Ottawa's Canadian Tulip Festival, One of the Most Beloved Festivals in Canada
The Canadian Tulip Festival is a landmark Canadian festival taking place in our nation’s capital. Visitors travel from all corners of Canada and other parts of the world to experience this festival in Ottawa every year. I’ve put together this article to help you make the most of the tulip festival this year!
As a Canadian, I’m all for festivals which put an exclamation mark on the arrival of spring, and it’s hard to think of a festival that does this better than Ottawa’s Canadian Tulip Festival.
As a child growing up in Canada, I never really conceptualized the seasons in terms of temperature. All I knew was that when it was fall, I’d be playing hockey again soon, in winter I’d be playing hockey and tobogganing, spring meant I was getting close to getting up north to my family cottage, and the summer was cottage season. In short, I was indifferent to weather. Is that the most Canadian paragraph I’ve ever written? It’s possible.
It was during my visit to the Canadian Tulip Festival, one of the top events in Ottawa and the National Capital Region, that I realized all that has changed. Now, just a lick of sun and I’m giddy as can be about the prospect of getting rid of that cold, biting breeze. I’ll admit it, I’m a touch more grumpy and feeble with age, and I actually check the weather when I get dressed in the morning, so the arrival of spring has a different meaning altogether.
I have a theory that the three years that Bri and I lived in Turkey ruined us, because we were pampered with warmth and lost a touch of our Canadian edge. During my visit to the Canadian Tulip Festival, you can imagine that I was frolicking about, like a poor man’s Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, soaking up the sunny rays. Bri, like me, also loves the arrival of warmer weather, and I’m sure she’ll love the fact that I fit a The Sound of Music reference into this article even more.
In general, it’s hard not to appreciate how aesthetically pleasing the Ottawa tulips can be in full bloom. What I also appreciate about the Canadian Tulip Festival is that it’s a very accessible event that can be enjoyed by all—something the whole family can enjoy. In the same moment, you can see a senior citizen taking a deep breath and relishing the cacophony of colours, while a younger person is going trigger happy on their smart phone in anticipation of barraging social media with tulips galore.
And why not? Everybody deserves their moment at the Canadian Tulip Festival.
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The History of Ottawa’s Famous Canadian Tulip Festival
During the Second World War, Canada sheltered the future Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, as, sadly, the Netherlands was occupied by Nazi Germany. In order for all members of the Dutch Royal Family to be deemed royal, they must be born on Dutch soil, which presented a problem in this case.
In 1943, Queen Juliana’s daughter, Princess Margriet, was born at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. As a sign of good will, the maternity ward was declared extraterritorial land by the Canadian government, essentially ensuring that she would still be born on “Dutch soil”, even though she was technically in Canada.
After the end of the war and liberation, the Dutch royal family and the young princess returned to Holland. In 1945, as thank you, they sent tulip bulbs to Ottawa. There were 100,000 bulbs sent the first time around, followed by another 20,500 bulbs the following year, and then they eventually made the promise that 10,000 more bulbs would arrive each and every year moving forward.
The tulip bulbs were planted, and as a result of this, Ottawa became famous for its tulips. In 1953, the Ottawa Board of Trade decided to capitalize on this by organizing the first iteration of the Canadian Tulip Festival.
Over the years, the Canadian Tulip Festival has experimented with many different versions of itself. For a while, the festival aimed to be part concert and part tulip festival, and big names like The Trews, Big Sugar, Alanis Morissette, and even Liberace graced the stage at certain points. However, in 2007, the decision was made to have this Ottawa festival simply focus on the power of international friendship, and thus focus on the significance of the original gift from Holland.
One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is the fact that the Dutch Royal Family still remembers the kindness of the Canadians during their time of need. In 1967, Queen Juliana came back to celebrate with us during our centennial year, and in 2002, Princess Margriet returned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the festival.
Now, the Canadian Tulip Festival is the world’s largest tulip festival, displaying over one million tulips to almost three quarters of a million people each year.
If you’re enjoying this post, you’ll likely also love my article on creating the Perfect Weekend Itinerary in Ottawa or all about my stay at the Fairmont Château Laurier.
Where to Stay in the City for this Ottawa Festival
Since the Tulip Festival takes place in more central parts of Ottawa, which I’ll get into later, then if you’re coming from out of town, I’d recommend staying at a hotel that’s walking distance to the main action.
As I already mentioned, Bri and I are big fans of staying at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. It’s located in the heart of Ottawa, with rooms overlooking either Parliament Hill and the Ottawa River, or the Byward Market and Ottawa’s historic train station. The history and lore surrounding the hotel itself is also just remarkable, from rumours that it’s haunted to the fact that some furniture intended for it from Europe sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic along with the Titanic.
Other great options to stay at close to the heart of the action in Ottawa are The Metcalfe Ottawa, the Westin Ottawa or the Andaz Byward Market. For all of the options available to you during your trip to the Canadian Tulip Festival, feel free to use the map below to help find the best accommodation for you during this trip.
What You Need to Know About the Canadian Tulip Festival
Below, I’ll talk about some key information as it relates to Ottawa’s Canadian Tulip Festival which will help you visit in the future.
The festival takes place in mid-May every year, usually between May 10-20 (which is the case in 2024), and you should expect that, moving forward, the festival will take place on or around those dates.
Typically, programming is centred around Commissioners Park, where there are over 300,000 tulips in more than a dozen varieties. The best thing to do, in my opinion, is arrive here, then leisurely stroll along the kilometre pathway that weaves in and out of the Ottawa tulips. Commissioners Park, for those who don’t know, is located in the Dows Lake section of the Rideau Canal.
Although it’s centred in and around Commissioners Park, there are events throughout the city, especially along the shores of the Ottawa River and up along the Rideau Canal.
Much of the festival is free, and it’s very family friendly.
If you’d like to learn more than just a casual stroll can offer, you can take the Tulip Legacy Walking Tour. There’s a small cost for adults, seniors and students, and children under the age of 12 are free.
There are regular live music performances that take place in Commissioners Park throughout the Canadian Tulip Festival. Many will take place in The Dutch Theatre at the Heritage Building, but there will also be plenty of “Boardwalk Bands” on the weekend.
There’s a Tulip Plaza at the Dows Lake Pavilion with plenty of tulip sculptures, and merchandise to purchase that celebrate the tulips.
Don’t forget about the night time entertainment throughout the festival. They have movies in the park throughout the duration of the festival, and they often have fireworks or a drone show on the final Sunday of the Tulip Festival.
(This information is updated year-to-year, and I update this article as we learn more information. But for now, this is what I know to be true for the 2024 Tulip Festival!)
What to Do During the Canadian Tulip Festival
Firstly, it’s worth noting that the Tulip Festival is a city-wide event, and takes place all across Ottawa, though the “headquarters” is indeed Commissioners Park.
Other places that you can see tulips in and around Ottawa include Major’s Hill Park, Parliament Hill, along the Rideau Canal, outside the Canadian Museum of History, or on the Garden Promenade tour.
The list above includes much of the key information that will aid you in planning your own itinerary for experiencing the Canadian Tulip Festival, but there are few more things that I’d like to mention that you may want to consider.
Remember that there’s plenty of food on offer including Canadian classics. That means that they’ve got plenty of poutine, as well as Beavertails, the latter of which Bri and I happily indulged in during this delightful Canadian festival.
As far as festivals in Canada are concerned, the Canadian Tulip Festival is very kid-friendly, as I mention before. One place in particular to note is the Tulip Pavilion, which has innumerable tulip-themed craft activities for kids.
Wander around a bit, take a deep breathe, and bask in the experience.
However you approach this Canadian festival, you’re not going to go wrong. Just look for what would make your experience the most enjoyable.
If this post is up your alley, you’ll also likely like the Top Things to do in Niagara Falls for Couples and my post on One of Ontario’s Best Bed and Breakfasts
How to Get Around the Canadian Tulip Festival and Ottawa at Large
In my recent post on Ottawa, which talked about my stay at the Fairmont Château Laurier, I mentioned that, on one particular day, we borrowed bikes from the Château Laurier, and saw Ottawa via bike. Ottawa is a wonderfully bikeable city, and if you enjoy biking, then I’d highly recommend taking some time to rent bikes and bike along the Ottawa River and Rideau Canal. It’s a quintessential Ottawa experience.
However, biking is far from the only way to see Ottawa, and the Canadian Tulip Festival, for that matter. You can choose to explore Ottawa and the Canadian Tulip Festival by foot, but just remember that it’s over 6 kilometres from downtown Ottawa to Commissioners Park, which is why it’s likely worth considering whether you should take public transit.
If you’re interested in transportation specifically geared towards the Tulip Festival, then it’s important to note that Cobblestone Tours has also opened up the Canadian Tulip Festival Shuttle. It runs every day of the festival, making numerous stops throughout the festival. You can learn more information here.
You may also want to consider booking a Rideau Canal Cruise to appreciate the tulips on either side of the canal from a unique viewpoint. I love any excuse to take in Ottawa from the Canal, so this is a highlight.
I also saw someone kayaking down the middle of the middle canal during my last visit to the Canadian Tulip Festival, and it looked awfully pleasant.
Is it Worth Visiting Ottawa’s Canadian Tulip Festival?
The Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa is not to be missed!
Not surprisingly, I’m going to give an affirmative here. After being cooped up inside all winter, why not spread those wings in the sunshine at one of the more joyous festivals in Canada?
Now, it is Canada, so there’s no guarantee of nice or warm weather, but at least you can celebrate that it isn’t January or February anymore.
Beyond weather, I’m proud that Canada did their part in ensuring the safety of the Dutch royal family in a time of crises. This festival, the blooming of these flowers, is a physical manifestation of a commitment to world peace which I am hopeful Canada will continue to embrace moving forward.
We haven’t always done the right thing internationally, and perhaps no nation has, but this is an important reminder of what Canada should and can be on the world stage. We are a country that should be known for inclusiveness, and our ability to lend a helping hand, not a country that is ever compelled to hold up an iron fist.
So, in my opinion, let them bloom with all their glory. Come and explore of our nation’s capital, and let the sun come down and melt a little bit of the snow off those shoulders while basking in wonder of Ottawa’s famous flowers.
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