Tulip Festival receives boost
Great weather, weekend events hike attendance
By Tony Lofaro, The Ottawa Citizen
]The glorious weather that blessed Ottawa over the past 10 days also pushed up attendance figures for the Canadian Tulip Festival.
Festival officials said Tuesday final figures were not in yet, but the number of visitors to the 18-day festival could surpass last year’s total of 594,000. The festival, which ended Monday, could also post a profit this year after losing money in 2009.
Read more: Tulip Festival receives boost
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Philippine Culture Showcased at Canadian Tulip Festival
Republic of the Philippines – Department of Foreign Affairs
The Philippine Embassy in Canada reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Philippines successfully participated in the 2010 Canadian Tulip Festival held at the Major’s Hill Park in Ottawa from May 14 to 24.
The Embassy spearheaded the country’s participation in the well-attended and successful event.
Read more: Philippine Culture Showcased at Canadian Tulip Festival
Ottawa: Your perfect destination
KEITH CARMAN FOR METRO OTTAWA
Yet while all of this is draining our potential fun time, there is an alluring, inexpensive and geographically ideal vacation locale for everyone from teenagers to seniors: Ottawa. As fiduciary responsibilities grow, the stay-cation becomes an enticingly sound option, reducing drain of every sort and compelling us to explore our own neighbourhoods.
Many hotels offer their own promotional campaigns, but one of the quickest and easiest methods of arranging a no-frills leave is as simple as contacting Capital Tickets (ottawatourism.ca/888-688-2928), the official booking agent for Ottawa Tourism.
Chatting with their representatives reveals an endless array of personalized getaways literally steps from our front door. With booking options for all surrounding hotels, events (Bluesfest, Jazzfest, Tulip Festival and more), shows (concerts, musicals, theatre), restaurants and government attractions (Art Gallery, War Museum, Museum Of Canada) with rates subject to availability/package choice, planning a miniscule holiday couldn’t be easier.
Full article: Ottawa: Your perfect destination
Note: Ottawa Festivals is now a ticket outlet for CapitalTickets. You can find us right in the ByWard Market at 47 William Street.
6 local artists create 50 paintings in 7 days during Tulip Festival to sell for charity THIS SATURDAY
The Downtown Rideau Business Improvement Area (DRBIA) is pleased to announce that 6 local artists participating in the 1st annual PLEIN AIR Art Exhibit & Sale have created 50 original works of art while painting outdoors at various locations in Downtown Rideau during weekends of the Tulip Festival. They will be out again this Friday between 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., which is their last day of painting before the Exhibit & Sale on Saturday.
The PLEIN AIR connects artists with new audiences by providing them access and approval to high pedestrian areas and landmark views to create works from sidewalk, boulevard and parkland spaces and promote them under Downtown Rideau’s “marketing umbrella”. In addition to connecting and promoting artists, the PLEIN AIR offers artists an opportunity to create, compete, exhibit and sell, while also raising funds for charity.
The artists are donating 15% from the sale of each of their works to the Ottawa Arts Court Foundation. The Foundation is a charity organization based out of Arts Court that manages, programs, and provides arts services to Ottawa’s local emerging and professional artists.
The public and Tulip Festival visitors can VIEW AND PURCHASE THE ARTWORK at a Meet the Artists Reception during the Exhibit & Sale this Saturday, May 22 from 12:00—5:00 p.m. at The Underpass, at the corner of Rideau Street and Colonel By Drive. Works range in sizes varying from 3”x5” to 20”x26” and prices from $30 to $650. They can be viewed on the BIA’s website and from a link off the homepage www.downtownrideau.com. The Brian Downey Jazz Quartet will be performing and refreshments will be available. Over $2,000 in prize money will be awarded during a COMPETITION before the works go on sale at noon. 1st Place ($1,000) and 2nd Place ($750) will be selected by jury, with 3rd Place ($300—the People’s Choice Award) chosen by public vote between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Public vote ballots will be drawn at noon for a chance to WIN a Downtown Rideau gift basket valued at over $400.
Participating artists include: Barbara Nathan Marcus, Brian Seed, Shirley Moulton, Johanne Jutras-Pendleton, John Alexander Day and Brenda Beattie. “This has been a wonderful experience”, says artist Barbara Nathan Marcus, who had people wanting to buy her works-in-progress. “People stopping to watch me paint wanted to buy, but I told them to come back on Saturday, May 22 when they would be for sale”. When Peggy DuCharme, the BIA’s Executive Director heard about the interest to buy works, she encouraged the artists to pursue commissioned works when people inquired about buying — “offer to make them another one”, DuCharme suggested. “We don’t want the artists to loose a sale. On the other hand, we want to ensure we have artwork to sell on the 22nd”.
Here’s your guide to some holiday fun
By Citizen files from Tony Spears, Kristy Nease, Katie Stewart and Bruce Deachman, The Ottawa Citizen
Our traditional observance of Victoria Day (the Queen’s official birthday) has given Canadians the perfect spot on the calendar to unofficially kick off summer. Bedding plants go in the frost-free ground. Cottages are opened and the patio furniture is hosed down. If you need a break from all that work, there’s plenty to do in the capital. The fabulous new incarnation of the Museum of Nature opens, with a packed schedule of special events. It’s also the final weekend to enjoy the Tulip Festival as it wraps up with a Prince Edward Island kitchen party. Another sure sign of the May long weekend is the launch of Sunday Bikedays, when the barriers go up to keep four-wheeled vehicles off the parkways, at least for a few hours.
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: Here’s your guide to some holiday fun
Tulip Festival opens in Ottawa
Lesley Peterson, Toronto Cultural Travel Examiner
The Canadian Tulip Festival (May 7 to 24, 2010) opened in Ottawa yesterday but if you’re planning to catch the three million bulbs on display, better hurry. Many of them are already in full bloom.
Read more: Tulip Festival opens in Ottawa
It’s cold, but tulip festival goes on: Forecast for coming days at least promising
Ottawa Citizen
… the first full day of the Canadian Tulip Festival. “It’s comfortably cold,” said Sai Medaravrpu, who is visiting Ottawa for the first time from India. …
Read more: It’s cold, but tulip festival goes on
Tulip time again in Ottawa: Festival to feature recreation of street party marking end of WWII
TRACEY TONG, METRO OTTAWA
With hundreds of tulips already in bloom in Ottawa and Gatineau, the Canadian Tulip Festival will make it abundantly clear that it’s tulip time in the nation’s capital.
The stars of the festival, of course, are the one to two million tulips, which have or will come up over the next few weeks.
“There are some beautiful flowers right now,” said Berry. “We’re encouraging people to come out right now to get the full effect of it.”
Ontario Tourism estimates that the festival will have a $100-million impact for Ottawa.
Full story: Tulip time again in Ottawa
Time for Tulips: Festival season kicks off Friday with Canadian Tulip Festival
Tony Lofaro, The Ottawa Citizen
Much like May weather in Ottawa, the Canadian Tulip Festival is always evolving. And this year, the festival, which kicks off Friday, may evolve into having few tulips.
Fewer blooms will be just one of the changes to the festival this year. Organizers are restoring a single passport to all events, reducing the Celebridée speaker series, and bringing several Ottawa bands to the stage at Major’s Hill Park, including Amos the Transparent and The Murder Plans. The International Pavilion featuring the culture and cuisine of more than 20 embassies is back at Major’s Hill after a disastrous stint last year at Lansdowne Park. A children’s program has been added, and Waylon, a hot new Dutch artist, will perform in the Mirror Tent May 15.
The festival’s theme is “Liberation,” and things get rolling at noon Friday with a street party on Sparks Street to mark the 65th anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands at the end of the Second World War.
“We intend to have a huge celebration and throw a street party much as in the spirit of 1945,” says festival spokeswoman Christine Charette.
Read more: Time for Tulips
Sunny, warm weather could bring early burst of tulips
Tony Lofaro, The Ottawa Citizen
Photograph by: Bryanna Bradley, The Ottawa Citizen
If the mild weather continues, the city could soon witness a dazzling tulip display.
The appearance of tulips almost a month before the annual festival is not necessarily a problem, he added. The Canadian Tulip Festival runs from May 7 to 24. Fournier said the NCC plants about 700,000 tulip bulbs. Of those, 20 per cent — about 140,000 — are early-blooming. They generally pop up at the end of April.
The remaining 560,000 tulips are normal and late-blooming varieties, designed to be on display for the duration of the festival. Fournier said said cool weather is better for the for the festival’s schedule. “The weather is very important at this time, but we have no control over that.”
Full article on the Ottawa Citizen website: Sunny, warm weather could bring early burst of tulips
