It’s the ultimate Mother’s Day combo: Tulips, quilting, flower-arranging demos, sweet-voiced choirs and outdoor art. Even the glowering Ottawa skies held off from their daily deluge as hundreds of moms and their admirers turned out Sunday for the Canadian Tulip Festival.

Becky Cronin was emerging from a tent where a bizarre combination of ice carvers and flower-arrangers shared the stage before a rapt audience, in simultaneous but separate demonstrations of their crafts.

“It’s fantastic,” said Cronin, a bouquet of artfully arranged flowers over one arm. As her husband and son took off in the direction of the Lego booth, she remarked that “the ice carver had a chainsaw going, so I could get the boys to sit with me” while she watched the flower-arranging. “There’s no way they would have done that otherwise.”

Read the full article: Tulip festival: A perfect Mother’s Day outing

Photo courtesy of Caroline Phillips, The Ottawa Citizen

It’s hard not to get giddy when you walk into the brand new Ottawa Convention Centre, and even harder when you head up to the fourth-floor Trillium Ballroom to sip champagne and enjoy the panorama of the downtown, as did 400-plus guests of the sold-out 2011 Tulip Ball on Friday.

In the words of Canadian Tulip Festival chairman David Luxton, it’s “a million-dollar view.”

That’s not to say the sights of floral gowns and ice sculptures inside the ballroom weren’t also breathtaking. The black-tie dinner showcased elaborate floral ball gowns created by renowned floral artist Joel Marc Frappier and fashion designer Sylvie Bigras.

Read more: Canadian Tulip Festival: Tulip Ball stunning in its new locale

Close to one million tulips, more than 50 varieties, will bring the NCC’s flower beds to life and offer a spectacular stage for the world’s largest tulip festival — the Canadian Tulip Festival. 

NCC’S TULIP LEGACY EXHIBIT
Commissioners Park, May 6 to May 23, 2011
Visitors are invited to discover the events that led to the “Gift of Tulips” and the lasting friendship between Canada and the Netherlands through the Tulip Legacy exhibit and roaming interpretive guides. After the end of the Second World War, in recognition of the role Canadians played in the liberation of the country, as well as in gratitude for having sheltered Princess Juliana and her children during the war, the Dutch people sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada, with Princess Juliana adding 20,000 more.  Since then, as a gesture  of ongoing gratitude and friendship the Netherlands sends 20,000 bulbs to the Capital each year.

TULIPS AT THE NCC’S MACKENZIE KING ESTATE IN GATINEAU PARK
Beginning May 19, daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (closed Tuesdays)
The Tearoom is open everyday from 11 am to 5 pm
William Lyon Mackenzie King was Prime Minister of Canada when Princess Juliana of the Netherlands sent a gift of thousands of tulip bulbs to the Canadian people to be planted in Canada’s Capital. Each spring, tulips also bloom at Mackenzie King Estate located in Gatineau Park. The historic buildings of the Estate, set among a unique collection of ruins and stunning gardens, will be open to the public beginning May 15, 2010.

While touring the Capital, visitors can pick-up a free copy of the brochure “Experience the Beauty! The National Capital Commission’s Tulip Beds”, which provides information on the tulip legacy story, maps out the location of key gardens and designated photo sites in some of the Capital’s most beautiful tulip displays, and recommends walking and cycling routes, with distances, to best enjoy the flowerbeds.

ABOUT THE NCC’S FLORAL PROGRAM
Each spring, close to one million tulips and 200,000 annuals planted by the NCC bloom on Parliament Hill, in Major’s Hill, Commissioners and Jacques-Cartier parks, as well as along Confederation Boulevard, the historic Rideau Canal, the Capital’s scenic parkways and recreational pathways, and in front of national museums and institutions. As the official gardener of Canada’s Capital, the NCC is responsible for the design and maintenance of many of the public gardens and the 90 flower beds found throughout the region. The most impressive display of tulips is found in Commissioners Park, where some 300,000 tulips bloom each year.

For more information on tulips, the public can contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 1-800 465-1867, 613-239-5090 (TTY) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca/tulips.
 
For information on the Canadian Tulip Festival, the public can visit the Festival’s website at http://www.tulipfestival.ca/.

Photo by LJ Matheson, YourOttawaRegion

One of the five-foot, decorative tulips to pop up around Ottawa during Tulip Festival May 6 to 23 will portray the royal couple – Prince William and Kate Middleton – who will tie the knot on April 29 and will be visiting the Capital this summer.

“I saw Will and Kate on TV and thought that would make a great tulip theme,” said Alexander from her home near Bayshore. “I made the call and they (festival organizers) thought it was a great idea, and here we are.”

This will be her sixth tulip and one closest to her heart, as her own son will be married just two weeks after the royal couple. Alexander says it’s about portraying a legacy – a family heirloom of sorts.

Full story on YourOttawaRegion: Tulip artist has strong ties with this year’s themed flower

The weather is always the wild card when it comes to tourism but if Mother Nature co-operates even a little bit, this could be a summer for the ages in the nation’s capital.

Spokeswoman Jantine Van Kregten said the new Convention Centre is already filling up dates for this year and many years beyond.

An unabashed booster, Van Kregten says the worm has turned in the City that Fun Forgot. “I think fun never left us behind. I think you needed to know where to look for it in the past, now it’s right in your face.”

Some of the events this summer include:

• The Canadian Tulip Festival May 6 to 23
• Ottawa Race Weekend – Ottawa Marathon May 28 and 29
• Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival June 17
• Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest July 5 to 17

Full story: No summertime blues for tourism

Source: Walker on Flickr

This year’s Canadian Tulip Festival may have visitors viewing the annual blooms in a refreshing new way.

Visitors to Ottawa’s premiere spring event can wave goodbye to beds of tulips planted in stretches of solid colour, and say hello to an array of colourful blends which unveil a unique design.

The festival takes place from May 6 to 23.

The theme for this year’s Tulip Festival is ‘kaleidoscope – a celebration of spring awakening through colour, culture, and community’, according to the official website.

Read the full story on the EMC website: Tulip Festival will officially unveil spring season

Please submit proposals for workshops that that highlight the tulip and draw upon the theme for the 2011 Festival: “Kaleidoscope, a celebration of spring awakening through colour, culture and community”.

Deadline for proposals: Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at 5:30PM.

For all inquiries and to receive the application form please contact: workshops@tulipfestival.ca.

Mark Monahan, Founder and Executive Director of the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, was inducted into the association’s Hall of Fame, an annual award which has been created to recognize and honour leaders in the Ontario festivals and events industry.

“This is a well-deserved honour,” says Barbara Stacey, Exectutive Director of Ottawa Festivals, a not-for-profit organization that represents festivals, special events and fairs that take place in Canada’s Capital Region, “Besides the incredible growth and success Mark has seen at Bluesfest, he is also a community champion and has been involved in a number of initiatives on behalf of the industry and the tourism sector, as well as programs such as Blues in the Schools and the She’s the One Emerging Female Artist Competition.”

Mosaika, the Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill that is presented by the National Capital Commission (NCC) was singled out in the category for Best Poster and Best Promotional Campaign in FEO’s Achievement Awards which acknowledge individual festival and event excellence and best practices.

“We are very proud of the calibre of festivals and events presented in Canada’s Capital Region,” says Stacey, who was in attendance at the FEO Conference, “Ottawa is being recognized by more and more people as, Canada’s Festival Capital. It is because we are home to a number of world-class events such as the ones honoured by FEO; and having hundreds of festivals and events taking place through the year, there always seems to be something happening.”

The twelve festivals benefiting from this year’s funding are the Canadian Tulip Festival, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, Festival franco-ontarien, Music and Beyond, Tim Horton’s Ottawa Dragon Boat Race Festival, Ottawa Folk Festival, Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Ottawa International Children’s Festival, Ottawa International Writers Festival, Rideau Canal Festival, Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Festival, and the TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival.

“It is very encouraging to see an increased commitment from the province,” says Barb Stacey, Executive Director of Ottawa Festivals, a not-for-profit organization that represents more than 50 not-for-profit festivals, special events and fairs that take place in Canada’s Capital Region, “There is no question that these events have tremendous socio-economic impact on the community by providing affordable access to cultural and community-based activities while also attracting more visitors. These events help showcase Ottawa’s identity while also creating significant economic impact that supports increased prosperity, jobs and opportunities for our community.”

Created to help festivals and events improve their programming and services to attract new audiences, increase visitor spending and create jobs; Celebrate Ontario is investing a total of $20-million in 230 events across the province.

The Canadian Tulip Festival’s 2011 Program theme is Kaleidoscope – a celebration of the awakening of spring through colour, culture and community. For this 59th edition of the Festival, the National Capital Commission has planted three beds at Major’s Hill Park that are evocative of the 2011 theme, Kaleidoscope.

The release of 2011 Program details coincided with the announcement of important financial support from the Government of Ontario under its “Celebrate Ontario” tourism funding program. The amount of funding directed toward the Canadian Tulip Festival for its 2011 program is $355,000.

“This very significant contribution from the Government of Ontario goes a long way toward assisting the Canadian Tulip Festival to sustain its continuous investment in fresh and innovative programming—a vital element in attracting local, regional and, increasingly, international visitors,” said Mr. Luxton.

The Festival’s volunteer President Teri Kirk cited Provincial tourism data demonstrating that the Tulip Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, of which half are tourists from outside the National Capital Region, and generates tens of millions of dollars in local economic benefit. Ms Kirk added, “The Canadian Tulip Festival clearly provides the Ontario Government with an enormous return on its tourism investment”.

Yasir Naqvi, MPP for Ottawa Centre, added that “the Tulip Festival has been a marquee event in Ottawa for years, drawing thousands of tourists and bringing excitement to our city. The province is proud to support this event through the Celebrate Ontario program and ensure that this year’s event is the biggest and best yet!”

Geneviève Ménard-Hayles, who was appointed Executive Director of the Festival in October 2010, played a lead role in developing world-class programming and brings extensive experience in international visitor programming to the Capital region. Immediately prior to her appointment as the Festival’s new Executive Director, Ms Ménard-Hayles worked in the UK as Group Manager for Special Events and Filming for Westminster City Council, in the heart of London. A long-time resident of the Ottawa area, the Festival was excited to be able to entice her back to the National Capital Region.

The Canadian Tulip Festival is a not-for-profit corporation and registered charity. Festival 2011 will run for 18 days from Friday May 6 to and including the Victoria long weekend holiday on Monday May 23, 2010. Additional details on Festival 2011 are posted and continually updated on the Festival’s website at www.tulipfestival.ca.