a short presentation at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre, followed by a guided hike on the Sugarbush Trail.
Ottawa Wine and Food Festival beckons with stellar lineup
SEP 28 11 - 10 AM — This year’s rebranded Ottawa Wine and Food Festival, expanded to five days in November, promises its most ambitious and impressive lineup in its popular 25-year history. In fact, there’ll be lots more this year for oenophiles, gastronomes, and even curious foodies who want to visit farms that goes beyond the usual tutoured tastings, seminars and finger munchies.
Opening night attraction on Nov. 9 in the sparkling new Ottawa Convention Centre is celebrated TV chef Lynn Crawford, who will join Citizen wine columnist Rod Phillips with expert Janet Dorozynski for tastings of gold-medal vintages and a cooking demonstration featuring Lynn’s delicious four-course holiday food and wine menu.
Of course, it doesn’t stop there: Thursday will unveil the new Canadian Wine Awards and personalities from outstanding Canadian wineries tasting eight winners with commentators Tony Gismondi and David Lawrason. Also on Thursday, barley lovers can anticipate a beer tasting featuring local microbreweries and TV’s star chef Anthony Sedlak of Vancouver at the National Irish Canadian Cultre Centre (Saint Brigid’s Centre, Patrick Street).
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: Ottawa Wine and Food Festival beckons with stellar lineup
Ottawa could be ‘one of the great conference centres of the world’
The Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA — Ottawa should shape its destiny as a great city and capital by becoming the centrepiece of international gatherings where the world comes to debate, argue, learn and find solutions to global problems, former UN ambassador Stephen Lewis said Tuesday.
Speaking on the first day of the National Capital Commission’s national conversation on a new plan for the capital, Lewis said some of the world’s iconic cities like New York, Barcelona and Berlin, have fashioned their own unique place in the world, and Ottawa can do the same. But he said Ottawa can find its own greatness not by copying others, but by carving its own niche by using its unique attributes as the heart of Canadian politics and democracy.
“One of the ways to enhance Ottawa-Gatineau is to make it one of the great conference centres of the world … a centrepiece of international gatherings,” Lewis told about 300 people at the Ottawa Convention Centre.
Cultural Secrets of Ottawa
CBC News
CBC Television presents Cultural Secrets of Ottawa, presented by Julie Nesrallah, the mezzo-soprano singing sensation and host of Tempo on CBC Radio 2.
We asked famous citizens from the Ottawa-Gatineau area to reveal their special, unusual, and maybe the not-so-well-known cultural finds of our city.
Which guest has the best cultural secret? Find out the favourite places and activities, the food and fun, the dance and music, the monuments and sculptures.
Guests include, Elizabeth Hay, Pierre Brault, Richard Robinson, Spartacat, Cyril Leeder, Adrian Harewood, Lucy van Oldenbarneveld, Amanda Putz, Kellylee Evans, Lucky Ron, Lynn Miles, Andrea McCrady, Mayor Jim Watson, Chief Atleo, Oni the Haitian Sensation, Martha Chaves, Jessica Holmes and Keshia Chante.
Read more on the CBC News website: Cultural Secrets of Ottawa
Finalists for the 2011 Stars of the City Recognition Evening!
[Source: Ottawa Tourism press release]
Between September 1st, 2010 and August 31st 2011, 1052 nominations were submitted to Ottawa Tourism, citing real-life examples of excellence in customer service. From these nominations finalists have been chosen in several categories. The complete list of finalists is attached and can also be found at http://www.starsofthecity.ca/recognition.htm or http://www.starsofthecity.ca/recognition_f.htm
Join the tourism industry in celebrating all the nominees, finalists and award winners at this year’s Recognition Evening on Wednesday, October 26th at Algonquin College.
STARS RECOGNITION EVENING TICKETS will go on sale early next week.
Thank you to all of the front-line staff for making sure that Ottawa and Canada’s Capital Region shines as a destination.
Music and Beyond Charity Wine Auction: Start bidding right away!
Music and Beyond will be holding a charity wine auction Friday, September 23, 2011. The auction will start with a Sommelier leading an Italian wine tasting period with hors d’oeuvres made by the chefs at Trattoria Caffe Italia. Tickets are $50 and will credited towards the purchase of wines at the auction. Accredited Sommeliers will be on site from Savvy Company providing insight on purchasing vintage wines.
For more information or to purchase tickets contact Music and Beyond at 613-241-0177 or by e-mail at info@musicandbeyond.ca
You can bid before the auction by clicking:
http://www.realauction.ca/Music2011/en/
You can click on a lot, see a photo of the bottles and click on the bid icon to place your advance bids.
If you are unable to attend the auction on September 23rd, you can e-mail Music and Beyond the highest bid that you would pay for the lots that interest you and they can bid for you. Please send your bid information to auction@musicandbeyond.ca.
Arrangements can be made to bring the wines to you or for you to pick them up.
You can now see all of the 154 lots online and place advance bids by visiting: http://www.realauction.ca/Music2011/en/.
Vous pouvez maintenant voir les 154 lots en ligne et vous pouvez placer vos enchères en visitant le:
http://www.realauction.ca/Music2011/en/.
Students’ Art to Fly High in Canada’s Capital
NCC invites young Canadians to express their views in their own inspiring way
[Source: NCC press release]
Canada’s Capital Region ─ The National Capital Commission (NCC), in partnership with Classroom Connections, is kicking off the third year of a cross-Canada classroom banner contest and public art project.
Students in Grades 5 through 8 (Elementary 5 through Secondary 2 in Quebec) are being asked to create and submit a one-of-a-kind banner design to the “Raise Your Voices!” National Student Banner Contest 2012. Designs should represent an issue or topic of importance to Canadian youth. The deadline for entries is February 17, 2012. The seven winning banners will be professionally produced by the NCC and seen by thousands as they fly in Major’s Hill Park from May to October 2012.
“Through this contest, our youth can share the events, people and symbols that they identify with,” said Guy Laflamme, Senior Vice-President, Capital Experience, Communications and Marketing at the NCC. “We look forward to reflecting their ideas and values in Canada’s Capital Region for all residents and visitors to enjoy.”
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