
Ottawa Tulips. Photo by Ray
Pilon. Check out our Tulip Festival Guide...
Ottawa Tulip Festival - May 4-21, 2012
Officially known as the Canadian Tulip Festival, this year's event takes place in Ottawa from May 4-21, 2012. Millions of tulips will blossom again, creating an exotic mosaic of colour and beauty in Ottawa and Gatineau. This is the 60th edition of the annual festival.
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2012 news and events
Official events for 2012 haven't been announced yet - here's what happened last year at the festival:
2011 info: Commissioners Park - Floral Central (near Dow's Lake / Preston / Carling)
- Located at Dow's Lake, access is free and the park is open from Friday, May 6th to
Monday, May 23rd. The park features over 300,000 tulips. Visit the NCC’s Tulip
Legacy Exhibit and discover the fascinating
details of the events that led to
the “Gift of Tulips”.
2011 info: Major's Hill Park - Festival Central (near the Byward Market)
- Open May 6-8 and May
13-23. Features extraordinary Kaleidoscope
tulip beds, plus children and
family oriented activities
and the International
Pavilion. The pavilion hosts over 20
participating
embassies and local
community groups. Enjoy cultural entertainment on the
International Friendship Stage, taste exotic cuisine,
explore new worlds, learn about other countries and their
history, plan your next trip or shop for souvenirs from
around the world
2011 info: The Tulip Route
- This informal route winds its way along the canal
and through the Nation's Capital. Stop to visit other spectacular
multi-coloured tulip gardens, including the picturesque
Malak bed at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and
along the shorelines of the
Ottawa River in Gatineau.
2011 Tulip Festival News
- Ottawa's tulip tradition started after the Second World War. The Dutch
government and royal family donated over 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada
as a "thank you" for the generosity and help of Canadians
during the war. Each year, the Dutch royal family still sends 20,000
bulbs to Canada.Read more...
- The Ottawa Tulip Festival is the largest tulip festival in the world.
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