The National Tulip Festival
Liberation! was the theme as Ottawa held the National Tulip Festival from May 7 - 24. Three parks in Ottawa hold events and concerts throughout the two weeks which celebrates Canada's role in the freedom of the Netherlands in 1945 - 65 years ago!
A brief history lesson (Cheryl will love this!) on how the Festival began: Early in the Second World War, the Dutch Royal family - Queen Wilhelmina and Princess Juliana, her husband Prince Bernhard and their children Beatrice and Irene fled from the Netherlands. The Queen decided to send her daughter and granddaughters to Canada where they lived happily in Rockcliffe for 5 years. During those years, another daughter was born and the Prince and Queen made several visits. At the end of the war, Juliana and the Dutch government sent thousands of tulip bulbs to Ottawa to thank them for protecting the Royals. Juliana became Queen in 1948 and continued sending tulips each year. After her death in 2004, the Netherlands continued the tradition and tulip bulbs are still sent today. Due to her generosity, over 1 million tulips bloom in Ottawa each spring. Another important note is the role the Canadian troops played in liberating the Netherlands and the Tulip Festical also serves to commemorate the First Canadian Army.
Some of the highlights at this year's festival included the Tulip Route which takes you from Major's Hill Park behind the Chateau Laurier downtown to Commisioners Park on the shore of Dow's Lake where over 300,000 bulbs are on display. There is also a Tulip Festival shuttle that travels the Tulip Route regularly throughout the two weeks. There was a number of concerts and other performances at the parks, children's activities, an International Pavillion where you can buy goods or sample foods from around the world, a street party, a Beer Tent (who needs Cali?) and much more. It was definitely a worthwhile event to check out.
A brief history lesson (Cheryl will love this!) on how the Festival began: Early in the Second World War, the Dutch Royal family - Queen Wilhelmina and Princess Juliana, her husband Prince Bernhard and their children Beatrice and Irene fled from the Netherlands. The Queen decided to send her daughter and granddaughters to Canada where they lived happily in Rockcliffe for 5 years. During those years, another daughter was born and the Prince and Queen made several visits. At the end of the war, Juliana and the Dutch government sent thousands of tulip bulbs to Ottawa to thank them for protecting the Royals. Juliana became Queen in 1948 and continued sending tulips each year. After her death in 2004, the Netherlands continued the tradition and tulip bulbs are still sent today. Due to her generosity, over 1 million tulips bloom in Ottawa each spring. Another important note is the role the Canadian troops played in liberating the Netherlands and the Tulip Festical also serves to commemorate the First Canadian Army.
Some of the highlights at this year's festival included the Tulip Route which takes you from Major's Hill Park behind the Chateau Laurier downtown to Commisioners Park on the shore of Dow's Lake where over 300,000 bulbs are on display. There is also a Tulip Festival shuttle that travels the Tulip Route regularly throughout the two weeks. There was a number of concerts and other performances at the parks, children's activities, an International Pavillion where you can buy goods or sample foods from around the world, a street party, a Beer Tent (who needs Cali?) and much more. It was definitely a worthwhile event to check out.